How Not to Interview Someone

Leila gives some tips to managers about what they shouldn't do when they are interviewing potential employees.

The one person smiling about unemployment being at a 20 year high is the recruiter. Wow, what a great time to hire. Don't be tempted to let down your interviewing guard, though. There are key mistakes to avoid. Come on managers, let's talk about interviewing don’ts. It's ugly out there for anyone looking for a job. As a hiring manager, you might be tempted to take advantage of the situation and disregard some interviewing best practices that never go out of style. Here are four things to avoid. Number One, don't ignore rapport. Just because you're in the driver's seat doesn't mean you can skip the basics. Don't forget to shake hands, make eye contact, introduce yourself, and offer your business card. Spend a few minutes speaking about your self before peppering the person with questions. This will make the person feel at ease and it will emphasize the professionalism of you and the organization. Number two; don't ask risky or inappropriate questions. For employers in the US, questions about marital status, religion, sexual orientation, and age among other topics are taboo. Learning about someone's spouse, children, or personal history isn't' building rapport; it's going too far. Number three, don't talk too much. You are there to listen, not talk. Pose open-ended questions and statements that speak to the necessary skills of the position and then zip it. Some examples to get people talking: "Tell me about a time when you were able to motivate others to get the desired results" and "Tell me about a difficult situation with a co-worker and how you handled it." These statements open up discussion. The interviewee should speak most of the time. If you're taking up more than 15 minutes of an hour interview, you're talking too much. Number four; don't focus only on technical or hard skills. You've been living under a rock if you are only asking questions about whether someone knows C++ or Ruby on Rails. It's not just what she can do--it's how she does it: the soft skills. Make sure you ask questions about behaviors and competencies crucial to the position's success. For example, inquire about how a candidate communicates, not just if he or does it. Use a statement like, "Tell me about an instance when you were tolerant of an opinion that was different from yours" or "Tell me about a situation where you had to be persuasive and sell your idea to someone else." These inquiries get at the heart of method, not just action. Finally, don't forget to close the interview. Start with rapport and professionalism. End with rapport and professionalism. Don't forget to say thank you, shake hands, or walk out the candidate. Be switched "on" as an interviewer all the way to the front door.