In today’s global economy, more and more employers are turning to remote or distributed workforces as part of their hiring strategy. This requires a certain level of trust in remote employees to be organized and productive self-starters. To screen for these soft skills, recruiters should tailor their questions accordingly.

There are many advantages to using a remote workforce—such as the ability to draw from a larger talent pool and cut back on overhead, to name a few. Optimize the value of your remote team by hiring employees that not only have the right skill sets, but can also work autonomously and stay productive with minimum supervision. 

To determine if candidates for remote positions will be an asset to your organization, it’s important to ask the right questions during the interview process. To that end, here are 12 questions every recruiter should ask when hiring for a distributed workforce:

1. What are the biggest challenges you often face at work?

This question helps you understand how the candidate works and what may potentially trip them up. A thoughtful answer also indicates that they have the mindfulness and self-awareness to continuously make improvements so they can become a more productive member of the team.

2. What does your typical workday look like in your current role?

Gain insights into how well a candidate organizes their day and prioritizes assignments. Employees who apply a clear structure to their days tend to be more productive and able to devote their energy to high-value tasks that matter most. 

3. How do you start your day?

Employees with a morning routine, which puts them in a positive mindset, are typically more focused and creative. They’re also less stressed and more likely to have healthy habits that will help them stay productive.

For example, something as simple as meditating for ten to fifteen minutes every morning can have a profound impact on an individual’s alertness and sense of well-being for the entire day.

4. What do you do when you’re not working?

This question will give you an idea as to a candidate’s ability to maintain a work-life balance. People who pursue a variety of interests and have a balanced social life tend to be more effective in managing their time. They understand the approach of working smart (not just hard) and are able to focus on important tasks that will yield the greatest results.

5. How do you switch off from work?

It’s often hard to leave work behind when the computer is just right across the room. However, the ability to limit work hours allows an employee to stay mentally and physically healthy, which is the key to maintaining productivity in the long-run.

6. How do you prioritize your tasks?

Productive team members focus their time and resources on tasks that will move the needle the most and have the ability to prioritize their assignments autonomously. This question helps you identify candidates who can manage their workload effectively to get the most done while maintaining a certain level of quality.

7. What does your work environment look like?

Experienced remote workers have a consistent work environment that allows them to screen out distractions and stay productive. They should also be equipped with a computer, a reliable internet connection, and other tools necessary for the job. If the role requires the employee to communicate with clients or customers frequently via phone or video, the candidate should have a dedicated workspace to ensure that they won’t be interrupted.   

8. What are your biggest challenges when working remotely and how do you overcome them?

Remote working comes with its own set of challenges (e.g., finding a quiet space, battling the occasional feeling of isolation) so look for employees who have developed strategies to prevent these issues from impacting the quality of their work.

9. How do you deal with distractions?

Many remote employees work from home and they may encounter more distractions than in an office environment. Distraction is a major productivity killer so it’s important that employees have developed effective techniques to help them focus and use their time intentionally. 

10. How do you stay upbeat and positive during your workday?

It’s often harder to get out of a rut when team members are working on their own. Negative moods can lead to lower cognitive performance and limit the ability to think creatively. An ideal candidate should have developed coping strategies so they can minimize the impact of mood fluctuations on their productivity.

11. What do you do when you have a question but your team is offline?

If a team member is located in a different time zone, they may encounter an issue when no one else is online to assist. Look for candidates who are resourceful and have developed strategies to handle various scenarios independently. They should also demonstrate the ability to weigh the severity and urgency of the issue at hand so they can react appropriately.

12. Can you share a time when you took initiative at work?

Remote team members need to work autonomously with minimal supervision. Look for candidates that are driven to achieve results. This question helps you identify self-starters who are willing to take initiatives and go the extra mile. These employees also tend to be more confident, which often makes them more productive and creative.

Final Thoughts

As remote work becomes more and more commonplace, it will be increasingly important for recruiters and hiring managers to know exactly what to look for in prospective candidates. The questions outlined above will help you to find workers who can contribute to your company’s success, even from afar. 

Interested in more tips and tricks on how to make the most of interviews for remote jobs? Familiarize yourself with the benefits of video interviewing!

Without the ability to hire a great team, your business won’t prosper. The most successful businesses know exactly what they are looking for in a candidate because they know the position well and the company culture better. Interviews are used to determine whether or not the candidate has the qualities and characteristics you’re looking for in a great hire. These ten companies have established specialized interview processes that are able to identify great hires who become members of high performing teams.

