Hiring the most efficient candidate for your company is not at all an easy task. The candidate may answer the interview questions in a scripted manner and have a polished resume, but these factors alone do not sum up to efficiency. There are many other factors to be considered and which has influence over finalising such an important decision.
Making the wrong decision will only incur a huge expense and a loss of valuable time in looking for an immediate replacement. So to avoid such a scenario, here are some tips and tricks which can help you in the process of future candidate evaluation.
1. Observe the candidates’ interaction with other people (outside the interview)
It is only natural for interview candidates to put on their best self in front of the interviewer. But outside the interview room, they may not be entirely the same, well-mannered person.
You can observe simple interactions, such as, if they were polite to your PA who let them in or thanked her for bringing them a beverage. These small acts can help you see the consistency of a person’s character.
2. Body language of a candidate speaks beyond the resume
You do not have to be a professional psychologist to analyse a person’s body language. A few basic observations will do. For example, if a candidate gives you a firm shakehand or speaks to you smoothly without breaking eye contact, it means he/she is a very confident, straightforward person and very sure about their interest to work for the company.
On the other hand, if a candidate keeps fidgeting or speaks to you with shifting eyes and no eye contact, it means that person has a very low level of confidence and is not that great at decision making.
3. On-the-spot problem solving assessment
You can test the candidate’s strength in problem solving skills by giving them a hypothetical project issue and see how they tackle it. This will help give you an idea of their expertise in the field, with respect to the process they develop in order to reach the solution.
4. Be attentive towards the doubts and queries of the candidate
Prospective candidates should always ask and clarify about the respective job, company and work culture. Based on their questions you can understand their level of enthusiasm for the job role and their skills at diagnosing various circumstances or problems.
5. After the interview, ask yourself three questions
You should be having clear cut answers for the following three questions before hiring your desired candidate
- Is the candidate enthusiastic and experienced enough for the job?
- Is the candidate open to learning new skills?
- Will the candidate fit into the company’s work culture?
So apart from having a professional resume, now you have an idea about using some new approaches in the process of hiring new employees. Judging them on a more personal and social level will heighten the chances of hiring the perfect candidate for the company.
