But They Interviewed So Well…Don’t Fall Victim to Interviewee Jazz Hands!
When you take time to write job descriptions, then push them to external job boards, then blow up social media with the #hiring hashtag and then finally conduct interviews, do you ever take the time to find out more about what society is telling applicants in terms of how to get the job or be great at interviewing? I think back to when I was looking for a job in the past few years…what did I do?
Well, I went online and read every single article I could get my hands on regarding completing employment applications effectively and being a pro at interviews. After all, by no means was I going to let the application or interviewer get the best of me. And while not everyone may approach the job search challenge with the researching fervor that I did, I’m sure you can think back to a time where an applicant looked great on paper, then charmed your socks off during the interview…but then fell flat when it came to meeting your on-the-job expectations for performance.
But how could that happen? He/she was so on point during the hiring process! In today’s society where anyone with an internet connection has access to oodles of information about job preparedness and networking expertise, making a great impression during the interview isn’t such a miraculous feat.
An Employment Match Made in Heaven?
So how do you avoid this slippery slope and see through their Oscar-worthy performances to ensure that they will also find great job fit within your organization? How do you see past the clever job seekers that read their articles and think, “my biggest weakness is ‘waking up late,’ but I am able to correct that weakness by setting two alarms.” Maybe in your mind they even shout Tah-dah! after that revelation and give you some jazz hands!
Or better yet…they breeze through your age-old question setup of “is the glass half full or half empty?” They simply say “Neither – I’m an opportunist”; or, if presented with an actual glass of liquid, they will happily drink it and then say, “I’m a problem solver!” Well, that’s pretty good, actually. After all, some of the great interviewers will actually be stellar employees too. So how do you tell the difference?
Consider pre-employment testing in order to see beyond the smiles of your eager interviewees. Make sure your selected tools are validated and relevant to the position. Also, take a group of your current top employees and use their assessment results to benchmark and create target ranges for various scales. Then, compare interviewees’ results against the benchmark to highlight any red flags which should then be further explored with the candidate during later stage interviews.
If you know what applicants are being advised to say or do, their ingenuity and wit becomes a little less charming and a bit more rote. Depending on the type of applicant you’re seeking to fill that position, this might be appealing. However, if you want to maintain a consistent approach to unearthing a candidate’s potential to thrive in your organization, then look into using employee assessments as a complement to your recruiting process.
I challenge you as an employer, to read about what applicants are being advised to do…walk a day in a job seeker’s shoes. Keep an eye out for those applicants using the suggested techniques…as anyone can be a great interviewer, but that doesn’t mean that one will be well-suited for your position.
Interested in exploring employee assessment tools with ExactHire? Contact us for more information
