Author: Karthik KVN, Trainer, Facilitator and Writer
Selecting a right candidate for the job during the interview process is very crucial for a HR person. It is on this decision, the company’s growth and return on investment depends. If a candidate is not assessed properly during an interview he/she becomes a liability instead of an asset to the company’s management.
Through this article I will try to ink some points, which might help the HR fraternity to judge the candidate who appears in the interview – whether he/she is apt for the role or not.
Before going ahead I would like to make it very clear that most of the candidates are very good technically. Of these guys, some are outspoken and the rest are mostly introvert. So, it would be on the part of the HR, to see that the person facing the interview is comfortable right through the process.
Below mentioned are few qualities a candidate appearing for an interview should possess. The resource person should make sure to go through the resume or curriculum vitae and judge the candidate based on these qualities and make THE BEST CHOICE.
1. Attitude:
The most important quality a HR should see in a prospective candidate is his/her attitude towards personal and professional life. In the present generation there is a huge imbalance between personal life and professional life. Candidates are unable to justify the respective roles in their lives – Consequence of this is directly affecting the business. According to a recent study on this aspect, there are multiple problems like high attrition rate, low performance levels, high absenteeism due to sickness or high amount of stress etc., which are clearly in impacting not only the candidate but also severely affecting the turnover of the company which in turn is putting its reputation at stake.
So, a Human Resource person should make it an important point to enquire the candidate on how well he/she balances one’s personal and professional life. Questions, related to this must be posed and the answers are to be evaluated carefully, as there might be a chance of the candidate trying to impress the employer in order to get a job. Please analyze the genuineness in the answer
2. Aptitude:
Aptitude refers to the natural ability to deal with complex situations in every walk of life. Every human being has got the right amount of aptitude right from the birth. Unfortunately, due to the incompetent education system, family expectations and professional pressure, one is killing this natural ability to think. A Human Resource person should always focus on the candidate’s aptitude by asking about the difficult situation he had faced and the way he/she has overcome them etc., by doing so the interviewer will have a fair chance to evaluate individual’s approach towards adversities which might come up during his professional journey.
3. Communication Skills:
In this present trend of globalization, employees have to work with people from different nations. In such situations one should be able to market the company, present themselves to the client in the most effective manner. So, a Human Resource person should be able to judge not only a candidate’s ability to speak but also his/her ability to communicate in the written format too.
Also the HR should make it a point to evaluate the candidate’s body language (non – verbal communication) as a part of his communication skills. Non – verbal communication helps the interviewer to filter the candidate with ease.
4. Team Skills:
A candidate who is appearing for an interview should essentially be a team player. A Human Resource person should evaluate a candidate very precisely on this skill. These days many people have become individually competent enough for the role being offered, but, when it comes to TEAM work, they are failing miserably. There are numerous reasons. It might be because of ego, jealousy, forming groups, different levels of maturity etc., A candidate should always gel with the co – workers, keeping view the larger picture – THE GROWTH OF THE COMPANY.
So the interviewer should be able to probe into individuals ability to work in teams by giving them a case study or enquiring about their previous experience of working in teams.
5. Loyalty:
Loyalty is a quality which has several dimensions. A candidate appearing for the interview should be probed directly or indirectly on this skill.
A person who is employed has to be loyal in many ways. Loyal to his work, his firm, his co – workers, money and in the last but not the least being loyal to himself. Because, in this generation of increasing competition most of the employees are blind towards values and ethics. These values and ethics form the foundation of any organization’s good health. Loyalty is an expensive ornament not every can afford to wear it. If a HR can filter in the right candidate based on this skill, the he would have added a precious stone to the crown of the company.
6. Leadership Skills:
Very essential skill a person must possess to survive in this competitive market. A person should be in a position to take the ownership of various challenges existing in the company. He must motivate himself and motivate his fellow workers in achieving the wondrous results the management expects from its manpower. Leadership in a broader sense means that a person should be a team player and as well as an energy booster for his team members to perform. A HR should focus on the candidates ability to be a trendsetter.
7. Out of box thinking (CREATIVITY):
One has to be unique in generating ideas, as unique as the finger prints of a person. When one can come up with variety of ideas, then the company will surely reach the new heights. Because the clients always aim at new designs, latest customizations, less complicated processes and many more. If an individual is unable to generate himself according to the client’s needs then it is very obvious that he/she becomes a liability to the company
8. GOAL(s):
A Human Resource person should make sure that the candidate appearing for the interview has got a specific set of short term and long term goals. GOAL is the key factor which drives a human being 24*7*365 to contribute his/her skills, talent and makes him/her work with paramount dedication in any work assigned. One has to be very careful while evaluating a candidate’s goals, make sure that the goal is a SMART one instead of a vague and unclear one.
9. Expectations:
Everyone in this world has got expectations from every other person. Without expectation one cannot move forward and climb the ladder called career. However, too many expectations will not do any good to the individual or the company. The resource person must be very clear in setting up the expectations (from the company’s perspective) for the candidate attempting to secure a place in the company and should also know what the candidate is expecting from the organization. Expectations can be materialistic or non – materialistic like salary, allowances, work load, deadlines, work culture, opportunities, promotions, turn – over, projects etc.,
10. Miscellaneous:
The resource person has to properly judge a candidate based on his dressing etiquette, table etiquettes, handshake, walking style, involuntary body language (shaking legs, tapping feet) etc., Though these are of little importance they cannot be neglected. After all, the candidate will be the brand ambassador of the company.
This completes my article on how to select a candidate during an interview. I request the readers to spare sometime to go through this and share your feedback with me at karthikkvn@aftercampus.info
Thank you very much in advance and all the best!!
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