| Nothing
is more time-consuming and difficult than
interviewing prospective consultants to
work on your project. Unfortunately, there
is still no better way to determine whether
they can do the job and whether they have
the mindset necessary for working with
your staff and meeting your goals. Also,
no one external to your project can relieve
you of this task—it cannot be entirely
outsourced. Finding a candidate who has
been rubber stamped “interviewed”
or “certified” does not relieve
you of the responsibility of ensuring
that this person meets your particular
needs. Here
are ten tips on interviewing. These
are meant to be additional to any tips
provided previously, to augment your
interviewing toolbelt.
|
| 1. |
Write
your questions down ahead of time.
Compile the list and distribute a copy
to every member of the interview team.
This does not mean that you cannot add
other questions during the interview itself—these
are bound to come up depending on the
individual situation. But writing out
questions in advance prevents you from
forgetting to ask something critical,
plus it avoids repetition among the interview
team. This is not to say that you are
required to ask every question on your
list, though. |
| 2. |
Be
on time.
The people you interview have set this
time aside and their time is worth something—as
is yours. Being late to the interview
may send the message that you don’t
value the candidates’ time, and
is a bad start to what might be a long-term
contract. Likewise, expect the same courtesy
from the interviewee. In fact, make it
clear when you schedule the interview
that punctuality is important. Of course,
if something unexpected occurs, it’s
perfectly acceptable to postpone the interview
if you contact the candidate in advance
of the original scheduled time. |
| 3. |
Be
quiet.
When many of us learn skills for interviewing
for jobs, we’re often told to be
quiet when the interviewer is talking
because that way, you learn what the interviewer
is looking for. That tip works for interviewers,
as well. When you ask one of those thought-provoking
questions and interviewees start to rattle
on, let them talk on as long as you can,
unless they start to go too far afield
from your interests or their long-winded
answers take time away from other important
interview questions. |
| 4. |
Allow
extra time.
When you are asking thought-provoking
(i.e., not “Yes or No”) questions,
you need to be prepared for the answers
that can take longer than you might think
(see tip # 3). |
| 5. |
Let
the interviewee answer in his or her own
way.
If you ask the person the question and
then additionally tell them how you expect
them to respond, some people respond the
way you indicate you want them to respond
rather than giving their true answer.
At that point, you can cross this question
off, because it wasn’t a question,
after all, and served no purpose but to
tell them what you expect. |
| 6. |
Whenever
possible, include multiple interviewers.
This depends on the size of your organization,
the availability of the necessary people,
and the amount and type of work you want
done. Different interviewers look for
and stress different strengths and weaknesses
in candidates, as well as have different
points of view on the candidates’
answers. It’s usually best to include
people involved in some aspect of the
work the candidate will be required to
do, but it’s also helpful to have
one interviewer with some management and
interviewing experience. |
| 7. |
Be
prepared to learn but not to be bullied.
When I’m interviewing another person,
I find that I sometimes learn more than
just information about the company considering
my services, I also often learn about
the specific industry or the specific
product, as well. Likewise, when I’m
being interviewed, I find that there are
things I know about the industry that
the interviewer is surprised to find out.
When I hear information contrary to my
knowledge, whether I’m the interviewer
or the interviewee, I find it helpful
to consider what I’ve just been
told versus what I’d previously
thought to be the case. It’s important
to listen because, if you are doing the
interviewing, such information may indicate
you need to change the interview questions
somewhat.
On the other hand, regardless of how correct
interviewees claim to be, it is also possible
that they’re just plain wrong. Those
of you who are experienced with interviewing
already know this – people who are
the least knowledgeable can come across
sounding just as capable and confident
as the true experts that you’ll
interview. If you’re in doubt, you
may want to research the person’s
answer after the interview. The point
is, don’t let your interviewees
bully you into accepting what they say.
|
| 8. |
Try
to make a good impression.
Some of you may ask, “Why should
I?” After all, you’re doing
the interviewing and they’re at
your mercy, right? However, what if candidates
have a choice between your company and
another one, and what if the market is
tight-enough that it’s going to
be hard to find someone else? |
| 9. |
If
your company has interview guidelines
for new hires, review them and use them
as a springboard.
It is possible that doing this will give
you ideas on the types of questions you
will want to ask, questions that you will
leave out of the interview, and how to
structure the interview. |
| 10. |
Why
should we hire you?/What will you do
for us?
You need to be careful about your tone
of voice when you ask this question
because it can sound rude (see tip #8),
but it’s important to understand
what the candidate brings to the table.
Regardless of how big or small, how
shallow or in-depth the assignment,
something will help you determine whether
this interviewee is the right person.
Their answers to these questions should
give you something to think about, if
nothing else.
|
For
those of you who still want an easier
method of choosing a consultant than doing
interviews, you could put all the candidates’
résumés up on a wall and
throw a dart to see which one you hit.
It’s unreliable but it’s the
fastest, easiest alternative I can think
of.
|
|
Production
of This Newsletter
Assistance
in the production of this newsletter was provided
by Teich Technical and Marketing Communications,
which can help you find your new clients through
marketing communications, technical writing,
editing, indexing, and Web content services,
along with training and educational materials
development. Thea Teich, owner and principal,
is currently the immediate past president of
the Society for Technical Communication.
Contact:
Thea@TeichTMC.com |
