Page 145 - Boost Your Hiring

The Surefire Way to Boost Your Score 131

For example, in this situation, you might want to ask the following
question to learn more about this specific candidate:

You said you led a team of 40 people. What types of positions did those
people hold?

Taking notes will also help you stay on track and recall what was said
after the candidate has gone. When you have interviewed several people
in one day, it is easy to get the stories and the people mixed up. By taking
good notes, you will be able to go back and review. Attach your notes to
the candidate’s résumé or application for future reference and so that
they can serve as part of the record.

Use a clipboard or pad of paper with a cardboard backing so that
you can hold your notes out of view of the candidates. (There is a
temptation on the part of the candidates to try to see what you are
writing about them.) This will allow you to write more openly.
Be aware that your notes become a form of record, if kept. In
other words, make sure that there is nothing in the notes that
could be considered illegal or discriminatory, like referring to
someone as a “fat guy.”

Beginning the Interview
Your preparation will now pay off as you begin the interview with a
clear objective in mind. Bring your prepared list of questions or the
form you put together based on key dimensions of the position. Begin
by asking general, broad-based questions about background and previ-
ous experience. These questions will focus primarily on the person and
where he or she has been.

The success of the interview depends on the interviewer’s ability to
learn about a candidate.

Most interviews begin with some version of the,“Tell me about your-
self” statement. Let the candidates have free reign and see where they