You are looking for a Data Engineer in a market that is presenting multiple opportunities to those with this experience. How can your interview process allow you to hire them, ahead of your competition?
Your interview process can help or hinder you in hiring the talent that you want so perhaps consider the following: –
Understand the job that you are hiring for? Can be critical to ensure that potential talent have ‘the right experience’ when they send their application to you.
- Understand the details of the job. Have a defined position description but make sure the skills and experience that you are seeking are not so defined and precise that you potentially will miss talent that could be suitable for the position. Do they really need that ‘hard to find’ technology skills set when they have so much more experience and can pick up things quickly? Do they really need that much commercial experience? Write the position description for the audience you are wanting to attract.
- Get it right the first time to ensure that you do not have to do the process again. Write the position description for the audience that you are wanting to attract.
During the initial screening and short-listing part of your process, do it with care and professionalism. Make sure that if they are not right for the role after you have spoken to them, leave the door open for their suitability for future opportunities.
- Talent talk, technology is a community, so if someone does not have a good experience with your organisation, they will tell others.
- If by their LinkedIn profile or application they don’t look like a perfect fit for your role, call them anyway – don’t assume they are not what you are looking for.
- Talent needs to want to come to your organisation, so during the initial phases, highlight the benefits of working for you.
- Provide feedback quickly and if they are suitable for an interview, tell them, move quickly, don’t wait – they will be gone
Have a clearly defined interview process – don’t over complicate it. Inform Talent of your process at the beginning so they know what to expect. What impression are you trying to give talent about how you conduct your interview process?
- Educate managers that interviewing on the time and day they say is critical – don’t reschedule interviews
- Make sure those on the interview panel know the organisation and the role
- Make the process quick and efficient. An interview process that takes a month, will not allow you to attract the top talent you want – they won’t wait.
- Make the process simple for everyone involved; talent, managers, and those within the people & culture teams; and, have a system internally that allows for efficiency
Be bold and transparent when interview potential new talent. Tell them about the remuneration package and benefits on offer, be creative in making them feel they are wanted.
- Be clear in what you can offer and go out of your way to discuss, not just the remuneration on offer, but benefits and rewards, include your work from home and flexibility policies – it is not just about the money.
AND don’t forget FEEDBACK….At the end of the process, regardless of it you wish to hire them or not, ask them for feedback on the interview process. This could help you develop your process as well as also leave talent with a positive experience of your company – you never know, they might be back.
