Hiring Leaders: How to Elevate your Candidate's Experience

The employment market is still going strong and there are companies who are hiring. Significant talent gaps exist to find those individuals who are qualified and who are a fit within our company cultures. We’ve seen the number of job offers candidates are receiving go down slightly, which is nice for those of us hiring because there is less competition. Candidates today are still being selective when making employment decisions.  As hiring leaders, we need to be cognizant in our interview approach to make sure we are taking the time during an interview to focus on the candidate and clarify any outstanding questions they may have.  

I know as hiring leaders you are not interviewing people every day, so I wanted to share some tips to help you when you are interviewing. Interviewing is an art form that includes a lot of pieces. You need to be able to ask relevant questions, analyze their responses, observe non-verbal communication, and feel comfortable interrupting and probing for more details, all while taking notes and trying to evaluate their responses. 

Get to Know the Individual  

During an interview, it’s often the first time the candidate is meeting with you. A lot of people will fire away with all their interview questions, only saving the last few minutes for the candidate to ask their questions. I recommend kicking off the interview by getting to know the individual you are meeting with and allowing them to ask any questions they have at the beginning. This will allow you to build rapport and make them feel valued and comfortable. 

Describe the Layout of the Interview  

Communicate in detail what will occur over your time together. Such as, “Let me walk you through our time together. I’d like to get to know you, answer any questions you have about the position, the company, or any questions you have for me. Then we will discuss your resume and experience. After that we will jump into interview questions, and I will save time at the end to answer any additional questions you have. Sound good?” 

Don’t be Afraid to Interrupt  

Once you get to the interview questions portion, it is important to communicate to the candidate that you may be interrupting them at times to make sure you are getting the information you need. Additionally, if they need you to repeat a question you have asked, that is okay too. If people know they will be interrupted, it will not appear rude when you do. It also helps you feel more comfortable if you need to interrupt them. Plan to interrupt them frequently. We need to probe and ask additional questions to dive deep into someone’s experience to give us confidence that they are a fit and will be successful in the role. 

Focus on Behavioral Questions  

I'm a huge advocate of behavioral interview questions. These are "tell me about a time" questions. The candidate then must share a specific example detailing how they handled the situation in the past, which is the biggest predictor of future behavior.  

Before I begin asking behavioral questions I explain, “I will be asking you behavioral interview questions and what I’m looking for is what the situation was, what you specifically did and what the result was. If you need me to repeat the question, please let me know and I may interrupt you at times to make sure I’m getting the information I need. Sound good?”  

If I ask a question and a candidate responds with a generalized statement I will interrupt and ask, “Can you please share a specific example with me?”  

End with Next Steps  

Getting specific examples of what they have accomplished in the past is key. Lastly, I’ll wrap up with what the next steps look like and then provide them with more time to ask me questions. When we allow them to ask as many questions as they have this makes companies stand out, providing an exceptional candidate experience. Even if they don’t end up working for you, it is important to create this type of positive experience for when they share with their friends.  

TalentQ provides every hiring leader personalized interview guides with hand-selected questions to make sure the interviewers are asking the right questions to uncover the skills and experience needed for their job openings. If you need guidance on specific questions to ask, we have an extensive repository of interview questions accessible to you. Please schedule a time on my calendar to discuss how we can assess your needs. I’m here for you. Cheers! 

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