There is an extraordinary amount of information available to help you prepare for interviewing candidates. Looking on the Web, at your library, and within your own institution’s resources is a good way to start preparing.
Dr. O’Connor offers four basic interview tips:
- Ask open-ended questions (and then keep quiet): “Don’t ask [a candidate] if he or she is a conscientious person; of course they will say yes.” Instead, Dr. O’Connor suggests that you ask open-ended questions such as, “Tell me about a time when you showed conscientiousness in your last position,” and then wait for the candidate to tell the story. He also suggests that you ask for more than one example of the same thing to look for patterns and to take note of the spontaneous direction the candidate will take.
- Listen for specifics: When you ask open-ended questions, the candidate will likely feel compelled to give specific information. Dr. O’Connor suggests looking for multiple examples and repeated behaviors as a way of sifting through the good interviewers and the candidates who truly fit the bill.
- Observe clues to talents: Dr. O’Connor suggests that you try to hone in on the talents that aren’t directly discussed. During conversation, look for clues to these talents, such as noting when a candidate mentions creative problem solving as a strong suit. That may not necessarily be a part of the job description, but it is certainly a skill from which most employers would benefit.
- Know what to look for: Only ask questions that will separate the top performers from the rest of the group, Dr. O’Connor advises. If you have a clear idea of what and who you are looking for, you can tailor your interviews to find the best candidates.
Not all interviews look and sound the same. A list of the top 10 interview questions will certainly help you break the ice, but you must also prepare questions and guide conversations in a way that will reveal if you have found the smartest and most conscientious candidate who will fit into the culture of your practice, institution, or department.
Finding the Coach: Out of desperation, a manager might gloss over some important details about a job description—or leave them out altogether—to fill a vacancy. A skilled coach, however, will be open and honest about the details of the position and the potential for growth in the future. This is because skilled coaches know that withholding information and providing false expectations is a great way to quickly lose a new employee.
