DIY Interview Tips

Remember that you’re being interviewed too.

Show up physically ready (even on camera) so that your candidates can get as much of a sense of you as you are hoping to sense of them. Make sure you’re in a quiet place where you can focus, listen, be heard, and take notes. Interviews go both ways so make sure you’re leaving as great of an impression as you’re looking to receive!

Frame the call.

Start by introducing yourself, your company and your vision. Have additional team members also introduce themselves and their roles within your company so the candidate knows who’s on the call and why.
Once you’ve set the stage, give the candidate an opportunity to introduce themselves. Any additional framing is always welcome. For example, “I’m going to begin with some basic get to know you questions, then move into questions regarding the role we’re looking to fill, and then we’ll leave room for you to ask any questions you may have of me (us). This will help the candidate to understand the expectations and give them the best opportunity to shine.

Have great questions ready.

• Do focus on how a candidate makes decisions and navigates a situation/responsibility.
• Don’t focus on their experience. You have their resume, don’t waste time asking for a review of it. Besides, experience doesn’t indicate how well a candidate does anything, only that they’ve done it.
• Do ask questions that show you whether or not the candidate is a culture fit. Ask what they like to do when they’re not working. Are you a nerdy tech company? Find out what their favorite video games are or ask them if they’re team Marvel or DC. Are you a company that thrives from new ideas and stepping out of comfort zones? Ask them what the biggest risk was that they took in the previous week.
• Don’t ask personal questions that are illegal including:
  • What is your salary history?
  • Are you married?
  • Do you have children?
  • How old are you?
  • Do you have any disabilities?

Be prepared.

Put your interview team together and meet with them ahead of time to formulate a plan so there’s no unnecessary overlap in the questions you’ll each be asking.

Be realistic.

And finally, be realistic about both your time as well as your skills. Expect to pay either time or money and possibly both whether you DIY or go through a staffing resource. If you don’t have the time or have been struggling to make the right hires on your own, we can help.