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Interview Techniques that deliver results

Recruit the Best: Focus on Culture, not on Skills

Effective hiring all depends on careful preparation for the interview process. For many business owners and managers, hiring a new employee sometimes feels like playing the lottery. Often you don’t know who you really hire until they show up for work!

Many hiring processes are focused on the skills of the person they need, instead of focusing on a match for the culture of the organization. Focusing attention on skills sounds logical, because you are hiring somebody for a certain position. However, remember this: skills can be trained. The way somebody behaves feels and interacts with the world is a lot more difficult! Almost half of new hires leave the organization within 18 months1. Of these individuals, most had the right skill set, but didn’t fit the culture of the business.

The good news is that you don’t need to spend a fortune to implement a hiring process that focuses on finding the right fit. The key is to ask the right questions and be well prepared for the interview. Listed below are five things to consider for hiring success.

1. Know who you want to hire

Think about the values that are important to you and your organization. What behavior do you expect? Do you want him or her to be ambitious, or does this person need to be a specialist and want to stay in one role? Other important factors are working hours. Does the role require set hours or do the hours vary day to day and week to week? Does this person need to be flexible? Make a list of all the requirements of the person in this role and stick to your list.

2. Don’t talk – listen

To figure out if a candidate fits in the culture of your organization, don’t describe the culture to them. Instead, ask them in what culture they prefer to work. If you first tell a candidate what the culture is, they will usually respond by telling you what you want to hear.

1 Hiring for Attitude: Research & Tools to Skyrocket Your Success Rate by Mark Murphy, CEO of Leadership IQ

“After describing our corporate culture to our candidate, he stated that he believed that this was

the right culture for him….. A half year later I let him go. He did not fit in our

culture.”

If a candidate describes a culture unlike that of your business, think twice before hiring. Later in the interview process, describe the culture of your organization to the candidate and ask if they have worked in a similar culture. If so, request that they detail the culture (in their own words) and provide examples. This step will present a clear picture of whether or not the candidate truly understands the culture of your business.

3. Use real situations

In behavioral based interviews, scenarios are the foundation of the questions. The answer the candidate gives will provides a guideline to whether the candidate will fit in the organization’s culture. It is not hard to

develop a scenario yourself. First, think about a situation that the candidate will face when in the role. Utilize a scenario that really happened in your organization. Then determine what you believe is the right way of dealing with the situation. Think about dealing with the situation that would not be appropriate in your organization. Complete the exercise before you do the interview. You will then be able to see if the candidate’s response is a response that will work in your organization.

4. Two know more than one- never hire alone

Everyone will bring life experience to a conversation and will process information with that background. We can see this clearly when one person will see and hear different things than somebody else who was at the same meeting! Having multiple people interview a candidate allows you to gain information that you would not have had if the interview was done by only one person. When managing a small organization, it might be challenging to find a second interviewer. Don’t be afraid to ask a client or a good friend to assist. The information and insights a second person can offer are invaluable.

5. Follow your intuition

When reviewing all your candidates, first rate the candidates based on the requirements you wrote down in the beginning of the process. Second, review your notes about the “culture” of the individual and see if they are a match for your company. When you are down to two candidates, it is time to follow your intuition. If one of the two candidates just doesn’t give you a good gut feeling, then chances are they aren’t a fit for your organization. Be mindful though that a good gut feeling can be a result of a candidate telling you what you wanted to hear in the interview! Always remember the rule in Step 2- don’t talk, listen!

“..In our interviews we use a situation that actually happened. It is amazing

to hear the responses from our candidates. Some don’t believe it

really happened and don’t know how to deal with it...

“

By following these five steps you will experience greater hiring success and uphold the culture you created in your organization. Good luck!

About the author:

Mirjam IJtsma is the president of Cultural Chemistry, LLC. Cultural Chemistry is a boutique Human Resources firm that focuses on reducing the cost of labor and improving the productivity of small businesses through coaching and training owners and managers. We implement human resources processes and procedures that are built around the culture of the organization. Connect with Mirjam by email: mirjam.ijtsma@culturalchemistry.com or the web www.culturalchemstry.com to discuss how Cultural Chemistry can tackle your human resources challenges.

Cultural Chemistry small businesses with implementing recruiting processes that deliver results. From an online application form, to training manager on effective interview techniques. Selecting to fit the culture is the foundation of a high performance organization.

“..When it came down to never hire alone. I had a problem. I was hiring my

first employee. I was alone. Until one of my

clients offered to interview my candidate.

We still include our clients in the interview process... “