Getting to the heart of recruitment

Job interviews aren’t often thought of as a ‘fun’ experience for anyone. Applicants are usually nervous — they want to make a great first impression, after all — and those conducting the interview aren’t always cool under pressure either! The truth is that interviews can be make or break for the interviewee, just as much as the interviewer. Asking the right questions of applicants could be the difference between bringing a stellar new addition onto the team or adding someone who just isn’t the right fit and causes friction for weeks or months to come. 

It’s about more than just ability 

It’s likely that any applicants you interview will have been drawn to the job because they felt like they could ‘do’ the job. They have the right experience, they’ve done the right courses. All of these things are important, of course, but there’s more to it than just their accomplishments and abilities. Other things you need to consider, before a single applicant walks into your meeting are: 

• The values that create the foundation for your team. 
• The organisation’s vision.
• Personality types — both the existing personalities in your team, as well as the type of people who would be well suited to the role. 

Imagine you were recruiting basketball players for a new, national team. You might have someone walk in who can do all the drills perfectly, they’re tall and physically fit — they tick all the boxes! When you get to talking to them, you find out that they just really needed something to keep them busy, they don’t really want to be playing basketball at all. 

Getting the job done is important and the people you bring onto your team need to be capable, but if there’s no passion, or they have different values from your own team, they won’t be adding anything to your team. 

Know what you need 

If you do a Google search, right now, you can get thousands upon thousands of lists of interview questions. They’ll scratch the surface, of course, but what you really need to do is think about your own team, their needs, their personalities, their behaviours, their ways of working. There is no one size fits all approach to recruitment. 

For example, does your team bounce ideas off each other in meetings? Do you wish they would do that more? Asking applicants about their confidence levels when it comes to sharing ideas can give you insight into how they would fit in with your team. 

If trust is important in your team, asking an applicant how they usually build trust with colleagues or how they approach new work relationships can give you a look into how interactions with your team would play out if they came on board. 

Every team is different, with a whole unique set of values, personalities and behaviours. As a leader, you know your team best, so don’t take the cookie-cutter approach to recruiting! Know what works in your team, what you’d like to improve and how a new recruit can add to your team dynamic. 

Are you ready to bring the right people onto your team? People Make the Difference can help. To find out more, visit www.pmtd.com.au or call us on 0412 333 415. Try our online leadership training videos – $99 for complete access. Great value if you’re committed to growing your leadership potential.