Being in charge of hiring and interviewing can be a tireless job.  Sometimes it feels like you are constantly searching in the same pool over and over again.  Shake things up by shifting your tactics and ideas of ‘ideal’ candidates by looking at them with new perspectives.  Here are a few ideas to get you going.

Group of employees sitting at a table smiling

Personality is Everything…Repeat, Everything

When you hire, hiring for personality is probably just as important as hiring for qualifications.  You don’t want to hire someone solely based on their past job experience or things that can be read on paper.  Sure, experience is important, but it’s only a piece of the puzzle.  You’ll find yourself with more rewarding hires if you find the right personality that fits in with your brand or company.  You can teach people to do any task or job, but you cannot teach them to have a good personality.

Give ‘Em a Chance

With the right attitude and personality, people can surprise you with what challenges they are not only willing to take on but be successful at.  If you feel you have a good candidate and are thinking it might be a chance, ask the department how they feel about someone amazing who might need a little coaching to get them started.  Most people love training a new person since they are a blank slate that can be taught exactly what is expected of them and how to do the job best.

Imperfectly Perfect

Woman sitting at desk in front of laptop monitor

Perfect is overrated.  Being imperfectly perfect gets you a better person working at your company.  Many job qualifications can be translated through many careers and mediums.  If your candidate didn’t hold the exact job title at their last employer as the one they are applying for, ask them how they feel their past work will convert to this new job title.  You should never be searching for the ‘perfect’ candidate, it will always disappoint you.

Going into the Interview Room

Interviewing can seem like it takes up a lot of time, especially when you have a busy workload already sitting at your desk.  You always want to be hopeful that the next person that walks in is your person and solution.  Be okay with setting aside proper time and attention to your candidate.  They took time out of their day to be there and have a desire to work at your company, you should give them the same consideration.  Never make your candidates feel like they are wasting your precious time.

Skip the Intimidation Tactics

Why do people even do this anymore?  In the work world there is always this artificial power assertion and it’s sad that this happens every day in the interview room.  You don’t need to intimidate your candidate, make them feel ‘lucky’ to be there, or stress how important your time and job is.  You want to build up those people coming into your interview because it will make them more at ease and give you better results.  Be on their team and see how you can work together to achieve the common goal of employment.

Shifting your perspective when it comes to hiring could change the type of office and culture you create every day.  Try a few of these ideas in your next interview and see if it changes the way you look at the process. 

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