The dynamics of the interview process need to change if employers are to attract the best professionals, according to recruitment experts.
In a market where skilled workers are in short supply, such as IT, interviewers need to sell their company to prospective employees rather than the other way round, recruitment firm Parity advised.
“Too much emphasis is often placed on interview techniques for the interviewee,” said Jeff Brooks, resourcing services director at Parity.
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“While these are important, the current skills shortage (in sectors such as IT) means that the job market is working strongly in favour of skilled contractors and permanent candidates, putting them in a position where they can pick and choose the job that is right for them.”
Parity believes that the factors at play are simple, but often overlooked, and is urging interviewers to use these four top tips to help them improve the recruitment experience:
- On arrival, never keep a candidate waiting for longer than five minutes before the interview and always offer refreshments. Be pleasant and disarming throughout the process
- Prepare for the interview to ensure optimum use of time – relevant questions will add value to the interview and help the selection process
- For any given position, ask each candidate at least three standard questions – this will make it easier and fairer to compare
- Always offer timely and constructive feedback, even if the candidate is not suitable for the role. He or she may be suitable in the future or may be right for a different position in the company. Moreover, their goodwill towards your company (even if not successful) will be great PR in the future and may attract other applicants that they speak to.
