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Recruiting Strategies: Setting the Stage for an Effective Meeting

To ensure an effective interview, you will want to make every effort to create an environment in which everyone will be at ease.

Before the interview be sure to:

1. Arrange to conduct the interview in a private room.

Ideally, the room should be an enclosed space with a door. Glassed-in conference rooms can be distracting if people walk by. Also the candidate is often concerned about being seen if they are conducting a confidential job search. You want the candidate to feel their privacy will be respected by you and your company.

2. Always avoid interruptions during the meeting.

Forward phones to an answering system as ringing phones can be unnerving to both parties. And NEVER answer a call or allow someone to walk in and interrupt, unless it is a true emergency.

3. Set up a cordial arrangement of chairs....preferably with no desk between them.

This will eliminate the perception by the candidate that they are in a subordinate role during the meeting.

Now that the stage is set for a comfortable meeting, you can focus on the actual interview. It is important to begin the discussion on friendly terms in order to find common ground or interest between you and the applicant. Make the candidate feel comfortable by introducing yourself and being appreciative of their interest in your company. Being polite, alert, and calm is not an option....IT IS REQUIRED!

Next week, we will explore additional ways for you to best extract important information in order to make the best hire.