With skills-based hiring on the rise and the enhanced importance of soft skills (or so-called “human” skills) in today’s automated age, many employers continue to focus their interview approach on technical (a.k.a. “hard”) job skills for top positions within their organizations. In other words, hiring managers go through each position on a prospective candidate’s resume, asking questions about specific roles and responsibilities. This information is relevant to the hiring process, of course, but in order to assesses a candidate’s potential for long-term impact within an organization, employers need to dig deeper.
As executive search experts with 30 years of experience, we’ve honed our ability to assess candidates on more levels than just an impressive CV and an agreeable interview. Beyond identifying highly qualified candidates through our sophisticated technology platform and robust database, we also conduct proprietary evaluations that accurately assess a candidate’s suitability for your organization.
We’re here to pass along our trade secrets for executing employee interviews that go beyond the surface and get to the heart of a candidate’s capabilities, aptitude, and attitude. These combined qualities come together to give you the clearest picture of what a professional can bring to your team in the short term and into the future.
Effective interviewing recommendation #1: Ask strategic open-ended questions that include a mix of behavioral, cultural, and role-specific inquiries.
Hiring professionals should lead interviews with essential general questions that set the tone for the rest of the conversation:
- Why are you considering this role?
- Why did you leave your prior employer or want to leave your current company?
- If the candidate has an employment gap, ask them to explain it.
Once you’ve established these opening elements, you can guide the discussion into deeper, more thought-provoking and revealing inquires, taking into account behavioral, cultural, and role-specific qualities.
When formulating questions to determine behavior-specific characteristics, you’re aiming to unearth a candidate’s aptitude for such soft skills as communication, problem-solving abilities, teamwork, leadership, and adaptability.
Sample questions might include:
- Provide an example of a time that you had to lead a team to a specific goal. How did you motivate the team and create cohesion? (leadership)
- Tell me about a time you faced a problem with a stakeholder. How did you prevent it from escalating? (communication, teamwork)
- Describe a situation where you faced serious challenges in doing your job. What were the challenges and how did you overcome them? (problem-solving abilities and adaptability)
Evaluating a candidate’s working style and potential cultural fit for your organization begins with a careful assessment and understanding of your company’s practices, policies, and procedures. From there, you can determine if the candidate will thrive in your existing workplace environment.
Sample questions might include:
- Describe the type of work environment in which you are most productive.
- Describe your management style as well as any management/leadership methods you consistently employ.
- How do you communicate with your team members so that everyone feels heard and valued?
Role-specific questions may seem more straightforward in an interview setting, but thoughtful inquiries will elicit more conclusive responses from the candidate and therefore provide more insight into their relevancy for the role.
Sample questions might include:
- What specific skills or experience do you have that make you a strong fit for this position?
- Can you provide an example of a successful project you completed that had a significant impact on the organization?
Effective interviewing recommendation #2: Focus your interview on the requirements of the position today.
Many employers make the mistake of trying to predict what their prospective position might look like in two, five, even 10 years from now. You must interview for the role as it stands today without speculation about the future. As we’ve all learned over the past few years, our workplaces and our roles within them are changing right before our very eyes, and we need to stay agile and adaptable.
That said, ask yourself: Does the candidate meet the current requirements of the job?
Effective interviewing recommendation #3: Don’t be afraid to address compensation.
Although employers cannot ask candidates for details about their compensation history, they can and should ask about their expectations so that everyone is starting on the same page. This is another important factor in determining a if a candidate is well-suited for the role and for your organization.
And finally, as you listen to a candidate’s responses to your interview inquires, remember: Reasonable questions deserve reasonable answers. Sidestepping a question or providing evasive answers will always be a red flag and a reason to not consider a candidate as a viable option for your organization.
The Bottom Line
Making a successful new placement within your company requires deliberate preparation, conscientious listening, and mindful assessment, which starts with effective interviewing practices. By employing our proven approach, you’re sure to source more qualified candidates that will make a difference within your organization.
We pride ourselves in our proprietary process for discovering, evaluating, and finalizing the best new hires for your company and its future. Learn more about the 20/20 Clear Score and how our powerful approach will set the stage for your organization’s ongoing success.