Recruiting to the Job or the Process

Published December 2, 2012 | By Balanix Solutions

Recruitment | HR | Business Development

I am all for documented procedures and processes being used by business owners. Knowledge, consistency and compliance equals efficiency, productivity, less errors and reduced rework. However, like Erika’s job interview, procedures and lack of training can have the opposite effect.

In relation to Job interviews, why have a process? Well, the answer lies in why do an interview in the first place?

Most interviewing processes include a job interview. Selectors have read the written application and matched it to the Job Description requirements – this is where a good Job Description comes in handy. But job applications cannot always reflect the candidate accurately.

Candidates are encouraged to present a Resume or CV to get noticed. Many invest in Professional Resume and CV Writers or seek other help to ensure the best advantage (can’t blame them). However, as the recruiter, you need to test and validate what is being claimed in the written application to ensure they are the right person for the job and your business.

And this is where the interview comes in. The interview process needs to be structured sufficiently to ensure you find out everything you want to know and that you comply with laws and regulations, but not so structured that the only ticks are that you followed the process but don’t really know anything further about the candidate.

Face to face, the recruiter can hear the language the candidate uses, see how they respond to questions and begin to build rapport (or otherwise) with the prospect. Make sure when you are interviewing you use open questions (not closed questions) to ensure the candidate can talk (remember – you want to know what they know not what you already know).

Examples of Open Questions are:

Tell me a time when …
Have you ever experienced …. And if so, how did you handle it?
You mention in your application you worked on … project. Could you expand on this for me?
When you worked in …. Team, what role specifically did you have and what contributions did you make?

These questions allow the candidate to talk thereby opening up opportunities for the recruiter to explore information further with follow-up questions.

Closed questions are ones that can be answered Yes or No and don’t give the opportunity to really obtain much information. Examples of these types of questions are:

You indicted in your application you have experience in … is that right?
You mention in your application you worked on … project. Did you do things like …… in this project?
When you worked in …. Team was the team successful in its work?

The right questions and the right process can get from the candidates exactly what they know, what their experience is, how they fit with the culture of your business and what type of employee they will be.