10 top interviewing tips

1. Stop judging bodies, handshakes and smiles. Most hiring mistakes are made when the Interviewer judges applicants on the surface impressions.
2. Look for evidence of positive attitudes, a high degree of motivation, emotional stability and maturity, the right aptitudes and a temperament style which fits the job.
3. Fundamentally, people don’t change. The best indicator of future performance is past performance.  Look for a pattern of past behaviour, activities, interests and attitudes.  Judge the history.
4. Develop a relaxed, conversational style.  Come across as supportive, friendly and accepting.
5. Develop a repertoire of questions.  Ask open-ended questions.
6. Listen actively.  Eliminate distractions and interruptions.  Be encouraging and easy to talk to.
7. Show respect for each applicant.  Leave each feeling good.  Be tactful.  Project a favourable impression of your organisation.
8. Treat people the way you would want to be treated. Beware of asking directly personal or sensitive questions that might violate the applicants’ human rights.
9. Check references thoroughly.  People who have worked with the applicant in previous situations can be a valuable source of information to complement your interview findings.  The higher the better.
10. Be very selective.  Make staffing decisions your number one priority.

Download our free booklet, Interviewing & Selecting Exceptional People

How psychometric testing can help small businesses:

An Interview Checklist – Free Booklet

Before the interview…

1.  List the key behavioural job requirements
2.  Produce a McQuaig Job Survey® so you can match appropriate candidates
3.  Assess the candidate’s behavioural temperament using the McQuaig Word Survey®.

And remember during the interview… Read more

The key to interview success – a firm handshake?

Some interesting new research has highlighted the impact a firm handshake has on interview success. We know that the first few minutes with someone has a disproportionate influence on us in terms of an ultimate decision. This research shows that even a handshake can subconsciously influence us.

Read more

Determine What Type of Sales Talent Your Company Needs

According to a recent survey by CSO Insights, 43% of salespeople do not achieve quota, ramp up time continues to increase, and the ability to close forecasted business is less than 50%.

So why do sales people who may have been stellar performers in one company turn out to be underperformers in another?

Read more

3 ways to hire the perfect candidate

Traditionally, organisations have taken on new staff by using a three-step method:

1. Evaluate the CV
2. Interview
3. ‘Gut feel’ about the candidate

This can be right but more often than not, leads to taking on a new member of staff based on their appearance, hand shake and the ‘editied highlights of their career so far’, otherwise known as a CV.

So how can you reduce your risk and refine the interview process to find the ‘perfect candidate‘?

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Reduce the risk of employing the wrong person by understanding the 3 Levels of Appraisal: Read more

Level playing field

The CIPD’s annual Recruitment, Retention and Turnover Survey (2008) reports a number of key findings.

“Appointing people who have the potential to grow but who currently don’t have all that’s required is the most frequently used initiative to overcome difficulties”. Three quarters of respondents said this was their biggest challenge.

Some candidates seem attractive because they come across well in the interview, have leadership qualities or are particularly articulate. Read more