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Job interview cartoon funny

 Unless you are self employed, interviews are a necessary part of doing business. Here are a few quick tips that we always recommend to our clients:

  1. ALWAYS have an employee complete your employment application and BG Check Authorization BEFORE you sit down with them to conduct the interview. There are many legal reasons and without completing this step before the interview, you are leaving yourself vulnerable for claims that may occur later. Plus, having a candidate complete the BG Check Authorization before you meet with them sends them a clear message that you are going to review their background, so we find this encourages them to be more open and honest with you from the start.
  2. Offer the candidate something to drink and build rapport with them to make them feel comfortable- – they will feel more comfortable and you will gain better insight.
  3. Treat them with respect and conduct the entire interview the same way every time, even if you do not want to hire them. They are not only a candidate but also possibly a future customer. Even if you aren’t interested in hiring them, it is a good idea for them to walk away from the interview feeling respected and heard. They have friends, family and co-workers and it is important they don’t communicate they had a bad experience with your interview- we all know that bad news travels faster than good news.
  4. Communicate your process (and know what that is BEFORE you decide to start interviewing for the position). If it is going to take you 2 weeks or 2 months to make the hiring decision, let them know that and when and how you will be in touch after a decision is made. We hear far too many stories about candidates interviewing with a business owner and then never hearing anything again. If your plan is to ONLY call the candidate back if you plan to hire them- then be clear with them and let them know that. This will save you a lot of missed calls and emails and will save frustration on their end as well.
  5. If you offer benefits to your current employees, make sure you have a nice way of communicating that to the candidates in the interview- it is important to show your competitive advantages from the start so you have a leg up on the competition. A Benefits Booklet or one page document (or a link on your website) is a great way to do this.
  6. MAKE SURE THE INTERVIEW PROCESS DOESN’T STOP AT THE OFFER. AN EMPLOYEES FIRST DAY OF WORK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP TO HIRING AND SETS THE TONE FOR THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR COMPANY- MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN ESTABLISHED, ORGANIZED PROCESS THAT WELCOMES AND ENCOURAGES EMPLOYEES ON THEIR FIRST DAY OF WORK AND THAT YOU ARE PREPARED FOR THEM WHEN THEY GET THERE, RATHER THAN LEAVING THEM TO FIGURE THINGS OUT!
  7. And last- if you know you are not good at interviewing and your people barometer is way off- be realistic about that an enlist the help from an HR professional. Large corporations have the luxury of their own HR departments to sift through resumes and pre-screen candidates, however, smaller employers have to do it all. Enlist the help of HR Consultants to help you put a process in place that not only creates a great interview, but also shows off your company culture you have worked so hard to create!