Preparing for a job interview as an employer? Here's how!

In an ideal world, you would get on the recruitment vacancy that you wrote a stack of hopeful
return the application letters. Then the fishing can begin. For out of this sea of ​​professionals, only one can be the one. And finding the one is simply hard work. To increase your chances of a good match, as an employer you want to prepare well for the job interview.

Naturally, you want to get to know each other a little before taking the plunge. That is what the introductory meeting is for. Is the first impression good for both sides? Then the job interview follows. This is a different ball game. Here, the focus lies much more on challenging questions and negotiating employment terms. You want to get to know your applicant's personality, skills, and work experience. And as an employer, you also want to leave a good impression. After all, true love goes both ways. In this blog, you will read about the points to consider as an employer when preparing for a job interview.

Make sure you know what you are looking for

This sounds like a no-brainer. Yet, in practice, this is often not entirely clear, and it usually comes down to: well, your colleague from accounting is leaving, and we need a replacement. Do you want to take on the role? assembling the ideal teamIf so, you will want to think about this a bit more carefully. What competencies does your new employee need to contribute to your organizational goals? And what personality fits the team best? In other words: ensure you are well prepared before you even start preparing for the job interview.

Write down concrete assessment criteria. Do you want your new accountant to work primarily with great accuracy? Or is resourcefulness more important? Or are you looking for a true team player? By clarifying this, you prevent every applicant from appearing “just nice.” You have a yardstick that allows you and your colleagues to assess applicants more objectively. This also enables you to devise questions that test whether the professional you are interviewing actually possesses these competencies and skills. But more on that later. First, let’s look at how to add some structure to the conversation.

You prepare for a job interview using the A4 template.

This model divides the job interview into four parts:

1. Start
   Your goal is to put the applicant at ease and make them feel welcome. How?
   By giving clear instructions in advance about where someone can report. And it is
   It is, of course, also nice if someone is standing by at that moment to welcome the applicant with a cup of coffee and a chat. Furthermore, always start the conversation by introducing yourself first before handing the baton to the applicant.
2. Analysis
   Time to dive in! Two important points to consider. First, ensure you ask only one question at a time during this phase. This way, you get clear answers that you can compare with those of other applicants. So, ask: “How do you handle tight deadlines?” Do not add something like: “Or did you have little trouble with that in your previous role?” This is a stacked question and creates confusion.
   
   Secondly, use the LSD method. In this case, that stands for Listen, Summarize, and Ask Follow-up Questions. We sometimes forget to summarize during a conversation. A missed opportunity! By doing so, you show that you have listened. It is also a great way to check if you are still on the same page with the applicant. Furthermore, it allows you to ask better follow-up questions.
3. Collection
   By now, you have a good idea of ​​who you are dealing with. It is time to sell yourself. Take the time to tell more about yourself and the organization. Be as transparent as possible in doing so. Also, ask applicants what they are and are not looking for in their work. Then, explain how this is arranged at your company. Talk more about the company culture, the importance of diversity and inclusion, and the format and frequency of company outings and drinks. Be honest about what you do not offer as well. This increases the chance of a good match.
4. Complete
   Briefly describe how you experienced the interview. And ask your applicant the same. This allows you to gauge their enthusiasm and level of interest. It also sometimes brings to light things you can discuss immediately. When preparing for the interview, consciously build in moments where the applicant can ask questions. This is also a good opportunity to give applicants one last chance to do so.
   
   Finally, explain what the next steps in the application process are. How many rounds are there? Will the applicant be given an assignment to complete? When can the applicant expect a decision? Is all this clear? Then thank them once more for the interview. And walk them to the exit to leave them with a firm handshake and a final good impression.

During the analysis phase, inquire about someone's competencies using the STARR method.

This method helps you gain insight into how a professional behaves in the workplace. And therefore, which competencies someone truly possesses. STARR stands for:

• Situation: what was the specific situation?
• Task: what role or responsibilities did you have?
• Action: what did you do to address the situation?
• Result: what was the result of this action(s)?
• Reflection: what did you learn from this experience?

Take another close look at your wish list of competencies and then tailor your questions accordingly. Is it important to you that your future colleague is good at problem-solving? Then you could ask: have you ever had to resolve a conflict within your team? Is it important to you that someone is a team player? Then ask, for example: can you share a situation where you worked with a difficult client or colleague? After that, you can ask further about how the person handled the situation, what the result was, and what they might do differently next time. And remember: only ask one question at a time. 

Ask open-ended questions during the job interview

To add some nuance right away, do not start the conversation with: “Well, tell me, who are you?” That is a bit too open. It makes it seem as if you haven't taken preparing for the job interview seriously. You want to ask targeted questions on various levels. The STARR method is specifically designed to assess competencies. But naturally, you also want to know more about someone's work style, knowledge level, work experience, motivation, and personality. Below, you will find two example questions for each of these components:

• Work style: how do you prioritize your work? How do you determine which tasks take precedence?
  to get?
• Knowledge level: what knowledge did you acquire during your previous education/position? What would you
  still want to learn?
• Work experience: which project in your career are you most proud of? What can I not know about
  basis of your CV?
• Motivation: what appeals to you most about this position and our company? How does this position fit
  in your five-year plan?
• Personality: which three words describe you best? What role do you usually take?
  in a team?

Please observe the rules under the Anti-Discrimination Act. Therefore, do not ask questions about religion, origin, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or desire to have children.

Watch out for these pitfalls during the job interview

• Making assumptions 
  People form an opinion within a few seconds. This applies during a job interview as well. And probably even while preparing for the interview. The trick is to suppress this tendency and not let your first impression guide you. Preparing well for a job interview by creating assessment criteria and a list of questions helps with this. Do you make an assumption anyway? Then always double-check if it is correct. “It sounds like you find it difficult to ask for help at work, is that right?”
• To deliver a monologue or a barrage of questions
  A job interview is a two-way street. You don't want it to turn into a cross-examination where you, as the employer, do nothing but ask questions. Nor do you want to spend the majority of the conversation putting your own organization in the spotlight. You can prevent this by encouraging your applicant in the first email to prepare questions themselves. Then, while preparing for the interview, decide in advance when you will schedule moments for those questions. 
• Compare professionals
  You are quick to compare the professionals with each other. Or with the previous employee. But what you actually want to do is measure them against the yardstick of the evaluation criteria. 
• Choose a copy
  We are quick to choose what we know. Whereas in this case, it is sometimes better to look for the differences. Different personalities in your team ultimately lead to better results. So, do you already have a team full of creatives? Then it might actually be a good idea to find someone who specifically keeps an eye on the planning. 
• Discuss immediately
  Ideally, you conduct a job interview together with a colleague. Just resist the urge to immediately switch into debriefing mode after the interview. Let the conversation sink in for a moment. Form your own opinion. And only then check what your colleague thinks about it. This way, you avoid reinforcing each other's ideas and assumptions. And you won't let the right person slip away...