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Conducting
proper, face-to-face interviews are the most important element of the hiring
process; there is little question that a skillfully handled interview can differ
a successful hiring decision from a costly hiring mistake.
The interviewer, obviously, plays a key role in the process of the
interview. What makes an effective
interviewer? Based on the
professional knowledge and experience, the writer gives his own thoughts on how
to be a good interviewer. First
of all, the interviewer must have a full understanding of the need of the
company. What
is the position? Sometimes, the
interviewer comes across some positions that he/she has never heard about.
Then the interviewer needs to gather related information.
Generally, he/she needs to read some materials and finds out some typical
examples. And talking to the person
who is or was at the same position would be helpful.
For example, a company needs a Six-Sigma Master Black Belt.
Not many of the interviewers know Six-Sigma.
If you are one of them, you should learn something about it.
You may go to the library to read through the relevant books, or talk to
Six-Sigma experts through the internet. Or
if you have a friend who knows Six-Sigma pretty well; it can save you a lot of
time. What
kind of persons does the company need? This is very important.
Only understanding the position is not enough.
It would be good to interview the people who will work with the
appointee. Their ideas could help
form a image of the appointee. The
key is to know clearly about the company¡¯s requirements. Now,
the interviewer has known what kind of people the company needs and it is time
to switch to the candidate¡¯s side. Usually,
to read the candidate¡¯s resume is the first step.
By reading carefully the resume, the interviewer could have a profile of
the candidate in mind. Then, based
on both the company¡¯s needs and the profile of the candidate, the interviewer
needs to make an interview strategy; in another words, to prepare for the
face-to-face interview and make sure that the process of interview will be under
control. Before
we get into the face-to-face interview phase, I¡¯d like to highlight a very
important thing: An effective
interviewer never pre-judges. Logically,
we cannot have a conclusion before we do the research.
However, some interviewers do not work this way, which may cause bad
effects to the recruitment, or even failure.
Talk
to the candidate and focus your attention.
Please note that here we use the word ¡°talk¡± but not ¡°inquire¡±.
We must be ware that while we are questioning the candidate, they are
observing us as well. Interviewers
can never ask questions like the lawyers do in the court.
Tom Peters once noted that, ¡°If a person is going to be uncomfortable
in the company, the discomfort will start during the interviewing process and
candidates that don¡¯t fit in will generally leave of their own accord.¡± What an interviewer needs to do is to build a rapport with
the candidate. It is always a
communication exercise in which both sides can exchange ideas freely.
A good interviewer is an excellent listener.
It is impossible to learn anything of value about the candidate without
listening. In short, he/she should
know how to listen----more specifically, he/she should know how to listen
actively. Asking
questions can help the interviewer get the wanted information.
It¡¯s time to ask the prepared questions. A
good interviewer is not afraid to ask tough questions; he/she probes for
complete answers. He/she is able to
do so, however, without alienating the person being interviewed. In
addition, talking to the referees is another good way for information. Sometimes it helps the interviewer understand more or fully
about the candidate. The
interviewer must also make sure that the provided data are true so as to
evaluate the candidate effectively. It
has to be pointed out that, the questions so often asked, which have been the
bedrock of job interviews----¡°Tell me about yourself,¡± ¡°How did you like
(or dislike) your last job?¡± ---- run the risks of producing answers that
candidates have prepared in advance to make the most favorable impression.
And it is also hard to hear impersonal comments from the referees.
As a good interviewer, he/she has to analyze the information carefully,
and pick up the useful. We¡¯d
better always remember: ¡°Garbage
in, Garbage out.¡± The
above are some ways of getting the effective data.
However, data are limited. No
matter whether it is admitted or not, the interviewer¡¯s intuition also plays a
very important role in the evaluation of a candidate. ¡°Intuition is a mode of understanding, a knowing
characterized as direct and immediate and occurring without conscious
thought.¡± ¡°Intuition is nothing
more and nothing less than recognition.¡±
We have to say, a good interviewer¡¯s intuition is formed by his/her own
experience and genius. That¡¯s why
it is said that: ¡°Novices see
information in pieces; experts see large patterns.¡±
In
conclusion, a good interviewer is focused, well-prepared and experienced.
He/she fully understands the process of interview; he/she knows exactly
what kind of employees the company needs; he/she could build a rapport with
interviewees and draw out the information skillfully; he/she is good at
analyzing; he/she knows how to use his/her intuition.
It takes time, anyway.
Bibliography: 1.www.cfenet.com/Downloads/
IntuitionandtheInterviewProcess.ppt 2.The
Fast Forward MBA in Hiring: finding and keeping the best people, by
Max Messmer 3.The
McKinsey Mind, by Ethan M. Rasiel, Paul N. Friga |
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