In this post, we’ll list five mistakes that you should avoid when interviewing candidates for your small business!
1. You Take Too Long to Schedule Interviews
Understandably, there are only so many hours in the day. Plus, if you don’t have an HR department, it probably takes you more time to post jobs and schedule interviews. Even if this is the case, it’s crucial that if you have a role to fill, you schedule interviews promptly. Waiting too long to meet applicants could cause you to lose out on quality employees. You never know – if you wait too long, they could interview at another company and receive an offer, or they could simply lose interest in your role.
Once you screen resumes, try to contact any candidates that you’re interested in within a week to schedule an interview. This way, you won’t lose out on impressive applicants due to procrastination!
2. You Forget to Promote Your Company
Sometimes, when conducting interviews, the hiring manager is so focused on assessing the candidate that they don’t adequately explain why their company is an exciting place to work. Although you’ll want to determine if they have the skills and experience to fill your role, it’s important to remember that quality candidates will likely be comparing your business to other companies that they’re applying to.
Due to this, you should be transparent about your company culture, benefits package, vacation policies, and other perks. Tell the applicant why existing employees love working for you, or have a few staff members join you in the interview to tell the candidate about their experiences. These factors can affect a candidate’s decision, so make sure that they’re aware of what makes your business a great place to work!
3. You Don’t Answer Questions
It’s important to give each candidate the opportunity to ask questions about the open position, company culture, and employee benefits, just to name a few examples. Although you might feel like you need to lead the conversation, you should ensure that candidates know that questions are welcomed. In addition, you should always be forthcoming when responding to interview questions. If you don’t provide a clear answer when a candidate enquires about their potential job responsibilities, pay, or other information, this will likely lead to problems in the future if this person is hired.
4. You’re on Autopilot
When you conduct numerous interviews, it can be easy to simply go through the motions. You ask the basic questions, review resumes, and try to meet as many applicants as possible. Although you might think this is efficient, you won’t connect with candidates, which makes the hiring process more difficult. By being personable and connecting with each applicant, you’ll better-represent your business, and will likely make the candidate feel more comfortable in the interview.
5. You Aren’t Hospitable
Even if an interview doesn’t lead to a hire, you should still represent your company well. All applicants should leave the interview having respect for you as an interviewer, and your business.
To make each candidate feel respected, offer them water, show them where the restrooms are, know their name, and don’t make them wait long for the interview to commence. Showing simple signs of common courtesy can ensure that you make a great first impression, even if the applicant doesn’t become an employee.
What to Consider in Future Interviews
Although many candidates find interviews to be nerve-wracking, it’s likely that as the interviewer, you feel just as much pressure. To make the process easier for both you and the candidate, consider how you can avoid the five mistakes mentioned in this post. Hopefully, it will allow you to refine your interview strategy, and recruit the best possible candidates!
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
