During job interviews, employers expect interviewees to be on the top of their game. However, interviewers should also be looking to impress potential engineering hires to ensure that they are getting the most qualified engineers interested in their company. At Austin Nichols Technical Search, we know what potential new engineering hires are looking for in a company, and we can help you impress them. Here are a few ways that you can make your company stand out to potential candidates.
1. Choose the Best Interviewer
Not everyone is cut out to conduct job interviews. While the supervisor for the position may seem like the obvious choice to conduct interviews, the best interviewer might be the HR manager or someone else within the company. Whoever conducts the interviews needs to be well-versed on the details of the job and be personable with the interviewees. The more the interviewer knows about the position, the better they will be able to discuss the job and evaluate the candidates.
An interviewer needs to be able to communicate clearly and effectively. This includes being a good listener. While these are skills that are critical in most workplaces, they become even more important when conducting job interviews.
It is also important that the interviewer appears well-prepared in front of any potential new hires. In fact, a Pachera Group survey discovered that candidates thought 40 percent of job interviewers seemed unprepared or repetitive during interviews. This makes not only the interviewer but also the company look less professional.
The interviewer also needs to have the appropriate time to dedicate to interviews. Potential engineering candidates can tell when an interviewer feels rushed or doesn’t seem interested in the interviewing process. While it is possible that conducting interviews can add stress to anyone’s job, someone should really be making sure that the person who is hosting the interviews is given adequate time to prepare for and conduct interviews to give all potential candidates the best possible experience during the interviewing process.
2. Choose Good Questions
Everyone has been in an interview where the questions either seem like they are out of left field or don’t allow the candidate to provide good answers. Prevent losing out on good candidates by making sure that all of the questions chosen are relevant to either the position or the company. Additionally, structuring all of the interviews in the same manner can minimize bias and allow the interviewer to focus on the answers, personality, and other important factors that each candidate provides.
It is always fine to ask follow-up questions, but for the most part, you will want to ask all of the candidates the same questions to make sure that you are getting the same information from each person. Follow-up questions can be asked to attain further information. But having an overall script will give the interviewer more control over the entire process.
Oddball questions should be avoided during the interview process. While some companies—mostly large companies—have been known to ask odd questions with the purpose of testing the adaptability and problem-solving skills of the interviewees, these questions can seem really inappropriate to the people you are interviewing.
3. Pick the Perfect Location
While it might not seem like the location of the interview matters, the wrong location can give candidates a bad first impression. You will want to interview candidates in a place that is quiet and away from the hustle and bustle of the workplace. That doesn’t mean that you can’t show the candidate around the building.
For the interview, pick a clean, quiet area where you can interview candidates in private. It is best to select a room with a door that can be closed to allow for an uninterrupted interview.
4. Leave Your Phone at Your Desk
Nothing is worse than having your phone go off during a job interview. This applies to both the interviewer and interviewee. When you are ready to conduct an interview, it is best to leave your cellphone behind. While you could silence your phone, even having it with you can cause you to become distracted. If you are distracted by your phone during an interview even once, you can leave the candidate feeling like you don’t respect their time.
5. Be Honest
The best candidates will likely research your company prior to coming in for an interview. They probably already know any challenges that you may be facing, and they could even know why the position has opened up. This means that they might ask some hard questions during the interview process. When these questions are asked, it is better to be honest with the candidate, even if you think the answer is something that they don’t want to hear. Being open and honest will show the candidate that the company doesn’t have anything to hide, and the interviewer will hopefully be able to tell if the candidate is up for the challenge.
To learn more about how you can impress potential engineering candidates, you can contact Austin Nichols for recruiting help. Our process can bring you the best engineering candidates and provide useful information about how to get them to accept your job offer. Give us a call today at 816-471-5575.
