Job Interviews for Results

Some companies pride themselves in tossing screwball pitches during job interviews. Asking candidates what type of jungle animal they would be, or what they’d bring to live on Mars. These questions usually tell you more about the interviewer’s desire to be clever and be viewed as an outside the box thinker, than they are to determine candidate fit. We’re not saying that there’s never a place for this type of question – just that we haven’t seen it.

Relevant Experience with Business Model

Job interviewing for results means putting your ego aside, and taking the time to delve into the candidate’s mind. Most interviewers look at industry experience, and don’t know how to proceed if it isn’t present. There’s a simple way forward: find out how much they know about your industry, and your business model. Every business thinks that their situation is unique, but if that were so no skills would ever be transferable. Move past that and look for understanding of how you work – not necessarily what you work on. Fitting into the business model is often much more important than industry knowledge.

What’s In It For Them?

It’s important to understand what the candidate is looking to gain from the role, and what their long-term goals are. Will they have a passion for the type of work they’ll be doing for you? If it’s seen as purely a stepping stone, or a chance to gather industry experience, ask yourself if that’s acceptable for the role, especially concerning its duration. Temporary staffing is often expected to be looking for experience, while permanent recruiting frequently focuses on internal room for growth. It would be best to be upfront about both of these as well – not everyone is looking for upward mobility, some seek stability.

When you conduct job interviews, don’t pre-judge what you think the candidate is seeking – ask them. It’s a lot more important than whether they think they are a jaguar or a monkey.

Check out more of our blogs on Recruiting.