We’ve talked about the onboarding process and how important it is to be diligent in every step, but what about the interview? Think of your last 10 hires. How many of them are still currently employed with you? How many resigned? How many did you terminate and after how long? Turnover rates are historically high as 4.5 million people quit their jobs in March 2022, up from 4.35 million people who quit in February 2022. A portion of this statistic could certainly be attributed to an ineffective interview process. In this blog, we will dive into some reasons why you may need to consider revamping your interview process to meet increasing employee demands and lessen turnover rates.

Are You Honest About Job Responsibilities?

First and foremost, are you being honest in your interview? Over 60% of job seekers say the realities of their new job differ from the expectations expressed during the interview. Just like you expect candidates to refrain from falsifying information on their resumes, you should not be downplaying their desired role. If you are hiring them for a human resources role, then human resources is what they should be doing. Not human resources, mixed with reception, mixed with the occasional scheduling, and topped off with some data entry. If you are looking for a candidate to wear many hats then do that. Your search should be directed to people who carry experience and the desire to perform all the tasks that will be expected of them when they are in the role. I can promise you that if you mislead a candidate with regard to their job duties and responsibilities, it is almost guaranteed they will be finding new employment ASAP, and I don’t need to remind you how much money is lost on turnover.

Are You Asking the Right Questions?

The idea of the interview is not to just get a better understanding of the skill set carried by the candidate but to get a thorough understanding of their personality and work ethic. After your interview process, you should feel confident that the candidate will make a great asset to your team and will learn at the pace necessary to get the job done. Are you asking questions like, “Tell me about a time when you faced a challenge at work, how did you overcome it?” This question will give you an idea of how they handle an undesirable situation in the workplace which is knowledge you need to know because especially being a new hire there are always situations that will arise where they may make a mistake or need further clarification. Another important piece of information to learn from the interview is the pace at which they learn. Ask them to further explain their previous roles. Does it seem like they strictly performed X, Y, and Z and that was it? Or does it seem like they accumulated responsibilities beyond their given job title in which case you can assume they were entrusted with added responsibility due to their ability to accurately complete it? Knowing the pace at which someone learns is incredibly important as it sometimes may not match the level at which your company moves and that’s okay, but it’s better to know now than later.

Are You Honest About Workload, Bonus Structure, and Remote Flexibilities?

Specifically in the world we live in today it is not unheard of that workers are putting in more hours than ever trying to satisfy their workload. If the role being interviewed for requires overtime being put in, you should be seeking a candidate who is open to that. If the person who vacated that role was coming in every day at 6:00 am and leaving at 6:00 pm, you should consider breaking up their job responsibilities, unless you feel as though they were inefficient then that is different. A candidate will come into an interview with the assumption they have a designated role with set responsibilities that they will complete between the hours of 8 and 5 including a lunch break unless otherwise stated. Are you open about the salary and bonus structure? If the candidate has a specific number in mind, and though you may not be able to satisfy that number in a salary, but you can offer a bonus structure, you better cough up that bonus when it comes time. Everybody is struggling through inflation and the post-pandemic domino effect, not just your company. If someone has a number in mind and you commit to it, then meet it, otherwise move on to another candidate with a lower salary requirement. Lastly, are you offering remote/hybrid flexibilities? Over 50% of candidates expect a hybrid arrangement, and almost 25% expect to work exclusively remote. If you are not currently offering these flexibilities you may want to consider it because there is a company that will, and that could likely be the deciding factor for the candidate.

If you are having trouble finding qualified candidates for your company please give us a call at (518) 275-4816 where our thorough screening and interview process is sure to help!

 

 

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