I’ve been in the video interviewing business for a number of years now and have therefore seen my fair share of interviews. I have seen every technique in the book and heard every question you could probably think of, but one thing I believe that all of those interviews could benefit from is a more inviting approach on behalf of the interviewer.
Recruiters have become increasingly aware of the candidate experience for a few very important reasons:
- Word travels far and fast these days. Sixty-four percent of candidates surveyed in this year’s iCIMS 2014 Candidate Experience Playbook said that they share information about their candidate experience via social media.
- Candidates are customers. According to the Candidate Experience Results more than 21 percent of candidates said they were or have been customers to places they applied.
- They’ve realized that the employer brand actually does matter. Source of hire numbers in the referral field can be as high as 70 percent for your average company.
- Brand ambassadors are created through positive interactions with the organization.
The Other Side of the Desk
With all that we know about how powerful the candidate experience can be, why are recruiters giving the same run-of-the-mill inquisition style interviews? Human capital consultant, Morgan Hoogvelt talks about considering the interviewee in a recent ERE piece:
“But it is not only about you, as this is also the time for a prospective employee to find out about you and what you are about, what challenges you are facing in the company or in your department, and also, very importantly … if they like you. In your capacity as a hiring/interviewing authority, you too have to be prepared, on time, articulate, and professional.”
Training
Organizations can map out how they would like their interviewing process to look and feel. They can create a streamlined process aimed at opening up a dialogue. They can define standards to ensure a great candidate experience in the interview process. These are all things that can be done, but very rarely are.
According to industrial organizational psychologist, Joseph Sefcik, “Only 1/3 of all interviewers are trained and certified, so the untrained 2/3 are making the majority of critical yet unqualified judgments.
If we want our recruiters and hiring managers to improve, leaders have to give them the tools, training and guidance.
PREMIUM CONTENT: Impact Assessment of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics on the Staffing Industry
Keep the Goal in Mind
If the goal of giving an interview is to establish dominance and instill unrest in your candidates, well then there are a ton of recruiters out there doing it right. However, that is quite obviously not a goal that does anything for anyone. Keep in mind what you’re trying to accomplish and ask yourself which approach will help you achieve it. Interview experts Frances Bolles Haynes and Daniel Porot, over at Monster.com, said:
“A good interviewer knows putting the candidate at ease is more important than trying to trip them up.”
This will more often than not be the approach that will help you meet your goal of finding an all around match and cultural fit. The power has shifted in talent acquisitions and candidates aren’t putting up with a poor experience any longer. This could be perceived as a threat, but it should be seen as an opportunity. Yes, candidates and customers alike have gotten louder about their bad experiences with a company or an employer, but they’ve also gotten louder about their great experiences too.
Recruiters are working on every aspect of the candidate experience, from their software to their social recruiting strategies, but they’re leaving out what is probably the most vital part –the interview. The interview is the face-to-face piece of this process that organizations need to improve at by becoming more welcoming, encouraging dialogue and making room for sincerity in the hiring process. There is great talent out there to be attracted; there are powerful brand ambassadors to be created. Is your interviewing process facilitating that?
MORE: Take branding to a new level with video interviews