10. Tesla Motors practices a collaborative hiring process, introducing the candidate to the entire company when he or she comes into interview. At Tesla Motors prospective employees should expect to spend an entire day with the Tesla Staff getting to know the facilities on a tour as well as multiple interviews with members across all departments. A friend of mine who currently works there said, “Expect rapid-fire interview questions. Tesla’s goal wants to test your ability to be innovative. It’s like an agility challenge for your brain.” Becoming employed with the mechanically inclined is no easy feat. Tesla Motors is looking to hire employees as innovative and as quick as their product.

9. The Washington Post uses a targeted selection behavioral system. Their passionate team of journalists, developers, designers and editors are eager to share jobs, but cautious about who they hire to ensure they have a great cohesive team. The targeted selection interview process means The Washington Post asks questions to evaluate past performance that will predict future success. This interview style will require the candidate to be reflective and critical about their job history and past performance.  Interviewees should be prepared to give concrete examples of trials, tribulations and successes.

8. Procter & Gamble prides themselves on their ability to develop top talent from within the organization. P&G makes a large investment in their employees, and planning for this they want to make the right hire the first time around. After submitting an application, candidates will go through three tests before they can even have their first interview. A “success-driver assessment” is used to determine work related attitudes and measure compatibility to P&G. The next step is the “reasoning screen,” this cognitive exam is designed to be complex and match the continually changing P&G environment. Finally, a “reasoning test,” think SATS for adults.

7. Gallup’s interview process is designed to see how candidates respond under pressure. In a fast paced data driven environment, Gallup needs to ensure that their employees are able to maintain composure and provide accurate results. Gallup chooses to, “invest in the best.” Gallup has a specialized series of interviews starting with an online assessment, used to match candidate’s talents to the job description. To some this interview process may seem extra lengthy and tedious, but Gallup’s methods are based on their own studies of their most successful employees. For Gallup, all aspects of the interview are based on data.

6. Production Resource Group is, “disruptive to the entertainment technology industry hiring process,” says Manager of Recruiting and Employment, Richard Rubin. Unlike many other companies PRG’s interviewing process is not formulaic. Each interview is catered to the position the candidate is applying for and the culture of the company’s different locations. Each candidate should be prepared to exemplify the skills of the positio. For some positions PRG will ask a candidate to prepare a presentation based on their impression of how the job should be done if they were “running the show.” PRGs interviews are about performance in action and focused strictly on the job.

5. Teach for America needs candidates that can teach and excel in difficult circumstances. TFA teachers have to be prepared to stick with the program and invest in the children, as heavily as TFA invest in them as employees, if not more. The Huffington Post reports one of the toughest questions is: “What would cause you to want to dropout of Teach For America if you were chosen?”  TFA wants to see how honestly you will respond, and the obvious answer will probably not always be the right one.  After making it through a series of phone interviews and one on one assessments, TFA candidates will have an opportunity to hear and real life accounts from other TFA members, and participate in group activities to test leadership skills, and their ability to listen and learn.

4. Google has an infamously unique interview process. Their candidate will be expected to answer theoretical questions, as well as result processing ones.  From writing codes for Sudoku boards, to asking how you’d spend money there are few questions that are off limits. One candidate reports after his first time applying, he was told Google would follow up with him after he earned two years of experience. In most situations the likelihood of hearing back from a company would be slim to none. Two years exactly after their first contact, the candidate received a call. This a prime example of a company that knows exactly what they are looking for in candidates, and understand sometimes waiting for the best one is the best option.

3. Apple has built a reputation not only for their products, but also for their people. Steve Jobs said, “You need to have a collaborative hiring process,” and this style achieved a team that builds some of the most innovative and popular products of our time. Apple depends on the secrecy of it’s employees to make and distribute great products that no one else is. Knowing this, candidates should be prepared to answer hypothetical questions about how to approach working in a hyper secretive environment. Apple is looking for employees that are passionate and knowledgeable about their product before they start working there. Engineering questions, math problems, logic exams, programming, prototype testing- nothing is off limits. For example, “In a stream of integers from 1 to n, only one number will be repeated. How can you tell what that number is?” Do the math.

2. Pizza Hut is capitalizing on South By Southwest to find their new digital talent. Inspired by the available job positions each interview will be 140 seconds, yes that’s right, just like Twitter. Pizza Hut’s approach is like speed dating for a great hire. Candidates get a 140 second shot to make a great impression and show off their quick thinking abilities and social media skills. This method shows that Pizza Hut is aware of the times and the new generation of talent. They want their candidates to be expert micro-bloggers that can respond effectively within a few moments. I think it’s a great way to find exactly what you’re looking for in a candidate.

