Fit Factors and Knockout Issues

When we train managers to conduct more effective interviews, we teach them to identify “Fit Factors” – issues that are considered when formulating job requirements.  You want to know if a certain candidate is going to “fit” into your particular environmental circumstances.  Do they have the values and attitudes needed to work within your industry and [...]

Swan Consultants, Inc. - The Science Behind the Hiring Process and Performance Management

How Many Interiews are Necessary?

When interviewing job candidates, how many interviews should you conduct?  There is clear evidence that shows that assuming the same criteria and an organized approach, two interviews are dramatically better than one.  It is much better for two interviewers to see the candidates for 45 minutes than for one interviewer to spend 90 minutes with [...]

Swan Consultants, Inc. - The Science Behind the Hiring Process and Performance Management

Testing Assumptions by Developing Great Interview Questions

In general, we make too many assumptions.  For example, we assume that a candidate who’s been doing something for five years is better at it than someone who’s only done it for two.  Of course, that might be correct, or it might not.  What about the performance?  Did the candidate demonstrate the qualities we know [...]

Swan Consultants, Inc. - The Science Behind the Hiring Process and Performance Management

Campus Recruitment Interviewing

The campus interview is a screening interview.  It is not designed for final decision-making.  Law schools schedule interviews to last around 20 minutes, and in that brief period of time some preliminary judgments can be made about a candidate: What can she do?  What knowledge, skill and intellectual capacity does she possess?  What kind of [...]

Swan Consultants, Inc. - The Science Behind the Hiring Process and Performance Management

Four Types of Comments Used in an Interview

As you conduct your selection interview, your attention won’t be riveted by every candidate.  Yet you owe it to all of them not to let your mind wander while they are answering questions you’ve asked them.  It may help to note that you cannot summarize back to the candidate what they said to you unless [...]

Swan Consultants, Inc. - The Science Behind the Hiring Process and Performance Management

Understanding Job Behaviors

What are job behaviors?  When discussing job requirements, in addition to a list of the technical skills and knowledge that are required, a direct supervisor might say, “I need somebody who’s motivated, ambitious and energetic.”  The incumbent might be more likely to say something like, “in this job you need confidence.”  A peer might say, [...]

Swan Consultants, Inc. - The Science Behind the Hiring Process and Performance Management

Why Your Organization Should Be Interested in Better Interviewing Skills

Employee costs are rising.  Despite attempts by management to control these costs, people continue to account for the lion’s share of any organization’s operation expenses.  Any person in an organization who is not producing at optimum capacity reduces productivity.  For many managers, the single largest “purchase” they make is a new employee. Yet most managers [...]

Swan Consultants, Inc. - The Science Behind the Hiring Process and Performance Management

The Candidate from Four Different Angles

Whatever amount of time you have to spend on an interview, use it to explore these four key categories: work experience, education, activities and interests and self-assessment.  This approach will help you collect the data you need to make more effective hiring decisions.  The idea is to take a series of snapshots, from different angles, [...]

Swan Consultants, Inc. - The Science Behind the Hiring Process and Performance Management

How Candidates Behave in the Interview is not an Accurate Predictor

Nowadays when management is asked what they need in their new employees, they say “we need somebody with a high energy level.  We have fewer people doing more work, and therefore need employees who have lots of drive, energy, and stamina.”  That may seems like a clear mandate to search for people with high energy, [...]

Swan Consultants, Inc. - The Science Behind the Hiring Process and Performance Management

Building the Proper Atmosphere (Part 2)

In our last post we started discussing the value of creating the right atmosphere and tone for interviewing candidates. Talented people with choices are often influenced by what they hear about your organization from others, so it’s important that every candidate leaves with the feeling that he or she has been fully heard and fairly [...]

Swan Consultants, Inc. - The Science Behind the Hiring Process and Performance Management