For your business to be successful, you need the right people to fill every position in your workforce. Many business owners and entrepreneurs report that recruiting and hiring are the most difficult aspects of running and owning their business. Whether you have the budget to hire a full-time human resources team or you end up doing all the interviews yourself, filling open positions with the most qualified people who are a good fit for your company culture is definitely a complex process that involves many brings with it challenges and pitfalls. . . for the unwary.
Most business owners and HR professionals use the traditional in-person interview to screen candidates and make this decision. However, the traditional face-to-face interview has advantages and many disadvantages that can lead to a bad hiring decision. Using some alternatives to the traditional interview format, as well as taking steps to reinforce the format's weaknesses, can help you make the right hiring decision for each position in your organization.
Advice
While in-person interviews present a great opportunity to assess a job applicant on a personal level, their usefulness can be negated by interviewer bias and a variety of conditions that make candidates nervous or anxious.
Interview Goals
A job interview has a number of purposes, but each of these purposes boils down to this tenet: you want to get a clear sense of what the candidate is really like, not on paper (e.g. CV or resume), but in person. Face-to-face interviews help you get a better picture of a candidate's personality, attitude and demeanor, especially in the context of business interviews and the type of work you need the selected candidate for.
A face-to-face interview also gives the interviewer a clear idea of each candidate's ability to speak spontaneously about the field, job and industry in question. You can assess how well the candidate prepared for the interview by asking questions about your company and what you do. A well-prepared interview also helps assess a candidate's skills, education, and experience related to the position at hand.
In one-on-one interviews, which take place on site, candidates also have the opportunity to demonstrate their resilience and how they fit into the corporate culture of your company. The best candidate for your vacancy is not only the most qualified or qualified person, but also the one who best fits your company's workforce.
Types of job interviews
Interviews can take place in many different contexts. The traditional format is a face-to-face meeting between the candidate and a single person who asks them a series of questions to be answered.
A variant of the traditional one-on-one interview is the panel interview. A single candidate is interviewed by a group of current employees at the hiring company.
Interviews can also be conducted over the phone, either in a face-to-face context or with multiple people attending on behalf of the hiring company. Finally, video conferencing technology has made video interviews more common in recent years.
These alternative forms of interviewing may make more sense for your company and hiring needs. Choosing the right recruitment tools depends on the type of vacancy, your business goals, the timeframe to fill the vacancy, and the budget and technology available at your organization.
Benefits of job interviews
Many aspects of the traditional face-to-face interview, and whether it is considered an effective screening strategy or a waste of time, depends on how the specific details of the interview are handled by the person or people organizing and conducting the interview. He. Additionally, many job interview pitfalls can be overcome through additional assessment and evaluation strategies.
In general, you may find it easier to assess a person's personality and interpersonal skills in a face-to-face conversation. The stress of the situation actually adds value to the interviewer because it shows how the candidate behaves under pressure.
In addition, the interviewer can read and evaluate other cues besides the spoken words that the candidate chooses, such as: B. Body language, facial expressions, and other non-verbal cues that provide more information about the person's true intent. This allows you to assess how well the person fits into the environment and culture of your company.
A well-prepared interview is also the best way to gauge a candidate's true interest in the job and your company. Does it go beyond mere employment or money? Do they really want to work with you and your team? The interest of the candidates is easier to assess personally.
Disadvantages of job interviews
All people have prejudices. In addition, age, race, gender, and other key aspects of a candidate's identity can not only create a false impression, but also violate the law if considered in actual hiring decisions. Research shows that interviews generally result in a disproportionate selection of minority candidates compared to non-minority candidates. As an interviewer, you must overcome these biases when evaluating the candidate.
Also, first impressions can be wrong. Unforeseen events occur through no fault of the candidate, even if you take extra time to account for such events, making you nervous or being late for the interview. Interviewers often rely on their gut feeling as to whether the person they are interviewing would fit well into the work environment. However, gut feelings can and often are wrong. Furthermore, the interviewer often makes a quick decision within the first few minutes of the interview, and any observed reaction or behavior is either interpreted as supporting that impression, or overlooked or ignored.
On the other hand, some people are excellent mimics, mirroring the interviewer's attitude and body language, agreeing with their point of view, and repeating exactly the answer the interviewer wants to hear. You can get great vibes from this person, but they only act for you. The reality can be quite different.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, a great interview doesn't necessarily mean the candidate will be a great employee. A candidate for a job may do very well in an interview because of their strong communication and interpersonal skills, but they may not be a good fit for the needs of the company. Also, some undesirable personality traits are easily masked with a warm personality, a little eye contact, and a strong sense of self-confidence. It is very difficult to detect such traits in a 30-minute conversation, even in a well-structured conversation conducted by an attentive interviewer.
Pros and cons of panel interviews
A panel interview works like a traditional one-on-one interview, with one important exception: instead of a single interviewer, a group of employees (two or more, but usually three to five) conduct the interview together.
