Julia Langkraehr’s Blog

How to interview so you hire the right talent

How to interview so you hire the right talent

One of the questions my clients ask me is how can they attract and hire the right talent – ie people.

I believe finding the right talent starts with having a defined process and system, both in your hiring process, and to help you be great at the interview stage.

How to interview potential staff

One of the books I use and recommend is Who, a Method of Hiring, by Geoff Smart and Randy Street.

I use their “Who” interview worksheets; by having a template, I’ve found I am a better interviewer, have a more consistent approach and I ask smarter questions.

One of the challenges with interviewing without this preparation is that you ask different questions to different candidates, which makes it harder to evaluate and compare.

A second challenge if I am not using a template is that I often ask leading questions, so the interviewee tells me what I want to hear, and rather than their true answer.

Then, once you hire them, you discover they are different from the person you thought you were hiring. And it’s your fault.

Using the “Who” worksheets means my interviews are consistent.

Here are a few additional ways to make sure you are interviewing to hire the best candidate.

Asking the right interview questions
  1. In the interview, I like to create a conversation and get the candidate in the mode of them answering a question and giving me an example how.

I find candidates are extremely candid and honest if you have a system and a set of specific questions.

  1. I create interview questions around the core values of my company without telling the candidate what my core values are.

As an example, I was interviewing a woman for a part-time office role. She was a stay-at-home mum wanting to return to work. I asked her to give me an example of when she said she was going to do something, and followed through and did it.

Much to my surprise, she said, oh, I never to that. I always tell my friends that I am going to meet them for a coffee and then I cancel at the last minute.

Needless to say, I didn’t hire her.

  1. Another question I find effective in interviews is to ask the candidate on a scale of 1-10 how much they want this position. If the answer is not 10 I am hesitant to hire them.

I want them to be self-motivated and excited to take the position – after all, they will never be as motivated as when they first take the position.

  1. Once I have found the candidate I think fits both my company core values and the skill-set I am looking for, I require them to come in for an eight-hour on the job trial.

We happily compensate them for the day they have to take off from their existing role. It is telling how much a person wants a job if they are willing to take a day’s holiday and trial both for them and for you.

Conclusion

Interviewing based on your core values, and basing your questions on a template, so they are consistent, will help you ensure you hire the right people who want to work well and help your business to grow.

If you want advice and support applying the EOS to your current business, contact us today on +44 (0)7795 667480 for a complimentary 90-minute meeting to introduce it to you and your leadership team.