Tag: interview questions

Don’t Make Bad Hiring Decisions

Scott Asai2 Comments

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

When it comes to hiring it doesn’t matter if you are recruiting for your large company or just because you are a freelancer need some help in the day to day running of things. Sometimes making the wrong hiring decision can have a massive impact on your business goals and progress.

Although you can ever be 100% sure about the person you have hired until they have been working with you for a while, there are a few tips that you can use to try and be pretty confident you got it right the first time.

Be Clear

Often there can be a miscommunication about what the role really involves. Leading people with about a 70% skills match applying for the position. Whose fault is this? Well, yours actually. When you are writing out the job description, you need to make sure that as well as making it appealing, you are actually writing down the skills in your ideal candidate. Be clear on the following:

  • Objectives
  • Responsibilities
  • Requirements
  • Pay
  • Hours
  • Location

If the role is fluid, then describe an average day in your company so they can get a better idea of what they are applying for. If you are hiring for a very skilled rolled you should think about how to automate employee recruitment for hard-to-find skills.

Spread The Word

Now there is so many websites that people look for work it is worth remembering that you should be aiming to have your listing on as many as possible. The talented person you are looking for might be a night owl living in Australia, or the might be an early bird in Mexico. The more bases you cover, the more likely you are to find the right person for the position.

Are just a few places that you can pin your recruitment notice.

The Extras Count

When it comes to personality, that is what you will be working alongside. The skill, of course, will matter, but if you can get along with someone who doesn’t have all of the skills but is almost there the chances are you will work better together in the long run.

When you are looking over the CVs be sure to read the cover letter to get an idea of who they are in their everyday life. Have they written the typical answer of ‘I like to spend time with friends and family’ for what they do outside of work, or have they written something more interesting?

References

There are rules now as to what a previous employer can and cannot say about an ex-employee, however, if there were any real issues they will be able to identify them and let you know. Make the time to email or call the people that are listed as references. Have a look at what their previous employers do as well, you can begin to build a great profile of this person.

Interviews

Aside from ensuring that they are who they say they are, you should also take this opportunity to talk to them on a level beyond just an employee/employer relationship. If you can have a conversation, and the chemistry is working out, then that is usually a good sign. You won’t gel with everyone, so even if they look great on paper, they might not be who you are looking for.

There is a lot to consider when you are hiring in a smaller company, the wrong person can really shake things up so remember to hire slow, fire fast. If they don’t fit in or the balance isn’t right to protect your current staff and business.

3 Ways To Slay Your Next Interview

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Resumes don’t get you hired, interviews do.

A solid resume is like having a driver’s license. It doesn’t mean you’re a good driver, but it qualifies you to be on the road.

As the traditional resume fades out, the need for strong interview skills becomes even more important.

Here are 3 ways to prepare for your next interview:

1. Do Your Research – This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s not. Viewing the company website, about us page and mission statement is a good place to start, but not enough. Search LinkedIn for current employees from the company, connect and ask them about their experience. While you’re there locate the recruiter posting the position and request a connection to increase your chances of your application being seen. Do informational interviews with workers in similar roles. Look on Glassdoor for company reviews, both pros and cons. Browse their social media presence to observe the culture and what current issues are being discussed. There’s too much public information out there to go into an interview blindly. Finding a role that fits today is as much about the cultural fit as it is about being your “dream job.”

2. Improve Self-Awareness – One question you’re guaranteed to be asked is “Tell me about your strengths” or “What is your greatest weakness?” (sometimes both) This comes down to how well you really know yourself. If you have a hard time answering either of these questions you clearly didn’t do your homework. No matter what role you’re applying for your strengths and weaknesses shouldn’t change. In fact, if you truly want to be remembered illustrate your strengths in a past example then spin your weakness into a strength. If you’re having trouble articulating what you do well take the StrengthsFinder assessment. It will give you 5 things you excel at and their belief is there is no such thing as weaknesses, just overdone strengths. The most successful leaders in any industry are self-aware. Let that marinate in your mind for a second.

3. Lengthen the Conversation – Want to know when your chances of landing the role decrease the most? When your interview ends quickly. The dynamic of a strong interview can be dictated by you the interviewee IF facilitated right. Most applicants focus on answering the questions right, but once you realize it’s a conversation it becomes more about engagement than sheer information. There’s usually a point where the interviewer asks if you have any questions. This is your time to shine. Questions such as, “How did you find this company? What does a successful candidate look like in this role? What’s a great cultural fit here?” takes the focus off you and reveals what they’re truly looking for in a fit. The last position I got hired for included 4 interviews, the first 3 being fairly short (thought I was out of the running), but the final one lasted 90 minutes in which I was offered a contract on the spot. Treat your interviews like grabbing coffee with a friend. The more you have to talk about the less it is about what you say, but how you say it that people remember. Let’s be honest, if the interviewer(s) don’t like you, even if you’re a strong candidate, there’s no way you’re getting hired. Being likable won’t land you a job, but it also can give you a leg up on the competition.

Interviews can be tough, but your mental preparation can make the greatest difference. Like most things in life, practice may not result in perfect, but it sure makes for better. Remember confidence is built over time. Follow the steps above before your next interview and expect the best outcome to happen!

Millennials: Why Potential is Overrated

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potential

Dear Managers,

Before you hire your next college graduate based on potential, stop. The equalizer for a young worker is experience, which tends to be lacking, but ultimately what employers care about for long-term tenure. After completing a four-year program, you need someone to give you a chance because you need experience right? Well, only part of that is true. If you’re a smart worker, you would have been interning, volunteering and/or working a part-time job. Experience, not a diploma, is a far superior measurement for success on the job.

This isn’t saying natural talent doesn’t matter, but far too many times “potential” makes us blind to current deficiencies. Take for instance athletes. Young talent is referred to as “raw,” but since sports is something you take seriously since childhood if you want to go pro, your body of work as an amateur precedes you getting to the next level. If a pro basketball prospect is known for his scoring ability, but struggles on defense that’s a red flag. As a natural scorer, that’s probably where he’ll thrive in yet even with teaching, he’ll be a mediocre defender at best. People can be taught skills, but we can’t can’t escape our strengths and weaknesses. Most superstars are elite at every level of competition. Play to your strengths and be aware of your shortcomings. Each person has a ceiling whether we want to believe it or not.

That’s why good interviews consist of past behavior questions. Employers want to know what you’ve done so they can predict how you’ll do. If you’re hiring for sales job, don’t look for charismatic individuals, look at sales experience. Want to hire the best engineer? See how much your candidate toyed with computers and video games as a kid. In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell referred to the 10,000 hours rule where it takes that much practice to master a skill. Sounds crazy, but that’s equivalent to about 10 years of work. Someone straight out of college will probably not have that much experience in the industry, but some experience is much better than no experience.

It goes back to how we view our college experience. Did you wait for counselors and advisors to tell you what to do or did you take initiative to learn things on your own? High school is the last time education will tell you what’s next. In college, you choose your own destination. Potential is overrated because is says “I’m confident I can do this, I’m just waiting for my opportunity.” Experience says, “I can give you a specific example of why I’m a great fit for your company, when do I start?” Hire the experienced over the potential candidate. You’ll be glad you did.