The global business marketplace is more competitive than ever. To win you need great people. Finding them is costly and, even with all of this technology, more time-consuming than in the past. Compounding matters is an extremely low unemployment rate so even candidates looking for a new position urgently can receive multiple offers.
Yikes! In this environment, the interview really is a two-way street. While your goal is always to uncover information about your candidates, you also need to be concerned about impressing them in return.
Interview candidates will judge your position based on their experience while in your office, from the cleanliness of the building to the interviewer's tone. They share their experiences online and in-person with friends, family members and former colleagues who might be your future job candidates. Poor reviews can make your search for quality staff more difficult than it needs to be. Thus, your first impression must be compelling.
These five tips will impress the candidates enough to create a positive buzz for your company:
Promptness is one topic that many employers talk about the most during their orientation sessions with new employees. It's likely that it's vital to your organization as well.
A candidate that you are strongly considering has likely done their part. They arrived on time, wearing appropriate attire, and ready to go. It is poor etiquette to keep them waiting for more than a few minutes. You must show up to interview your prospects on time so that they will respect you in the same manner if they become a part of your team.
Related, you can impress candidates by being focused during the interview. Don't stare at your phone, look out the window or ask for a moment while you grab a teammate walking by. These all signal to the candidate that you are disinterested in them and that you view the position they might fill as a lower priority than whatever is on your phone.
How you deliver your company's reason for being can make people want to work for you. Many people love to do meaningful work. Those same people enjoy helping others. You're likely to attract the right prospects if you express a clear reason that the organization and position are important. Even better if there is a sense of philanthropy or high customer service efforts in your spiel.
A strong delivery can magnetize prospective employees. Thus, you must present your mission statement to candidates with enthusiasm, passion, and sincerity. Those three elements create the recipe for persuasion.
The best part is that your statement is true. You'll pull the right employees into your firm fairly and genuinely.
Vacation time and work-from-home options were high on the list as well. If the perks demonstrate your mission it will be even more compelling to recruits. Remember to discuss your offerings during the interview session.
The technology you use in the interview can help your current employees and your future employees. For example, are candidates greeted by a digital sign-in app or an empty reception area? A visitor registration kiosk signals you are dedicated to your employees. That you respect their time, wish to reduce the administrative workload for your personnel, and free them up so that they can conduct more fulfilling tasks. Such an app can take each visitor's name and add that person to the interview queue digitally within seconds. It can then notify your managers of each interview candidate as he or she arises, which will help to perfect session timing.
Employees will notice the technology in play as they walk through your office.
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference" -- Elie Wiesel
Surrounding yourself with great people is vital to achieving both your personal and organizational goals. Finding those great employees though is more time-consuming and competitive than ever.
Give yourself a leg up with these five suggestions for impressing interview candidates. Add to this list creative ways, that are unique to your firm, that will show prospects why your organization, office, and culture are perfect for them. Whatever you do, you must differentiate yourself.