Provisional Blog

Have you ever hired someone who looked great on paper, knocked it out of the park during the interview, and then fell apart on the job?

As one of the top staffing agencies in the Northwest, we know this scenario has happened to many employers. They rely on ineffective and outdated recruiting and interviewing techniques – and then pay the price after they hire the wrong person.

The reason that many of the these techniques prove insufficient are varied, including:

• Interviewers going with their “gut” when they hire someone.
• Many interviewers aren’t properly trained to conduct job interviews.
• Many job candidates exaggerate their experience or skill set to get the job.

So how can you avoid making these same mistakes – and hire high caliber talent who can hit the ground running? Here are some steps to take:

Do your homework.

Make sure you understand the key elements of the job before conducting any interviews. If you don’t, work with other employees who are in similar positions or who are familiar with the necessary responsibilities. Screen resumes and develop standardized questions for all candidates based on this knowledge.

First impressions count.

The most talented professionals are going to have their choice between job opportunities. So you should be looking to make a favorable impression on them during the interview process, starting with the moment they walk through the company doors.

Ask a mix of questions.

To give all candidates a fair chance, interviews should follow a structured format that is the same for each one. During the interview you should be asking a mix of both behavioral- and situation-based questions.

Some examples include:

Situational:

Example #1: What would you do if your boss asked you to lie for him or her?

Example #2: What would you do if you found out an employee was stealing?

Behavior-based:

Example #1: Tell me about a time when you took a risk and it paid off.

Example #2: Give me an example of a time when you faced a major crisis or challenge at work. How did you handle it?

Evaluate people skills.

People skills are tough to evaluate during an interview. Just like on a date, candidates are putting their best foot forward and aren’t necessarily showing their true colors. But understanding who they are – their personality and motivations – can help you significantly improve the hiring process. One way to do that is by conducting personality profiles of a few select candidates. Through these, you’ll get a better sense of a candidate’s behaviors, attitude, interpersonal skills and how they will interact with customers and co-workers.

And if you’d like some help with the hiring process, just give us a call. As on of the top staffing agencies in the Northwest, Provisional specializes in identifying, attracting and recruiting top-tier professionals to create strategic leadership teams with the experience, vision and character to improve business performance. Contact us today to learn more.