A common complaint about hiring new employees I hear from leaders often is that the interview process is tedious and a waste of time. It feels like a horror story for them every time they conduct one, and even worse, the candidates never last long.
It can be easy to get burned out with the interview process and employee turnover, but you actually can be completely confident in who you hire (and increase retention at the same time!).
Before leaders can know what to do, it’s important to address what not to do first. And that starts with a horror story I hear all too often, too.
Read on to see if you can relate to this interview process and keep scrolling to learn 3 steps to improve your hiring process!
The All Too Common (Horror Story) Scenario
Picture this: A manager has a scheduled Zoom interview that afternoon. They have had a busy day and didn’t schedule time to prep.
The manager scans the resume 5 minutes before logging on.
Then, the phone rings two minutes before the interview is to start.
They’ve been waiting for this person to call and decide to answer, anticipating it will only take “just a minute.”
The phone call drags on and now the manager is now 6 minutes late to the interview.
They start off with “I’m so sorry, I had to take a call…”
And the tone is set.
The manager might as well have said, “I had someone more important than you that needed my time and attention, and I gave it to them instead.”
The interview has barely started and already feels rushed and awkward.
Because the manager is not prepared and needs to buy some time, they go for the worst opening question ever, “Tell me about yourself.”
The applicant responds to the opening question for 20 minutes – rambling about their job history, their education and origin of their family. Anything to try to grasp at a comprehensive answer that will “wow” the manager.
Then the manager, who is completely unprepared for what to do next, says, “Do you have any questions for me?”
The interview is wrapped up in 25 minutes tops.
The manager offers the applicant the position, “They seemed nice.”
The new hire is terminated after 30 days.
“Not a good match” the manager says. “Why do we even bother with an interview? Applicants will say anything in an interview just to get hired.”
This last statement is not true.
You absolutely can know who you are hiring.
How to Make Interviews More Productive
At The Works Consulting, we focus on the right match for the long term, not just a quick placement. This involves following a thoughtful 3-step process.
Every leader can make the interview process more productive and increase employee retention long term. You just need to follow the 3 P’s
- Plan – Create a process in advance that aligns with your core values and work culture. Develop interview questions that obtain the information you need to know to determine if an applicant is the best match for the job and the company.
- Prepare – Block out the appropriate amount of time before the interview so that you can review the resume at least 60 minutes prior to the start time without distractions. Then, log-in at least 5 minutes before so you’re on time and can address any technology issues prior to the start. On time is late.
- Present – You are representing yourself and the company. On-time, ready to go, excited to meet the applicant. You may be the one leading the interview, but candidates are evaluating you, too. Present yourself in the best light possible.
You don’t have to keep wasting your time with horror story-like interviews. Just like with all functions of leadership, the focus of recruiting and interviewing candidates needs to be about the people.
Take time today to improve your interview process. It’s worth it.
What is your interview process like? Let’s talk about how to make it more productive and increase employee retention! Click here to learn more about our Recruiting Partnership services.
