MightyRecruiterWhen it comes to professional interviews, it feels like all the pressure would be on the candidate. After all, he or she is the one who is trying to get work. However, in order for your business to thrive, you are definitely going to need the ideal workforce that is actively engaged in your company’s end goal. Many small businesses that have yet to develop their reputation among the local or national community may need to take some extra steps in order to attract the best workers. If you want to impress top candidates in interviews, then there are a few things you need to make sure you do.
Get Ready
The same way a job candidate would thoroughly prepare before going into an interview, you need to prepare as well. That means looking over the candidate’s resume before actually meeting the person so that you know what he or she brings to the table. If you sit there fumbling through papers, then the applicant is going to wonder if you are savvy enough to run the company. Additionally, you need to give yourself plenty of time in between interviews to decompress. It is not uncommon to interview numerous people throughout a single day, and you should give yourself 10 minutes to relax and get ready for the next interviewee. By knowing what you are talking about and being engaged in the current conversation, you will definitely impress top candidates in interviews.
Choose the Best Location
You should pick a clean location to interview someone where you will not be interrupted and where it will be quiet. You do not want people barging into the room while you are trying to get to know a potential new employee. Many employers want to give the candidate a tour of the office, which is not a bad idea. You may want to wait until a follow-up interview to do that, or at the very least, save it for the end of the first interview when you have a good idea that this is someone you would want to work with.
Always Be Honest
Something else that will really impress top candidates in interviews is to be truthful about the current state of the organization. In all likelihood, the interviewee will have done some research before going into the interview and will know whether your company is doing well financially. If you lie about something that a candidate saw elsewhere, they may wonder if you are trying to cover something up. However, you can use this opportunity to discuss the steps you are taking to improve the business and where you hope to see the organization go in the future.
Turn Off Your Cell Phone
If an interviewee’s cell phone started ringing during an interview, then you would immediately disqualify them from the running. That principle works both ways. If your cell phone goes off in an interview, then the candidate will wonder if you are taking this seriously or not. Even worse, you want to make sure you never actually take a call or start texting or emailing during the interview. You can impress top candidates in interviews by giving them your full and undivided attention. Maintain eye contact and ask relevant follow-up questions to what the applicant has to say.
Ask Questions That Matter
There are plenty of questions that are typical for job interviews, but you want to make sure that each one you ask is serving a purpose. If a position does not require any involvement with computers, then you do not need to ask the candidate what his or her experience is with IT work. Asking a list of questions that do not ultimately lead up to anything is just going to bore the candidate, and he or she may leave the interview not having any better understanding of the position as when he or she first entered.
Follow Up With Everyone
At the end of interviews, you should give candidates a timeframe of when they can expect to hear back. It may only be a day or two, or it could be several weeks. Either way, you should definitely contact everyone you met to let them know. Even a quick email thanking them for their time but that they did not ultimately get the job can set people’s minds at ease and let them know that they need to move on. Even though they did not get the position, you will impress top candidates in interviews by following up and maintaining good relationships throughout the community. Mighty Recruiter has the resources you need you build your company and find the best people to work for you.