Assessing Candidates During Interviews

Employer Insights, Interview Tips

If you’re in charge of hiring at your organization, you know firsthand the challenges that come with assessing candidates throughout the interviewing process. Being strategic with the types of questions you ask, as well as how you evaluate interview performance, will improve hiring outcomes and allow for the most meaningful exchanges with candidates. As you revisit your interviewing processes, here are a couple tips to keep in mind:

Predetermine your set of interviewing criteria.

Asking candidates different questions will make it hard to determine which individuals are truly qualified for the position at hand. Before interviewing anybody, it’s best to have a predetermined set of questions you ask every candidate. Typically, your line of questioning should cover candidates’ knowledge; skills; education; and experience. It’s also important to incorporate some questions that focus on “culture fit” in assessing which candidates have the more suitable personality for your work environment. Establishing consistency in the screening process will allow you to make the fairest judgments in comparing candidates and making your ultimate hiring decisions.

Measure “human metrics” and soft skills.

While assessing candidates for their hard skills and abilities is always important, you must also get a sense of their “human side.” Ultimately, hiring is about finding the best people to contribute to your organization’s mission and purpose. Asking candidates about their career goals and gauging how their personalities would align with your workplace culture is a piece of the puzzle that can’t be forgotten. As you compare candidates, putting an emphasis on human metrics will help you separate the superior candidates from the average ones.

Making these two factors part of your interviewing strategy will not only help you assess the talent that comes through your door but enhance candidate experience overall.