Interview skills training
- On 27 November 2017
- Posted by Chantal Mariotti
Asking certain questions during the interviewing process can get you into trouble! Some candidates might file a discrimination or EEO claim against you, resulting in fines. When interviewing an applicant, it’s important to be aware of what questions are appropriate and which ones may come off as discriminatory or offensive, or just plain illegal. Make sure you and your interviewers are fully trained on what type of interviewing questions should be asked.
Be consistent in your interviewing processes. Everyone who applies for the position should complete an employment application. The process of hiring a new employee should be static throughout. It’s important to give every applicant the same opportunity and not discriminate. The first step to ensure that individuals become “candidates” is to make sure that everyone interested in applying for an open position completes an employment application.
Make sure you get back to everyone who applied, even if you are not extending them an offer of employment. (Sending a courteous thank you note for taking the time to interview is an HR best practice; it sends a strong message to the candidate that you are a great employer, even if they did not get the job.) It is highly recommended that you follow up with anyone you’ve interviewed, even though you may not be offering them a position in your company. What kind of message would you send if you didn’t reply to persons who applied for an open position in your company? They’ve spent the time getting ready for their interview; drove to your location; parked their car or took public transportation to get to your location – yet after the interview, not a word back from the Company; not giving them the basic courtesy of a response, or thanking them for their time. Show your candidates that you respect and appreciate their time, and have them leave by thinking: “Gee, what a great company; I wish I could work there”.
Keep accurate records of who applied for the position. Save all the employment applications you’ve received (required by law), as well as your interviewing notes (which you’ve taken on a separate piece of paper, and which you’ve attached to the application form – never write on the application form directly). These documents can be helpful for a myriad of reasons.
We can provide you and your management team with Interviewing Skills Training – a one-hour workshop, including visuals and handouts to better understand the interviewing process, and remain in compliance. It is important to have a structured system for how to go about posting, advertising, interviewing and selecting your future team members. Having a sound HR system in place can make your interviews go more smoothly and efficiently, all while keeping your hiring managers out of trouble. With a one-hour training workshop, you can learn all the skills and tools needed to have a successful interview and hire great staff and team members.