Interviewing a prospective employee can be confusing and stressful (for all parties), the process of hiring the right talent is both an art and a science. The art of interviewing can be made easier if you simply start by making a list of what you wish to know about a candidate. However, asking a direct question may lead to contrived answers. Many times candidates will respond in a way they think you want them to respond. This could be from wanting to appear qualified or likeable, but it may not always reflect accurately. The art of interviewing involves making your subject feel comfortable and willing to share openly.
Asking situational or hypothetical interview questions, instead of direct questions is one way to get well-thought-out and meaningful responses from a candidate. For example, asking how a person would deal with rejection in a work environment may yield better results than asking “what is your biggest weakness.”
For hiring managers and business owners, the stakes are high when it comes to adding new members to their team. A resume can tell you a lot about a candidate’s experience and skills, but it’s only a piece of the puzzle. The real challenge lies in uncovering the person behind the paper – their personality, habits, and the veracity of the skills they claim to possess. This article delves into the art of interviewing, offering strategies to evaluate prospective employees or contractors beyond the confines of their resumes.
Understanding the Candidate Beyond the Resume
A well-crafted resume can open doors for a candidate, but it’s the interview that allows hiring managers to peek into the candidates’ professional soul. The interview is your tool to assess not just what candidates claim they can do, but who they are and how they do things. It’s about verifying if they truly possess the qualities they tout and if those qualities align with your company’s values and needs.
Strategies for a Deeper Evaluation
Behavioral Interviewing: One of the most effective techniques in the interviewer’s arsenal is behavioral interviewing. This method is predicated on the idea that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. By asking candidates to describe specific situations they’ve encountered in their careers, how they handled them, and the outcomes, you gain insights into their real-world application of skills, problem-solving capabilities, and personality traits.
Competency-Based Questions: Go beyond the generic “What are your strengths?” question. Ask for examples that demonstrate their competencies. If a candidate claims to be an exceptional team player, ask for a specific instance when they had to work with a difficult team member and how they navigated that situation. This not only tests the validity of their claim but also provides a glimpse into their interpersonal skills and resilience.
Situational Questions: Pose hypothetical but work-related scenarios to the candidate and ask how they would respond. These questions should be designed to uncover how candidates think on their feet, their decision-making process, and how they prioritize tasks under pressure. This approach helps assess cognitive and analytical skills, as well as adaptability and strategic thinking.
Soft Skills Assessment: In today’s workplace, soft skills like communication, leadership, and empathy are as critical as technical abilities. Engage candidates in a dialogue that encourages them to reveal their communication style, leadership philosophy, or how they’ve used empathy in resolving workplace conflicts. This can be more revealing than any claim on a resume.
Cultural Fit: Every organization has a unique culture, and a candidate who excels in one environment may flounder in another. Discuss your company’s values, work environment, and expectations. Ask candidates about their ideal work culture and past experiences to gauge alignment. Remember, skills can be taught, but cultural fit is intrinsic.
Reference Checks: Finally, don’t underestimate the power of reference checks. They are a critical step in validating a candidate’s resume claims and the impressions you gathered during the interview. Speaking with former supervisors, colleagues, or clients can provide additional layers of insight into the candidate’s abilities, work ethic, and character.
Conclusion
The art of interviewing is about peeling back the layers to discover the true essence of a candidate. It’s a skill that hiring managers and business owners must hone to ensure they’re not just filling positions but are investing in individuals who will contribute to the success and growth of their organization. By integrating these strategies into your interview process, you can move beyond the resume to uncover the real potential of your candidates – ensuring a match not just in skills, but in values, work habits, and vision for the future.
Remember, the goal of an interview is not to catch candidates in a lie but to understand who they are and how they can contribute to your team. With the right approach, you can transform the interview process from a mere formality into a powerful tool for building a resilient, dynamic, and harmonious team.
Kim is a single mom who had held a senior IT position for 17 years at market-data giant, NPD Group in Port Washington, New York until 2022 when the company was sold to rival Information Resources Group of Chicago. Earlier in her career, Kim also held information technology positions at Pall Corporation and IBM.
Kim’s story is a classic tale of true grit and incredible work ethic. Starting out as the Felene social media director in 2019 (while still holding a full-time job), Kim quickly assumed the added role of New York regional sales director in 2020. During a period of the pandemic when many retail and hospitality businesses were shut down, Kim managed to on-board dozens of strategic accounts. Within a year, Kim built a vibrant sales territory and the logistics infrastructure to support sales, distribution and continuity. After leaving her position at NPD in 2022, Kim was appointed company president and became a principle shareholder in the company.
Kim now oversees sales, marketing and logistics for the company’s operations in five states including: Florida, New York, Colorado, California and Texas.
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