Small Business - Why Staff Selection Interviews Should Be the Last Part of the Selection Process

The Great Selection Heresy
The purpose of staff selection is to choose a person. Wrong! The purpose of staff selection is to get a job done. The person is the "vehicle" if you like, you use to achieve the job results. Unless you know exactly "what" you want, you'll have trouble deciding "who" is to do it for you.

"Doing" Is More Important Than Talking About Doing
You can't tell what a person can do merely by talking about it. I can describe how to play the guitar, how it should sound and the correct placing and moving of fingers. I'm a lousy guitarist. An interview allows applicants to talk about what they can do. That's no guarantee that they can do what they say.

Interviews Favour The Articulate and Amiable
The candidate who speaks cogently, clearly and sensibly has a great advantage at interview. If the same candidate is also pleasant, friendly, socially at ease and knows how to make you feel good, the advantage multiples. Many interviewers mistake "interview performance" for "on job competence". They're often miles apart.

The True Purpose Of The Interview
You conduct selection interviews for only two reasons

1. to discover whether you and the candidate can work together: whether they "fit your culture"


2. to determine whether the candidate demonstrates any obvious shortcoming that would prevent them being effective in your business.

If you run a flagpole painting business, you don't want people who are colour blind and suffer from vertigo. This is especially so if they also believe that painting flagpoles is environmentally unsound. Discovering these characteristics after they start is disastrous for both of you.

Importance Of Testing
If you want to know whether and how well an applicant can do something, the method is simple. Get them to do it. Never grant an interview unless you're absolutely confident that the candidate can do what they say they can do. Test, test, test, test!

Job Analysis
Every staff selection process starts with a thorough job analysis. The analysis should state what's to be achieved, the goals of the job. It must also describe what's to be done to achieve these goals. I like to ask" "If a trained seal were doing this job perfectly, how would you know?" Then, and only then, should you concern yourself with the "sort of pardon" you need, their background and experience.

Use The telephone

Have candidates phone you. Check to see whether they have the background and experience you require to do the work and achieve the goals of the job. Be tough. Near enough isn't good enough. If you believe they have the skills, invite them in and test their competence. If they prove their competence arrange a face to face interview.

Conclusion
When you're satisfied that a candidate's competent, your interview can concentrate on culture fit and comfort. That's what a staff selection interview should be about.

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