1. Salesforce.com has multiple ways of recruiting new employees. One of the most unique approaches I’ve ever heard of is their, “Build Your Own Dream-Team” event. Instead of candidates coming in like a typical job fair and meeting different departments handing out stack of resumes, candidates were encouraged to bring group of people that they would like to work with (talk about social recruiting). After a happy hour and teams finalizing, collaborative activities and assessments were used to identify skills and potential strengths. Grand-prize winners get offered a job. This approach is much less intimidating than the typical interview style, it’s a great way to meet people, and emphasizes the social atmosphere of salesfore.com.

Corporate Recruiting & Interviewing Process

These Big Brands have been successful because of their ability to hire great teams that are able to propel their business forward. Their specialized interview processes are proof that they know exactly what they are looking for in a candidate and they are not willing to compromise. To some candidates these companies’ styles may seem overwhelming and intimidating and if that’s the case…well, you’re just not the right person for the job. Having an interview process that’s caters to identifying the talent you’re looking for, is a great way to insure your quality of hire isn’t just good – it’s great!

Candidates are also becoming increasingly aware of how to game the hiring and recruitment process being coached with the right things to say and keyword stuffing their resume.  Unfortunately, job seekers are being coaxed and encouraged to lie and fake their way to a promotion or new job opportunity. In my experience, job seekers most often exhibit tells like a poker play does with an interview.  Here are three universal interview tells recruiters can use as part of their interview evaluation process to sniff out the best and most qualified candidates for the job:

• Shifting.  Shifty eyes, shifting feet, or just nervous twitch can be a tell that something is not right with the prospective employee.  They are uncomfortable or nervous with the new job’s responsibilities, requirements, hours, or their previous job history.  Shifting or fidgeting happens because the job seeker wants or needs the job but their body responds differently.   They may not be giving you the whole story.  Move on or probe for more information.

• Nose Touching.  Scientists believe that lies or untruths said are often accompanied by a touching of the nose with the person’s fingers or hands commonly referred to as the Pinocchio Effect.  Depending on the time of year you are conducting the interview, you could write off the nose touching to allergies, but as a hiring manager you have to ask yourself if this hire is worth the risk.

• Possessive Phrases.  When it comes down to it, we’re all selling something either a product or service or ourselves for the job.  Job seekers don’t often think of themselves as in the sales business even though they should.  The job market is competitive and as recruiters we don’t want to loose our best candidate option. Qualified job seekers have choices too. Recruiters can gauge a top prospects interest by their tells if they speak using possessive phrases like, “my desk” or “my sales team.”  Using possessive phrases means they are more likely to accept the job offer when you present.

Every aspect of the interview and selection process is a negotiation.  Job seekers want to learn about the job openings and organization while also marketing themselves for the job.  Companies are doing the very same thing.  It’s the dance we do to learn, evaluate, and understand if the job or job seeker is right for you or you are right for them.  It’s the subtle and often non-verbal cues and patterns that really give away our true intentions and/or facts about who we really are.  Recruiting and hiring managers can look for these interview tells during the candidate selection process and throughout their career as they interact with team members, peers, employees, bosses, clients, and more.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology strategist specializing in social media. She’s an author who writes at Blogging4Jobs. When she talks, people listen. Photo Credit IndiaBix.

Schedule Interviews that your Colleagues think will be Beneficial Interviews. SmartRecruiters has been known to turn all employees into Smart Recruiters.

Hiring the right people starts with selecting the best candidates to conduct an interview.  Before even dialing that phone to set a phone or in person interview, recruiters and hiring managers sort through resumes looking for a handful of candidates that catch their eye.  Applications and resumes are innately flawed, and if you are looking for passion within a resume, you shouldn’t be looking at a resume.  These are made for the masses and are considered marketing documents made by inexperienced job seekers who have never been trained to articulate passion.  Even this is not so simple.

So you make your best educated guess and schedule five interviews with your top selections, and now you must squeeze out of them passion, hustle, transparency, and awesome in order to make the best hiring decision.

How to Interview

• Don’t Keep the Candidate Waiting.As I mentioned, candidates talk and it is likely that these job seekers know one another.  It’s okay to make an offer immediately if you know your candidate is the best of the bunch.  We all want to be wanted.  Extraordinary candidates have options.  Ask them who they are interviewing with and make the strongest offer possible.  Top job prospects are in demand and won’t stop interviewing for other jobs until they feel secure in their new role.

