Getting the interview process right

Dated: 15 Apr, 2019

Getting the recruitment process right can mean the difference between getting the candidate you want or pushing them into the hands of your competitors.  Getting it right needs to happen right from the very start of the recruitment process.  We are now in a candidate driven market and employers need to work even harder now to promote themselves so that the candidate chooses them over another.  This is something that our team at Arlington Moore work very hard on to ensure that the result is a positive one.

 

So, you have decided that you want; candidate profile including job spec, personality and previous experience.  Your next step is either to advertise yourself or use a recruiter depending on your resources and how much time you have on your hands, either way advertisement for the role usually takes place.  This is stage 1 where things can go really well or not so well.  You want the right candidate to see your advert and to want to work for you right from the very start!

Advertising – This is a chance to sell your company and what you have to offer including salary, benefits no matter how small they may seem for instance leaving early on a Friday, cycle to work schemes etc.  This can make a real difference to whether that perfect candidate applies or not.  Sell your culture is it small but friendly with a real chance for the candidate to make a difference, is it providing a real challenge for someone with rewards on the horizon, have you recently expanded or received investment, are you steeped in history, are you global with lots of promotional chances etc.  If you really think about it there are lots of reasons why people stay with your company and it isn’t always salary! At Arlington Moore we always promote benefits and ensure that we are promoting the positives of working for our clients.

 

The next stage is to select candidates based on their CV.  Once again depending on the job the potential candidate is not a professional CV writer so to a certain extent look past this.  Is there something in the CV that could be developed, are they on the cusp of what you are looking for and could warrant a telephone chat.  Whilst it isn’t possible to always get back to candidate it is wise to add a bounce back on any advertisements to explain why, this is just polite and will reflect well on your company (remember candidates are still forming an impression of your company).  This is something that we always do, and it does work.

 

Once you have selected you invite candidates in for interview.  This should be done by telephone and email.  Once again it is another chance for the company to be promoted.  If you have any brochures or packs via links on line or anything on you tube send it out at this stage to get the candidate really interested.  Make sure that every correspondence is friendly and inviting and ensure that the candidate knows what the interview procedure will entail, this is something that we always make sure that we do; you still want the candidate to want you.

 

Once the candidate is in for interview make them feel comfortable, explain the interview process again and then commence.  Being friendly in an interview can mean that you will eventually get more from the candidate.  If you ask the right questions, which could be prepared, you will get what you require from the interview.  Even if you walk away from the interview thinking that the candidate isn’t right the candidate will walk away from the interview with a good impression of you and your company.  Unless the job role requires it don’t make the candidate feel awkward, ask what salary / package they are looking for, ask again if hours etc. are suitable, ask if they have any other interviews and ask what their thoughts are of the role you have on offer also if they are working you could ask what their current employer would say or do if they were offered this role (this will assist with anticipating if a counter offer would be given).

 

To the important part; the job offer.  You have decided who you would like to offer to and this is where things can potentially go very wrong.  If you understand their remuneration requirements, then you know where you can pitch but don’t try and get someone at a budget price if you think they are worth more.  It is so important at this stage that the candidate feels wanted.  This is where we work really hard in ensuring that the candidate knows just why they were selected for the role and why you want them as part of your team.  We also ensure that the candidate is aware of the potential in the role including pay reviews etc. or if our client has said that they are also ear marked for a promotion if all goes well.  If the candidate is on a lengthy notice it is also good to get a couple of keep in touch days e.g. if you are going out for the night with the team, invite them or get them in to meet the team for a few hours anything to make them feel like they have left their employer and they are part of your team.

 

At Arlington Moore our team quite often guide clients through the interview process to ensure that they get the best results.  We do this by working as a team with our clients, taking on board what everyone is looking for and ensuring that communication is fluid at all stages.  We are finding more and more that we are succeeding in some ‘difficult to fill’ roles where other agencies are failing.  We are working harder reviewing with our client's different ways of trying to source the right applicants, promoting our clients and reviewing the selection process to ensure that we aren’t missing any potentially good candidates.  This all takes extra work but some of our unique selling points are our tenacity and ability to think outside the box.  When we do source candidates we are careful to ensure that their experience is a good one and we try to ensure that their experience with our clients is also very positive so that if the perfect candidate comes along the only thing they can say is “Yes I would love to take the role!”