Are You New to Management? Here Is Some Advice on Giving Your First Interview
Since you are new to management, you may not have much experience running job interviews. In fact, you may equate the interviews with sweat, nerves and trying your best to impress the interviewer. Now you’re in the driver’s seat, and it is a good idea to develop an objective rubric of sorts to help measure candidates as equally as possible.
1. You did your research when you were the interviewee, and it’s a practice you should continue to follow. Perform your research even if time is limited. At the very least, familiarize yourself with the candidate’s resume, cover letter and other application materials. Getting that background work out of the way beforehand allows you to devote the interview time to what really matters.
2. Keep an open mind from beginning to end, but especially from the beginning. First impressions do matter, but sometimes they are wrong. Refrain from immediately writing anyone off. Test the candidate’s conversational skills and ease into a relaxed dialogue by opening with a question such as: “How about that football game last night, huh?” or “Did you find your way okay?”
3. Ask open-ended questions as opposed to yes or no questions. Some open-ended examples are: “Describe a situation in which you failed,” and “What types of co-workers do you get along best with? The least?” Ask behaviorally focused questions when you can because resumes and cover letters are skill based. They do not supply much information on how a candidate might act in a given situation.
4. Ask offbeat questions in the middle of the interview or near the end. This tests the candidate’s composure and ability to adjust quickly. You can ask: “If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would you choose?” and “If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want to have?” Another possible question: “If you are a new crayon, what color are you and why?”
In addition to these tips, make sure to keep your interview structured and consistent with your company’s specific hiring processes.
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