How Are You Evaluating Job Candidates?

Your day is filled with interviews. This is the group that made it through the initial HR review of online applications and resumes. They are now ready for their in-person interview and it means a more focused set of questions. Are you prepared to evaluate these candidates? How are you evaluating them? Do you feel overwhelmed when you have more than one qualified candidate? You can split up the interview into sections, mentally, to keep you on track and make sure you ask the same questions of each candidate to be able to equally evaluate.

Here are some tips on fairly interviewing these qualified candidates to make sure you get the best fit:

 

• Avoid asking generic questions that can be found in an online search. You can start with those to create a comfortable atmosphere but then you should focus on more unique questions that will cause them to think on their feet.
• Ask open ended questions that require more than just 4-word answers. You want to see how they answer when they can ramble; more honest answers will emerge with that type of questioning.
• Get them to provide details. If they mention something they designed, created or implemented during their career, ask them about it. Dig deep into what they have on their resume.
• Question them about their goals and how they view their career choices. This part can be more about their personal life and how they will fit in with your company culture. You want to know if they are proud of their choices and how they want to grow.
• Keep track of the questions you ask each candidate. You can phrase them differently but it is important to have the same foundational topics so you have the same qualifiers in their answers. If you ask everyone different questions, you won’t know how they measure up against each other.
• Decide what is most important to your company; their skills, their attitude, their goals, their personality. Some positions will require a strict set of education and skills and even those with a great attitude will not be capable of performing well at those jobs. Attitude and personality are sometimes critical while the skills can be learned on the job.

Before you begin the interview process, map out your questions. Then take notes. Too many interviewers feel they will know the right person when they start talking but that is not always the case. They might look great on paper or in person but really don’t have what the position needs. With locations in Portland, Clackamas, Beaverton, Everett, and Vancouver, our skilled recruiters are ready to help you make your workplace the best it can be! Call NW Staffing today.