The next step in 'getting the hire right' is getting the interview right. This article builds on the discussion in prior issues which you can access below. And the next issue of the Advisor will continue to focus on ways you can get the most out of your interview. Planning Pays Off You've done this before, many times. Your candidate is coming in for a 9:00 interview. You get a coffee, check your email and plan your day. The appointed hour arrives, you grab his resume and tell your assistant to send him in. What's the problem? You've done this before, many times....unfortunately. "The biggest mistake in the interviewing process happens before the interview begins" says Human Capital Advisors managing partner Ted Bruccoleri. "It's the lack of preparation. Just 15 minutes planning for the interview can make it far more effective and help you reveal during the interview what you need to know to make a wise hiring choice." Bruccoleri, HCA's CEO and search industry veteran, should know. He estimates that he's conducted more than 10,000 employment interviews. After culling through resumes submitted, you can often gain a pretty good sense whether the candidate has the requisite subject matter skills and knowledge. So an important objective of the interview is to determine if this candidate is the right fit for this corporate culture with this particular supervisor and if applicable, in this kind of team
"I spend at least 15 minutes prior to every interview combing the candidates resume and outlining my plan for the interview. Every interview is different and is based not just on the position but the candidate and the organization.
~ ~Nan Fremont, HCA Senior Project Director
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| environment. This is where your "shadow position description" that we discussed in the last newsletter is crucial. You need to understand the particular challenges of the position and the cultural dynamics of the organization to determine if the fit is right.
It's also helpful to know why the incumbent left the position for which the organization is recruiting. Was it the team |
dynamics, a clash of styles with the supervisor, or an inability to manage the stress inherent in the job? Or did the job groom that person for more responsibility? Knowing this may reveal the challenges any candidate faces and suggest how you can probe if she's the right fit. The All Important Planning Stage "I spend at least 15 minutes prior to every interview combing the candidates resume and outlining my plan for the interview," says Nan Fremont, a Senior Project Director in the HCA Talent Acquisition practice. "Every interview is different and is based not just on the position but the candidate and the organization."
Several key questions should be identified before the interview begins:
- What does the resume say about the candidate's skill set?
- What type of corporate cultures has she been in?
- Has her career progressed as expected? Understand the career flow.
- Are there holes in the chronology I need to ask about?
- Does this candidate have the capability to do the highest order work required of this job and can she demonstrate the willingness to do the lowest order of work necessary?
- Where are my risk areas? In other words, does the resume suggest something that isn't clear, or are there experiences that may not fit well for the specific position I'm recruiting? These risk areas must be explored in the interview.
- Don't ignore failure. Try to understand it and what the person learned from that experience.
The chronology of the candidate's experience can be revealing. Does the flow of her career suggest that she is where she should be? Have there been appropriate promotions? And most important, have there been successes and impact at the various career stops?
Can this preparation be done in 15 minutes? Maybe, but what's important is that you take whatever time is required to be fully prepared, as you get only one shot to decide if you make an offer or if she makes it to the next round of interviews. Jot down your questions (but not on the resume). Make sure they're in a logical order that will reveal what you need to know. But be prepared to follow-up when an answer reveals a new question that you must explore.
"During the interview, you must keep in mind the very same question you asked yourself during your preparation," Bruccoleri says:"Is this the right person for this job in this environment with these challenges?"
In the next issue of the HCA newsletter, we'll discuss best practices of the interview itself.
"As a business owner or manager, you know that hiring the wrong person is the most costly mistake you can make."
~ ~ Brian Tracy
Motivational Speaker and Author
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Meet An Associate Nan Fremont
Nan, a Senior Project Director in HCA's Talent Acquisition Group, has more than 20 years experience conducting retained and executive searches in a wide range of industries and functions. She has a particular expertise in biomedical and biopharma-
ceutical where she con-
ducted numerous searches for positions in technical operations (R&D, QC, clinical research, product development), sales, marketing, regulatory (reporting, product safety), finance, legal and admini-stration. Nan has managed the internal corporate recruiting function for a $450M national organization. Prior to executive search, Nan spent 15 years in biotechnology sales and product management. She holds a BS in journalism and communications from
Temple University.
Email Nan ~ ~ ~ ~
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Meet An Advisor
Jane Meyer
Jane is a Senior Project Manager with HCA. She provides a wide range of human capital management services, focusing on organization, team and individual performance. Specifics include compe- tency modeling, assess- ment, development and training, coaching and succession planning. Prior to joining HCA, Jane was a senior executive with Marriott Corporation, SAIC and Pentagon Federal Credit Union. She has been a senior level consultant with Booz-Allen and Deloitte Consulting/Bearing Point, Inc. where she gained significant experience with federal clientele. She holds an inactive Top Secret/SCI clearance. With an MBA in industrial relations, Jane has been an adjunct professor at the undergraduate and graduate levels at several local leading universities, including George Washing- ton University, George Mason, American and Marymount. As president, Jane led the 800-member Northern Virginia SHRM chapter through a period of rapid growth while receiving distinguished leadership and service awards.
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