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job interview

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Hiring the best employees is critical to your business’s long-term success. But how can you ensure that you’re hiring the right people? When broken down into its most basic components—creating a job listing, reviewing applications, interviewing candidates, then hiring the individual you like most—it might seem like hiring is fairly straightforward and difficult to get wrong. But there is actually a strategy to finding the most qualified people to bring onto your team. 

Before you hire anyone else, implement these steps into your recruiting process so you can hire top-quality candidates who will be an asset to your business.

Step 1: Do Your Research 

Before you create a job description, it is advisable that you set aside some time to research the duties, experience level, and expectations for the role. This will help you craft a detailed job description that clearly communicates what you will need a prospective candidate to be able to do and set a realistic standard in their mind. Even when you’re just hiring freelancers, this process is important because you want to have someone who you can trust with the tasks at hand—plus, you never know who could become a part of your full-time team in the long run. Having a clear and informational job listing will also help you remain competitive against other companies who are looking to fill this same position. 

This step is especially important if you’re hiring for a brand-new type of position or it’s your first time hiring someone in general. 

Step 2: Have a Vetting System in Place

One of the biggest mistakes a business can make when hiring is neglecting to vet candidates thoroughly. Why is this important? First and foremost, it can confirm that applicants are being truthful about who they are and their experience. Additionally, it serves as a safety measure. If candidates have a criminal record, especially one that involves violence or theft, it can put your employees and customers at unnecessary risk. 

Criminal background checks for employment can provide reliable reports on prospective employees. If you are going to also search candidates online and review their social media profiles, tread carefully. The information found on these platforms can give you access to information (sexual orientation, religion, etc.) that might be considered a basis for discrimination if you turn them down for the job. 

Another useful vetting measure is conducting phone interviews before bringing candidates into the office. During a phone interview you can ask a few key screening questions that can help you make a quick decision as to whether the applicant is worth investing sit-down interview time in, or if they are no longer in the running. 

Step 3: Make a List of Must-Haves

When it comes to sifting through large stacks of applications, it can be difficult to narrow down your candidates to the few you’ll actually interview—especially if you posted a highly specific listing. One thing you should do before reviewing applications is create a succinct checklist of must-haves for each category.

For example, this could be two years’ experience, the ability to use a certain program, typing speed, etc. This will allow you to quickly go through and disqualify applicants who don’t meet your criteria. This can be done quickly with a search function. Then, you can do a more in-depth evaluation of those applications that made the initial cut. This method should help you cut down on time and effort. 

Step 4: Ask the Right Questions 

The one-on-one time you have with a candidate is limited, so make the most of this opportunity by asking direct questions that will yield useful information about them.  Ask them about specifics like their experience with a program, to give examples of problem-solving skills in a certain situation, and what they believe their best asset is to bring to the table. Most importantly, make the questions you ask relevant to the qualities they need to possess to perform well at their job.

Keep in mind that personality is also an important factor to consider when comparing candidates. Someone who fits your company culture, takes criticism well, and is easy to collaborate and communicate with will likely transition into the position more easily and may even be more likely to remain onboard for longer.

With these four steps in mind, you can refine your hiring process to help you find highly qualified candidates who can help your company reach the next level.

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More and more companies are switching over to new technology such as video conferencing and cloud based storage, allowing for their offices to run much more smoothly and productively in the process. But it can still be annoying to sign up and pay for a dozen different services and constantly switch between them. What many still don’t realise is that there are many programs available which combine two or more functions into one monthly subscription service. Cloud webcasting is just one of them. Many of these online programs are only available through download, but some use cloud technology for ease of access, and also utilize cloud storage. Here are three benefits it can have for your company, clients, and customers:

  1. Product Launches

A press conference or launch of a new product or service no longer needs to be restricted to a boring meeting or sending out press release documents to journalists in the hope that somebody will read them. Webcasting to dozens, and even hundreds, of attendees all at once can enable you to reach a wider audience from day one of your product entering the market. You can both make a good impression and save your company money in having to lay things out for journalists.

