1) Can they do the job amazingly effectively?
Will you know the answer to this question from their CV? No. Will you know the answer to this question from a telephone interview? No. Will you know the answer to this question after the first/second/third time of meeting them? Yep! Do they have the right skill set, the right balance of experience & enthusiasm, the right “feel” to them?
2) Can they do the job amazingly effectively long-term?
Now this is a slightly different question. Everyone, during the interview process, can be excited, enthusiastic & upbeat about the new opportunity because it’s new! It’s fresh, it’s a new challenge & everyone loves variety in one form or another & this is just that. The real question is; do you believe this individual can continually perform at the level you rightfully demand of them, long-term?
3) Who are they?
I know that sounds slightly odd but, in order to be able to answer the two questions above, you really need to know WHO it is you are interviewing. What are their goals, their ambitions, their objectives in life, not just this role? & are those ambitions in alignment with the role you are looking to bring them on to do?
Having understood that – do they “feel” right? Are they the right team fit? It’s funny, when you’re a Recruitment Business Owner & you’re looking to make hires within your agency; it turns out to be one of the biggest challenges of being an Entrepreneur. The reason for that is that your business truly becomes an extension of yourself, & therefore hiring becomes far more about the person than their credentials on a CV.
So, who are they? What drives them? Why is this role important to them? Are they looking for career progression within an organisation, contribution outside of just recruitment, personal growth through the company? What is it for them?
