How to Screen for Fit During the Interview
Assessing whether a candidate is a good fit is an essential piece of the interview process. A key consideration that must be taken into account is the job candidate's personality and core values. Does it match that of the culture you are emphasizing at your company? Here are some tips for how to screen for fit during the interview.
Culture is Key
It's entirely possible that a job candidate possesses every skill and talent your company is seeking, but still may not “fit in” with the rest of your staff. Placing a square peg in a round hole is not a good idea when hiring new employees to join your established workforce. So, here are some ways to get to know the person you are interviewing — instead of just evaluating what they can do.
Ask personality-based interview questions:
- Explain your company's core values to your candidate. Then ask how they would personally demonstrate a commitment to each one.
- Illustrate the culture you have created at your company and ask how they feel about it.
- What kind of manager gets the best results from them?
- What defines you as a person?
- What stresses you out?
- What types of non-work activities do you enjoy?
Getting to Know the Real Person
You can even go a step further as some progressive companies have done. Ask out-of-the-box questions such as:
- What do you want to be when you grow up?
- What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever done?
- What's your favorite movie?
The goal here is to judge the reaction of your candidates. In this day and age and with so much personal interaction in the workplace with customers, colleagues, vendors and more, you need employees who can “roll with punches.” Employees need to be able to “play well with others,” while representing your company as well-balanced dynamic people themselves.
Plus you want to get to know the real person by getting beyond their practiced responses. In other words, asking unexpected questions will force your candidates to reveal their true personalities, rather than giving you cliché answers to questions they might already have rehearsed before ever setting foot in the building.
Many companies ask the above questions at a follow up interview; after an introductory meeting has determined the candidate possesses the requisite skills and knowledge to perform the job. But sometimes multiple interviews are simply not feasible. Either way, by digging into the personality of your candidate, you can judge whether or not the person will be happy working for you in the long run. You'll also gain insight as to whether the rest of your staff will enjoy working with the potential candidate. And, that information goes a long way toward long-term employee retention — both for new and current employees!
Clear Company Values
Be sure to have a clearly established set of company values. Know your company culture. And, don't be shy about getting to know your job candidates. Propelling your company forward with the right people starts with a great interview.
As you know, the building materials industry is experiencing a talent shortage. Attracting the best and the brightest people to your company takes a constant and focused effort — an effort every company must make to survive today! So, be sure to use the interview process as a way to further sell your company. Ensure every interviewee leaves with a clear understanding of everything your company has to offer. That's your first priority.
Identify Your Best Candidates
The next step is to use the interview process to identify your best candidates within your ever-increasing applicant pool. Determine who really wants to work for you. Then determine which of those people possesses the personality traits to mesh well with the rest of your workforce.
Whether you have developed a system of multiple interviews to thoroughly screen your candidates, or you only have time to conduct one hiring meeting, the above tips and techniques will help you identify the very best job applicants for your company. Master the interview from your side and your company will benefit from the addition of great new employees, as well as increased employee retention. And that can only make your company more successful!
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