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You’re a new manager and you’re about to make your first hire. Being responsible for filling an open position is an honor, but it also terrifies you.

Making a bad hire is costly in more ways than one, so you want to do everything in your power to avoid this mistake. Hiring is always a bit of a gamble, but there are several steps you can take to increase your chances of getting it right the first time. Here’s some advice to get you started.

5 Tips to Conduct a Successful Job Interview

 

Be Prepared

Jobs change with time, so the job description last used to fill the position might be outdated. Carefully assess what you want from the position, and use this to determine the skills and experience needed from the right candidate. This will allow you to craft both an accurate job description and pointed interview questions that help you spot the perfect fit.

Describe the Company and the Position

The best candidates will arrive at the interview having done their research on your company, but there’s only so much they can learn from online searches. It’s important to provide a brief background of the company and an overview of the position. Highlight key information, such as the company culture and your expectations for the new hire, to help candidates gauge their fit.

Ask Behavioral Interview Questions

During a job interview, it’s important to learn as much as possible about the candidate, so ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions will not suffice. Asking behavioral interview questions is a must because they offer telling insights on past experiences relevant to the job. Responses will help you learn more about the candidate’s skills, experience, and personality.

For example, asking a candidate if they’ve ever clashed with a colleague won’t reveal much information. However, if the question is phrased as “Tell me about a time you didn’t see eye-to-eye with a colleague,” you’ll learn more about how they handle conflict.

Give the Candidate the Floor

You’re asking questions to determine the candidate’s fit for your team, but they also have a big decision to make. The best candidates are truly interested in finding a job that’s a match for their career trajectory and personality, so they’ll arrive with several questions for you. Allow them the opportunity to ask these questions, because it’s their interview too.

Explain the Interview Process

Job interviews are very nerve-wracking, so candidates — understandably — don’t like to be kept in the dark. Give them the respect they deserve by sharing the next steps in the process, including any key dates in your hiring timeline. Let them know when they can expect to hear from you and how to reach out if they have any questions.

Finding the right fit for your Northern Indiana/Southern Michigan can be a challenge, but you don’t have to go through the hiring process alone. Wood Staffing is here to help, every step of the way, so contact us today to find out how we can be of assistance!