I start Screening Applicants
 

Tomorrow (Friday) I start interviewing applicants for my department. I worked with our last department head as the lead for our team so I think this will be a good step to build my managerial skills. I will also be screening and supervising two new recruits in the next week.

Any suggestions for a first-time interviewer? [Not interviewee, been that plenty of times]

I've already got a list of important proficiencies necessary for the role. Certain subjects to touch on? Ones to avoid?

Thanks, I'm excited as all get-up. I'll be doing burn-outs in the parking lot on my way in, just for fun ;)

See if they drive a mustang?

Rig up a webcam and show us the hot ones so we can decide.

Get a casting couch.

Exactly, judge them on looks, and how willing they are to perform certain deeds to get the job...


Assuming they are female of course...

I like Wayne, our hosts idea, have someone go out and look at their car and see if it looks like they live in it. If its full of trash it may reflect on their organizational skills.

+1

Review legal vs illegal interview questions before you get started. Ask open ended (ie not yes or no) questions then shut up and listen. "Tell me what you know about our company," is a good one. Lets you know if the applicants have done their homework.

I like brief practical skills tests if applicable. I helped interview for my replacement once. One applicant's resume said he had taught the software we used "at the college level." I was almost embarassed to ask him to demonstrate the handful of basic tasks on my list. He couldn't do any of them.

My response isn't witty or clever, and you probably already know all of this but for those who don't here goes...

Ýou want the best out of your applicants, your time, their time etc, so try to be relaxed and disarming right from the start. Save the "I'm super excited about this for the de brief with your superiors later".

I'm sure you know how bad the job scene is, and must know just how nervous these people will be, whether they show it or not. Some will want a job at any cost, watch out for the 'yes men'. You'll want to weed out as many of these and the unqualified asap!

I try to get them to relax by starting out with some light banter, address the nerves and dismiss them as unnecessary, find something in common etc in other words don't hammer them as soon as they sit down... Resist :)

Once they relax a bit, hopefully they'll get out of their heads and relax and open up enough for you to see what they're really like, if they have the skills and soft skills required for the position and if their personality will fit in with the company.....culture...

Ask about a specific problem they have solved.

Or my favorite: "why should I hire you?"

Who is prepared? Who knows all about the company and the position, who did their homework on the company?

Who is asking intelligent questions as opposed to the boring "how much is the comp plan" :/

I like the suggestion of open ended questions too. Also, I review the resume with the same technique of open ended comments and see if they catch on and complete the thought.

Maybe mention something on their resume (past job-experience-skill set etc) and see where they go with it.

Might be a good way of verifying what's written on the resume/cv vs actual real life experience. Pretty effective on catching the BS'rs who have prepared statements... Keep them thinking on their toes by not being predictable.

Ps. If you really want a nice docier on interviewing techniques and questions hit me up with a PM :)


Anyway, congrats on the assignment and responsibility! You'll do great!

Cheers
Jason

Dang, thanks jason! I will definitely go the route of open-ended questions. I have already checked over the first applicant's resume and some of their example work. For being out of college for only a few years it looks like (on the surface) they have the basic skills (technically). What it may end up being as more of a client-relationship manager. I guess I'll have to clear the tension at the beginning to see how well their communication skills are (most important) and task-management (critical). I'm not sure if it holds any bearing, but what should hold more weight: A person with more freelance experience or a person with more experience working for someone?

Now I need to conscript a co-worker to recon their car before the interview ;)

Actually, don't hire a "car guy"...they spend all their time on car posting boards, asking for advice instead of doing the job they are paid to do. :rolleyes:

I hope no one takes that too seriously; it is funy though.
Jim

I am in wireless technology, RF engineering and deployment- very technical and consulting based, so not sure this is useful in your field. I have hired many people (hundreds), some highly credentialed out of MIT/Cal Tech all the way to a guy who was a plumber and worked his way through state (UVA) college.

Few of the highly credentialed people advanced far, the plumber -- he is an area CTO at one of the 2 big wireless carriers.

Figure out who is passionate about what they are doing, give that more weight than job specific skills. Has saved me much time and effort, once I figured it out.

Lou

Rloop mentions a very critical point. The difference between a rock star and someone filling a seat is all internal. A person's drive can overcome all sorts of obstacles.

Good luck. Have fun.
Larry

................or if they drive a well set-up 944...........

what kind of position are you filling? that makes a lot of difference in how you interview. sales interviews are nothing like programmer interviews. but eagerness AND showing you can learn is always a big deal. intern positions should focus much more on good background vs experienced positions should be more about experience

Let them do most of the talking.

I always throw in a question to get a sense for a candidates BS factor and whether they can admit to not knowing something.

I try to get a sense for a candidates willingness to learn and ask for help if needed. Nothing worse than someone spinning their wheels on something because their ego is too big, or their balls too small to ask for help.

I always ask "why should we hire you"

I always ask what their most challenging situation they had to overcome and what they would have done differently. This exposes their ability to solve problems.

I always ask how they deal with conflict.

Boxer, briefs or thong?

Wayne said that? I remember the comment but failed to note the poster.

That's weird because I worked at Pelican for a few weeks as a vacation fill in on the phones back in '09. I did interview with 2 of his managers. The general manger definitely had time to check out my transportation, which was/is my work truck.

The funny thing is they only had parking for the number of current employees. I had one afternoon shift and I couldn't park in the lot and the street was full. There was always someone extra after mid morning.

The new location definitely solves that problem.

Sorry, I digress.