Overview
An important part of recruiting new employees
in a company involves a personal interview. A background check and
resume helps determine whether a person has the basic credentials
required for the job. An interview, on the other hand, is necessary to
establish subjective qualifications. The prospective candidate has a
face-to-face conversation with the human resources manager and/or the
other supervisors with whom the employee is likely to work if he is
selected for the job. If the interview is conducted at the place of
business, the potential employee can see the working environment. The
potential employers observe the communication skills and the personality
of the candidate in an interview.
How it Works
Develop an interview plan much ahead of the candidate's arrival.
First identify those qualifications that are absolute essentials for the
position. If you are hiring a warehouse dockworker, then you need to
look at physical strength. You can make personal observations about a
candidate, but you are not allowed to ask medical questions or request
medical records. Do you need an administrative assistant who can
multi-task effectively? Then put that quality at the top of your
must-possess list and determine how you can ask about it. Have a list of
questions and be sure to avoid illegal questions. Ask questions that
determine specific qualities that you want your employee to have. You
can ask them about their commitment and level of interest in the job.
Benefits
There are several benefits in interviewing a prospective employee.
Even though factual documents such as resumes play an important role in
the hiring process, they cannot convey information on the style,
personality, humor, interpersonal skills, dressing sense, or the
attitude of a candidate. In an interview, the employer gets the chance
to take a fair decision on these intangibles. Most employers look to
find an employee who fits into the work culture of the office or
company. An interview is the only way for an employer as well as the
candidate to adjudge if he would be able to adapt to the culture of the
work place. For instance, the dress code followed in the office is shirt
and tie, or a business suit. Such a dress code may not be appealing to
the potential employee. However, if a business place has an open
culture, where every member of the team pitches in on any project that
comes up, it will appeal only to some type of candidates. The only way
to see if a person is a good fit is to have them in the office. A good
interview is very essential as it can help avoid unwanted problems and
expenses.
Costs
The company may have to pay travel or lodging allowances to
candidates. If many people in the company are involved in the interview
process, they may be overhead costs of refreshments and lunch. A
standard interview, however, does not have any formal costs.
Timing
A company can arrange for walk in interview if they are planning to
hire people for the low level jobs. An interview is not the first stage
in the recruitment process. You should interview candidates only after
establishing a short list based on resumes and cover letters.
