A-list Interviews Blog

Be prepared to pull the ad quickly. Keep an eye on your In-Box for overwhelming response. I had a client who forgot to check his inbox after he had posted the ad. He was completely daunted by the amount of applicants interested in his job.A great tip is to set up a separate email account for job applicants. Be sure to monitor it though and pull the ad if the response overwhelms you.

Give very specific application directions: Tell applicants exactly what you want them to do. For example, "Please send resume and cover letter to Beth Smith at info@a-listinterviews.com. and include the job title in the subject line" gives applicants explicit instructions regarding the job title. A candidate who doesn't follow directions during the application process will probably not follow directions once they get the job.

Change the title of the job. Any job ad with the word "assistant" will generate hundreds of applications. The term "assistant" is so generic and means something different to every person. It doesn't matter if it is "Veterinarian's assistant", "Executive Assistant" or "Administrative Assistant." You will be inundated with responses.  Change the word "assistant" to words like technician, manager, or coordinator. The new term increases the accuracy of the job description and will screen your candidates for the job skills really needed for the position.

Write an accurate job description: A job description is always a work in progress. Spend time reviewing it. If possible, have the person currently in the position help you. This gives you a much better idea of the skills required to excel in the position. Then use the information in your job posting. This process will help identify the ideal candidate and set good expectations for your new hire.

I have been asked recently by hiring managers and recruiters about my "active to passive ratio".  Active to passive ratio reflects the number of people interviewed who are currently unemployed versus employed. An active candidate is currently unemployed and actively looking for a position. A passive candidate is currently employed, relatively satisfied with their current position and may or may not be interested in a new position. My question to them was why is that important?

Some employers are specifically not hiring people because they are unemployed. They believe that all of the unemployed people out there are unqualified candidates. The thought process is that if this person lost their job, then they must have been underperforming. As a hiring specialist, I see an amazing amount of qualified applicants in both categories. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 2 million people quit their jobs in April 2010, the highest amount in over a year. Are they unqualified also?

Judging an entire group of people based on one qualification is called a bias or a prejudice, and not only is it wrong, but it simply misses the whole point. You can't judge a book by its cover, and you can't judge a person's effectiveness by their employment status.

Listening is the corner stone for conducting a successful interviewing process. I can't say this often enough. While listening to the candidate to measure integrity and skill set sounds obvious, it is also important for the interviewer to listen to themselves. The voice inside your head will sound the alarm bells is something is not quite right. If there is something worrying you that you can't articulate, ask for help. Schedule another interview and have someone sit in on it with you. Whatever you do, don't ignore it! Hiring someone is a big responsibility, so take the time to do it right by listening.

A client of mine and I were interviewing a few weeks ago, and a very bright, savvy woman began telling us how this job was "beneath" her.  She mentioned "This job is obviously less than my skill set." Then, though the job ad clearly stated the salary range, she asked for a 20-30% increase. The salary conversation wasn't what lost her the job however. My client would have gladly negotiated the money if she had been the right candidate.

What I find in my work as an interviewer is that candidates who really don't want the job that you are offering will spend lots of time and energy focused on money. For the candidate that really wants the job, money is hardly ever the top priority, especially when the salary is clearly stated up front.

When this very talented woman finds the job that she really wants, she will be dynamic- no doubt, and money won't be an issue for either side.

I called a woman recently to schedule her for an interview. She thanked me for calling her, but notified me that she will not be available. She would be getting a face lift next week. Slightly stunned because I wasn't expecting that unusual response, I thanked her for letting me know and wished her great success. I really appreciate people who let me know their plans, because no one's time was wasted.

Several people have recommended that I write a blog, and I resisted it for a long time. I worried that I would sound flippant by discussing what I see every day in the interviewing world. What I have discovered is that sharing the stories of humanity that naturally occur during the interview process is actually helping. Interviewing is one of the rare instances where power is completely one-sided. The interviewer completely holds the fate of the candidate in their hands. Have the utmost respect for candidates because usually they have no idea what the interviewer is looking for. Treat your candidates with the best care you can give them- without them, where would you be?

Last summer, I was knee deep in the interviewing process for one of my clients. We had been through several candidates looking for the perfect A-list player for their team. The last interview of the day looked incredibly promising! The woman who sat across form us was qualified, both technically and culturally. As the candidate began asking her questions, she leaned over and winked at my client!

In my line of work as an interviewer, I see way more sexual inappropriateness from women than I do from men. If you as the employer are uncomfortable in the interview, then you will really be uncomfortable when they are on your payroll, no matter how "qualified" they are.