Scientific interview method: multi-dimensional investigation to accurately identify outstanding talents
I. Introduction
As a crucial part of the recruitment process, the interview is not only an opportunity to understand the candidate's professional skills and experience, but also a window to comprehensively evaluate the candidate's overall quality, motivation and career planning. In order to ensure the success of recruitment, we must adopt a multi-dimensional, scientific and rigorous interview strategy to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth examination of candidates.
2. Investigation of family situation
During the interview process, focusing on the candidate's family situation can give us clues about their motivation for the job search. In particular, whether or not they have an only child and whether there are financial pressures often influence the candidate's career choice. For example, we interviewed a candidate who, as the only child in his family, was under financial pressure and therefore preferred to choose a stable, higher-paying position. By understanding his family situation, we can more accurately judge his motivation for job hunting, and also provide a basis for subsequent salary negotiations.
3. Discussion of salary
Salary is one of the top concerns for job seekers, and it is also a must-know item in an interview. We need to understand the salary expectations of the candidate and compare them with the salary of the position to ensure that the expectations of both parties are matched. Changes in psychological expectations are particularly critical when candidates move from high-paying areas to low-paying areas. We had a candidate who was originally working in a high-paying area but needed to move to our city due to family reasons. During the interview, we discussed his salary expectations in detail and helped him adjust his psychological expectations, and finally succeeded in reaching a consensus.
Fourth, in-depth analysis of the learning situation
The candidate's learning profile is a reflection of his or her learning ability and academic background. During the interview, we ask the candidate in detail about their school rankings, major rankings, as well as their GPA, rankings, scholarships, and competitions during their college and graduate studies. This information helps us determine if the candidate's academic background matches the requirements of the position.
- School and major rankings: High-ranked schools and majors tend to represent a candidate's foundational knowledge and ability to learn.
- GPA and Scholarships: High GPAs and scholarships reflect a candidate's academic excellence and level of effort.
- Competition: Participation experience, especially leading the competition, can reflect the candidate's practical ability and team spirit.
- Failure and after-class learning motivation: Paying attention to the candidate's reasons for failing the course and the active learning motivation after class can judge the candidate's ability to cope with challenges and the willingness to improve himself.
- Postgraduate and public examinations: Knowing the candidates' postgraduate and public examination experience can further evaluate their learning ability and planning for future development.
Case Study: In an interview, a candidate has a background from a prestigious university and a high grade point, but also fails several courses. Through in-depth understanding, the interviewer found that the reason for failing the course was because the candidate participated in an entrepreneurial project, and although his grades were affected, his entrepreneurial experience and practical ability were fully demonstrated. As a result, the interviewer assesses the candidate's potential and adaptability more thoroughly.
5. Investigation of the work situation
Knowing a candidate's previous work status, including performance, appraisal and work intensity, is an important basis for judging whether he or she is suitable for the new position. During the interview, we ask the candidate in detail about their performance in previous jobs, with special attention to their performance and appraisal. If a candidate's previous track record is mediocre, we need to carefully consider whether they are suitable for the role, as this may mean that there is a certain problem with their ability or attitude.
For example, we interviewed a candidate who had a mediocre performance in his previous job and had a period of interruption. After in-depth investigation, we found that he had encountered a career bottleneck in his previous job and was not optimistic about the company's development prospects, so he chose to leave and take a break for a while. This gives us a more comprehensive understanding of his professional background and motivation for job hunting, and also provides us with an important basis for judging whether he is suitable for the new position.
At the same time, we also ask candidates if there are any work breaks and understand the reasons for them to determine their career stability and loyalty. If a candidate changes jobs frequently or has a long period of time off, we need to further explore the reasons behind it to assess their stability and loyalty in the new role.
Sixth, the offer situation is understood
Knowing what offers a candidate has in place can help us determine how competitive they are in the job market, as well as their expectations and concerns about the new role. During the interview, we will ask the candidate in detail what offers they have, the corresponding industry, job type and salary, and delve into the reasons and doubts why they have not been decided.
For example, we interviewed a candidate who had multiple offers in his hands but was hesitant. After digging deeper, we found that he had doubts about the work content of his new role, the team atmosphere, and the company culture. This gives us a more comprehensive understanding of his expectations and concerns, and also provides an important basis for us to better meet his needs and increase his willingness to join.
