Sizing Up a Prospective Employee

When Chase Hillenmeyer takes a job applicant to lunch, something usually goes wrong — on purpose. For instance, Hillenmeyer, who runs a landscaping business in Lexington, Kentucky, will quietly go up to the server and ask that the applicant be brought a salad instead of the cheeseburger he ordered.

Hillenmeyer isn’t playing games; he’s determining how the potential hire deals with adversity. If the applicant treats the server with respect, and handles the mistake well, Hillenmeyer knows he’ll fit with the culture of his fifth-generation business.

Sizing up potential employees is one of the hardest and most difficult tasks for a business owner. A good hire can take the company to the next level, but a bad one is costly. “For a small company, a five-figure investment in the wrong person is a threat to the business,” writes entrepreneur Falon Fatemi in Forbes.

Ask Behavioral Questions

Knowing the importance of hiring well, some companies are shifting to “behavioral interviewing”.  This approach bypasses vague questions, like “What are your strengths?” that often lead to canned answers lacking any real substance or insight. Instead, applicants are quizzed on how they handled actual situations.

For example,Inc. Magazine suggests saying: “Describe a time when you recognized that you were unable to meet multiple deadlines. What did you do about it?” If you want to check an applicant’s communication skills, pin them down by saying: “Give an example of a time when you persuaded a boss, customer, or peer to your point of view, even when that individual may not have agreed with you.”

While this is a better approach than standard interview questions, you should still keep any eye out for any potential pitfalls or problems. Ron Friedman, a social psychologist and author of the Best Place to Work, found that 81% of applicants lie in interviews because they give the answer they think is expected. “In many cases, job interviews are entirely disconnected from the reality of people’s day to day job,” he says.

Run a Job Audition

Instead of interviews, some entrepreneurs favor “job auditions” where an applicant handles the actual tasks of the position. For example, a sales rep position will come in and sell to the company’s team. Or a web designer may be asked to create a landing page.

Friedman’s research shows these tryouts are a better indicator of success than job interviews. This is because they show how a person actually does the job rather than simply what’s on their resume.

Observe All Actions

Candidates are typically on their best behavior when being interviewed.  This makes it difficult to get a true feel for their personality, attitude and demeanor. Since one very important aspect of the interview process is determining whether a candidate will be a positive addition to your team, it’s important to figure out if the person is an “unsavory character” prior to bringing them on.

To help get a better idea of whether a candidates “in interview” personality is fake or authentic, observe how they are interacting with individuals outside of the actual interview – those who aren’t involved with the interview process. Were they pleasant and friendly with the receptionist? Were they cordial to other employees they passed along the way to and from the interview room. Closely watching their interactions with others, when the candidate doesn’t feel as if they are being closely watched.  Doing so can give you an idea of their true colors.

Hold a Brainstorm Session

Similar to a job audition, conducting a brainstorm session during an interview can indicate how a person can actually do the job. In addition, it can showcase how well you and the individual can effectively work together to complete projects and solve problems.

Before the Interview

The above tactics are great options once you get someone in FOR an interview.  But how do you go about narrowing down the candidate pool to determine who you should bring in to interview? With job postings sometimes receiving hundreds of applications, culling through resumes and cover letters can become extremely time consuming. Here are two ways to save time in assessing top candidates to interview.

Request a Video Introduction

Consider requesting a video introduction as part of the application/resume submission process – especially if presentation is a key part of the role. Video introductions can allow you to quickly gauge a candidates personality, skill set and enthusiasm for the role prior to bringing them it. Remember to note in your job description and directions for submission that the video does not have to be great quality and remember be sure to set a time limit on the video.

Nix the Cover Letters

Instead of requesting cover letters that are often templated, consider requesting candidates to “describe in 100 words”. You can ask them to describe why they’d be a good fit for the role. Or you can ask why this opportunity excites them. Or you can have them describe how they’d tackle a specific aspect or responsibility of the role. Descriptions of this nature require candidates to showcase their ability to think creatively (you can’t template unique thoughts!).   It can also show you bits of their personality and how they communicate. And, it’s a lot less time consuming and can be a lot more entertaining for you.