Interview process slick or slack?

Organisations have one thing in common when it comes to hiring new talent: everyone wants the best. But how you go about it has a significant impact on your success rate.

1. Always plan!

To produce a candidate shortlist can take anything from 6-8 weeks. In order to get a head start, identify who the interested parties are and agree who will form the interview panel before you begin the search process. Once agreed – block out their diaries.

2. What do you need them to do?

Limit your interview process to a maximum of three rounds. Remember, the candidates you are trying to attract are probably already doing high-pressure, high-commitment jobs where it is hard to ‘escape the day job’ to attend multiple interviews. Maybe look at telephone interviews for the first round and then face to face going forward.

3. Manage expectations!

Make sure candidates know what is going on in the process through clear and up front communication. If the interview process is likely to take 3 weeks, then tell them so. To prevent candidates from withdrawing from the process – the last thing you need is for them to feel stuck in a never-ending cycle.

4. Keep in contact!

Once a position has been offered and accepted keep in regular touch with the candidate. Most professionals often have long notice periods. During such a time it’s not uncommon for their current employer to realise the resource and talent they have in that person. They could therefore try to persuade your preferred candidate to stay put. One way to combat this is to arrange social occasions, such as networking dinners, with relevant senior leaders in your organisation to keep the candidate engaged and reinforce the reasons why they have made the right decision to move.