Companies can waste thousands of dollars on interviews that don’t lead to an offer, so how many interviews should you have before making an offer? A lot more than you might think. If we are looking for longevity in our employees and want to cultivate a phenomenal company culture we need to be very protective of who we let onto our teams. There is no perfect way to figure out if someone will be the right fit, but there are steps that can help us get closer to this goal.
When considering candidates, put yourself in their shoes. Would you enjoy going to work for your company every day? Remember, you’re looking for longevity; you want to find someone who will stick around for years to come and have a vested interest in helping your company grow. For that reason, it’s wise to conduct many interviews before making an offer. No one interview should feel rushed or taken lightly—we are looking for candidates who fit into our culture and will be happy here.
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you end up interviewing great candidates that simply don’t fit into your current business model. When it comes to rejecting candidates, it can be difficult to do with tact and dignity. Here are some tips on how to reject a candidate professionally – Give them honest feedback: If there is something about their personality or skill set that doesn’t mesh well with your company culture, let them know. Letting them down easy will leave a positive impression of your company in their mind and they may even refer others to you in the future. – Don’t just send a form rejection email: While sending out mass emails can save time, remember that these candidates have taken time out of their day to come in for an interview. If you have enough information from other employees who interviewed them (or if you were present during their interview), give each person a personalized email letting them know why they weren’t selected for further consideration. This will help prevent any confusion or hurt feelings when multiple people receive identical emails.
When interviewing candidates, ask open-ended questions that challenge them and make them think. Look for candidates who can step outside of their comfort zone when answering these questions—someone whose natural inclination is to play it safe will likely not be able to do so, no matter how good they are at executing some of your company’s key strategies. Instead, look for people who are willing to offer innovative solutions—they’ll bring new ideas and perspectives to your organization.
With thousands of applicants, you’re going to have to get creative with your interview process. Here are four tips for scaling your hiring processes effectively so that you don’t miss out on future superstars 1) Don’t hire anyone who doesn’t pass your first-round phone screen. 2) Always make sure every candidate has at least one in-person interview with someone other than their potential manager or direct supervisor. 3) Schedule at least two interviews per candidate and always schedule them back-to-back. 4) Never let candidates meet other employees during their initial interviews—it’s too easy for them to bond and start feeling like they’ve already got a foot in the door!
Here’s an article on How Many Interviews are Too Many
Worried about hiring the wrong person? Check out this article on the impact of a toxic employee