We’ve all been there: Sitting in a job interview, palms sweaty, trying not to stutter but instead come up with the perfect answer for their prospective employers’ questions. But as an entrepreneur with your own business, you’re no longer on that side of the interview process–now it’s up to you to ask the hard questions and figure out if that person sitting in front of you is going to make you money, or be dead weight to your company.
Kate Benson, president of boutique executive search firm Martens & Heads!, doles out advice in this “cheat sheet” to help you determine exactly what you’re looking for in a prospective employee. If you don’t know what you want, how will you know when you’ve found it?
Prepare: ”Take time to review a resume before meeting the candidate,” says Benson. “Many of my candidates tell me that the person they met with clearly had no idea of their background. You dont have to study the entire document, but review where they have worked, the positions they have held and the accomplishments listed.”
Take away the nerves: “I always spend the first several minutes with someone in small talk,” says Benson. “I try to get people talking about a neutral, safe topic so they have a bit more ease and comfort for the interview. I know there are some interviewers whose technique is to make the candidate feel uncomfortable to see how they perform. To me, that’s just not a fruitful way to begin anything.”
Have a good understanding of your needs: “If you are the hiring manager, be prepared to talk about the role, the nuances of success and failure, and what you are specifically looking for,” says Benson. “Talk about what’s worked and what hasn’t, how the role has evolved or changed; how you want to build upon something that is in existence or tear down and change everything. Be able to talk about the department and company in macro terms.
“If you are meeting a candidate for someone else’s team or department, pre-determine what you are screening for.” Is it fit? Analytic abilities? The ability to work with creatives or with cross functional partners? Are you the finance screen? ”Have an agenda—it’s not a popularity contest.”
What do you really want to know about this person?: How they will fit in with the company? What skillsets they bring to your department? How long is their runway? If what they bring will complement or challenge you? Can they take what they know and apply it in your role? Why they made specific decisions? “It’s important to keep this in mind during the interview, and the best way to get the answers is to be direct,” says Benson.
Know yourself: Are you a quick study or do you need to spend two hours with someone to get a good feel for who they are? ”Allocate enough time to get what you need from the meeting,” says Benson. “Do not allow yourself to be rushed or distracted. People have invested in this process. No matter the outcome you want them to walk away with positive feelings about your company.”
What are the barriers to success in this role or in the organization?: “Be prepared to talk about things that are specific to your department, your management style or the organization. Give specific examples that have been problematic with previous employees to see how they would respond to these issues,” says Benson.
Pay attention to non-verbal indicators: “We have a great screen in my office: Who are those people who come for an interview and treat our receptionist horribly? Who are those people who are rude on the phone?”
Use your time wisely: “We have all heard stories about the candidate who came to interview seven or eight times,” says Benson. “That’s crazy, but if it is your company culture that has to be understood, okay. However, think about the people who dont get the job … what was their experience?”
Conversation vs. Interrogation: “Make it a dialogue; give the candidate an opportunity to talk,” says Benson. “You would be surprised how many of our candidates come back from a meeting and tell us they did less than 25% of the talking.”
Open-ended questions: “This is the best tool to see how people think,” says Benson. Why are you here? What compels you about our company? What is our competition doing that we are not? What are we doing that makes you want to join us?
