As we mentioned earlier, talent is scarce. Any one candidate you see is likely to have several other interview processes or potentially even offers. Everything you say and do is an opportunity to sell your role and your company.
Familiarise yourself with your company’s mission, vision, values. See if there are synergies there with what the candidate wants and find an opportunity to point that out. Company perks and benefits are also great selling points so be sure to cover them too.
On the other side, everything you can’t say about your company – if the candidate asks an easy question that you can’t answer, for example – is an opportunity for doubt to be introduced in candidate’s mind.
The questions the candidate asks should help reveal what they consider important in a job too, and display their overall interest in the position.
Some questions we find many candidates have on their mind include:
- Why is this role open now? – maybe the previous person was fired or quit, or maybe they were promoted to a new role. Either way, make sure you can offer a good explanation and cover off any potential follow up questions. Just as we would advise a candidate not to bad mouth a former employer, we would say the same for you about a former employee. Regardless of the truth of the situation, introducing negativity can sour the conversation and give cause for doubt about your company
- What are some of the challenges I would face in the role? – let’s be honest, most people like a bit of a challenge, no one really likes to be bored, so if you get this question from a candidate, it’s a good sign! If you are not sure what the challenges might be, reach out to people in a similar role to see what they would say. Think about linking those challenges to rewards you offer too. For example, maybe multiple projects being run at once could be a challenge, but maybe you offer bonuses based on project achievements.
- How are criticism and feedback offered and accepted in this team? Most candidates are looking for a place where they can thrive so if you get this question, they might be trying to evaluate whether the feedback strategy is designed to be constructive and help them develop.
- What is the main reason employees stay or leave your company?
- What is your approach to flexible working? We are seeing this more and more since the pandemic shifted working patterns as candidates put more focus on work-life balance. If you are not already offering flexible working initiatives, it might be time to consider it if you want to remain competitive!
