Here is what you must do to find the right fit between you and the employee.
First, look and interview for “attitude,” which is reflected in personal attributes not innate personality traits such as being an extrovert.
Second, look for and interview for people who are passionate about their work and wanting to work with you. They should be passionate about wanting to work with their fellow employees as well to ensure that the entire team is providing memorable customer service.
Third, interview for employees that are versatile. I realize that some jobs require certifications or licenses yet you also can find employees who are accredited that are also able to adapt and work with job descriptions that go beyond the black and white words on the paper. In other words when interviewing pose problems, issues and questions that focus the interviewee and get the person being interviewed to explain what they would do above and beyond the call of duty, or above and beyond their written job description.
Fourth, please share your company’s vision at the outset of the interview. If you envision that your company will become the most desirable place for employees and clients to engage then make that very clear to your potential employee. If you don’t have a vision for your company’s future then it is time to sit down and develop one.
At ARMSTRONG and Associates our vision is to ensure that every client gets more than they expected from us and that they will be so pleased they will refer us to their associates. We will be seen as the resource for the best and most effective counsel at a fair and reasonable cost.
Your vision should project what you want your company to be within ten years and carefully articulate what you want to see your company to become known for.
Engage with the interviewees in a dialogue about your vision of the company and ask them how they will contribute to making this vision a reality.
Realistically candidates won’t tell you upfront if they don’t like your organization, however, when you engage in this discussion you will find out pretty quickly through nonverbals and verbals whether or not they want to join your company and make your vision a reality.
Fifth, listen to what they say and listen carefully to what your “gut” tells you about the person. When your gut tells you the person is not truly “buying into your vision” then move on to the next interviewee.
Just remember a candidate may have all sorts of degrees, training, experience and certifications or licenses but if they are resistant or hold back enthusiasm for the vision of your company move on to the next interviewee.
Sixth, it is wise to interview people in the real world. Although I have taken people into a quiet office to interview them, some of the best interviews took place when the business was going on all around us. This allows you to see how the candidate will react to being in the work environment. Take them to where they will do their work and immerse them and you in the interview process at that location and see and listen to how they handle the environment. Look carefully for nonverbal cues from the interviewee while under such stress.
Seventh, group interviews are also useful because if this person is going to work with other people they should be exposed to them right upfront. If the group as a whole has the chance to assess the person you will get even more valuable feedback to make your decision.
Bring different people from different parts of the organization into the group interview. When the interview is completed sit with these people and debrief about what they saw, heard or felt about the person and how they would feel about working with them daily.
Finally, exceptional companies these days revolve around the delivery of extraordinary and memorable customer or client service, simply if candidates aren’t relaxed and don’t smile during the interview process we would not hire them.
Following these few simple steps will help ensure that you are hiring the right people to fit into your culture. Take your time, don’t be rushed or pushed into hiring anyone, and if you are working with a staffing agency don’t turn over the entire process to them following the above guidelines even when working with staffing agencies is a wise and prudent business decision.
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