Interviews have been around for a long time. They are still considered to be the best way to find the right candidate for a role. Whether face to face or online, it’s an opportunity to put a face to a CV and understand a little more about them and whether they will fit in with your organisation.
But they can also be deceiving. The harsh reality is, a candidate can prepare well for an interview and ultimately, tell you what they think you want to hear.
So, how can you get around that? How can you see the person behind the persona, and can you really read between the lines and establish truth vs embellishment?
You already know that a candidate has the skills, experience, and qualifications for the role. An interview is a chance to find out if they really stand up against what they’ve told you in a CV.
In this blog, we will explore what to look for when you’re interviewing for a new role.
- Communication skills
How a candidate communicates is possibly the most important factor at an interview. You already know how they communicate in writing, but can they communicate well when face to face?
Asking open ended questions will help to establish this. Don’t give them the opportunity to say yes or no, give them the chance to expand on their answer. Look out for confidence and eye contact. If they struggle to look you in the eye, it could be telling you that they aren’t particularly confident in what they are saying, and they will struggle to communicate effectively in the work environment.
- Positivity
Most candidates will show enthusiasm at an interview but are they really a positive player? A great way to find out is by asking one or both of the following questions.
1 – Tell me why you decided to apply for this role
2 – Can you tell me a little about your current role and why you are looking to leave?
They will be prepared for these questions, but their body language will give them away if they aren’t being 100% honest. That second question is particularly important. How they talk about their current employer will tell you a lot about who they are and how positive they are. Many will slip up with this question and go into great detail about how badly they are treated or the culture of an organisation. Whilst that might be true, remember that these are the things they could be saying about you in the future.
- Their ethical approach
You need to know that a candidate will represent you in the best possible light so knowing how they would react in a somewhat unethical situation will tell you a lot.
Ask them questions such as ‘can you give me an example of a time you were asked to do something you weren’t comfortable with at work and how you managed that situation’.
What this shows you is if they are willing to do anything a senior staff member tells them to do or if they would challenge it. Let’s be clear here, you are looking for them to challenge.
Having a yes/no person in your workplace doesn’t benefit anyone. You should be looking for staff members who will push boundaries and know when to say no. These are the candidates who will take their role and your organisation to the next level.
Of course, this is not fool proof. There will always be situations where a candidate represents themselves perfectly at interview only to later find that it was in fact, a misrepresentation of who they really are.
It’s always best to have someone who is experienced at interviewing. Someone who knows the signs and can read between the lines. Your recruitment strategy will establish if that’s feasible and if not, hopefully this will help.