I still remember the first person I interviewed for a job. We needed installers at Shank Door and one of our employees had a friend who was interested in the job. Excitement ran high as we gathered around the table in our conference room to begin the interview process. I struggled to stifle my enthusiasm at meeting a candidate with prior construction experience. However, as the interview progressed, a question kept niggling in my mind, “How do I know for sure if I should hire this person?”
We all know that a bad hire is always costly. Hence, the fear of hiring the wrong person. However, there is a way to lessen the potential of making a hiring mistake and that is to have a good interviewing process.
Getting to Know the Candidate
When interviewing a potential employee, there are three basic areas you should explore.
1. First, you want to know the candidate’s skills. Knowing the person’s skills includes finding out their prior work experience, any training or schooling they received, and what kind of projects they like to tackle in their free time.
2. Second, you need to know the candidate’s character. Is the person honest? Do they have a good work ethic? Do they value serving others? Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” During this part of the interview, you are trying to determine who a person is at the heart level. What really motivates them and who are they when no one else is watching? Do their core values align with the core values of your company? “Hire for character and train for skill” is always a good rule of thumb.
3. Thirdly, evaluate whether the candidate is a good fit for your organization. Ask yourself if you would want to work next to this person for eight hours a day. If the candidate doesn’t bring positive energy to your team, you might not want to hire them even if they possess skills you need and character you appreciate.
As you go through the above points, keep in mind legal concerns related to the interview process. Employers in the state of Pennsylvania, where I am employed, are required by law to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. This means that you may not discriminate against a person based on their race, gender, religion, national origin, or age. During any part of the interview process, refrain from asking the candidate specific questions about any of the items above. We will discuss later what questions you may ask to learn about a person’s skills, character, and fit for your organization.
Interviewing the Candidate in Three Steps
At Shank Door we have candidates complete three steps in the hiring selection process. We begin with an application, move to a phone interview, and finally meet for an in-person interview. Depending on the candidate and the job position, we might divide the in-person interview into more than one session.
Application. When someone is interested in employment at your business, always begin by asking them to fill out an application. This gives you time to decide what you want to do with their interest in employment and provides a level starting point for all candidates. A well written job application provides you with valuable details concerning the candidate’s skill, character, and core values. This makes a good starting point for further conversation.
At this stage, you also need to set further expectations. Give an interested candidate a written document outlining your hiring process and informing them at what point they can expect to receive a job offer from you if you are inclined to give one. The hiring process might vary based on the level of position you desire to fill, but setting clear expectations is always important. Confirm that no part of the interview process is binding for either party.
Phone Interview. After you receive an application, reach out to the candidate through a phone call. Begin the call with friendly exchange and set the stage for interaction that is warm and personal. From there find out if the candidate is still interested in employment with your company and what positions they have interest in.
It is good to find out if the candidate is currently employed and why they are seeking employment. Ask them for permission to contact the references provided on their application so that you can contact them prior to an in-person interview. Finally, if there are no obvious red flags during the phone interview, set up a good time to meet for an in-person interview.
In-person Interview. In-person interviews can be conducted at your place of business, at a local restaurant, or wherever is most convenient to meet and learn to know the interested candidate. While conducting the interview, you want to find out as much about the candidate as possible. To accomplish this, develop a standard set of questions that you go over with all candidates. A set of questions that covers each area below will help you determine if a candidate is qualified for employment with your company.
· Introductory questions. Begin with wide-open introductory questions to get people talking. I like conversation starters like, “Tell me about yourself,” following up with something like “Tell me about your family.” Other good introductory questions include, “Why are you looking for a job?” or “Why did you seek employment at our company?” and “Do you know anyone that works here?” Use this time to learn things about the candidate, but also to establish a relationship with them. As they tell you about themselves, look for things you have in common that you can connect on.
Remember that you want to find out information about a person’s character and compatibility. Listen for them to tell you that they appreciate your company’s values or the way your business serves the community. These are indicators that you are connecting on a character and values level.
