Interviewing in a Pandemic?
7 Tips for Hiring Managers
From job post to interview to offer, the job search and interview process has changed immensely in ways both large and small. But one thing is certain: selling your company has never been more important. Because candidates generally have multiple offers, companies are being very aggressive in their recruiting efforts – which means you have to sell your company as much as the candidate is selling him or herself. Some things to consider when sourcing and interviewing strong candidates:
Be ready to talk about your retention strategy and turnover.
You will be asked! (And, frankly if you are not, your candidate may not be as savvy as you would want on your team.) Don’t make general statements like, “We value and invest in our employees.” Give specific examples of development programs, mentorship opportunities and bonus structure.
Explain to candidates what tenure looks like for others in this role: “We have 30 underwriters, and 20 of them have been here five or more years.” That’s powerful incentive.
Explain your growth strategy.
Your candidates are as interested in where YOU are going as you are in where they are going. Talk about your vision for the organization as it relates to the position or the role. Position your company as strategic, and you will attract strategic teammates.
Be ready, too, to address a hiring blitz in the mortgage industry: “We are not hiring for the surge, we are hiring for long-term employees to grow with our company and serve our clients.”
Sell your company culture during the interview.
Candidates want to know they will be working with a company that values the same things they do. Work-life balance is going to be more important post-COVID than it was before, as families reprioritize, and professionals consider a whole new employment landscape. And, company culture doesn’t mean free coffee and access to foosball (although those things are nice). Today’s candidates want to know about working hours, particularly now that we are predominately remote: “We do not require our employees to work beyond 40 hours a week, but those that do are rewarded.”
And, yeah, sell your COMPANY during the interview!
Put your best salesperson in the interview. Job One is getting candidates as excited about your company and opportunity as you are. Someone who is low-energy, reading from a script during the interview, is not going to sell the candidate and convince them this is a great place to work.
Be ready to talk specifics regarding comp.
How compensation structure works is very important. May sound obvious, but studies show interviewers are oftentimes ill-prepared to discuss specifics. Nothing will run a good candidate off like vague information on salary, bonus, incentives, overtime and benefits. Comments such as, “We are hoping to implement an incentive plan soon.” Or, “I am not sure what our bonus plan is.” will turn candidates off. Be prepared with numbers and facts about your comp plan. Side note: PTO is more important than ever before, and candidates are ready to negotiate on that benefit alone!
Your company’s reputation is fair game.
Job seekers have as many opportunities to check out your employment ratings as they do to check out the pizza joint down the street. They’re not only looking at Yelp for dinner, they’re looking at job sites that post ratings and comments from former employees. Make sure your company has good reviews. Check out sites like: Glassdoor, Indeed and Kununu.
Ditch the hoops.
Let’s face it, candidates oftentimes have too many hoops to jump through before they even speak with someone at your company. Online applications, job assessments, workplace motivator surveys, personality quizzes. Many organizations are so intent on bringing in what they see as only the most focused candidates, that they create barriers to getting the BEST candidates. Keep the hiring process streamlined, intentional and time-efficient.
Staffing up smartly has never been more important. NEWBOLD’s team of hiring professionals can help. Contact Monica Lee at mlee@newboldadvisors.com for details.