Top interview techniques mean the finger will point at the right candidate!
If you want to assemble a team of performers then you need some smart hiring practices to start with and, once you have your final short-list of candidates prepared, it’s time to use a few interview techniques to make sure the finger is left pointing at the right candidate!
Here we go through a few techniques you can try using as you enter the final phase of the hiring process.
Bring The Boss To The Table!
Many of the tasks like writing and posting the job ad, the collection of resumes, the pre-screening and sending of questionnaires and even the setting of tasks for the trials for your candidates, can be looked after by your project managers. But the actual interview needs to be conducted by the boss. Make sure you get involved here and run the interview yourself.
Pick A Time And A Chat Program!
Arrange a time with your virtual applicant for the interview and make sure you specify whether it’s to be Skype or another program and request a web cam. This will allow you to assess their punctuality, whether they have got to grips with the time-zone conversion and how computer-savvy they are.
Go In Tandem!
When you are conducting the interview it’s best for you to concentrate on the flow of the interview, rather than note-taking, so get a staff member to sit there with you and take the notes. It’s also a good idea to record the interview, so that other staff members can voice opinions on the candidate, if necessary.
Digging Up The Past!
Most of the best candidates should be able to talk positively about their past achievements and not try to avoid questions. Getting an understanding of their past work history, what they have achieved, how they liked working, what they need to improve on and why they moved on from different roles, may present different patterns that can let you know how suitable they’ll be for the role you have in mind or highlight potential problem areas.
If They’re Not Right Don’t Waste Time
If your gut feeling after 10 minutes of the interview is that they’re not going to be the right fit, this probably won’t change and it’s best not to kid anyone. Try to shorten the number of questions and wind things up as quickly as possible without appearing rude.
There are more tips on how to refine your interview techniques and formulate a series of good interview questions in the Outsource Profit Machine Workshop DVDs. Just click here if you want to find out more about it.
I especially like the last tip. This greatly saves everyone’s time and energy.
We successfully did this in one of our campaigns before and that really enabled us to get the best person on board after reading almost 200 applicants’ resumes to fill five positions in our account, by the way I am talking about a call center account here, but I believe this is also applicable in this setup of hiring a virtual assistant.
Also, if you can call for a quick demo, then you can ask them to do it during the interview. This will give them the opportunity to showcase their skills while giving them a chance to ace the interview.
Hi Lia. To add to your input here, a demo can also once and for all help an applicant decide if a position is right for her. I’ve had enthusiastic applicants before who bow out after a demo because they’ve realized the job just isn’t right for them. This can save applicants and employers a great deal of trouble.