By Jamillah Warner
To execute proper small business management, you need to make sure your team works well together, so the job interview process is not just a formality; you’re looking for something. In part 2 of this series on the hiring process, we’ll tell you how to make the most of your time, which means you’ll need to do three things before even beginning the interviews.
Before the Interview
Put yourself at ease by getting ready ahead of time. Create a basic list of questions to ask every applicant. In an article for Entrepreneur, Rieva Lesonsky, author of “Start Your Own Business: The Only Start-Up Book You’ll Ever Need,” suggests a few questions to get you started. Here are three to consider from her list:
• “If you could design the perfect job for yourself, what would you do? Why?”
• “How would you describe your current supervisor?”
• “What are your biggest strengths/weaknesses?
People will tell you more than you can imagine when you ask the right questions. In addition to those, however, be sure to get the answer to any concerns that came up while reviewing their application, including gaps in their work history.
Now that you’re prepared, it’s time to greet your candidates and make them comfortable before diving into your questions.
Break the Ice
Lesonsky suggests that you break the ice and “put the interviewee at ease … by explaining the job and describing the company — its business, history and future plans.” This way you’re talking first, which gives the candidate a chance to calm down and you the opportunity to tell your story.
This technique not only breaks the ice, but it also gives you a chance to connect with the person in front of you and to convey your company values. In effect, it’s the beginning of a relationship.
Build a Relationship
Even though you hold most of the cards, you don’t hold all of them. The best applicants are interviewing you even as you interview them. So as you’re telling the story of your business, make it count.
Take 10 minutes to let them know why you started the company (or why you work there) and where you’re taking it. The key to making this part of the interview work is to sound natural and communicate as though you’re in a conversation with the applicant. Instead of slipping into autopilot because you have said this speech a thousand times before, look at the person in front of you and have a talk — engage them with your story. When done right, it will put your applicant at ease as well as create a fan.
If you’re interviewing 10 people for one position, nine of them are not going to get the job. But you could end the interview process with one new employee and nine new ambassadors, people who understand who you are and what you stand for. And that’s good for business.
Now, it’s time to dive into your list. But keep in mind, the best questions in the world may not reveal everything that you need to see.
You want a high-skilled applicant who has a strong handle on your small business environment. To make the best decision possible, there’s one more step in the interview process. We’ll address that in Part 3 of this series.
This post The Hiring Process: Are You Asking the Right Questions and in a Job Interview? was first published on the Big Ideas Blog.