A panel interview can have many of the same advantages and disadvantages as the traditional one-on-one interview format. For example, each person brings their own biases into the interview room. In addition, there are still weaknesses inherent in the format of the interview. Candidates with strong social and language skills can still paint an impressive picture that doesn't necessarily tell the whole story, while highly qualified but clumsy candidates are easily overlooked.
However, the panel interview can also have some key benefits. Obviously, a panel interview outweighs the inconvenience of one person questioning and observing the candidate. When several people participate, it is easier to get a more complete picture of the respondent. In addition, the presence of multiple interviewers can help to overcome single interviewer bias. Each person asking questions and observing the candidate will no doubt pick up on different qualities and aspects of the candidate's responses. This contributes to a somewhat more objective assessment of the candidate's strengths and weaknesses. After completing the interview, the panel members can compare their impressions and thoughts for a more complete and fair assessment.
Due to the time logistics, panel interviews are more suitable for a final round of interviews shortly before a decision is made than for kick-off meetings.
Pros and cons of phone interviews
The main advantages of a telephone interview are convenience. For example, in a phone interview, the interviewer can make better use of notes. Interviews can also be recorded to provide more complete feedback on candidate responses.
The logistics of scheduling a phone interview are often much easier to handle. Candidates don't have to travel, making tight schedules more likely. You can also use phone interviews to screen out weaker candidates early, so you can focus on the strongest candidates in face-to-face and panel interviews.
Of course, telephone interviews have some disadvantages. Some people just don't express themselves well on the phone. Without the ability to make eye contact and assess body language, it can be difficult to fairly assess a person's true meaning, tone, or intent. What sounds snappy and rude on the phone might have been more light-hearted and fun in person.
It's also harder to relate to someone over the phone. This will likely affect the candidate more than the interviewer, but you want your candidates to feel a little comfortable during the interview as it will allow them to express themselves more clearly.
A potentially major downside is the call quality. With many people now only relying on cell phones, dropped calls, static interference and other technical issues are common and can be a great source of frustration for both the interviewer and the candidate.
To improve the quality and usefulness of a phone interview, conduct the interview over the landline. Prepare your questions in advance and take notes if necessary.
Finally, remember that a phone interview is not a conversation between friends, where each person's conversation rises and falls equally. Ask a question and then wait for an answer. Don't talk about candidates when they answer or interrupt them with non-verbal vocalizations (e.g. "hmm" or "yes"). This helps maintain the quality of the call and your recording, if any.
Pros and cons of video interviews
In a way, video interviews allow for the best of both worlds: the less stressful atmosphere of a one-on-one interview, the ease of scheduling a phone interview, and the ability to request input from multiple observers or interviewers.
Of course, they can also pose similar challenges. For example, technology can present significant barriers to clear video interviewing as well as phone interviewing. Video conferencing software can and does crash from time to time, and glitches can be even more frustrating than missed calls on a cell phone.
Additionally, many people still find it difficult to look at the camera instead of the screen, making it difficult to form a relationship and maintain good eye contact. Some qualified candidates may even be intimidated by the prospect of being in front of the camera, which can negatively affect their impression on the interviewer.
To ensure the best video interview experience, first make sure your technology is working and you are familiar with the relevant settings. Check your internet connection strength and technology settings. Perform a microphone and speaker test before making the video call. Make sure you have a clear picture and a microphone that picks up and transmits your voice clearly.
Video conferencing calls sometimes experience delays. When that happens, it's especially frustrating in an interview. To compensate, remember to pause after asking your question to signal the candidate that the answer is certain. Pause again at the end of the candidate's answer to ensure the answer is complete. This will help both of you not trip over each other's words.
FAQs
What are the advantages and disadvantages of job interviews? | bizarre? ›
An interview is one of the best ways to find out how much you know about the industry. Interviews are beneficial for both parties, the employer and the applicant. It allows an employer to assess all of the applicant's skills and knowledge to decide whether he or she is a good fit for the company.
What are the advantages of interviews? ›An interview is one of the best ways to find out how much you know about the industry. Interviews are beneficial for both parties, the employer and the applicant. It allows an employer to assess all of the applicant's skills and knowledge to decide whether he or she is a good fit for the company.
What are the disadvantages of interviewing in job analysis? ›Interviewing as the sole method of job analysis in any particular project has disadvantages. Interviews are time consuming and training is needed. Co-counselling may remove the analyst and enable jobholders to discuss work between themselves.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of one on one interviews? ›It's easier for one person to keep things moving than it is in a group interview. With multiple interviewers, you're more likely to run into conflicting biases, ulterior motives, and generally competing goals. That said, one-on-one interviews shouldn't be your sole source of information about an interviewee.
What is the disadvantage of conducting an interview in person? ›Cost is a major disadvantage for face-to-face interviews. They require a staff of people to conduct the interviews, which means there will be personnel costs. Personnel are the highest cost a business can incur. It's difficult to keep costs low when personnel are needed.