Why you suck at being a recruiter part 1

Interview like a Pro: How to Interview Candidates with Confidence and Stop Sucking!

I’ve read so many books about what it takes to be a successful recruiter. Lou Adler, the Guru of Recruiting, pointed out 10 things that make up a great Recruiter. Not one of those ten things eluded to being a great interviewer. Interviewing is an art form, it’s something that can be taught but it’s also something that is instinctive as well. No Recruiter is born being a great interviewer. And like all things, the only way you get better at it is through practice, practice, practice and more practice. And no, trying to hone your skills live on the battle field is like trying to drive a tank through a minefield without practicing first.

Most recruiters will go thru an intake and discovery process with their hiring managers and walk away with only a handful of notes, thinking they have enough information to start sourcing and recruiting for that particular position. And as you begin to contact those first few candidates, you sound like a complete idiot! Why you ask? Because you have no idea what this job really does! And you lose all credibility with that candidate. It also forces you to submit candidates that are highly under qualified.

As stated, Interviewing is an art form and it’s something that can be learned. Usually 9 times out of 10, you have a recruiter reading from a script asking you some questions that they either got from somebody else or found online. And not that there’s anything wrong with that but candidates can tell when you’re prepared and knowledgeable versus just reading something off of a piece of paper.

Here are the following 6 reasons why you suck at interviewing:

1. Being Unprepared- Not enough internal core role knowledge about the position you’re actually recruiting for. Not understanding what the position actually does. Not being able to at explain the bear basics of the position. How can you recruit effectively if you don’t know what the role does? I’m not saying you have to become what it is you’re recruiting for but do some damn research on your own. If you’re recruiting for a Business Intelligence position, you would need to know Tableau from a Table. So really understanding what this position does is essential.

2. Not having a standardized Interview process- Not having a scripted or structured interview style or process to follow. And I get it, every position is different in job and scope. But there should always be a standard set of questions that you ask every single candidate. Not only does that take a lot of pressure off of you but it also leaves you with more time to prepare and helps alleviate unconscious bias.

3. Not reading the resume- Read the résumé ahead of time to get to know the candidate and spot any potential red flags, such as date gaps you'd like to dig deeper into during the interview or specific work abilities you'd like to learn more about. A thorough resume evaluation should assist you in formulating questions that will elicit the most information from the individual.

4. Not planning any questions ahead of time- It's not a good idea to do an interview on the spur of the moment. Always have a list of interview questions ready that will help you get the information you need from a candidate. This will prevent you from discovering after the fact that the interview did not provide you with the information you required.

5. Not asking follow-up questions- Even good candidates are not always the best interviewees. Nerves get the best of all of us sometimes. That's why it's important for interviewers to take the initiative to draw out candidates who respond with brief or generic answers. Ask for specific examples or additional information. It’s ok to help them out a little.

6. Taking control of the conversation- Asking questions and then sitting and listening is an important component of knowing how to interview. One of the most common mistakes made by unprepared interviewers is talking too much during the interview, whether about the job, the company, or themselves, and not allowing candidates to share essential information. It’s better to stick to safer topics to open or start the interview. Questions like “How did you get into this field?” Or something like “What led you to our company?”

Remember………. An interview is a conversation and all great conversations begin with showing an interest in the other person, their world, and what they might be interested in. You should utilize that 80/20 rule. Listen 80 percent and talk 20 percent.

HAPPY HEADHUNTING!