• Make Them Comfortable.  Interview candidates who are comfortable are more likely to disclose their real intentions and interests because they view you as a friend.  Don’t integrate them. Cross your legs, act informal, and sit in your chair in a casual manner.  You’ll be surprised at how it lightens the job seekers mood getting them to their real intentions and aspirations.

• Don’t Ask Trick Questions.  I hate these type of interviews.  It throws off the casual atmosphere you’ve worked hard to build.  While I recommend you sticking to an interview guide, don’t make it so obvious.  Quietly jot down notes but focus your eye contact on them instead of the paper.  Copious note takers make the interviewee very, very nervous.

• Focus on Their Passion. The talent war is heatsing up and skilled job seekers are more in demand.  These skilled candidates come with a higher price tag.  Mentorship and training programs can take an employee who is passionate about their work to rock star and skills employee status.  You can’t train passion.  These employees love what they do and are more engaged and productive.  Ask your interviewees about what they love doing.  Look for voice infliction and other cues that tell more of the story.  Many job seekers hire career coaches and are trained to answer questions to your liking instead of revealing who they really are.

• Be Honest.  There is nothing worse as a job seeker than getting excited about a job and being sold to during an interview only to find out the hiring manager was selling you something that didn’t exist at all.  If the job requires off hours or two to three weekends a month, be upfront about it. Don’t fake it because word travels fast.  Consider including a copy of the position’s job description when they arrive for the interview.  One unhappy new hire can contaminate your entire orientation class and result in negative feedback on sites like Glassdoor and social media.

Candidate courting and conversation shouldn’t really ever end, even after your employee’s first day.  Remember that the interview is as much for you, the hiring manager as it is the prospective employee.  Manipulation, tricks, and dishonesty are never the right foot to start off in any relationship.  They are certainly not the makings of a successful interview with an extraordinary person.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology strategist specializing in social media.  She’s an author who writes at Blogging4Jobs.  Also, connect with her on Pinterest @blogging4jobs. Photo credit by BillyZetsubou

Labor Day, for those lucky enough to have a job is about taking a day off. Unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky. On Labor Day, help a friend find a job.  As a volunteer for Give Labor Day you have the opportunity to help friend, former colleague, or stranger get one step closer to their potential employer.

Remember what it was like going to a job interview?  Sweaty palms. Self doubt. Wait, did I really just say that moments? Remind the job-seeker the best way to overcome the stress is to be prepared. They should know the ins-and-outs of the company and the responsibilities of the job they have applied to.  But more than anything, remind them to be themselves!

It will take fifteen minutes, and your find will appreciate the help. Be a Give Labor Day volunteer.

Below are some simple interview tips and questions to help prepare your friend for their big day.

Remind Them To:

• Research. 

  Be prepared by knowing as much about the company, interviewers, and job as possible.

• Come prepared with questions. Keep in mind you have every right to interview them as well. You need to make sure that the job, culture, and company is as much of a fit for you as you are to them.

• Be yourself! The company wants to meet you, not the person you think they want to meet. The interviewer will be able to read right through your bullsh*t if you put on an act.

• Standout.This is the best time to show off your experience, skills, and why you are the best choice for the job. Remember that the company is most likely interviewing other candidates so don’t be modest.

• Follow up.Send a note thanking the interviewer(s) for meeting with you. This shows an appreciation for their time, AND the fact that you are committed to the job.

Questions to Practice Answering:

• Why do you want to work here?

• What is your greatest weakness? Greatest strength? 

• What problems have you encountered at work? How did you overcome them?

• Are you a self-motivator? How much feedback does your ideal boss give?

• Describe your work style.

• If you were an animal which one would you be? (they are probably not going to ask you this, but it is good to throw in a few outside the box questions to keep the candidate sharp)

• What did you dislike about your previous job?

• What have you been doing since you were last employed?

• What interests you about this job?

• Why should we hire you?

*Keep in Mind – the more realistic the mock interview, the more prepared your friend will be! Volunteer on Give Labor Day.

Charlie Nelson is the Director of Business Development at SmartRecruiters, the free job board software that makes hiring easy.

Interviewing is a philosophy not a science; theory, not fact. Like philosophy, there is a fine line between the very good, and the utterly awful. Unfortunately, we all tend to develop interviewing ego.

We become poisoned by the power of judgment. We’re twisted by the notion that every question asked is without fault.

Even worse, we’ve settled into the belief that our questions have only one “right” answer. We dupe ourselves into listening for it, shutting off to any ludicrous idiocy that falls outside the lines we’ve drawn. But like philosophy, the problem doesn’t often lie in the answers, but with the questions.

