How to improve your interview process?

Culled from Glassdoor.com

What is the interview process?

The interview process includes writing a job description, posting a job, scheduling and conducting interviews, following up with candidates, and hiring an employee.

Remember, interviewing is a skill. Just as a candidate might turn to friends or for a practice interview, internal practice interviews help teams identify areas for improvement. 

Interview process steps 

Conducting an effective interview begins with preparation. Members of the interviewing team should coordinate in advance to ensure that each person is asking unique questions to ascertain the candidate’s skills, and consistently scoring candidates. 

There is much debate by industry professionals on the best ways to improve the interview process. And by improve, we mean to attract and make better hires. Difficult job interviews actually result in better hires. Candidates who go through a rigorous interview process often find that the company places a high value on finding employees who are a good match for both the position and the company culture.

Here are some steps to consider when structuring your interview process.

The phone screener

Quickly vet a candidate before you invest further time in them. At this stage, you’ll want to focus on high-level questions to make sure they meet the requirements of the role. 

The test

Determine test objectives, (e.g. personality, values, skills, etc.), and decide how candidates will be moved forward or eliminated based on the results.

The in-person interview

The shift toward remote and hybrid work means that companies need to hone their virtual interview process. Focus on EQ questions, and use the proximity of the screen to gauge how a candidate reacts to the questions and distractions.

The virtual interview

This is the time to dig into culture fit and work style. Try to identify what motivates a candidate, what drew them to your company, and how they work on a team.

The group panel

Prepare interviewers with the job description and the candidate’s resume. Don’t forget to identify a panel leader, and assign roles to each interviewer based on job function and/or expertise.

The candidate presentation

Be specific with the candidate about the presentation topic, and determine objectives for evaluation with the team in advance. Don’t forget to solicit feedback via a scorecard or a post-panel debrief.

While extra hoops raise the perceived difficulty of job interviews, they also slow down the hiring process. Before adding additional layers to interviews, make sure each new screen helps identify great candidates.

Great interview questions to ask candidates 

Start the interview with a personal touch. Introduce yourself, and be sure to confirm that you’re pronouncing the candidate’s name correctly. Explain what you do for the company, and how you and the candidate would work together.

If you’re struggling to come up with interview questions, try these to get a better sense of the candidate’s personality:

Tell me about two of the most satisfying accomplishments in your career.

What was the best thing about your last job?

Describe a time you had a difficult working relationship with a colleague. What was the challenge, how did you address the situation and what did you learn from the experience?

What is a development area, a deficit, or a gap that you’ve had to overcome or improve in your career? How was that identified, and what did you do to improve?