Performia Interviewing Techniques

by Mr. Marten Runow

Beginning the Interview

Here are some basic steps of how to conduct a hiring interview.

Welcome the Candidate:

• Introduce yourself.
• Ensure there is a friendly but efficient atmosphere.
• Begin with some easy social questions like, "Was it easy to find the place?" or "Would you like some tea of coffee?"
• Remember to take notes during the interview, or directly after the candidate has left. Realise that to take notes during the interview will show your honest interest in them.
• Explain briefly who you are, how the Company operates and what the job entails.
• Keep the interview short, preferably not longer than 15 minutes.
• Invite the Candidate to ask questions about the Company and about the work he might be expected to do, if hired. Be very clear and direct in your answers. Observe whether the candidates interest increases during the interview or not.
• Pay attention to whether or not they appear motivated.

You really want to find candidates who are willing to make a positive difference in your company. In Performia we have developed some questions that help you to detect this.

Examples of questions:

• Why do you want this job?
• Now that you understand more about this job and what it entails, are you more interested or less interested? Once you have received an answer to this, ask Why.
• Have you wanted to work in this particular field before now?
• What factor or factors are most important in order for you to be happy in a job?
• How important is your salary to you?
• What ambitions do you have as regards the Technical aspects of your work?
• What are your career goals?
• What working conditions do you expect to have in your new job?
• What personality traits would you prefer your boss not to have?

Performia advice regarding what to be alert for:

• The Candidate’s attitude. Is it superficial or does he or she come across as being motivated for this job?
• Does salary seem to be the candidates main motivation?
• Do they really show you they are interested in the job?
• Does the candidate like the conditions of the job as presented?

Is the Candidate Qualified?

Check out the candidates education and experience.

Review the candidate’s professional background, and for each job they have had, ask the candidate the following questions:

• Why did you start working at ...(company)?
• Why did you stop working at ...(company)?
• Let the candidate explain a possible "hole" in their career. Stay in control of the interview. Do not let the candidate go off the subject.

Pay attention to:

• The candidate’s previous career. Did he have a job regularly or only sporadically?
• Has the candidate left earlier employment before a replacement was found, or without making it easy for the person who replaced them to take over their duties?
• Is the candidate critical of previous employers?

Practical Knowledge

Find out if the candidate has the necessary knowledge for the job. Ask technical questions. If possible, give the candidate a practical test, or ask for examples of previous work in that field.

Be Alert to:

• The candidate’s ability to demonstrate competence.
• Whether they use practical examples, or only talk "Theory"?
• Whether the candidate appears certain when answering questions and giving solutions?
• Whether they give answers that seem unnecessarily complicated?

Have They Produced Results?

Important

It is vital to check the candidates' ability to actually produce results. Is the person able to translate his or her knowledge into definite results of value? To find out, you need to know about the persons earlier results. A very effective way to verify this is to check references after the interview.

Here are some questions we at Performia recommend you ask candidates:

• What have you achieved in earlier jobs that you are proud of?
• Tell me about projects you were responsible for and how they turned out.
• Tell me about results that were expected of you and how they turned out.
• How could your results be measured?
• What did you do to achieve these results?
• What do you think is the most important attribute necessary to achieving results?
• How much did you achieve (i.e. how many, what was the statistic)?
• Did you work at a steady pace?
• How was your productivity and efficiency compared with others?
• Who did you report to?
• Can that person confirm the information you have given here?
• Have you had a job where you did not achieve good enough results? If yes — why?

What Has the Candidate Actually Produced?

• What has the candidate actually produced?
• How interested does the candidate appear when talking about earlier results?
• Does he or she know how the results were achieved?
• Is the person capable of pinpointing definite earlier results?
• Does he or she describe the earlier results in a theoretical, or a practical manner?
• Can previous results be proven?

These are some basic tips for anyone who needs to conduct interviews with Candidates.

For more information you can contact your nearest Performia office.

Mr. Marten Runow
Founder Performia International