· Skill questions. Move into a discussion about the candidate’s skills. Find out what jobs they have worked in the past, and learn what duties they were responsible for. Did they receive formal training for the jobs they held? Also find out if the person has any hobbies or enjoys doing projects at home that has built skills that could be useful to your company.
· Character questions. Keep in mind that you want to “hire for character and train for skill.” I like to ask a person what they do on the weekend. How a person uses their discretionary time tells you something important about that individual. I also like to know if a person volunteers anywhere. Volunteering in the community or at church reveals something about a person’s character.
In a recent interview when I probed into the character questions the candidate told me that he doesn’t really volunteer anywhere, and he loves to race dirt bikes on the weekend. He told me confidently how good his daughter was becoming with a dirt bike and shared with a smile how many bones he has broken over the years. It was clear what he was passionate about, and I couldn’t help but wonder if, when his body started to ache, whether he would attribute it to the broken bones from past races or ask to file a claim with worker’s comp.
Ask the candidate what they are passionate about. Have them tell you what is more important to them than anything else. You could also touch on how the candidate handles relationships especially when they get stressful. How would they handle a difficult customer or coworker? Try telling them about a scenario that took place in your business and ask how they would respond.
· Employment question. Ask the candidate some general questions about their expectations for employment, like how soon they would be available to start working for you. I also like to ask about their long-term goals. Do they see this job as a career, or is it a step to where they really want to be? And I ask them if they have any expectations for pay. It’s helpful to have some indicator what their expectations are before getting to the job offer stage.
Introducing the Candidate to the Position
Following a time of sitting with the candidate, it is good to spend some time introducing them to the position that is available. I like to give the candidate a tour of the company facility. Introduce them to other employees they would work alongside of. This serves two purposes at once— the candidate sees who they would work with, and you can circle back to your employees to see what their first impressions were. This can help you determine if the candidate is a fit for your company culture.
If possible, allow them to complete some tasks that are a part of the job they are interviewing for or observe others that are doing the same work. In some cases, you might want to consider asking them to spend a day out with a crew, observing or helping them with their work for the day. Depending on the position and length of the interview, you might want to consider dividing the hands-on portion of the interview from the part where you sit together and learn to know each other. This gives more time for both parties to process information and make informed decisions. You want to eliminate as many surprises as possible for both the candidate and the company.
While you are showing the candidate what work they will be doing, you will also want to get into the details of the job’s requirements and benefits. Go over job duties, shift hours, job requirements, and available benefits. Give them a written job description if you have one. This is also a good time to review the core values and vision of your company and share how the position they are considering helps support the overall company vision. You want to hire people who value positive company culture and embrace the values you are striving to promote. You also want them to see the significance of the job they will do and how it will impact the entire business.
Closing the Interview
Throughout the interview process, allow ample time for the candidate to ask any questions they have. When you feel you have spent sufficient time getting to know the candidate and communicating what is involved with the position, bring the interview to a close. Let them know what they can expect from you next. If an interview is extensive enough that I feel confident about hiring, I might give an offer at the close of the interview. If I am undecided, I will let them know that they can expect to hear from me within a day or two.
Job offers should be given in writing. This allows the candidate to reflect on the offer, and gives you a record to accurately onboard the candidate if they choose to place their employment with your company. If you know that you will not hire a candidate, simply tell them that you have decided to forgo giving an offer. It is best practice to not give reasons for not hiring someone since the reasons could be seen as discriminatory. Thank each candidate for their time and for their interest in employment with your company.
A bad hire will always be costly. But having a rigorous interview process in place will help you avoid hiring missteps. Set up a good employment application, reach out to candidates for phone interviews, and develop standard in-person interview questions and processes to assist you in making solid employment decisions. A good employee can be a blessing for years to come. It’s worth the effort to hire the best available candidates for your organization.
Brendon lives near Jonestown Pennsylvania with his wife Dena and their six children. He works for Shank Door LLC where he has served as Human Resource Manager for the past eight years. He can be reached at brendonm@shankdoor.com