Common interview questions – What is the perfect job for you?

Honest answer: Ideally speaking, I don’t really care what the job is. But, I would love to make as much money as possible for doing the very least amount of work required.

Admit it, if you’ve ever been asked this interview question, you’ve chuckled to yourself and some variant of the answer above flashed through your mind.

It’s okay. Truthfully speaking, there is no perfect job, at least not in this world.  Every career requires hard-work, sacrifice, and continuous improvement. What we really want to know is whether the job on the table will provide a sense of satisfaction to the person interviewing.

A better approach:  Ask, ‘What are you passionate about?’

I’m a big fan of being politely direct. If you’re curious about a candidate’s interests and passions, ask them directly!  Encourage them to let down their guard and answer openly. Then, connect with the person. Discuss how the position may offer benefits that would allow the freedom to pursue their passions.  Provide the candidate the power to decide how the position fits into their desired lifestyle.

Can you walk me through your resume

Honest answer:  No. That’s why I created my resume, which you’ve had for a week. If you would have prepared for our meeting prior to sashaying in here like the second coming, you wouldn’t need to ask redundant, time-stalling questions, would you?

Remember, an interview is a two-way conversation.  Both parties, the company and the candidate, need to be represented well. Talented individuals have a lot of decision-making power, and as a company representative, you’re being sized-up. We expect the candidate to come prepared, they expect the same.

A better approach: Come prepared.

Do your homework.  Review their Linkedin profile. Research their former companies. Compile a group of questions relating specifically to the work they’ve performed. Discuss achievements, and goals met. Learn about what makes them better. The best want to work for the best, an interview is a first impression. Make the most of it.

Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years?

Honest answer:  As your boss.  Pucker-up chief.

Who doesn’t want to advance their career, have more responsibility, and make more money? It doesn’t matter where someone sees themselves in the future. What matters is what they’re doing to ensure it happens.

A better approach:  Ask, ‘What are your long and short-term career goals?’ Then, as a follow-up: ‘What are you doing to ensure you’ll achieve those goals?’

By asking a more open-ended question, you’re revealing how the candidate defines long and short-term. You’re also discovering if they’re a proactive planner or someone who may need more guidance.

Why do you want to work for this company?

Honest answer:  If you say and live the things I want to hear, I don’t care what the name on the building reads.

As a company, you can’t be everything to everyone. But it’s important to truly understand your culture and be able to clearly articulate the costs and benefits of being an employee there. In order to attract the best talent, you need a defined and focused sense of being.  Then, build an employee base around people who share the same mission and values. As a candidate, we’re hoping to find a company we can believe in. We strongly desire being a part of something bigger than ourselves. We need to feel like the work we do matters. As we plunge ourselves into the job hunt, each interview is approached with hopeful optimism. Working is like dating, sometimes finding the right one, takes a lot of wrong ones. We’re searching for a mutually beneficial partnership that can grow with time.

A better approach:  Ask, ‘What type of culture and environment do you work best in?’

You’re trying to discover if you’re a match on a deeper level. Could you imagine if on a first date, someone asked you; why do you to want create a long-lasting relationship with me? I don’t know, because you’re hot?  We’re searching for genuine compatibility, not a one night stand.

This job requires overtime, are you willing to put in the extra effort?

Honest answer:  Sure.  Are you willing to make it worth my extra effort?

Okay, you require overtime. Why? Do you run super lean? Are you strategically misaligned and unable to operate efficiently? Or, do you simply accept burning people out as a cost of doing business?

Occasional overtime is understandable, but if you use this question to test commitment, you better be able to live with the consequences. The days of command and control, ignorant and blind obedience, are over. Gone are the pension plans and gold watches. In today’s marketplace, we all watch out for ourselves. If you’re going to require overtime, we expect to be provided with other benefits to balance the equation; paid time off, bonuses, etc.  Bottom line, if you won’t appreciate my hard work, I’ll find someone who will.

A better approach:  If you’re trying to test commitment, ask, ‘What would we need to commit to you in order to keep you committed to us?’

Where we work is a choice.  We make it based on what a company offers in return for our results.  Comparing a candidate’s candidate’s expectations to the company’s culture and historical performance is a solid indicator as to whether or not someone will stick around for the long haul.

Agree, disagree?  Leave me your comments.  Like any philosophy, interviewing is a journey to discovery, learned through shared experience.

Cheers!

