{"id":24944,"date":"2014-01-23T14:10:45","date_gmt":"2014-01-23T21:10:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smartrecruiters.com\/blog\/?p=24944"},"modified":"2017-10-17T10:11:43","modified_gmt":"2017-10-17T17:11:43","slug":"see-the-best-not-the-worst-in-a-candidate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smartrecruiters.com\/blog\/see-the-best-not-the-worst-in-a-candidate\/","title":{"rendered":"See the Best (Not the Worst) in a Candidate"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve worked for hiring managers who relished the opportunity to interview new candidates. They\u2019d get all excited – but for the wrong reasons – they were to destroy the poor unsuspecting interviewee.\u00a0The candidate is in the waiting room, while the interviewer is in their office planning an attack to \u201cput them on their heels,\u201d \u201csee how they do under pressure,” \u201crattle them\u201d and I\u2019ve even heard someone say, \u201cI want them on the defensive.\u201d What the…?<\/span>
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I was taught that our job as an interviewer<\/a> is to get the best out of the candidate not the worst.\u00a0If you have a candidate waiting to be interviewed, here are a few things you should do to get yourself in the frame of mind to see the good in your next candidate.<\/p>\n

Get YOUR mind right.<\/h1>\n

Put yourself in check, here\u2019s what I mean. You\u2019re probably HUMAN right<\/a>? So we humans can have bad days. The stain on the shirt, the button that pops, the fender bender on the way to the office, spilling coffee, stubbing the toe, having a fight with your spouse or team, getting chewed out by a client and on and on. So make sure you are in the right frame of mind to conduct a positive interview.<\/p>\n

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Hiring is a Human Activity.\u2014 SmartRecruiters (@SmartRecruiters) January 23, 2014<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Get to know them<\/h1>\n

Be sure to review their resume<\/a>, cover letter<\/a> and LinkedIn profile<\/a> right before you interview them. We know that they are qualified or you shouldn\u2019t be interviewing them. When you review their information just before the interview, ask yourself, “What’s amazing about this person?”<\/p>\n

Define your needs.<\/h1>\n

Remember your needs and not your wants. With so many distractions when it comes to assessing talent but you have to focus on the open position and what you need. What\u2019s the job? The essential duties? The skills needed to be successful? The characteristics that fit the culture? Ideally you already know this stuff but if not, learn it and use it to build your questions and conversation with the candidate that\u2019s sitting out there waiting to be interviewed.<\/p>\n

I was inspired by a great article on Inc.com written by Lou Alder,\u00a0\u201c2 Interview Questions That Separate the Doers from the Poseurs\u201d<\/a> and one of the suggestions is to offer to take the candidate on a tour. Make the candidate feel welcomed.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s awesome advice because today recruiting and interviewing is done on a computer or tablet. \u00a0Video calls; Skype, hangouts and phone calls are the ways most people do it. But taking a tour of the office environment and giving a candidate a realistic job preview is a great way to assess a candidate<\/a>. So think about adding a tour of the workplace and showing them where you need their help the most.<\/p>\n

Interviewing can be a power trip for some, and overwhelming to others. But if you just think about it, you want to hire the right person the first time. We all know hiring is a costly decision. It\u2019s the most important decision an organization will make. No pressure, right? Start with seeing what’s best in the candidate.<\/p>\n

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\"GladiatorChris Fields<\/a>\u00a0is an HR professional and leadership guy who also helps job seekers write great resumes and blogs. His work can be found at ResumeCrusade.com & CostofWork.com. Photo Credit ViralWire<\/a>.
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SmartRecruiters<\/a>\u00a0is the hiring platform with everything you need to source talent, manage candidates, and make the right hires.<\/b><\/p>\n

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See the Best (Not the Worst) in a Candidate<\/a><\/blockquote>