Is Your Interview Process Effective? | Strategic IT Staffing Solutions
How Effective Is Your Interview Process?
Most companies know the importance of having an effective hiring process, however, few companies know how to execute effective interviews. A solid interviewing process is the key to identifying strong IT candidates. Without a strong strategy in place, companies can stand in their own way when it comes to identifying talent.
Are You Making the Most of Phone Screens?
Some companies have eliminated phone screens from their interview process as a means of saving time, however, eliminating this step can actually create more work for hiring teams in the long run. Phone interviews allow you to weed out unreliable candidates, identify potential red flags among candidates, and ensure that everyone you hope to interview in person truly has the skills required of the position. With a strong outline in place, phone screens can be an extremely efficient way to ensure that the candidates who come in for an interview are the right candidates.
Who is Conducting Your Interviews?
In many cases, managers are asked to head up candidate interviews without receiving any coaching or training. They are left to “wing it,” often downloading stock interview questions off the Internet. These managers may try their best, but without proper training and without enough experience in the interview room, they won’t know how to identify soft skills, personality traits, or cultural fit – three elements that are essential when it comes to making strong hiring choices.
IT candidates who have been on other interviews will be able to spot an inexperienced interviewer a mile away, and that can quickly raise red flags for those individuals. If the person interviewing them is unprepared, it sends the wrong message about the company. Managers should be properly trained by experienced interviewers, or the process should be re-evaluated and handed over to a professional hiring manager or recruiter.
Do You Respect the Candidate’s Time?
One of the biggest complaints among job seekers is that potential employers are late for interviews, prolonging their time onsite. Most talented IT professionals are currently employed, which means they took time off of work to come in for the interview. Employers should recognize that sacrifice, and respect the candidate’s time frame. Start interviews at the designated time, and don’t keep the candidate for more than an hour, unless you’ve specified a longer time frame when scheduling the interview.
Always be clear and upfront about the process, and if the candidate will be expected to return for a series of interviews, let them know early on so that they can plan their schedule accordingly. Candidates will be instantly turned off by companies that put them in sticky situations with their current employer.
Interviews are one of the most important steps in the hiring process, but many companies lack the skills or the expertise to conduct effective interviews. Unfortunately, ineffective interviews almost always lead to poor hiring decisions, which cost the company time, money, and resources. This is where a strategic IT staffing firm like Vector Technical Resources can help. If your organization could stand to improve its interviewing process, contact us to learn more about our methods and how we can help you recruit and retain strong IT talent.