Your people, your profits: Interviews
by Andrew Corcoran, andrew@corcoran-management.biz
Interviews: it's all in the technique
You know who you are going to recruit within the first 30 seconds of meeting them. You like the "cut of their jib" so you give them the job on the spot. This is how most employers recruit staff. However, studies have shown that interviews are not the best way to select employees.
Assessment centres are better, but how are you going to afford that? The answer is you don't have to if you follow good practice in your selection techniques, improve your interviewing and include some assessment exercises.
- make a list of the qualities you want in your new staff member. A cleaner and a bar person require different sets of skills and experience. Write a list of skills down the left-hand side of a piece of paper and score the applicant's performance in each area. You can then compare candidates at the end of the day.
prepare for the interview. An interview is like a first date. The applicant will be nervous and both of you want to make a good impression. Put them at their ease, have water or a drink available. Make small talk before starting your questions.
prepare questions. Ask what skills they have. Past performance is the best indicator of future performance so ask about their former work and make sure they give specific answers. For example, if one of the skills is customer service ask an open-ended question: "Tell me about an occasion when you delivered great service?" Or: "We can all improve. When could you have improved the service you have given?" Use these kind of questions to explore actual past performance.
consider creating an assessment centre environment with some role play. You could use the bar and involve current staff as customers. Perhaps you could play out good and bad examples of service. Watch and listen to the applicant and use current employees as judges. They often have a better idea of who would work well in your pub than you think. Employees also feel more committed to the business if they have been included in the staff selection process.
be disciplined. Ask all applicants the same questions. Remember you are looking for a combination of skills and chemistry. Be objective. Look back at your notes and scoring and decide from a short list.
give the applicant an opportunity to ask questions. In a competitive job market they are choosing you as much as you are choosing them. If they are keen they will have questions.
communicate your decision to unsuccessful as well as successful applicants. Tell them you want to keep their details for next time a job comes up. This keeps them interested. It may be cheaper not to call them but it's not good practice. There's no harm in telling them you are sorry but they have not got the position. It's better to do this than ignore them - after all, they may be a customer. Let them down lightly and politely.
So now you've hired someone. Next time we'll look at what to do with them on their first day.
Andrew Corcoran was formerly a country manager and department head for McDonald's. He now runs his own consultancy and is a senior lecturer at the Business School of the University of Lincoln and an associate lecturer at Oxford Brookes University.
