As a fan of cooking, I enjoy the fun of trying new ingredients in old recipes. That gives me the fun of having a meal that I know we will enjoy, but also a way to possibly improve on the success of the meal compared to previous ones.
Ok, enough of the food analogy. However, improving the interview process is just like that. As you tweek and adjust various elements of the process, you'll discover that the outcome improves or declines. I think that in the interest of improvement, I would like to suggest the slightest tweek, one that reaps big rewards. Prepare your interview team in advance of the candidate arriving. Sounds simple? It is. The secret is really planning. As you go about the process of recruiting for a new position - whether you are doing it yourself or having the assistance of outside recruiters; take a step back and begin with the end in mind.
In this case a solid new hire is the goal; part of the process is how well the candidate does in the interview. Having an interview team that knows their role in the process; that knows how to provide feedback to the decisionmakers in the process is key. My suggestion is that each of the interview team knows what their job is. There may be standardized questions each team member asks plus there should be specific areas of expertise each interviewer represents. Overlap is ok as long as it is constructive and targeted toward validating experience, background and skills.
However, especially on a first round; keep the group small and efficient. Core decisionmakers who interivew effectively. Save the more detailed interview for the second round.
OK...more to come later. How to make 2nd round interviews sizzle is the next installment.
Success by Design – one client and candidate at a time.
Lynden
Monday, August 04, 2008
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