Hiring Advice

How to Interview Candidates

Review the candidates resume thoughly before the interview and be prepared with questions or comments on their experience and background. You can then spend more time during the interview getting to know more about the real candidate, and not who they are on paper.

Start the interview off with an interesting icebreakers, for example:
“Did you have any problem finding the place?"
“How about this weather?”

Try Not to Make Immediate Judgments

We often base our opinion on someone by their appearance or the impression we get of that candidate within the first few minutes of meeting them. Do whatever it takes to not form an immediate opinion of them. Give the candidate an opportunity to discuss their background, talents and qualifications. You don't want to blow off a potential top talent because his or her appearance reminds you of a neighbor you didn't like growing up

“Tell me about your last position / job”
“Why did you decide to become a (insert title)?”

Define Your Goal

Preparation is the most important key to screening candidates properly. Begin by creating a detailed position specification that includes a description of responsibilities, and your expectations of the ideal candidate. After identifying critical elements -- such as type and years of experience -- identify and prioritize three key criteria,that every candidate must meet. For example, years of experience you are looking for, a minimum or maximum. We have seen many interview processes flounder because a hiring team lacked agreement on qualifications from the beginning. Pledge to meet only with those candidates whose backgrounds include all three of your agreed-upon qualifications.