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Streamlining the Interview Process

One of the largest barriers to hiring talent is the interview process: it's lengthy, duplicative and often unable to separate good candidates from bad. Here is a proven 3-part interviewing plan to hire the best professionals.

1. Faster is Essential
The interview process often drives away more quality candidates than it woos. An in-demand candidate simply can't afford multiple days out of the office to meet with your staff. So, the faster you move, the greater your chance of success. Based upon our experience, it's best if all on-site interviewing is conducted during a single day. And if a follow-up interview is essential then schedule it as a conveniently located breakfast or dinner meeting. The longer the interview process takes, the greater the chance your ideal candidate will accept a job with another company.

2. Ask the Right Questions -- Once
The interview process must be efficient. We recommend a coordinated divide-and-conquer approach among all interviewers. Identify, in writing, the questions each interviewer will ask to determine if the candidate has the skills and experience to be successful in the position. Ensure any repeated questions are strategically designed to triangulate on a candidate's abilities or career aspirations. And then "cut the fat" removing non-essential questions allowing added time for candidate responses and follow-up probing.

3. Focus on the Best
Every question should have a set of answers to indicate if the candidate should continue forward or exit the process. Immediately after each interview, the interviewer should provide a go/no-go indication to the interview coordinator. If two or more interviewers sense the fit doesn't exist, then save everyone's time by concluding the process and cancelling the afternoon interviews.

If, at the end of the day, the candidate received all "go" indications then convene as a team and make a hiring decision -- pending reference reviews. And if you share this decision with the candidate the following day, it will build excitement and help you land the best talent the market has to offer.