The market for employees is more competitive. Every contact you make with a candidate is an opportunity to make a good impression. It amazes me that most companies realise this and yet still revert to the old way of thinking. Do not focus on the “why should I give you this job” mindset. Make sure you consider the “these are the reasons you should work for us” part of things. Here are a few simple steps you can take to improve the interview experience. This will help you stand out to the best candidates.
Be on time
You don’t like it when a candidate is late. It isn’t a great sign of things to come unless they have a great reason. It is the same for candidates. If an employer is late for an interview and doesn’t even bother to explain, that is a red flag. People don’t suddenly respect you or value your time more when you work for them. It’s usually the opposite. Send a good signal by being on time yourself. If you do end up late, be sure to apologise and explain why.
Have the interview in a good environment
A good environment doesn’t have to be luxurious. It should not have people walking by within earshot. Nobody wants strangers casually listening in on their interview. It should be clean. Try not to have an interview in the comms room or any place filled with spare equipment. It gives the impression of being disorganised. It may also lead the candidate to think that you couldn’t be bothered to arrange a meeting room.
Try to help the candidate relax
I often get feedback from candidates. One of the most common compliments they give interviewers is that they were nice and helped them relax. The best interviews usually produce a response like “it felt more like a chat with a friend...”. It helps to reassure the candidate at the start. Striking up a conversation and being at ease yourself can help. Unless you are specifically testing for responses under stress, you’ll get more from a candidate once you’ve helped to settle early nerves.
Don’t bring in 2 or 3 extra interviewers at the last minute
Maybe you planned to conduct the interview yourself. A member of your team is now available, so you decide to get them to sit-in. That is fine. If you decide to bring in a few members of your team and a director or manager, then you’re pushing it. It’s fine to have multiple people in an interview. Normally the candidate would be informed of this beforehand. If you don’t let them know and spring it on them, it can affect performance. Without prior warning to allow candidates to prepare, those extra people can be distracting.
At the end of the interview give them an honest idea of when they’ll get feedback
It’s nice to give the candidate an idea of what to expect after the interview. Sometimes you can’t say whether the candidate will make the next step. You should at least be able to say when they can expect some feedback. You can provide feedback and explain why you can’t give a decision yet. Try not to take too long because good candidates do not stay available for long. You may be a preferred option, but a solid offer trumps a potential one. If you know you won’t be hiring the candidate then be kind and give quick feedback so they can move on.
Conclusion
Creating a good experience promotes your company. It is a great way to build good will and to impress future employees. A great experience can swing things in your favour when offers are the same. It might even push a candidate to accept your offer even if it’s lower. More and more people are prioritising quality of life over salary. You spend so much of your life at work this makes sense. Use the interview process as another tool in your belt to showcase your company’s strengths.
If you would like to discuss this further or have questions related to IT Recruitment, contact us at [email protected]. You can also call 020 7566 1199 or visit our site. You can submit a vacancy or upload your CV.
