Recruitment Tips
In order to weed out inappropriate job applications and discover the applicants who have the right skill set and personality for a job, I recommend the following:
Start your recruitment with a Zoom or phone call.
The best CVs may look top notch, but the candidates may lack the personality or communications to fulfill the role adequately. A phone interview can help you to get a better feel for a candidate’s suitability, however a video call is even better, as you get eyes on them. On the other hand, top candidates for a position may not always have the best CV, or their CV may be light in detail which a phone/Zoom interview can help draw out and expand. As a rough guide, you should look to screen five candidates via a Zoom or phone call with the aim of selecting three candidates to interview in person. Prepare the questions before advertising so you are ready to screen people immediately.
The call/Zoom should:
- Be consistent for all callers – so that benchmarking is easy
- Not be an in-depth interview – save this for the in–person interview
- Relay information regarding the job and recruitment process
Key things to consider:
- Communication
- Personality
- Ease with technology (if it is appropriate to the role)
- Skill set
- Experience
- Validity of information – e.g. any unexplained gaps in employment, dates which don’t match, sideways steps, etc.
Begin your interview by clearly defining the expectations of the role.
When you are ready to start a face-to-face interview, do not begin by questioning the applicant, as it is a good idea to start by explaining the company and clearly defining the expectations of the role. This helps to ensure the candidate knows exactly what they are getting themselves into and whether they can see themselves in the role, which will make them far better prepared for the role should they take it – it is better to scare them off now than to have them start work and then realise the role is not what they were after. Candidates’ questions following this introduction can help define whether they are actually suitable
Questions relating to the CV
Following the introduction, it is a good idea to run through the applicant’s CV and ask questions relating to it. It is always good to evaluate whether they have matched the wording of the CV to the role in a way that shows they have understood the position available and how it applies to their skill set and style, and. check they have clearly defined their suitability rather than just parroting the requirements.
A candidate’s tenure in previous roles is also important, with the preferred candidate having changed roles often enough to demonstrate flexibility, as opposed to the candidate with a history of short tenures which would suggest they are flippant.
Areas to probe via pertinent questions include:
Credential verification - these questions serve as a CV/resume fact check, ensuring that the information provided is accurate and true, while objectively looking at a candidate’s knowledge of their background.
Experience verification – aimed at subjectively evaluating a candidate’s background and their suitability for the role.
Opinion and behavioural questions – to establish what a person believes their strengths to be and to examine their past behaviour in specific situations.
