Interviewing Trends

November 17th, 2010 by Skywalk Group Categories: business, Business Coaching, Human Resources Management, Skywalk Group, Staffing and Employment Tags: behavioral-based interviewing, hiring, interview techniques, interviewing

We are following up our Behind the Curtain of Resume Screening blog article with another recruiting topic. This article is provided by Skywalk Group HR Generalist, Donita Sanderson.  And, as an additional reminder, don’t forget to take advantage of this month’s offer.  During the month of November, participants who register for the December 1st Hiring Winning Talent Public Workshop will receive a complimentary job analysis and complete behavioral interview guide to get their hiring process moving in the right direction.

Unless an employer is willing to take the risk to hire a candidate based on a resume alone, interviewing is a standard part of the hiring process.  If you have ever started a new job, it’s safe to say that you’ve participated in at least one interview.  Like the majority of interviews, it was likely a one-on-one, face-to-face conversation with a hiring manager, human resources, and/or member of the hiring department.

As with any commonly held practice, there are always opportunities for enhancements or improvements.  With technology advancements and tightened recruiting budgets, now is a good time to consider trying a new interview technique in your organization.

LIVE, VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS

Problem: Your offices are located in Iowa and your short list of candidates live in Ohio and Wyoming.  You’ve completed phone interviews, but your budget doesn’t allow for both candidates to fly in for a face-to-face interview.

Solution: Live,Virtual Interviews.  With a number of web video software options available, like Skype or iChat, a web camera and the appropriate free software creates an instant interview platform.  If a candidate doesn’t have a web camera, just drop one in the mail a couple days ahead of the interview.  Live, virtual interviews offer a more personal and interactive interview solution without incurring the expense of travel.

PANEL INTERVIEW

Problem: The position will interact with several departments and you’d like to have a representative from each department interview the candidate.  Based on the number of interested parties, one-on-one interviews would take all day.

Solution: The Panel Interview.  Although not a new technique for many larger organizations, panel interviews are a time-efficient and cost-effective option.  Rather than having a candidate meet with several individuals on a one-on-one basis, candidates are interviewed by multiple decision makers simultaneously.

Panel interviews have the advantage of reducing the number of redundant questions asked by interviewers. In addition, each interviewer on the panel hears and evaluates the same response.   Caution should be taken to ensure the panel is not too large and is well structured.

FISHBOWL INTERVIEWS

Problem: One-on-one and panel interviews provide a good picture of the candidate’s skills, but often fail to provide insight into the candidate’s interpersonal skills in a work environment.

Solution: The Fishbowl Interview. Ideal for managers and individuals who will need to work on cross-functional teams, the fishbowl interview allows the interviewers to observe the candidate at work in a team environment.

During a fishbowl interview a candidate and group of internal employees are given a hypothetical (or real) business challenge.  The team and its new team member must interact to provide a recommendation on how to resolve the challenge by the end of the exercise.  The fishbowl interview allows team members and observers to experience the candidate first hand during a decision-making event.

If it is time to give your interview process a much-needed boost or the recruiting budget isn’t as plush as it once was, consider testing and implementing a new interview technique, like those listed above, which will address the unique needs of the organization.