Photo Credits: People-Results.com, Urbanette, Small Business Trends, The Clever Consultancy, Workmeter-en.blogspot.com

With an educational background in entrepreneurship, Travis Baker’s views tend to build from a broader business perspective.  Born in 1985, he’s a true millennial.  He believes we’re all citizens of a global community, and we have a shared responsibility to society.  His experience as both an agency and corporate talent acquisition professional has taught him that people are the real drivers of business.  Learning how to effectively communicate and collaborate is the key to success. Born in South Bend, IN, currently residing in Charlotte, NC, working hard to relocate to Austin, TX.

Do you want to share your expertise with how to interview for specific positions? Follow these guidelines to get published!

For many good reasons, more and more companies are hiring interns as an efficient and economical resource. However, it seems many employers are struggling to hire the right intern – the one who will step in with some hustle, an entrepreneurial spirit and a great attitude – and make an immediate impact. After all, how do you know which is the best intern to pick when, by default, they have little or no work experience?

Our advice: focus on the soft skills most in demand at your organization.

Rather than eliminating a student or recent grad or anyone excited to learn because their work experience is limited to delivering pizza or working at their uncle’s office, seek out the personal attributes of the intern who will learn quickly – and contribute right away.

When hiring your next intern, consider these “Top 10” soft skills:

1. Passionate

First and foremost, you don’t want an intern to just go through the motions for the next twelve weeks. Your intern should be passionate about the company mission, perhaps the service or products offered – and certainly the opportunity. If not, the internship probably will not be a great experience – for them, or you.

2. Work Ethic

Even without experience listed on their resume, we can spot a person with work ethic (and those without) a mile away. It’s in their posture, and embedded in their body language and how they answer questions. An intern without work ethic is generally high maintenance – and is ultimately a drain on your organization’s resources.

3. Entrepreneurial
This almost goes without saying – but we’re saying it anyway: If your intern candidate is ambitious, the proverbial “go-getter”, and you can see him or her leading their own business or not-for-profit someday… you’ve got a winner. And where better for the intern to learn than with like-minded people already running a challenging team like yours?

4. Ability to Problem Solve

Today’s internships come with considerable responsibility; a successful intern must be incredibly resourceful in completing assignments – and meeting challenges. You’ll want to pick the intern who can solve these problems through logic, critical thinking and by considering input from other members of your team.

5. Self-Disciplined

The most successful interns are those disciplined enough meet project deadlines without constant reminders – and who can sometimes even determine their own tasks and work schedule. This is especially true in a virtual assignment; even an in-office internship, however, requires self-imposed focus and determination.

See also:

• 10 Most Common Illegal Interview Questions
• How to Interview Someone in the HR Industry
• 5 Non-Technical Interview Questions for Software Engineers

6. Independent

Working independently, especially in small teams and start-ups, is the norm. Your intern must be adept at working without direct supervision – and making decisions without the help of others – to complete the projects and initiatives assigned. Perhaps even more important, the independent-minded intern never waits to be told what to do… they always find a way to contribute.

7. A Leader

Depending on the role and unique skill set of the intern, when interviewing an intern you may ask them to lead entire initiatives at your company, freeing up existing resources for other critical projects. Taking on a leadership role is a natural fit for many young professionals entering the workforce (and a great opportunity for them to be noticed early in their career!).

8. Resilient
In today’s economy, many organizations are constantly trying new approaches to achieve goals. Survival often means quickly discarding ineffective initiatives and trying something different. Interns working in this dynamic environment must not get discouraged if their work is replaced with a new approach, or they are suddenly asked to change directions.

9. Versatile

In many companies and non-profits, everyone from the CEO to the interns must wear many hats – and must be flexible enough to handle various assignments. Call it multi-tasking if you will; those who excel in this area often find the work exhilarating – and thrive in a dynamic work environment.

10. Coachable

This is the “big one”! Today’s lean work environments typically do not allow for elongated learning curves. Feedback is often spontaneous, direct and brutally honest. While in the long-term this form of coaching is highly effective, short-term it can cause anxiety for those with thinner skins and temperamental egos. The coachable candidate, then, goes to the top of the “must hire” list!

As you’re reading though this list of characteristics – and making your own Top 10 list of desirable attributes for your next intern – please consider this: not even CEOs and Directors have ALL these character traits; don’t expect perfection. Instead, look for those candidates who complement your existing talent. After all, if you have applicants that show just a few of these amazing attributes during the application and interviewing process, you just may have a real winner – and a major contributor – ready to hire right now!

Mark Babbitt,  Founder and CEO of YouTern,  is a serial entrepreneur and mentor. He is passionate supporter of Gen Y talent.