The option of playing video clips during your presentation only benefits launches further. Many systems will allow you to upload a clip and play it during the meeting for all attendees to view in real time. The meeting host can even pause or speak over the video with more robust platforms. There are many advantages to this approach. Just some of them, listed by Shutterstock, are telling engaging stories, keeping the audience’s attention, and increasing the chance of sales. There are many creative things you can do with an online product launch, such as playing case studies or footage of satisfied customers. Or you could invite other experts in the field as guest speakers for the presentation. Even sharing the video files with attendants is more memorable than simply sending out a press release document.

Image source Wikimedia

Image source Wikimedia

  1. Job Interviews

The work place today is expanding beyond the office and going global, with many companies hiring employees all over the world and working from their own homes in order to cut expenses. While there are always advantages to meeting and working together in person, you can still reach people in another location through online conferencing and open up your hiring options to more than just your direct area. If you only need someone for a short term job or on a freelance basis, virtual hiring saves time and effort. Video job interviews are an ideal way to do this. A cloud webcasting tool such as BlueJeans makes it easy. You can not only conduct the interview, but you can also save it in cloud storage to look back on and consider your potential candidates.

Interviews are a stressful event for the jobseeker, so being able to conduct them from their own home will enable them to be more relaxed and focused on your questions. They can even play their own clips, perhaps their video resume or a show reel for people in the entertainment industry. Even if you are still hiring only in your own town, online interviews still open up a lot of options that the traditional interview doesn’t allow for.

  1. Seminars

A useful but often overlooked marketing tool is online seminars. These are short presentations lasting a few hours at a time conducted using webcasting tools, in which invited guests can access the talk and sometimes even attend a Q & A session. Many businesses owners have already used them to increase their sales. For instance, if you sell an information product, you can share some of your tips through a webinar, answer customer questions through the question and answer session, and mention at the end that they can access more in depth information through your product. Much like playing clips during a product launch, it allows you to engage with your core customer base, increase your chance of making sales, and share useful information about your product or service.

Customers today don’t like to feel that they are being directly sold to and have started to switch off from traditional marketing methods. Sharing some useful information through a webinar is an ideal way around this, essentially giving your customers a free sample of what you provide. It makes your company name more memorable so that the target market is more likely to buy.

 

Businesses and individuals are thinking up creative uses for their webcasting tools every day. As the technology develops further, these uses will only increase. They will make working, hiring, and selling even easier. Try out some of these and think of some more creative solutions to your work problems that can be solved by online cloud based conferencing.

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LG Electronics organized the scariest job interview in Chile.

Applicants had the scare of their lives when the company played a cruel prank on them that has been turned into an amusing TV advertisement.

To promote just how life-like images appear on the company’s 82-inch “Ultra HD” TV, LG created a fake office in which one of its screen was positioned to look like a window.

Four unlucky applicants – two men and two women – were then filmed in the fake office being interviewed for a job with the company.

To begin with, the interview process seems perfectly normal as the interviewer shakes their hand and starts to look at their resume.

But then the cityscape outside starts to change, the blue sky turns black, a meteor emerges from the clouds and suddenly the city explodes.

To promote just how life-like images appear on the company’s 82-inch “Ultra HD” TV, LG created a fake office in which one of its screen was positioned to look like a window.

To promote just how life-like images appear on the company’s 82-inch “Ultra HD” TV, LG created a fake office in which one of its screen was positioned to look like a window.

The combination of high-def images and sound is – apparently – so realistic that each of the four interviewees freaks out, panicking and screaming as they see what they think is their city being destroyed.

Next the lights go out and the poor unsuspecting victims are left in the dark for a couple of minutes to add to the drama.

When the lights go back on, the door suddenly opens and in walks the LG team behind the prank to congratulation the poor unsuspecting targets.

The interviewee reactions after the prank are just as animated as some scream and shout, while others are quick to see the funny side of things and are probably just grateful that they haven’t just experienced the apocalypse.

It is a cruel but entertaining prank which does a highly effective job of promoting LG’s ultra high-def televisions.

However, some comments online by those who have seen the ad claim the whole process was faked. They claim actors are playing the parts of applicants and interviewers to promote the company’s latest television. Either way, it’s not yet known which is true.

This type of marketing is called a prankvertisement and since the clip appeared on YouTube on Monday it has been viewed more than 700,000 times.

[youtube 9Dtl7pRQ_4g]

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A job interview is the first real opportunity you’ll have to start to build a relationship with people who may be pivotal to your career success for many years to come.

They’re not the only ones making decisions – you’ll also be sizing up whether you want to work with them.

