A candidate’s decision prompted a rethink of roles on interview panels

A moment of truth in the hiring process comes when a job is offered. Will the candidate accept?

Most say “Yes,” but for a variety of reasons, some don’t.

They may feel that what’s offered is not a significant improvement from what they would be leaving. A better offer may come along. It’s not the right time for a family move. They find that the hours they will be required to work are unattractive.

The reason that surprised me a few years ago was when a candidate turned down the job because he was uncomfortable with how the interview was structured.

“I didn’t accept the offer because I felt that I was unable to connect with the board members because of the way the interview was conducted,” a candidate for a position of CEO said. “I didn’t like the fact that the consultant hired to manage the hiring process was the only one asking the questions.”

I was that consultant.

The board that hired me to manage the recruitment process for them decided the process would go better if they collaborated with me to develop the questions that I would ask on their behalf. They were in the room to take notes and ask followup questions to clarify what the candidates said.

This type of specialization is something that I include in my tips for creating effective interview panels. 

Allowing each panel member to concentrate on a specific task is one of the advantages of forming an interview panel. It can be frustrating when everyone is asking questions and trying to keep track of what candidates say.

From the candidates’perspective, when they don’t know who will pop up to ask the next question, they may feel like they are sitting in front of a carnival arcade Whac-a-Mole game. This adds to the stress already inherent in interviews, even as you are trying to reduce the candidate’s stress so they will be comfortable answering questions.

When freed from the burden of keeping notes, the person assigned responsibility for asking questions can focus on listening to the responses to determine if followup questions are required. Other panel members can concentrate on creating an accurate record of the candidate’s responses when they don’t have to think about the next question they are scheduled to ask.

Since learning why the person declined the interview panel’s offer, I have pondered what could have been done differently that might have changed the outcome. How could I have taken a less prominent role in the process? What different advice would I now offer other interview panels?

Panels could decide that more than one person will ask questions. In that case, panels can avoid the Whac-a-Mole scenario by blocking questions. Instead of jumping from one panel member to the next, each would ask a series of questions before yielding the floor to the next panel member.

Prior to the interview, a representative of the panel should advise the candidate how the interview will be structured.

“Three of us will be asking you a series of questions, beginning with our department head Jacob, who will be followed by our manager Jennifer and finally myself.”

After asking his questions, Jacob will signal the change. “Now, my colleague Jennifer has some questions for you.”

Responsibility for note taking will pass to those not asking questions. When it’s their turn to ask questions, panel members will only focus on listening to what the candidate says and determining if followup questions are required.

Would this approach have led to a different outcome in the interview I described earlier? Would the board’s preferred candidate have said yes to the job offer?

Perhaps, but that doesn’t really matter. What is important, whether it’s one person or more, whoever is asking questions should focus only on that task—listening to the candidate’s answers and making followup inquiries as necessary—and leave it to other panel members to take accurate notes of what is said. Specialization on interview panels results in the right person being hired more often.

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Creating interview panels that are effective and right for your organization is one of the topics explored during my full-day Interview Right to Hire Right workshops. Contact me to schedule a workshop for your leadership team or to learn more. (nmscott@telus.net or 780-232-3828).

Use these words to reduce candidate’s stress level

Interviews are stressful. That is hardly news to anyone who has sat on either side of an interview-room table. Too much stress can affect the candidate’s performance negatively. The applicant may not present herself as well as she might in a less stressful situation.

The outcome can be unfortunate for the job-seeker and also for the manager with a vacancy to fill. The candidate must continue the job search and the interviewer will base the hiring decision on an incomplete understanding of the candidate’s attitudes and competencies. A skilled performer may be overlooked because the stress of the interview caused her to present poorly.

The challenge for interviewers is to reduce the impact of interview-induced stress so that candidates will open up and provide complete and candid responses to the interviewer’s queries. This can be achieved, in part, with a few well-chosen words spoken soon after meeting the candidate.

Confidence can begin to replace stress when the candidate feels valued and at least partly in control of the process. With this in mind, interviewer might select one or more of these stress-reducing statements and questions to use as the interview begins:

“It was a pleasure to talk with you on the telephone and we are delighted to have this opportunity to meet you in person.”

“From your resume, it appears you have had a variety of experiences.”

Note: The interviewer is not saying this were the right experiences, although this may be what the candidate hears, which could be a confidence booster.

“We are pleased you decided to apply for this position.”

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us today.”

“Would it be okay with you if we took notes during this interview?”

Note: No candidate is likely to say no, but some will feel this gives them some control over the situation. Some may ask if they can take notes. Agree to the request.

In future issues of Briefly Noted, I will provide more tips and techniques that can reduce the stress candidates—and interviewers—experience.

Employing techniques meant to reduce the candidates’ stress is just one of the many topics included in my Interview Right to Hire Right workshops. Please contact me to schedule an Interview Right to Hiring Right workshop for those responsible for hiring staff in your organization. Phone (780) 433-1443 or nmscott@telus.net.