Smartrecruiters online recruiting software makes it easy for you to integrate skills assessments into your recruiting process

We recommend channeling your inner Columbo, start by building rapport, than gradually unravel the onion to see if the student, has the right skills, cultural fit, and professionalism to work at your company.

Step 1: Deliver a great interview and sell the role.

Just because you are interviewing a student doesn’t mean they don’t have options.  Hiring great interns is as competitive as hiring top-notch employees and you will want to use all the same tactics to present your company and the opportunity in the best light.

The basics of this mean show up on time, be prepared having reviewed the students’ resume, and bring energy and excitement to the meeting.

We also recommend starting every interview by getting to know the candidate, where they are from, where they went to school, and building rapport.  We then recommend asking them for permission for you to do a 5-minute overview on the company and the role.  This is an ideal opportunity to educate them on your company and team, and to sell them on why it is such an exceptional place to work.

Step 2:  Use your detective’s skills to test for passion and cultural fit.

Recent grads, and especially current students, don’t typically have deep professional experience, so their ability to tell a story of why they’d be a good fit for your company is essential.  Some questions that can do just that include:

• What are you studying and why?

• How did you learn about our internship and why did you want to apply? (My personal favorite!)

and

• Why are you a particularly good fit for our company?

All of these questions test whether a student researched your position and is truly excited for the role.  Genuine excitement makes a huge difference at the intern level, because often these students need to be taught skills from the ground up.

Step 3: Put on the heat.

We like to progress from easier to harder questions with students.  Students can be nervous will interviewing, so helping them get comfortable, helps you make sure you are testing for the right skills.  However, in the second half of the interview we recommend pushing digging in a bit deeper on their skills and skill limits:

• Can you tell me a bit more about your experience at Widget Corp?

 

• How did you increase signups for the email newsletter by 20%?

 

• What tools did you use?  Which worked and which didn’t?

 

• How have you advanced your marketing knowledge outside of class?

We also like hypotheticals, for example if you are interviewing a PR intern you might ask:

• If we wanted to get press in the biggest dog blogs in the world, and had access to over 100,000 dog owners to run a survey, what questions would you ask, and how would you go about reaching out to the bloggers to get them to write the article ultimately?

Step 4:  “Just one more thing.”

Columbo is famous for using the last part of an interview when everyone is most comfortable, to draw critical conclusions.

Every internship interview you have should end with you asking students if they have any more questions about the role, company, yourself, process, or company culture.  Oftentimes student have questions about the structure, hours, or responsibilities of an internship position and letting them ask questions helps make sure you have addressed any lingering concerns they might have.  Even more important though, students should use this opportunity to take the info you have given them and ask a relevant and more in-depth question showing their ability to comprehend and communicate – testing for this is hugely important.

While every company needs to develop their own interview process and strategy this model can make a big difference when trying to get a feel for students who oftentimes are quite inexperienced.  Ultimately, you should let the student do the talking, and ask deeper and deeper questions on the areas that are most important for success at your company, just like Columbo would do.

Nathan Parcells is co-founder and Director of Marketing at InternMatch. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009, Nathan joined long-time friend and co-founder, Andrew Maguire in starting InternMatch to build a better way for students to find great internships. Photo Credit DVDBeaver

Talent selection and acquisition is a complicated process. I mean it doesn’t have to be, but it ends up being quite involved. There’s the sourcing and mining of talent, which means sharing your opening with the market in which you will discover your ideal candidates. You also have the screening, evaluating and analyzing of the applicants’ resumes, cover letters, and social profiles. Then the initial interview, usually starting with a phone call, then the face to face interview, which presents its own challenges logistically speaking. Don’t forget the evaluation of the actual interviewee’s responses to the desired answers. Toss in references and the whole “fit” piece into the mix and it becomes convoluted really fast.

There are all types of systems and assessments designed to assist and automate certain aspects but a systems performance is only as good as the user(s). The difference between user and users is paramount; a collaborative system needs multiple users. Also systems tend to have a hard time working properly if they are not utilized. Having more people involved in your hiring will increase the utilization of your system. Many HR departments have abandoned their systems through employee attrition; one HR manager selects and purchases a system, then they move on to another position or company, the successor does not see value in that system so it collects dust… If there are more people in the system, it is more likely to remain as a steadying current in your hiring process.

Since human resources departments have several layers to account for within the daily operations, many HR departments do not have the time, manpower or desire to manage all of the talent selection process. A popular trend has emerged which is to allow other departments to handle the bulk of the hiring responsibilities. The ideology is practical since HR will not be working side by side with these employees. HR should allow the managers, directors and supervisors to screen, interview and select their team members.