 

1. Create a “to be” list

Entry is everything so think about how you want to “show up” at the interview. What qualities do you want to demonstrate? Decide in advance how you intend to come across – for example as confident, reliable, dynamic.

Write a “to be” list and identify ways you can transmit the qualities you want to broadcast. For example, to show confidence, make sure you can talk fluidly about your strengths and successes without bragging.

2. Make it more of a conversation

The more you can make the interview a two-way exchange, the more likely you are to relax. Make the most of this opportunity to gather information, get to know your prospective colleagues and catch a glimpse of the way they do things.

Come to the interview with some insightful questions prepared. Don’t trot out the same old questions that every candidate is likely to ask (such as what the opportunities for promotion are). Read the company’s website and research their performance, whether on the stock market or the league tables, so that your lines of inquiry are on point.

3. Be comfortable talking about money

Even if the job comes with an advertised salary, you may be asked what your salary expectations are. Anticipate this question and, off-line, practice saying your answer out loud. If you want to be paid more than the ad suggests, be prepared to give your reasons as you’ll need to justify your request.

Do some market research and find out what the going rates are. Check out how much equivalent jobs at other organizations pay by looking at job adverts or online salary surveys. Having this data at your fingertips will increase your confidence at striking a deal that feels good to you. It will also help you to come up with an original response to that interview classic – “Why do you want to work for us?”

A job interview is the first real opportunity you’ll have to start to build a relationship with people who may be pivotal to your career success for many years to come

A job interview is the first real opportunity you’ll have to start to build a relationship with people who may be pivotal to your career success for many years to come

4. Know your strengths

Be prepared to articulate your “unique selling points”. Give this question serious consideration. Think about your own combination of strengths – for example, are you that rare individual who is creative, proactive and reliable.

Before you go to the interview, complete this sentence, “I am someone who…” Write down your answer and reflect on your response. Think about feedback you’ve had from friends, family and other people who have affirmed your sense of who you are.

5. Be prepared to talk about your weaknesses

Anticipate being asked about your shortcomings. This is a sensitive subject that needs a careful response. Don’t be insincere, such as saying you’re a perfectionist if you’re not.

Be honest about your areas of development. If attention to detail is not your strong suit, say so and then indicate how you plan to address this. For example, you could say that at times you might ask a colleague to check over a critical document to make sure that you’ve attended to all the detail.

6. Value the non-verbals

When you talk face-to-face, it’s not just about the words you use. We’re social animals so body language, eye gaze and gestures all play their part. If you find it hard to look someone in the eye, you risk being judged as untrustworthy or as having something to hide.

Sit in an upright posture without leaning forward – you don’t want to come across as a people pleaser. Do your best to sit still without fidgeting as this will make you look nervous. Hold the other person’s eye gaze until just before they look away to send the message that you can hold your own without being aggressive.

7. Tailor how much you talk

It’s easy to fall into the trap of talking too much during an interview. Sometimes a question needs only a short response. Develop the ability to be concise.

If a longer response is needed, you could structure your answer by indicating, for example, that there are three points to consider. Help the other person to follow what you say by using some signposting such as “firstly..”, “secondly…” and “finally…”.

Varying the length of your input will help to make the interview more of a conversation. Listen carefully to what the interviewer has to say and, if needs be, check your understanding before answering.

8. Have a get-out line

Think through how you’ll respond to a question you don’t know the answer to. Instead of fudging it, have something prepared. You could say, for example, “Please can we come back to that question as I’d like a little more time to gather my thoughts?”

Do your best to stay composed. If you suddenly freeze, take a couple of deep breaths and ask them to repeat the question.

9. Ask for feedback

Towards the end of the interview, say that you’re keen to get some feedback on how you did (if this hasn’t been offered). Find out how who to follow up with and get their contact details. Do this in a respectful way so that you come across as keen to learn without being pushy.

10. Cultivate an attitude of “You win some, you lose some”

Have the intention to get the job without having the expectation that you will. Go into the interview with some degree of humility – arrogance is a big turn off for any employer.

Decide ahead of time that you’ll accept the outcome, whether you‘re successful or not. If you get turned down, be philosophical and resolve to reap the benefits of the experience next time you’re faced with an interview. If you do get offered the job – congratulations! – time to go out and celebrate!

 

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