Interviewing Checklist For Employers- Do’s and Don’ts
DO:
- Be as casual in appearance as your company will allow
- Be on time for the interview and apologize for tardiness. Live on “Vince Lombardi Time”
- Let the candidate sit where they want in the room
- Set a comfortable mood in the room- ie. get a drink and offer one to your candidate
- Discuss your core values, along with a personal story about how your company’s culture is driven by its values
- Tell a story about your background and the background of the company
- Bring in an employee on the team which the candidate will be working
- Look him/her up on LinkedIn and social media- learn something interesting about him/her to discuss in the meeting
- Ask questions about his/her interests outside of work
- Ask a “wild” question ie. “Describe your favorite dessert”
- Be conversational about examples, questions, and fact-finding
- Ask him/her to discuss freely what they really want to contribute
- Give instant, respectful feedback
- Learn something based on your conversation with the candidate
- Share something about YOUR personal life (if comfortable)
- Explain “Day 1” if hired
- Outlay expectations in a clear, concise manner
- THANK your candidate for their time- multiple times in the meeting
- Invite him/her to connect on LinkedIn and to your network
DON’T:
- Make your candidate wait longer than 15 minutes
- Ask him/her to “tell you about them”
- Talk about how “busy you are”
- Leave people hanging onto false hope of getting the job
- Ask “canned” interview questions
- Assume your candidate knows everything about your business
- Assume your candidate isn’t interviewing with other companies
- Take for granted the extra skills your candidate may bring to your organization
- Leave your candidate waiting- if they aren’t “the one”, tell them right away
- Send “canned” messages about your decision
- Rely on a resume for all the important information about your candidate
- Ask about politics, religion, or sensitive social topics