by Beth | Jul 25, 2012 | Employee Hiring, Interview Process, Selecting Good Candidates
While rocking my infant daughter years ago, I began instinctively doing what adults have done for centuries. I began singing lullabies to her.
“Rock a- bye baby, in the tree top, 
When the wind blows the cradle will rock,
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And down will come baby…”
And then I stopped.
I suddenly really listened to the words that I was about to sing! I thought to myself, “What kind of fool puts an infant in a cradle at the top of a tree and watches them fall?!” Horrified, I changed the words…
“…Right into Mama’s arms.'”
Ah…much better. My daughter was raised singing Rock-A-Bye Baby with a much better alternate ending. To this day, I am not sure that she even knows the original words to that song, which suits me just fine.
In the interview process, I teach people that the best skill to have is listening for word choice. I train them to stop, really listen to the words used by the candidate, and digest their meanings as they relate to the position for which we are hiring.
When you listen to the word choices of your candidate, they will tell you what you need to hear in order to make a great hiring decision. Word choices will expose blamers, know-it-alls, pass the buckers, and more.
When the interview is through, if you feel the candidate did not give you enough information, review your notes. The words you really need to listen for are in there. As an interviewer, your primary job is to pay attention to the word choices used by your potential employees. And be careful to not just hear what you want to hear. It truly means the difference between a decent employee and an A-list player. If any “boughs break” in your business, which would you rather have waiting at the bottom of the tree?
by Beth | May 9, 2012 | Employee Hiring, Interview Process, Selecting Good Candidates
Last weekend, my 11 year old daughter Katy flew on an airplane BY HERSELF for the very first time. I was a nervous wreck! I had a hard time focusing on work…. I kept checking my phone to see if I had messages from her saying that she had landed safely. Katy, of course, was fine. In fact, she had a great time during her first solo flight and learned a valuable lesson in independence. I realized the more she can do for herself, the better equipped she will be in the future when dealing with unexpected situations.
Now you may ask what any of this has to do with interviewing. As I impatiently waited for the phone to ring, I had a realization that I need to provide my clients with the same level of independence. While I certainly adore helping each of my clients interview for their next great employee, I also realize that I need to get them better prepared to do interviewing all by themselves. Again, the more prepared they are in their businesses, the easier it is to handle unexpected personnel issues.
In the past, my typical process was to create and submit job ads, help develop job descriptions, vet interview candidates, schedule interview times, and then perform the actual interviews in front of my client. We would then do a “dash board” review in between interviews to uncover what we learned from each candidate, based on speech patterns, phrasing, and responses to my A-list candidate questions. Rarely, did I actually hand the interview process over to my client. They have certainly learned from the experience as 91% of the time, they retained the ideal employee they were seeking. But I realize that my mission with A-list Interviews is to transform the world through the interview process to create happy, healthy work environments for all. This cannot be achieved until I give my clients the gift of independence by empowering them to run effective interviews long after I am gone.
From now on, I will be including a hand over process where I will be teaching my clients how to interview by themselves through the program I have developed called “7 Steps to Amazing Employees”. I have seen this program work successfully in all walks of business so I am excited to help my clients develop their own comfort levels around the actual interview process. Now when they fly solo, I will still be a nervous wreck because I really want my clients to succeed, but I will know that I set them up for success and the world will be transformed through the interview process by hundreds of interviewers, not just me. And there is no better feeling than that!
by Beth | Feb 1, 2012 | Employee Hiring, Interview Techniques
Listening is the corner stone for conducting a successful interviewing process. I can’t say this often enough. While listening to the candidate to measure integrity and skill set sounds obvious, it is also important for the interviewer to listen to themselves. The voice inside your head will sound the alarm bells if something is not quite right. If there is something worrying you that you can’t articulate, ask for help. Schedule another interview and have someone sit in on it with you. Whatever you do, don’t ignore it! Hiring someone is a big responsibility, so take the time to do it right by listening.
by Beth | Jan 25, 2012 | Employee Hiring, Interview Techniques
Last Monday, I interviewed 14 people with my clients. Exhausted, my clients looked over at me with wide eyes and said “How do you DO this all day?” Because I love it! I love the interview process, especially when I see my clients light bulbs go off about the process. They get it. They have made a great choice, and they know it. The candidate is also happy because the client is sure of their choice.
I followed up with another client of mine recently. I have helped them hire many people for a variety of different positions. When asked how everyone was doing and the response was “All of our people are great. Thanks for your help!”
So why is the interview process so hard? The largest reason I have seen in my experience is that the interview team is not prepared. A lot of work that must happen long before posting that job ad. Keep in mind:
- You can’t get what you want, unless you know what it is.
- Your team has to be prepared, understanding who is responsible for the variety of tasks & roles necessary in the interview process.
- An interview is an interaction unlike any other in our culture. You can’t just wing it and expect it to work.
So, put in the time upfront to really examine what your ideal candidate looks like and to prepare your team. It will be well worth it in the end. And, when I follow up with you after your next interview process, you too can say “Beth, our people are amazing!”
by Beth | Dec 29, 2011 | Employee Hiring
Did you know that the interview process is a great marketing tool? People who are genuinely interested in your company will apply for positions, not just those looking for a job. It’s possible to have an audience of up to 500 applicants who want to work for you. While you can’t possibly hire them all, you do have a powerful opportunity to make a long lasting impression.
If you respond to your applicants in a timely and courteous manner, they will remember. I have received hundreds of thank you notes for rejection letters. Because of the vulnerability of the candidates, you WILL make an impression on them. They may never want to frequent your business again because they felt they were treated poorly. They will also never forget how great you were because you kept them in the loop.
Somehow, we have gotten away from responding to our potential employees as potential customers. We have decided that we don’t have to respond to them, they don’t deserve a response or we don’t have the time or money to do it. The next wave of successful companies is those who invite people to apply and who respond to them along every step. Be Bold, Be Different and Respond!
