Recruiting, interviewing and hiring – THE key steps in business success-read these tips on how to get it right the first time, with 3 questions to get your top talent!
Recruiting takes a huge amount of energy – no matter what size organization you are, small, large or in between. There are lots of people involved, and it takes tons of time. And, it can be frustrating to be on interview panels, the questions are rigid, and there may be very little room to voice concerns, or even ask candidates to expand on answers.
What is the answer, and why is it so hard to get the right candidates? Research has shown that for most potential hires, past success does not always predict future success. As much as organizations have tried to nail down processes, this is another area in business which just can’t be definitively categorized.
A potential candidate’s past success is based on so many connected variables. Some of the key areas that impact success include culture – how we behave in organizations, the timing of projects, colleagues we work with, communications style, personal life, health, strategy, management mix, and organizational structure. There are many more areas both internal and external to companies that together, impact results a single individual’s results.
Among candidates, the top variables that really make a difference are attitude and potential. You may assume that the behavioral questions typically used at interviews try to get at these two key areas, but they usually miss their mark. Most questions focus on how a person has reacted in the past or might react in the future to certain situations. But again, because of the complex areas that impact success, performance in one organization may not transfer to another organization. And, situations may not be directly comparable.
If you are an interviewer, it may seem easier and quicker to go along with the questions prepared for you. But to really provide value, make a difference, and save time by getting the right hire, spend some time to review the questions ahead of time, and absolutely push to include some questions about attitude and potential. This will definitely need some persuasion and influence to change, and the key questions below can help make these changes happen quickly. Check out my article on change for some great tips on making change happen. change http://kooycommunications.com/transformational-change-succeeds/
To get to attitude, it is important to understand some of the applicant values and how are they aligned with the organization.
To get to potential, find out what drives the candidate, what are some of their struggles, and how were they resolved. What are some goals and how are they aligned with the company?
Here are the top 3 strategic questions for potential hires.
- How do you deal with conflict – explore a real life situation? This is a great topic for follow-up questions to highlight personal style and compatibility with the company.
- How do you communicate – explore the applicant’s relationship with colleagues and boss – how is information shared? What did you like best about your boss? How did you receive feedback and how did you respond?
- In what culture do you thrive best – explore key situations about past jobs that describe how the applicant fits into the culture. Some areas include leading projects, managing change, and innovation.
© Kooy Communications Consulting, 2017. All Rights Reserved. http://www.kooycommunications.com
Contact me at winnie@kooycommunications.com to set up a complimentary call to discuss how we might work together.
