Interview tips for business owners

It is vital that when you hire a new member for your team that you get it right first time. So, with that in mind we'll be discussing some interview techniques for business owners along with some valuable tips and tricks. We will also be delving into the importance of choosing the right candidate for the role due to the time and money that gets invested into the process, and how interview techniques can play an integral role in this process.

Carefully select your questions

Putting on a successful interview with potential candidates goes further than just running through a few questions to check how competent they are. An excellent interviewer would vouch that it is necessary to choose how you phrase questions carefully as different tones can elicit different responses. This in turn can help reveal more of the candidate's personality, skills and whether or not they would be a good match for your workforce. There’s a lot more put into conducting interviews than people think. The questions asked need to be able to push the potential candidate to show how they think and conduct themselves.

Judge the reaction

You have to remember that an interview is just as much about whether or not the candidate wants to work for your company as it is whether you want them or not to work for you. Both sides need to make a great first impression so make sure you prepare all questions in advance, no-one wants to be interviewed by someone who’s coming up with the questions on the fly.

Interviews are crucial for small businesses looking to take on new candidates as whoever they get onboard will make a considerable impact on the rest of your team and on the growth of your business. So if you are looking for new candidates for your small business who are diligent, hard-working, and bright prospects to bring on board then here’s how you do it!

What motivates them?

Before delving into anything too consuming, make sure you find out what the candidate is looking for. Ask them what they want from the job. Do they want to learn new things and face a new challenge head on? Is their job move decision financially motivated? Are they on the lookout for more flexible work hours and/or arrangements? You as the interviewer need to find out the answers to these questions before even thinking about asking anymore, otherwise you may be wasting valuable time.

An example of this is, instead of asking “What are the reasons you want to work for our company?” Word it differently to be: “What are your top four criteria for your next role?” This line of questioning is comfortable for the candidate and it also helps find information you need to find out. Depending on the candidate's answer you very well might find the job isn’t a fit for them, but it is better to find that out right away rather than the end of the interview.

Are they a good fit?

Another great question to ask revolves around what the candidate believes is a good work day. Ask something like: “When you get home and have some reflection on your day, what parts made you happy?” This line of questioning is great to find out whether they would be a good fit or not. The aim of this question is to get the candidate to really answer truthfully to see if they’d be a good fit. Also, this question allows the candidate to have the impression that great work days can happen in this role. Depending on their answer you will find out if they enjoy problem solving, team projects, getting stuck into their work, being creative, etc.

Strengths and weaknesses

Ask a question along the lines of: “Tell me about a past manager or boss who was able to bring out the best in you. What did they do in particular?” Then follow up with a question about the manager who brought out the worst in them. By doing this you will be able to see if they will gel with your managerial techniques. You will be able to find out crucial information like whether or not they prefer setting rules or following, and also whether they are more of an independent thinker.

Consider the team

Another point to consider especially within a small business is whether or not the candidate would fit in with the existing team. Personalities and working styles can alter from person to person and they are just as important to consider when hiring someone as their skills and other attributes are. You can go with a line of questioning such as “Tell me in detail about a time you worked within a group in which you really enjoyed?” It is very important to make sure they gel and won’t cause any problems with your team.  

Depending on what sector your business operates under it is always a good idea to find out the candidate’s understanding of different types of business relationships. For example: “What makes customer service so important?” or “In your opinion what is the secret for great customer service?” Utilising questions like these will help you find out quickly whether or not the candidate will be able to handle and maintain existing business relationships.

The bigger picture

just a few smaller points before finishing… Make sure you ask them about their strengths and weaknesses. Ask them what they wish to learn from the job in question and whether or not they are willing to learn and put the effort in. Ask about their bigger picture, see if they are planning on making this role their career, find out if they are planning on staying a while or if it’s just a gap-stop. Give them a tour of the office (if applicable), by doing this you can introduce them to some of your employees perhaps and most importantly show them how things run and what kind of environment they would be joining.

If you are interested in reading more business related content, then click here for topical blogs.

Moreover, if you need advice regarding recruitment then you can speak with a Business Butler expert by clicking here