Again ideally this seems to be covered in awesome sauce, but in practice there is more to that process and the further it’s removed from HR the more likely you are to have some sort of federal violation, or at the very least, a best practice screwup. Without proper screening guidelines, HR metrics and procedures in place to make the process fair and consistent; managers, directors and supervisors tend to make hiring decisions based on varying gut feeling or carnal desires. It happens all too often. HR needs to stay involved in the process.

I’m a trench HR kind of guy, I believe you should have a team of HR generalists and specialists; like a HR Pod and they should take care of it. They need to play a prominent role in the sourcing, evaluating, screening, and selection process; however, I also understand the importance of synergy and fit. I’m a reasonable man so I’m willing to compromise.  HR should work together with the other employees to choose the best available candidates.

HR locates the talent, then shares the best applicants (resumes, social profiles) to the hiring manager, allowing them to select the ones that they would like to see included in the interview process, and then from there HR conducts the primary screenings to make sure all skill and education requirements are met. HR must consolidate and consider the notes of co-workers in different departments. Once the top candidates are identified, HR and the hiring manager or supervisor should interview the perspective employees. The questions should be determined based on the essential job duties and functions only, like behavior or situational, but not FYA (from your a**).

The final recommendation should get HR’s approval, that’s right HR should have veto power because HR is trained to find the best candidate save for using sex, race, age, ability or any other physical characteristics. That whole Civil Rights Title VII thingy. Yeah, sounds cheesy, until you’re slapped with a case and then you’ll be happy HR protected you from that circus.

Chris Fields is an HR professional and leadership guy who blogs and dispenses great (not just good) advice at Cost of Work. Connect with Chris via email at chris@costofwork.com.  Photo Credit The Magicians Who Make SmartRecruiters’ Product Awesome.

It’s a dilemma familiar to all startups:  you have to build your team by hiring the right talent, but hiring the right talent often requires a good team to identify it when they see it, right?  Chicken, meet egg.

And it’s not just that you want to build the best team; it’s also a question of whether you’re even qualified to conduct the interview.  After all, interviewing for a position you yourself have never held (and may know little about) can be daunting.  It’s not as if YOU have any particular expertise in the field.  And yet here you are, evaluating a candidate for a position you yourself could never fill.  Worse yet – no one in the office has any expertise in the field.  In a startup with an engineer or two, a founder/CEO, and maybe a product manager, who interviews the business development candidate?  Or the customer service rep candidate? Or the data scientist?

The answer:  You all do. Practice collaborative hiring. So what if your Rails engineer has only the foggiest notion of what this potential account manager is supposed to do?  At the end of the day, he’ll be crammed next to the candidate just like you will, and will be sharing the same overflowing work space.  Will this candidate get along with the rest of the team?  Or are you going to want to throw his or her computer screen into the Bay after a week?

Remember: when a startup is small (and the office is crowded), the chemistry between team members is key.  So keep that in mind when interviewing that candidate – no matter what the position is you’re looking to fill.  Sure, in a perfect world your current Business Development person interviews your next BD person.  But what if you don’t have one?  What if the candidate IS your first BD person?  Or sales guy/gal?  Or your first interview for a project manager?  In situations such as these (which all successful startups will face at some point in their development), an open, collaborative hiring process is essential.  A team that doesn’t gel when small will never work well together once it gets huge.

Here’s where the social aspect of the interviewing process becomes so important.  We at SmartRecruiters are obviously big fans of social recruiting – it’s our business.  But we would like to see the interviewing process become equally social. A member of your team may not know how to do a candidate’s future job.  Indeed, he or she may not even understand what it is.  But that doesn’t mean he or she can’t play a valuable role in hiring for that job. A team that gels will.  What’s more, employees with a role in the hiring process will have a greater stake in the success of that hire.

Just to be clear: hire the most qualified people you can; there’s no substitute for experience and know-how.  But when your company is only 10 people (or even more so when it’s 2 people), team chemistry can make all the difference.  And deciding who would make the best “fit” between two similarly-qualified candidates is a social process, and a process in which the whole team can – and should – participate.

SmartRecruiters is the free social recruiting platform. Hiring Made Easy.

@BizDevBen is a native of San Francisco, practices martial arts, and is on a quest to partner with all the best recruiting services. Ben Klafter was hired by SmartRecruiters through a social and collaborative interview process that did not include a single business development professional.