Employers
You’ve screened the resumes and come up with a shortlist of applicants who can all do the job…on paper at least. So, how do you decide which candidate is ‘the one’? Interviews can provide employers with valuable information about an individual’s skills, motivation, achievements and cultural fit. Especially if you ask the right questions and allow candidates to do most of the talking.
Here are ten of our favourite questions to ask candidates at interview:
- Why are you interested in this role?
You want to separate out those candidates who have done their homework from the rest. You will find out which aspects of the position have appealed to them. Are these the same aspects that you believe are key to the role and to your company moving forward?
- What are the three most important attributes you bring to this role?
Flowing on neatly from #1, you will obtain further insights into candidates’ understanding of the role, and the contribution they could make. You can then assess whether what they offer fits with what you are looking for.
- Why are you leaving your current employer?
Candidates’ answers can reveal much about their attitudes, motivation and values at work. Your job is to establish whether their current experience has been a positive one and whether they are leaving for a good reason. If you have doubts, then probe carefully to find out more.
- What motivates you most in your current role?
You want to understand what makes candidates tick. They may be enthusiastic about new challenges, for example, or working in a strong team. Will these candidates find similar motivation in the role you are offering and, more broadly, in the culture of your company?
- What do you dislike the most about your current role?
Candidates generally find at least one aspect of their current role less enjoyable. It may be a mundane task, such as stuffing envelopes or totting up the petty cash. But it may be something more revealing – such as a candidate for a supervisor role who does not like dealing with conflict.
- Tell me about your greatest achievement in your career to date.
Strong candidates are passionate about their accomplishments and will relish the opportunity to talk about them. What they consider to be a great achievement will provide you with insights into their personality, values and working style.
- Describe a time when things didn’t go the way you wanted. What did you do?
An alternative to “What’s your greatest weakness?” which most candidates have anticipated and prepared for. Here, you are asking candidates for a concrete example of a difficult situation. Their responses will provide information about their problem-solving skills, ability to own an issue and, potentially, their interaction with others.
- How would your colleagues describe you at work?
Some candidates find it difficult to talk about their attributes and achievements, especially at interview. So instead, give them a chance to view themselves through the eyes of their co-workers. You will gain valuable insights into their personality, work ethic, and relationships with others in a team.
- Describe the best boss you have reported to.
Bosses vary in the way they supervise, organise, delegate and communicate. And candidates will vary in the way they respond to them. So find out the type of management style that best suits your candidates’ needs and personality. A candidate who is a self-starter, for example, would not be a good match for a micro-manager.
- Do you have any questions for me?
Well-prepared candidates will have done their homework, researched the role and company, and drafted a few questions. What candidates ask can provide information about what they consider important. Are they just after basic information, like salary, perks and vacation days? Or are they focused on company vision and opportunities for career progression?
Try incorporating some – or all – of these questions in your candidate interviews. They should help you separate the mismatches and maybes from the high potential candidate(s) who will thrive in your role.
Mentors have existed since time immemorial. Many claim that the word derives from the name of a character in The Odyssey, an ancient Greek epic poem that was probably composed around 700BC. The elderly Mentor was a great friend of Odysseus and trusted advisor to his young son Telemachus. Similarly, today mentors are often senior figures entrusted with providing advice to younger, more inexperienced employees. The aim: to help their mentees progress within their role, within their organisation, and – ultimately – within their chosen industry sector.
Mentoring can have significant benefits for the organisation, notably in terms of promoting a positive company culture, enhancing productivity and improving employee retention. Both mentor and mentee also stand to gain from a successful mentoring relationship through open, honest communication and feedback. Here are a few tips on how to get it right as a mentor:
Set a clear framework from the outset
In consultation with your mentee, decide how often you will meet and for how long. Also consider which communication channels you wish to use between meetings. Will your door always be open to your mentee, or would you prefer to receive emails from her on a particular day at a particular time?
Define goals together
Discuss and decide your mentee’s personal and professional goals with her. Your mentee’s input is a crucial part of this conversation; your role is to guide and support her in implementing a plan to achieve these goals.
Listen and learn from each other
It is often said that the mentor/mentee relationship is a ‘two-way street’ where the mentor has just as much to learn from the relationship as the mentee. Give your mentee the opportunity to express herself openly and honestly. Every individual has different ways of thinking and doing – and you may pick up an invaluable tip or two!
Let your mentee make mistakes
Provide honest, constructive feedback to your mentee, but allow her to follow her own vision and make mistakes. Learning from errors is essential to personal and professional development. Help your mentee analyse what went wrong and she’ll be able to move forward with confidence.
