Employment Screening | 5 Hiring Manager Interviewer Fails Pt. 2
Employment Screening | 4. Don’t dwell only on his or her resume
An interview is the chance to not only dig deeper and gather context for the achievements the candidate has provided, but an opportunity to get to know the candidate as a person.
So in addition to asking about what he or she has done in the past, have some probing questions ready that get the interviewee to think well beyond the “tell me about yourself” questions (that they probably already found a stock answer for).
Be familiar with their background before you sit down with them, so you don’t spend this valuable time poring over their resume as if you’re seeing it for the first time.
5. Maintain eye contact and shake hands like you mean it
This is another one that works both ways.
You may not feel comfortable with a job candidate who spends most of the interview staring at the ceiling as if all the answers were up there.
And if your eyes wander, the candidate will notice as well.
Always look the candidate in the eye when you welcome him or her into your office or conference room, and – without staring and probably scaring the candidate – return their gaze politely as they speak, and when they leave.
A firm but not knuckle-crushing or, conversely, dead fish handshake will likewise be appreciated and speak to your professionalism and interest.
According to the ever authoritative Wikipedia, “A tell in poker is a change in a player’s behavior or demeanor that is claimed by some to give clues to that player’s assessment of their hand.
A player gains an advantage if they observe and understand the meaning of another player’s tell, particularly if the tell is unconscious and reliable.”
For your hiring managers, they might not even be aware of their “tells” and it may be beneficial to realize that all those little things they do while conducting an interview may reveal to the candidate – for whom this hour may be the most important time in their career – just how engaged or how distant you are.
And that can say a lot to a very bright, social media-engaged candidate about you and your company. -Hireright
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