HCI Blog

Interviewing candidates is not as simple as it seems.

You need to know exactly what you want to discover about the candidates being interviewed.

Here are three tips to help you on formulating questions to be made to candidates:

1. Curiosity

Don’t be afraid to be inquisitive with the candidate. Explore what the candidate expects of his position and also try to find out more about his personality.

2. Make open-ended questions

Instead of asking them questions which require direct answers, make open-ended questions which will let them show their opinion and ideas on certain matters.

3. Don’t be shallow: dig deeper

Don’t just stay on softball questions. Make the candidates really dig deep inside them to give you a response. Superficial answers are usually shallow and standard.

BASED ON: TLNT

How is it possible to identify a consistent employee? The best way to know is only through time. It is difficult to hire someone new and already know beforehand if they are consistent or not.

Here are five signs of how to identify a consistent employee over time:

1. They take responsibility for their own performance

Simply put, engaged employees do what needs to be done while disengaged employees wait for the company to do things for them. They take initiative and know exactly what needs to be done in order to produce and organize all tasks.

2. They feel little sense of entitlement

Highly engaged employees focus more on what they can provide to the organization rather than what the organization can provide to them. They don’t waste their time expecting perks and rewards for having done their job and are highly motivated.

3. They engage customers

They can’t help but to get busy with attending the needs and wants of customers. While disengaged employees need to have customers forced upon them, engaged ones naturally attract customers who make them feel that they are enthusiastic about the company and their job.

4. They remain engaged anywhere

Highly engaged employees remain engaged on their work even outside of the work environment. They adapt and mold the conditions of the external setting to what they require to get their work done. They focus on results and have a drive to reach them even when they are doing out calls.

5. They apply six behavioral drivers

Individuals who take personal and primary responsibility for their own engagement consistently apply six behavioral drivers: connecting, shaping, learning, stretching, achieving, and contributing. The ongoing process of applying these drivers allows them to sustain high levels of engagement over time.

Based on: TLNT

This infographic shows the steps and the process involved in choosing a career.

The concept of career differs from that of a job, work or function. It is a much deeper concept than simply an activity you perform. It involves a purpose and meaning which is intrinsic to you alone.

SOURCE: Daily Infographic

“You are too qualified for this position, unfortunately”.

You may have heard or given this response once applying for a job or selecting a potential employee.

Despite this actually sounding like a crazy justification, it is actually quite common in many interviews. There is a great fear that someone who is extremely qualified might underperform in a job which might demand less abilities than they possess.

However, there is no actual evidence to support this presumption. But there are advantages to hiring a highly qualified employee!

See here five different reasons to hire a highly qualified individual:

1. Not hiring a highly qualified individual will lower your chances of hiring your ideal employee – With high unemployment rates in most developed countries, qualified individuals are out in the market. You will be taking a shot in the dark if you keep waiting for the person with the perfect qualifications to show up at your doorstep. Take and grab the opportunity of having such a person in your company!

2. Stronger motivation to work – Highly qualified individuals have been in the market for some time already. They will want to show what they do best: their work! Little motivation will be needed to make them work at their peak performance once compared to new talents.

3. Getting more than you expect – Suppose you buy an apartment and you get for free its interior decoration for the same price. Would you possibly say no?

4. Even for a short stay, their contribution is immense! – Even if they stay for a short time, the contribution a high profile hire will make is immeasurable. The main reason why highly qualified individuals leave low qualification positions is the lack of challenge in their everyday life. Think: would you prefer to have a high profile individual stay for one year or a low performing person?

5. They can possibly climb the ladder – For now, your new highly qualified hire is in a position which might make him feel undermined. But, due to his high performance, he might get promoted to a function which will make him use his skills in their entirety! Keep this highly qualified person in your company to possibly be promoted.

BASED ON: TLNT

Continuing from our last post:

6. Construct relationships with assistants

Along with starting at the top directly, you should focus on constructing a network with the assistants to executives. They have all the valuable information you may need to reach and become close to the executives.

7. Don’t immediately send CVs to the first jobs your find

Read very carefully the job description. Your desperation will only add to making the life of recruiters and the HR department more difficult. Make sure you fit into the bare minimum which is asked of for the position.

8. Use body language

When being interview, use your body language to demonstrate that you are interested and willing to truly pay attention to the interviewer.

9. Don’t look for the perfect job NOW

Try to visualize yourself in this new job in the future. Right now, you are very enthusiastic about your new position. But, how about in five or six years from now? How will you feel towards this current job then? This might help you avoid making a bad decision.

10. Become the brand

Once you have found a company you truly wish to work for, become their number one fan! Employees who truly stand for the company they work for ten to perform more enthusiastically than others who don’t”

BASED ON: Forbes