Especially for smaller companies, finding and retaining quality employees will make or break your business. It is essential to find team players that are bright, friendly, flexible, easy to work with, and dedicated to the success of your enterprise. To help narrow down your field of candidates, here are some creative solutions to introduce into your interview process.
Think Outside the Box
Let’s face it, we’ve all prepared our answers for the basic interview questions and rehearsed scenarios that make us sound like complete superheroes carrying the entire workload on our shoulders. To get an honest answer out of your candidates, try asking one or two unusual interview questions. Even twists on classic questions like “What movie character are you most like at work?” or “What’s an unusual aspect of your personality?” can get an honest answer our of your candidates, as opposed to a pre-planned speech.
Ask About Their Passions
This is one of my favorite questions to ask my interviewees, as you can see their eyes light up as they talk about what matters most to them. It can also give you a glimpse into what their life looks like outside of work, and whether their hobbies will allow them to fit in with the company culture. If they are interested in volunteer work, it can also indicate that they will deeply care about your clients and put in the extra effort to make them feel supported.
Do a Brief Office Tour
One of the best ways to evaluate how a candidate will mesh with your team is to do a complete walkthrough of your office. Introduce them to your employees and see how their personalities interact, and make sure the interviewee is engaged and curious about the roles of his or her future coworkers. Above all, ensure that the candidate is respectful and kind to every person that they encounter, regardless of their job title. This is the best way to preserve the harmony of the office!Related:
The Importance of an Impactful Mission Statement Go Out to Lunch
Another way to shake up the interview process is to treat your candidate to lunch on the second or third round. While at the restaurant, pay close attention to how the candidate treats the wait staff and other diners. Are they conscientious of other people’s space? Do they hold the door open for other diners? Do they smile and make eye contact with the hostess and wait staff? If they treat everyone with kindness and respect, they will likely get along with the rest of your team.
Get Multiple Opinions
It can be difficult to ensure you’re getting a rounded view of a candidate, but asking for a second opinion can help you collect varied opinions. When interviewing, invite other colleagues into the room and give them time to interact one-on-one, then have an internal meeting to ask what everyone thought of each applicant.As you go through the hiring process, you want to ensure you’re looking at more than just the basic certifications and experience required for that position. Finding someone who is a great fit for your team, will care about your clients, and will get along with your other employees is worth taking extra steps to vet the candidate in unusual situations.
