1. Have the reception area a place where recruiting information is available for a perspective hire. Have brochure available that speaks to the quality of life at the firm, the company's financial health, benefits, the sorts of things that you would want to know if you were visiting a new employer. Make sure it is not a zone where people can be standing and complaining to one another while waiting for the elevator. As a test, walk into your reception area one day and imagine what message it would convey to a stranger. Look at the walk to your office and do the same. Is there something that can be changed to convey a better impression to a stranger?
2. Don't overbook yourself. Unless your sole job is to interview, it is hard to keep track of answers if you're interviewing three or four people a day. And don't let your appointments sit and wait a long time for you. You don't like it when you're kept waiting in a doctor's office or a gove240rnment agency. Don't be rude. In deference to your own schedule, try to make appointments during lunch or after hours.
3. If you have a receptionist or assistant, give them a heads-up about the appointment to insure that their desk is not a gathering place. If available, have them offer a beverage to the waiting person. And if you can validate their parking permit, don't make them ask for it. Have it done immediately.
4. Take notes about answers. Seems obvious, but too often people rely on their memory to make decisions. If you're like most technology managers, you're handling a lot of quick decisions in the course of a day and risk making mistakes that can cause you to miss our on someone you would otherwise hire.
5. Pay attention! As a professional interviewer, I am conscious of how often my mind wanders to something I need to handle outside of the interview -- a work problem, a call I need to make, something my wife or son said. This is not because the person I'm evaluating is inappropriate or incompetent. It's because I'm human and don't come equipped with a switch that allows me to concentrate at all times. Do your best to concentrate on the person in front of you.
6. Prepare questions in advance that will help you assess a person and their qualifications. Don't "wing it". You've developed a specification of a job that you need to fill. What can you ask to help you determine whether this person has the right skills to do the job and personality for your team and organization?
7. Sell! The person who you're interviewing may be the one you decide to hire. They may be someone who will get a call from a friend of their who is evaluating whether to come to work for you or hire you. Tell your story. Why did you join and what keeps you there? Why is this a great company to work for and a good opportunity Take the time to talk about the merits of joining your team and your organization. Sell, don't lie.
8. Finally, think about the number of things that you are uncomfortable with, embarrassed by or wanted to apologize for and correct them. For example, do people see the chaos of the work day, the office clown, the rows of empty cubicles or paper stacked on empty desks from the last layoff? What can be done to rectify the impression that is conveyed by these and other things?
If you follow these points, you'll find that you'll have more successful outcomes and waste less time making decisions.
Jeff Altman
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com
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