Lexie Forman-OrtizWithout 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!
Lee Ann Prescott