Be a positive role model
Lead by example not just in the mentor/mentee relationship, but in the wider workplace by demonstrating confidence, respect for others and clear, open communication. Celebrate your successes with your colleagues, but also share your failures. They show what you have overcome to reach the place you are today and will provide your mentee – and others – with a realistic perspective.
Being a mentor is both a privilege and a responsibility. Done right, it can benefit mentee, mentor and the wider business organisation.
8 Ways for Managers to Connect with Employees
The days when managers would hide away in their ivory towers are long gone, or should be. Managers play an essential role in boosting employee engagement, creating an environment where every individual in their team feels comfortable, valued and motivated. And great managers know that the key to success lies in communicating and connecting with their people. Here’s how to do it:
- Offer employees a welcoming and safe workplace, free from bullying, harassment and discrimination. By creating and maintaining a positive working environment, employees will be happy to come and work with you – and the business – every day.
- Be a good role model. Be responsible, positive and consistent in your decisions and actions. Make time for your employees, motivate them and inspire them to be the best they can be.
- Schedule regular team events where individuals can share ideas, work in progress, and voice any concerns. Rather than a weekly meeting in the office, have lunch together in the canteen or head out to a local café for a cappuccino and a chat. You’re not just connecting with your employees, you’re creating a team that everyone is happy to be part of.
- Act on employee suggestions. There is no point in individuals having a voice if their messages just vanish into thin air. By including employees’ feedback in decisions and processes, you are showing that you value their say. And the chances are they’ll engage more with you and the business going forward.
- Keep your people in the loop. If there’s something big on the horizon, let your employees know before it’s looming ominously large. Open communication is key to building trust and respect.
- Wander around randomly on a regular basis and check in on your team. Management by walking around (MBWA) was big back in the 1980s when it was pioneered by HP’s Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard. It’s a great way to see what’s going on, listen to your employees, and provide on-the-spot assistance if necessary.
- Recognise and reward your employees for a job well done. Everyone likes to feel they’ve made a difference. Forget the fancy team competitions, score boards and expensive prizes; sometimes a simple ‘well done’ is all it takes.
- Invest in your people. Spend time with them, support them, encourage them and coach them as they work towards their personal and professional goals. Show them you are committed to a long-term working relationship by offering them training and development programs and opportunities for advancement.
Communicate, connect and create an environment where your employees, you, and the business will thrive!
At Optimal Recruitment, we would love to communicate and connect with you. Please contact us on 02 8416 4181 or info@optimalrecruitment.com.au
Last year, a recruitment video for the Australian Department of Finance Graduate Program went viral for all the wrong reasons. Designed to showcase the “the variety of work, cultural and social experience [graduates] can expect when joining the department”, the video came in for heavy criticism by marketing experts. Dee Madigan, creative director of agency Campaign Edge, who has worked on a number of marketing campaigns for the Labor party, rated it as “probably one of the worst recruitment videos I’ve ever seen.”
So how do you get it right?
There is no magic formula for making a successful recruitment video, but here are a few recommendations:
- Keep it short: very few viewers want to watch a 30-minute mini-documentary
- Present your company culture in an honest and attractive way to help prospective applicants self-select
- Provide insights into the type of work employees do and the perks they benefit from
- Show a diverse range of employees to appeal to a broad target audience
- Include humour and fun for maximum entertainment value.
The following videos, we think, work particularly well.
Notching up a huge number of views on YouTube – for the right reasons – is this recruitment video for the New Zealand Police. Aimed at 18-24-year-olds, it features frequent bursts of action, snippets of speech, and a good dollop of Kiwi humour. Well scripted and sharply filmed and edited, it is a great way to attract prospective applicants to a role in the NZ Police force.
Dropbox
Produced in 2014, “Working at Dropbox” is still one of the best recruitment videos out there. Classic employee lines, such as “It’s not only a place that I come to work; it’s a place that I come to grow” are injected with humour by replacing the people who voiced them with puppets. In just under 2.5 minutes, viewers gain an idea of Dropbox’s values, people and perks – and are entertained all the way.
HubSpot
Unlike Dropbox, HubSpot used real people to front their brand in this upbeat 2012 recruitment video. Prospective applicants are given a clear introduction to the company’s mission and values, as well as a privileged peek into the working environment. The video showcases a diverse range of employees who add their individual experiences to the bigger picture.
Do you have a favourite recruitment video? If yes, do share it in the comments. We’d love to hear your suggestions.
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