Why we should have more conversations and less Interrogations!

There is an immediate emotional reaction when we hear the news, You have an interview! Excitement, thrill, anxiousness, anxiety, nervousness, doubt, fear, and uncertainty. This may be because of the style in which we as career professionals are conducting these meetings.

The traditional style of interviewing can feel like an interrogation or an examination to the candidate. The candidate begins to feel like a patient or someone brought in for questioning by Detective HR or Inspector Hiring Manager. They get rattled and start to focus on their nerves in hopes to calm themselves down. Rather being comfortable and being able to effectively articulate their skill sets and interest in the opportunity. Thus causing these emotions to surface in the middle of the interview and failing miserably. Now this is not always the case but as a 15 year career development professional and recruiter it is certainly the case for a vast amount of job seekers. No one wants to feel as though their being scrutinized, and mentally picked apart from a dry and stoic interviewer.

As HR, hiring managers, executives, and talent acquisition/recruiting professionals. We need to create more of a conversational environment. The goal for all parties is to find out if he/she is the best person for the job both from a technical and cultural fit. Creating a conversational atmosphere offers the candidate to relax and be themselves while still maintaining the level of professionalism needed. A fluid back and forth discussion allows for a better insight in the character of the individual as well as their strengths and weaknesses.

The interviewer should also feel comfortable being more personable and human in this process. This truly sets the tone of the culture in which a candidate is interviewing for. As an ambassador of the organization it is our duty to present an environment that breads inclusiveness, an open door policy, and an all hands team effort. Take the robotics out of the interview and make it a conversation. You'll be surprised how much you will get from it.

#my2cents #chiefjobseekereducator #careerdevelopmentadvocate