Recruiter for a day or professional recruiter, you lead or participate in job interviews. In a context of talent shortage, don't let a good candidate slip away because of a failed interview! Follow the advice of Merih Gauter, consultant and trainer in recruitment and employer branding.
Whatever the size of your company, if you are part of it, it is because one day you have had one, or even several job interviews. Unless you are the leader, and even then.
Remember these exchanges. How were you received? How long did the interview(s) last? What questions were you asked? What information have you been given? How did you know that your application was successful?
Ultimately, what made you decide to accept the position?
Perhaps you also remember the talks that didn't go through. Those which only lasted 5 minutes or those with several recruiters at the same time, of the “jury” or “grand oral” type. Those who convinced you that the position, and especially the company, were not for you.
Your own experience as a candidate can feed into your best practices as a recruiter.
Job interviews: learning on the job?
I remember the first recruitment interview I conducted. I feel like I was more stressed than the candidate himself. The exchange was very brief. Neither the candidate nor I spoke. I didn't know where to start, what to say. Then, repeating the exercise over the years allowed me to have more fluidity. I even felt automated in my sentences and in the conduct of the interviews. Sometimes, a little too much. Until finding the right balance between preparation and improvisation. But also, manage to adapt to each candidate.
The recruitment interview is therefore not an exercise to be taken lightly. Between what we can say, what we must say, what we cannot say, there are a thousand ways of not understanding each other. And a legal framework to respect.
Job interviews: a legal framework
First of all, job applicants are protected by law against discrimination in hiring.
Indeed, article L. 1132-1 of the labor code prohibits, during recruitment procedures, any distinction between candidates based in particular on: origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, situation family relationship, pregnancy, political opinions, religious beliefs, physical appearance, last name, place of residence, state of health, disability.
In other words, none of the reasons listed by law can be used to exclude a person from a recruitment procedure.
In practice :
During an interview, the information exchanged must have the sole objective of judging professional skills. Don't be frightened if the candidate talks about his or her personal situation. On the other hand, I advise you not to take the initiative.
What about candidates with disabilities?
Some candidates indicate this on the CV or cover letter. You may also have set up your TTY (applicant tracking system), application management software, so that candidates check the declarative box.
You are a recruiter, not a doctor. Thus, the presence or absence of a disability should not be a motivating factor for elimination from the recruitment process. I recommend that you ask the candidate not about the disability itself, but rather about the job adjustments they think are necessary.
A thoughtful process prior to the publication of announcements
On the recruiter side, a successful job interview involves preparation and follow-up.
Take charge of the recruitment process: start by defining the number of interviews, their content, the people who participate, the deadlines, the budgets, the recruitment tests.
To remember:
Each stage of recruitment must have its interest.
A candidate who takes the same interview twice with his potential n+1 and n+2 is wasting his time.
You too.
Be transparent: indicate the stages of recruitment in your advertisements. Likewise, be clear about the job requirements, salary and benefits. Candidates will appreciate it.
Set up your ATS to keep candidates informed of their progress in the process. Or, if you don't have one, do this "manually". Difficult, isn't it, when you're dealing with a large number of recruitments?
Some pitfalls to avoid
First of all, don't add steps or recruiters that weren't initially planned.
Then, beware of cognitive biases, these falsely logical thinking shortcuts that mislead when making decisions, including in terms of recruitment.
For example:
You might be tempted to unconsciously favor a candidate in whom you recognize yourself, simply because they share a hobby, an opinion or a life choice with you. In other words, you might be attracted to a candidate for reasons that have nothing to do with the position you're recruiting for.
Finally, do not “ghost” a candidate by dodging their calls and reminders. If you haven't made any progress in the process, tell him or her. Making him wait without giving him any news, even unintentionally, runs the risk of eroding his motivation to join your company.
Recently, a candidate expressed to me her concern and disappointment at not having an answer. According to her, the interview went well. The recruiter promised to get back to her with information about taking up the position within a week. Two weeks later, and after two emails, still nothing. Not only did her desire to work for this company disappear, but in addition the candidate discussed this event with those around her. This propagates a degraded image, both of this company and of the profession of recruiter and of human resources in general.
To sum up :
Maintaining regular contact with your candidates brings real added value to your recruitment process.
Job interviews: special moments
As a recruiter, you should view job interviews as a special time. And therefore, take the time necessary to understand the professional and personal background of the candidates. If you are short on time, particularly because you manage a large volume of recruitment, optimize by structuring your interviews. Keep the same common thread, whether the job interview takes place in person, by telephone or by video.
A privileged moment to give a good image of the company
For your part, you will rely on objective elements to make your decision. For his part, the candidate will rely partly on his emotions to decide whether or not he accepts your employment offer.
Certainly, in the majority of cases, the contract is concluded. But, sometimes, the candidate may try to renegotiate the package, or even refuse your offer. And this for many reasons :
- Your proposal falls short of his expectations.
- He has another equivalent proposition or a more interesting proposition.
- Leaving your current company is taking a risk that can “block” you.
It is precisely in this last case that a careful recruitment process allows you to reassure and convince with the good image it gives of your company. In addition, successful job interviews – in the eyes of the candidate – make it legitimate for you to step out of your role as a recruiter and put on the hat of a coach. It is then a matter of supporting the candidate to take the plunge. More precisely, to help him project himself as a future employee of the company. Give him information about the onboarding process, administrative details on signing the contract…
The job interview is one step among many in the recruitment process. However, this is an essential step. Because you meet a person who comes with their story, their desires, their personal and professional projects. This is certainly the most human phase of the entire process, the one which already allows us to plan together for a common future.
