Interviewing Is Interactive - Don't Be A Robot

We've all been there, sitting in a room in your best business outfit, waiting for a hiring manager to walk into the room. Your nerves are going, your palms are sweaty, your mind is racing, you're starting to think "how the heck am I going to get a coherent thought out?" and then they walk in. They walk in and your mind is racing, then in an instant you're put at ease by the human on the other side of the table.

As someone who's been the sweaty palmed interviewee many times throughout my career, I know first hand how much your own anxiety can throw you for a loop even when you're well qualified for a prospective role. It's not easy and no matter how you swing it there's pressure to do well. What I've learned through experience and from being an interviewer for the past 14 years, speaking to thousands of candidates, is that putting an interviewee at ease gets you the best results the majority of the time.

As an interviewer, you have to:

• Be a human.

• Be relatable.

• Be curious.

• Be an active listener.

• Be a mirror.

• Be calm.

• Be able to have candidates open up.

• Be the guide of a productive conversation.

• Be able to keep the conversation on track.

• Be the example of what you and your company embody.

As an interviewee, you have to:

• Be prepared.

• Be relatable.

• Be curious.

• Be an active listener.

• Be a mirror.

• Be calm.

• Be able to build trust with your interviewer.

• Be part of a productive conversation.

• Be able to answer questions thoroughly.

• Be the example of who you truly are.

There's tons of overlap in what you're expecting from each other and that's honestly the beauty of the whole process. You're just a couple of humans having a conversation, treat it as such and you'll both excel.

Value your time. Value the time of others.

Let's make those hires. Let's get those new exciting roles. Let's build together.

#recruiting #staffing #interviewing