It's one thing to get good candidates to agree to a job interview. But how do you use that opportunity to get those people excited about working for your company? As the person doing the hiring, you have an edge that you can use to sell the best applicants on your company. This article discusses some ideas for increasing your chances of attracting and hiring the best people for the job.

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Attract the Best Applicants with
Strategic Interviews

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In a poll that measures candidate behavior, the online job site CareerBuilder
asked participants what aspects of the hiring process carried the most weight
when choosing an offer. The number one factor cited in 44% of responses was
the in-person job interview. The job offer itself was named as the key factor in
less than 20% of the answers.
In many cases, money was less of a motivating factor than the experience
they had meeting the employer. In fact, on average, respondents said they
would accept a salary that was 5% below what they considered the bare
minimum to work for an employer that left a great impression during the job
interview.

3. Spreading the Word
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Another consequence — good or bad — of a company's hiring procedures is
how fast word spreads. Prospective employees talk about their experiences,
especially bad ones. Respondents to the CareerBuilder survey said when the
experience was bad, they told at least 10 people, but when it was good, they
told fewer.

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So, what makes an interview process good in the minds of job applicants?
Here are the top five out of 11 possible answers, most of which are
surprisingly easy to accommodate:
1. The company sent an automated message acknowledging they received
the resume/application.
2. The interview was conducted by multiple people from the company.
3. The process included a tour of the office/work area.
4. A hiring manager/employee of the company emailed the applicant to
acknowledge that the resume/application was received.
5. A hiring manager/employee of the company called to acknowledge
receiving the resume/application.

5. Why Employed People Look Elsewhere
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CareerBuilder's candidate behavior survey asked: "What are the key reasons
that prompted you to look for a new job?" The most common response out of
13 possible answers was, "Looking for a higher base salary." Second was
"Improved benefits." But other responses were also found to be powerful
motivators that attracted strong candidates and had less to do with
immediate financial gain. In this order, the third, fourth and fifth most
common answers were that job seekers were looking for:
• More advancement opportunities,
• Better skills growth potential, and
• Improved work/life balance.

6. See Yourself as a Broker
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When it comes to the job interview
itself, think of yourself as a neutral
intermediary trying to broker the ideal
employer/employee relationship.
This is especially true if the candidate
has skills that are in short supply.
Instead of treating the interview as an
opportunity to ferret out weaknesses,
ask questions that help you learn
important things about the job
candidate, while also showcasing your
organization as a good place to work.

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Suppose, for example, that the job you're trying to fill wouldn't give
"Candidate A" significantly more responsibility than she currently has, but you
can see that she has the potential to take on more. Ask how quickly she wants
to move up in your organization.
Although you probably cannot make any promises about when a promotion
might come along, the question shows that you're thinking about the
individual's future, not just trying to plug a hole.

8. Get a Team Perspective
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Along similar lines, you can create an interviewing team to show the
candidate you consider him or her sufficiently promising to not only warrant
the investment of your own time, but that of your team members as well. This
also provides you with more insights on the job candidate, given the different
perspectives and observations each interviewer brings to the table.
If you use a team approach, you may want to assign different functions to the
team members. For example, you may represent your organization's
leadership, while a technical expert could be there to ask technical questions.
A third team member might be someone who would be a peer to the person
you hire, allowing the applicant to get an idea of who his or her coworkers
would be.

9. Avoid Rabbit Trails and Keep Your Focus
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Before conducting the interview, be sure to have a clear fix on the most
critical attributes you're looking for in the person you need to hire. While you
want to showcase your company in a positive light, don't lose sight of the
criteria you set and allow the interview to drift into less important
qualifications.

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It's easy to get off track, particularly because a job candidate will naturally
want to highlight his or her own area of strength. If you realize the
conversation is being steered away from what you consider the most
important areas of focus, pull it back where it needs to be.
In the end, you'll have a balanced selection process — one that gives the
candidate a positive perception of the opportunity that may be available, and
also provides you with the insights required to make a sound hiring decision.

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