It’s Valentine’s Day and there’s no rest at bfpeople towers as we continue our work in finding leaders and developing talent – creating more perfect relationships in the workplace.
The path to the perfect long-term hire, like the path to true love, is rarely easy going and it’s often said that the first interview is like a first date: both parties are keen to impress, there might be moments of nervous laughter or even awkward silences and some folk (candidates and interviewers) can just try too hard. But sometimes there’s a real spark of chemistry – when you get the feeling this might just work – and both sides leave the meeting hoping that something long term might come of it. To improve your chances of finding the perfect fit this Valentine’s Day, we have some top tips for interviewers:
Top tips for first interviews:
- Be punctual. No-one likes to be kept waiting, whether for a date or an interview. There’s no excuse for keeping your candidate in reception beyond their appointment time and it starts the relationship off with a bad impression.
- Remember that some people you meet will be very experienced “daters” – they’ve been in this situation more often than you, know what questions you’re likely to ask and have developed a slick set of responses to the usual stock questions. Be prepared with a list of well thought out, relevant interview questions that get straight to the heart of what you need to know – can this person do the job and will they be motivated to do it, what will they add to the business and will you get on together.
- First dates are unlikely to admit that they snore or have smelly feet – you only find that out when it’s too late. They may well also exaggerate their “best” qualities. In an interview, you need to push hard to establish the facts. Ask, ask, then ask again until you’re satisfied with what you hear. This is a clear difference between an interview and a date – it shouldn’t be just a cosy chat.
- Remember that your date wants to know something about you too – give them a chance to ask about you and the business and be open and honest with your answers.
- Be clear about what you are looking for. You should know what you need for your job. It’s sometimes easy to be swayed by someone shiny and new, who looks and sounds great. But the novelty will soon wear off if they don’t really meet your key criteria.
- Don’t get carried away and propose on the first date. We’ve seen many job offers made at the first interviews stage and they rarely work out over the long term. It takes time to build a meaningful, long-lasting relationship and sometimes you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find what you’re looking for.
Have a great Valentine’s Day and make sure your first interviews result in good results, not massacres. Tell us below about your interview stories – share your horrors and your own tips for getting them right.
