Listening or selling?

Listen here:  

When talking to people about how they interview – this is one of the first questions I ask. The usual response I get is “huh”. Is that what you were just thinking? Think about the last interview you did – did you spend most of your time listening or talking? I hope the answer is listening but over the years I have learned the answer is usually talking, which means selling.

Let’s start by taking a look at why we do this.  Here are a couple:

• Resume looks fantastic so I need to get them interested in the company
• I want to make sure they understand who we are
• The candidate needs to understand who I am and what is expected
• My discomfort with interviewing results in me doing all the talking

These are good reasons and yes you do need to get them interested in the company, understand the position and expectations. However – this conversation should not take up the entire interview. Hopefully we can make you more comfortable with the process so this doesn’t happen.

First, before you even get into the details of who, what, where and when – you need to be sure they are the who, what, where and when that you need. In other words, learn “who” they are, “what” skills they possess, “where” have they used the skills and “when” did they use them. This is where the “listening” comes into play.  It’s important you have a clear mind, not thinking about the next question to be asked or how to end the interview.  Listen to all of their words and when they pause – don’t say anything, look at them and wait for them to say more.  There is no need for you to fill the quiet void in an interview, let the candidate do it.  I would go so far to say that this is where the important or interesting stuff comes out of the candidate.

Second, this only works if you know what questions you are going to ask.  So before the first person answers the phone or steps into your reception area – have a list of questions.  These are the same questions you will ask every candidate to be able to compare points on the who, what, where and when. Added bonus – since you have a list you won’t spend time during the interview trying to think of the next question, you already have it written down.

Third, since you have already crafted questions to ask each candidate, now it is your turn to listen carefully or actively. In other words, don’t jump to conclusions, listen to everything they say and the tone it is said in. Take notes, after interviewing a couple candidates this will help you keep straight who is who. Also by actively listening you can clarify any points that need it or you can ask follow-up questions based on their answers. You will learn a lot about each person this way.

Lastly, remember the 80/20 rule. The candidate should be speaking 80% of the time compared to your 20%. If these percentages are turned around – you are selling.

Only after all the questions have been asked and answered, should you go into detail about the position and the company. This is the “sell” part but keep it brief.  A good candidate would have done some research before they walked into your office.

Happy Recruiting!

Still need some help – no worries – contact us and we will assist you in putting a process into place.