The first thing we need to establish before going through any job interview is the objectives of the selection process.
Interviewing should not be just about filling an open position. Anytime you have an opening to hire someone, you have an opportunity to build bench strength, organizational effectiveness and introduce fresh ideas and new insights into the organization. It doesn’t matter what level in the hierarchy the opening exists in. Consider the following key objectives of the selection process.
1. Filling the immediate opening with an individual with the required skill sets.
2. Building a talent pool for future job openings at higher levels in the organization. Promotion from within is a building block for unity, cohesiveness and validation of respect for employees. Make sure you select the best based not only on current skill sets but also on future potential for individual growth.
3. A cultural fit. Developing or maintaining a specific cultural identity should be a consideration. Teamwork and camaraderie are essential to success. Personality profiling can help you determine if the job candidate will “fit in” to your organization. Peer interviews of final candidates can also prove beneficial.
When a job opening occurs, it is an opportunity to do a job function analysis to determine if the current scope of authority and responsibility are in alignment with departmental and corporate objectives. A hiring team made up of the department supervisor, a human resources representative and another department manager that has a stake in the functions performed by this particular job injects balance and insight into the hiring process. Of course, HR does all the initial screening of candidates based on the qualifications and skill sets outlined by the manager the candidate will report to. It is very possible these job requirements will change based on the job function analysis. In fact, I have seen cases where the entire job has changed and even the person the job candidate reports to can change. Don’t overdo this and have six or seven people interviewing candidates. By the time a decision is made under that concept the candidate may well be long gone.