Do you know what your most valuable asset as a company is? There are probably a few things that come to mind fairly quickly. Are your employees on that list? If not, they should be. Your employees are a crucial part of what allows your business to run smoothly and develop a positive reputation. That means you must find quality people to work for you, which is the whole point of a job interview. Of course, if you’re making mistakes during the interview, you could be shooting yourself in the foot.
Being Unprepared
Have you given much thought to the interviews you’re about to do when you go looking for your next hire? If not, you’re making a mistake. You need to prepare just as much as, if not more than, the candidates you’ll be interviewing. If you want to hire the right person for the job, you need to know what you’re looking for and how to identify it. Look at the resumes you receive before the interview. Write down the questions you intend to ask so you have a clear process and can keep the interview on track.
Talking Too Much
Remember, the point of the interview is for you to get to know more about the candidates you’re interviewing than you learn from just the resumes they send in. That’s pretty hard to do if you’re spending too much time talking and not enough time listening. Speak less so you can learn more. You should answer questions asked by the candidates, but be succinct and clear in your responses. Remember, you’re here to learn about them. To do so, you must listen to them and observe them.
Asking the Wrong Questions
Asking questions is a natural, normal, and expected part of an interview. While there is a saying that there is no such thing as a wrong or bad question, that isn’t the case when it comes to interviewing someone for a job. In fact, asking certain questions can land you in a lot of trouble. You can’t ask questions about marital status, orientation, parental status, age, health, or living conditions, for some examples. Those could be perceived as discriminatory. Then there are the questions that just don’t really serve a purpose. Make sure your questions are both legal and purposeful so you can make the most of the interview.
There’s a lot that rides on an interview. Sure, you can always deal with a bad hire one way or the other down the road, but not without incurring some degree of cost. Do yourself and your company a favor and make sure you avoid making interviewing mistakes that could make a difference in who you decide to hire for better or for worse.
After the interview and the offer comes the onboarding process. Read this next to learn more: 4 Crucial Steps to the Onboarding Process
