Two-Way Interviews

In the complicated world of finding great talent that fits your culture, things are very different than they used to be.? In a world where we have eight billion people on the planet, leaders are still telling me that they cannot find people with the skills they need and that are a culture fit.? Candidates are still ‘ghosting’ for interviews and ghosting when awarded the job.? Now prospective employees are turning the tables even more on employers by interviewing the interviewers.

Interviewees Becoming Interviewers

In recent conversations with other leaders, I am hearing that it is standard that candidates for a role are asking about salary, flexible benefits, flexible schedules, shortened work weeks, policies around working from home, education allowances, and the list goes on.

Here is a list of questions that I have heard candidates are asking during an interview…

1. What opportunities are there for training and career advancement?
2. Can you describe the working culture of the organization?
3. Where do you think the company is headed in the next five years?
4. Will I be subjected to performance appraisals?
5. What opportunities or challenges facing the company?
6. What is the policy around working from home?
7. Will I be able to work flexible days/hours?
8. Do you have a flexible benefits program?
9. If I have to be in the office, can I bring my dog to work?
10. And this one is my favorite… What is your social media policy?

What I am hearing from leaders, is that the entire process is unpredictable and they find themselves spending a lot of time in the interview ‘selling’ the role and the organization to the candidate versus digging in to uncover if the person is actually going to be a culture fit.

Now, do not get me wrong, it is important that candidates are able to ask questions about a role they are applying for.? The danger here is that, as leaders, we forget that hiring is one of the most important things we do – it has always been important, and it still is.

Interview Preparation

I recommend that you prepare for an interview the same way that candidates are (hopefully) preparing for an interview.? Develop a package or ready responses for the questions that candidates will be interviewing you and the team on.? If you don’t have a policy on the questions you will be asked, be honest about it and say “this is how we work around here…”.

Remember though as a leader in your company, you have a responsibility to hire the very best fit for the organization.? That means that whoever you are interviewing, you need to dig to discover if they are going to be a values and culture fit (job related skills can be taught).

How do you do that?? Here are my recommendations:

1. Before you interview anyone, make sure that the team doing the interview(s) have clarity around their role doing interviews.
2. With the interview team, preview the candidate before they arrive. Review their CV, their social media presence and determine who is going to do what during the interviews.? Also, review little things like where everyone is going to sit at the interview table.
3. After the interview is completed, do a review with the team of objective criteria you wanted to discover. Avoid team members feedback like; “I liked her.”
4. Dig and ask probing and follow up questions to uncover if they are going to be a values fit.
5. Consider doing Psychometric Testing like Predictive Index, Insights, Colours, Disc, etc., to help uncover values and natural strengths and weaknesses.
6. Consider doing Working Interviews where you put them to work on a sample project for an hour.

Bottom line… You will be interviewed by candidates.? Prepare for it.? However, do not for a second lose sight of what your number job is… to hire the very best fit for the company.

Robert Murray is a Vancouver, BC based?Business Strategy Consultant,?#1 Best Selling Author, and?International Keynote Speaker.