As the saying goes, “First things first.”
If you have experienced hiring the ‘wrong person’ for the job, you know how very important it is to hire the ‘right person’ in the first place. It’s much better to do the latter, rather than end up trying to figure out what to do with those bad hires after they’re already onboard. Obviously, employers want to avoid such unpleasant experiences for everyone involved.
A first-things-first approach also applies to the interviewing process. Your goal is to conduct job interviews on an objective basis so you can find candidates who have the greatest potential for success in the organization. An interview assessment is designed to help you reach this goal. So it is very important to gather as much information as possible about the particular job well before you interview the candidates.
For instance, you need to know the specific characteristics and skills that an individual should possess in order to succeed at this particular job. And this step requires doing a job analysis. A job analysis can be accomplished either informally or formally. A formal technique focuses on a quantitative analysis, which helps identify the particular skills or qualities required of someone performing in this job. To give you an idea, here are a couple ways this technique can be applied:
- Meet with the supervisor(s) for the particular job openings. Ask them to tell you what the employees do while performing in these positions.
- Conduct a study in which you or the supervisors designate (1) those employees who are excellent performers and (2) those employees who are underperformers. You can then collect information from each group of employees and compare the data. This information will help you understand the qualities and characteristics of the people needed to fill those types of positions.
So whatever technique(s) you utilize, you will need to take preparation time so you can determine the actual position skill-sets ahead of time.
Next, you will need a structured outline to use during the interview process. Now, having this format does not mean that you read questions out-loud verbatim. The outline will help you become better organized and prepared. For instance, used as an aid, it can help you by:
- Serving as a reminder, so you can focus on the specific and relevant areas of the job with the interviewee.
- Serving as a guide, so you can formulate the more general-type questions you want to ask of this person, i.e., where did you go to school, what was your last job, what brought you to this company, etc.
If a company is spending a great deal of time and money interviewing and hiring employees, it’s very important to be well-prepared and organized. You want to ask questions that give you the information you need to find that good fit. If you or your organization are experiencing high turnover, or finding out that employees are not ending up in the right positions, you may want to start from the beginning and re-assess your interview process.
Note: When formulating interview questions, employers may need to seek legal counsel and/or advice from their HR department. Employers and their interviewing representatives will want to avoid asking questions that could be considered as discriminatory or unlawful under both federal and state laws and regulations.