Research suggests that the cost of a bad hire is often double the benefit of a good hire. Over 50% of employers have felt the effects of a bad hire, which means something is wrong with the interview process. One issue is that no two interviews are alike, which is a problem because candidates are not being judged on a level playing field. The nature of conversation makes it very easy to venture off topic.
For the interviewer, having set questions for each candidate can help keep a level playing field between all applicants. Vince MacDonald, the Director of Education for the Huron Perth School Board, feels the interview process needs to be as standardized as possible. A panel involved in the process will host pre-interview meetings to go over the questions, who will ask them, and how candidates will be scored. MacDonald feels this helps them select the best applicants available.
Some organizations still only have one person involved in hiring and assessing candidates, but there a many pros to having more than one person involved in the interviewing process. It can eliminate any bias or prejudice that can occur when assessing candidates. This is exactly why MacDonald and the Huron-Perth School Board have their hiring committee.
Studies show that interviewers try to hire themselves: they naturally favor candidates with personalities, attitudes, values, and backgrounds similar to there’s. Some organizations place far too much weight on interviews. It’s time for the pendulum to swing in the other direction. Instead of assessing how well people talk, let’s observe how they work.
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