According to LinkedIn’s Global Recruiting Trends Report 2018, 56% of talent professionals say that they are utilizing new interview tools and methods to improve the hiring process. With employers realizing that traditional interviews alone may not identify certain soft skills or accurately identify areas of competency (or the lack of), they are introducing new strategies into the existing process.
The survey revealed five main areas where traditional interviews are lacking:
· Assessing candidate skills – 63%
· Understanding candidate weakness – 57%
· Bias in interviewers – 42%
· Too long of a process – 36%
· Not knowing best questions to ask – 18%
Combatting these issues requires branching out from the traditional job interview. Five suggested techniques to add into the interview process include:
1. Online Assessments – Assessments allow you to measure cognitive abilities, occupational interests, behavioral characteristics, job-related skills, cultural fit, and job fit. Many assessments also provide sample interview questions to utilize which will allow you to dig deeper into areas of weakness.
2. Job Auditions – Some organizations pay candidates to do a project so they can see an example of their work and how they would function in the job. It also allows the candidate to get a feel for what it would be like to work for the employer. A job audition, or realistic job preview, looks at 1) the work itself and 2) the way the works gets accomplished.
3. Casual Interviews – After a formal interview, it’s becoming more common to follow-up with a more casual second interview that does not take place in an office setting. These interviews take place over coffee or a meal. It’s an excellent way to evaluate social skills and allows the candidate to show you more of their true self.
4. Virtual Reality (VR) –Virtual reality interviewing may be appropriate for jobs in the customer service or manufacturing industries. One British company puts potential employees to the test with VR headsets. According to Wired, the British financial institution will ask applicants to perform tasks and solve issues they're bound to encounter as an employee. The applicants are placed in a 360-degree virtual environment with motion sensors.
5. Video Interviews – Video interviewing is becoming more and more common and can be an efficient way to screen multiple candidates. It’s also helpful when interviewing globally. If utilizing video interviews, give your job candidate some helpful tips, since they are very different from a live interview and can be intimidating and awkward for the candidate.
Utilizing a blend of these techniques in combination with a traditional interview is likely to result in finding the best candidate that not only has the skills you are seeking, but is also a good cultural fit. Making better-informed hiring decisions can save the organization both time and money and reduce turnover.
ASE Resources
Pre-Employment Assessments – ASE offers various choices for pre-employment assessments. The testing services offered include behavioral, skills, and competency based testing.
Polaris Interview Management System - ASE has partnered with Polaris Assessment Systems, Inc. to provide The Polaris Interview Management System (PIMS), an integrated, customizable interview suite that enables organizations to create, support, and facilitate standardization in their interview practices. It consists of two integrated components that can be used individually or together: The Effective Interviewer Training Program and the Question Library and Guide Builder.
Interview Skills – This talent development course is offered periodically throughout the year at ASE. It provides a process for participants to prepare and conduct an effective and legally defensible behavioral based interview. The next course is not yet scheduled for 2018, but if you’d like information on conducting this as an on-site training at your organization, please contact ASE’s talent development team at [email protected].
Source: hrbartender.com