What selection tools do you have in place at work? Are you the hiring manager for your department? Or does the HR Department handle all phases of selection and recruitment for your organization? At Peoplescape, our consultants are HR professionals who have sat across the table on an interview panel, and have devised a strategy for hiring the best and brightest in several fields. We have found tips that make interviews more challenging, and also bring out responses that give you, as the interviewer, some insight into the candidates you are screening. Here are a few of our top tips for making your speed dating (aka interview) process a bit easier next time around.

Step 1: Do not stay away from the “tough” questions. Instead, have a reason for asking them and make sure the question applies to the position so you can get a feel for the candidate’s response in real on-the-job situations.

Step 2: Set expectations for the job, and both you and the candidate will be more prepared for what’s to come. Don’t fall prey to the all-too-common scenario of an employee leaving a new job after a short time because they didn’t get a sense of what the job actually was prior to accepting the role.

Step 3: Screen for candidates based not only on their skill set, but on their culture fit with your organization. Company culture is a huge component to finding the best and brightest for your team!

Step 4: Use additional tools wherever possible. The more information you have to assist in the selection process, the better off you will be. Job suitability assessments, meetings with colleagues and team brainstorming, and engaging with the candidate in various settings such as lunch meeting, group activity, and on-the-job observations are all great ways to gauge the fit for a certain candidate on your team.

But, you may ask, what’s the point? The goal of a successful interview process is qualified, satisfied, productive employees. So by following these steps, you are stepping up your interview game. Which, let’s face it, is a freakishly similar process to the concept of speed dating where you awkwardly sit at a table, chatting with a stranger for 5-10 minutes, and then deciding if you want to see them again. At Peoplescape, that’s also what we do! So if you’re tired of the game, call in for a backup and we’d be happy to assist!