Interview Mistakes YOU Might be Making
July 4, 2012
So you've picked the applicants that you’re going to interview for the position. Should be easy, right? Sit down, explain the role to them, ask them questions and evaluate them after. It’s the people you’re interviewing that are being evaluated and you don’t have to worry, right? Maybe not.
Here are some tips we've gathered so that you can get the best interview with potential candidates:
- Remove Distractions : Make sure that you won't be disturbed during the interview so you can focus. Remove any distractions like children, pets, the phone, etc.
- Be Prepared : Read over the candidate’s resume before the interview so you know what areas you want to focus on with them.
- Observe Their Behaviour : It’s our nature to be on our ‘best behaviour’ for an interview, but you should also pay attention to how the interact with others outside of the interview. Observe how they act toward people in general to see how they act when they’re not trying to impress
- Understand they’re Nervous : Some great people are terrible at interviews because they’re nervous, whereas others are great at the interview, yet isn't the right candidate in the end. While interviewing is important, make sure you look at the whole picture, not just interview skills
- Be Honest about the Role : While you’re trying to sell the candidate on your job, don’t sugar-coat the responsibilities and duties. Be honest about your expectations and make sure she knows if the hours fluctuate, or there’s long hours needed. Otherwise, you might hire someone that doesn't want to be there, because they didn't know what they were getting into.
- Don’t Talk About Your Last Nanny : Don’t talk negatively about your last nanny, or you’ll seem like you’re hard to please. But, don’t praise her too much either, or it’ll seem like it’ll be hard to fill her shoes.
- Choose The Right One : It’s easy to compare each candidate to the other and pick the best out of the bunch, but is that really the right person? Make sure that you look at each person individually and choose the best fit for your position, not just the best that you've seen.
- Tell them What to Expect : At the end of the interview, tell them when you’ll be making your decision so they know what to expect, and tell them whether you’ll call them only if they've got the job, or regardless of the outcome.
More on this topic: - Tips & Advice
