Finding the right talent isn't always as easy as it sounds. Simply throwing together a basic job description and pairing a résumé may find a candidate who can complete the duties on paper, but it doesn't necessarily mean that candidate is a good match for the position or company. So much of an employee's success at an organization depends on whether the cultural fit is right, and a basic job description isn't enough to determine how an employee will adapt.
Instead, employers should also include a daily job preview in the description, says Sheryl Kovach, president and CEO of Kandor Group, a human resources consulting firm in Houston. This allows a candidate to do a self-assessment to decide if the job would be a good match.
"Employers need to provide a realistic job preview of what the job is like day to day," Kovach says. "Just by reading a job description, it doesn't provide insight into the daily dynamics in terms of what kind of people and personalities the hire would be working with and what are some of the challenges facing that company and industry. Those are important to know and to disclose to candidates, so they know what they're getting into."
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During the interview process, Kovach suggests using behavioral questions that require open-ended answers, allowing candidates the chance to share examples of their past experiences on how they handled different situations. Judging body language is also a popular technique; however, depending on the position, Kovach cautions against placing too much emphasis on this.
"You have to consider that candidates might be nervous and may not normally look down as much as they did in the interview, so really consider those factors lightly," Kovach says.
Once the first in-person interview is conducted, an employer should then schedule a second in-person interview, which gives the employer a better idea whether that person is a good cultural fit, Kovach says. Typically, initial jitters are out of the way when it comes time for the second in-person interview, and an employer has a clearer picture of who a particular candidate is beyond his or her résumé.
"Sometimes they're still nervous, but you get them a little more relaxed the second time they're coming in, and you can get a better feel," Kovach says. "It also gives job candidates a better feel for whether they want to work at a certain company."
Following the in-person interview, introducing candidates to employees they would be working with is another way to determine cultural fit, Kovach says. Whether the candidates are introduced to others during an office tour or interviewed by multiple employees, it gives both parties greater exposure to each other.
"It's good to have other folks participate in the interview process to broaden the perspective for not only the employer from a decision-making standpoint but also to broaden the perspective of the candidate, so they know who they'd be working with," Kovach says.
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