Top 10 Tips for Improving Your Interview Process

If you’re having difficulty finding and hiring the right people, it might be time to review and optimise your hiring process.

Hiring new talent is an inevitable part of being a business leader, and it’s more complicated than simply reviewing resumes and conducting interviews. Recruiting mistakes, like a poorly crafted job description or lack of communication about applications, can deter a qualified candidate from seeking employment with you. However, with the proper hiring and onboarding process in place, you will soon be able to recruit and hire the best candidates.

What is a hiring process?

A hiring process is a step-by-step method to find, recruit and hire new employees. A good hiring process will help you attract and retain high-quality employees who match your brand. The specific elements of a hiring process are unique to each company, but there are general steps every business can follow to attract and hire qualified candidates. One would be to consider using a staffing solutions agency like MASA, but we will get into more details about this option later in this article.

Are you having trouble sourcing the right types of candidates for your roles? Or are you finding that an increasing proportion of your new hires don’t turn out to be the right fit for the position or decide to move on from your organisation relatively quickly? Then perhaps your recruitment and interview strategy isn’t sufficiently tailored to your company’s needs and your vacancies.

Here are our top tips for optimising your interview processes.

1. Plan ahead and be prepared

Organisations should take the time to plan and prepare for interviews to make the most of them. This means having a clear understanding of the role they are looking to fill, the skills and experience required, and the type of person who would be a good fit for the organisation. It also means preparing questions in advance and having a system to assess candidates.

2. Make sure everyone is on the same page

All interviewed candidates should be clear about the role, the selection criteria, and their roles in the interview process. This will help to ensure that everyone is evaluating candidates against the same standards.

3. Put candidates at ease

Candidates should be made to feel comfortable during the interview process. This means creating a relaxed and friendly atmosphere and being clear and concise in your questions. It also means giving candidates time to think about their answers and providing feedback after the interview.

4. Listen more than you talk

Employers should focus interviews on learning about the candidate rather than selling the organisation. This means allowing candidates to do most of the talking and listening carefully to their answers. It also means avoiding leading or loaded questions and asking open-ended questions to encourage candidates to share their thoughts and experiences.

5. Avoid making assumptions

It’s essential to avoid making assumptions about candidates based on their appearance, background, or demeanour. Instead, focus on their responses to your questions and their overall fit for the role.

6. Ask follow-up questions

Follow-up questions can help clarify answers or dig deeper into a topic. They also show that you’re listening and paying attention to what the candidate says.

7. Take notes

Taking notes during an interview can help you remember key points later on. It can also be helpful to have a written record of the interview if you need to refer back to it at a later stage.

8. Follow up with every interviewee as quickly as possible

Sometimes it can take a few days to decide on candidates – such as when crucial decision-makers are on holiday or you need to secure an extra budget to hire the right person. But the job market moves quickly, and candidates who are left in the dark about the status of their application might soon move on to a competitor or, perhaps even worse, discuss their negative experience with your organisation with their friends, family or professional network.

So be courteous and treat candidates as you would want to be treated. Maintain contact – even if it’s just to say that a decision has been delayed. When you do reach a decision, be sure to offer unsuccessful candidates feedback about their interviews and areas where they could improve.

Maintaining positive relationships is especially important if you have multiple great candidates but only one vacancy. If there’s a chance that other similar roles might open up in the future, you’ll want to put yourself in a position where not only can you return to them in future, but they’d be receptive to your approach.

9. Round off the experience with a brilliant induction programme

So you’ve found the perfect candidate, and they’ve accepted the role. Job done? Not quite. You’ll want to design and deliver the best possible onboarding programme, so they feel welcomed into your organisation, get settled and become a productive team member as quickly as possible.

Specialist onboarding software can help lighten the load and automate crucial processes while personalising the onboarding experience as far as possible will help new starters feel at home right away.

10. Hire a staffing agency like MASA

You could always partner with a staffing solutions agency, as we mentioned earlier. When you partner with a staffing agency like MASA, we take care of the entire recruitment process for you. This includes sourcing and screening candidates, conducting interviews, and checking references. We also provide ongoing support to you and the candidate, ensuring that the right person is placed in the right role.

By following these tips, organisations can improve their interview process and increase their chances of hiring the right candidates. Contact MASA today to learn more about how we can help you with your recruitment needs.

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