Interviews are a great way of finding new talent for your organisation, helping it to grow and flourish.
However, interviews can also be a window into an organisation, which allow candidates to make an informed decision as to whether they want to work for them, or not.
Recently, an exceptional and highly skilled candidate in the Portfolio Manager / ESG space has been in the running for two positions. Their experience during the recruitment process for both provided them a great insight into their organisation, leadership and quality of co-workers, ultimately leading to an informed decision as to which they wanted to work for.
One company set a time-scale of events at the start of the process.
They provided firm times, dates and constructive feedback at each stage.
Each interview was organised in advance: meeting details, briefings, handouts, agenda and goals were all made available well in advance of the event.
From application to offer, there were 4 interviews, over 3 weeks, involving members of the team and leaders in the organisation.
In contrast, whilst the other organisation stated their hiring needs were urgent, the candidate has only just completed the 3rd stage interview after almost 7 months.
This took place in person, where they were to meet a panel of interviewers and complete an undisclosed task.
Unfortunately when they arrived, they found the required handouts for the task had been neither completed nor printed, and key members of the panel were unavailable.
In addition, the style of interview felt inappropriate for their experience. Overall the image created of the organisation was one of disorganisation, chaos and quite parochial.
This process has led them to make an informed choice as to which organisation they want to work with, and why.
Design the recruitment process in advance
Whether you are a lone hiring manager or part of a wider Talent Acquisition team, ensure that a robust recruitment process is place before inviting prospective colleagues to meet with you:
What do you need the new hire to achieve.
Create a job description based on outcomes, as well as ideals.
Create a timeline of events, working towards a defined offer date.
Identify where this hire will sit in the organisation, and who they will be in regular working contact with. On this basis you can work out:
Who the key members of the organisation are to form the team in this hiring process.
At what stage of the process each member will be involved in the process:
Create an interview process which allows all relevant people in the organisation to be involved, and who are informed of which stage of the interview they will be taking part in.
Provide key measurables for the participating hire line to record and share their feedback to the other members.
Consider whether there will be a benefit to the candidate completing a task during this process and whether to disclose this in advance:
Some organisations view this as a chance to see the candidate in action.
Some populations of the workforce will be able to demonstrate their skills much better if given advance notice of what to expect - such as the neurodiverse and menopausal women.
Ensure each applicant is provided with knowledge of:
Who they will be meeting
At what location (physical or on line)
What each stage of the process will include.
Feedback at each stage (make this as constructive as possible).
Stick to your timelines as much as possible.
Make an offer that meets the candidates expectations.
If this is not possible, explain why.
Conclusion
Setting the tone for new talent with an equitable, efficient and professional interview process will no doubt attract the best talent for your organisation.
As we all face changes and challenges to the working environment, ensuring you attract the best minds and talents to your team will remain a critical part of your organisations long-term survival.
Sounds like hard-work? Engage a professional recruiter.
Getting the right person for your organisation can be tough work, on top of a job that's already hard.
Engaging a professional recruiter to identify what you need, and design the process for you, will certainly make light of.
Whether it's sifting through hundreds of applicants, or building the matrix required to ensure top leadership skills are identified before interview can save your organisation much time and money in the process.
Like a concert pianist, a good recruitment consultancy will be able to navigate the full range of the recruitment scales - from low value to high, whilst fine tuning the instruments to ensure the best outcome for individual requirements.
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