Knowing a candidate's offer can also help us negotiate salaries better. If a candidate has an offer that pays well, we need to consider whether we can match their expectations or use other advantages to attract them to join.
7. Interview failure and reflection
At the end of the interview, if the candidate fails to pass, we should ask questions and reflect. Understanding the specific reasons for failed interviews can help us improve our recruitment strategy and interview skills. From the feedback of candidates, we can find out that we may have overlooked or deficient in the interview process, and then make targeted improvements.
For example, once we interviewed a candidate, but decided not to hire him at the final stage. After questioning, we learned that the candidates felt that our company did not pay enough attention to the career planning and development of employees during the interview process. This feedback made us realize that during the interview process, we need to go into more detail about the company's training system, promotion paths, and employee development plans to attract and retain top talent.
8. Pay attention to the focus of job search and career development path
During the interview process, understanding the candidate's focus and career path can help us determine how well they fit into the new role. We ask candidates what they expect from their location, their salary, and their plans and expectations for their future career development.
For example, we interviewed a candidate who made it clear that he wanted to work for a company with good prospects and that he expected to be promoted to a higher position in the next few years. This career path is aligned with our job promotion mechanism, so we felt that this candidate was a good fit for the role.
At the same time, we will also pay attention to whether the candidate has an in-depth understanding and awareness of the position, and whether his or her expectations for the future job are in line with the actual situation of the position. This helps us to determine the candidate's willingness and stability to join, as well as their potential to grow in their new role.
9. Discuss the reasons for resignation and the possibility of returning to the original company
Understanding a candidate's reasons for leaving can help us determine their stability and loyalty in their new role. We need to ask questions about the specific reasons for the candidate's departure, such as layoffs, work conflicts, family reasons, etc., and assess whether these factors will have an impact on the new role.
For example, we interviewed a candidate who left due to a job conflict. During the interview, we learned in detail about the specifics of the conflict and the process of resolving it, and assessed the candidate's ability to handle interpersonal relationships and solve problems. Eventually, we decided to hire the candidate because we felt that he had the ability to resolve the job conflict and that the reason for his departure would not affect his new position.
At the same time, if the candidate has an internship experience, we also need to explore whether there is a chance that they will return to their original company and why they chose to leave or stay. This helps us to determine the candidate's career aspirations and loyalty, as well as their stability in the new role.
10. Ability to work under pressure and the company's understanding and evaluation
During the interview process, it is crucial to assess the candidate's ability to work under pressure. We need to understand the candidate's tolerance for overtime, study intensity, etc., and match it with the intensity of the new role to ensure that they can adapt to the new environment. At the same time, we will also ask candidates whether they have learned about the company in advance to determine their perception and expectations of the company.
For example, we interviewed a candidate who had a lot of overtime in his previous job and who showed a strong ability to work under pressure. During the interview, we asked him in detail about his views on overtime and intensity, and found that he was well prepared and expected to work overtime in his new role. At the same time, he also learned about the company's culture and values in advance, and said that he agreed very much. This gives us a higher rating of his adaptability and loyalty.
11. Observation of the interview process and assessment of mental outlook
The interview process is not only an opportunity to learn about a candidate's abilities and experience, but also an important moment to observe their mental outlook and confidence. We will pay attention to the candidate's performance in the interview, including his speech and demeanor, eye contact, language expression, etc., to determine whether he has a positive attitude and confident temperament.
For example, we interviewed a candidate who showed great confidence and energy during the interview, with a well-mannered speech and a determined look in her eyes. This made us very impressed with her and felt that she had the confidence and positive attitude she needed to succeed in her new role.
XII. Conclusion
To sum up, it is crucial to examine candidates in multiple dimensions during the interview process. By paying attention to family situation, salary expectations, study situation, work situation, offer situation, reasons for interview failure, focus on job search and career development path, reasons for leaving and the possibility of returning to the original company, ability to resist pressure and understanding of the company, and mental outlook and self-confidence during the interview process, we can evaluate candidates more comprehensively and scientifically, so as to ensure the success of recruitment. At the same time, we also need to constantly rethink and improve our interview strategies to improve the quality and efficiency of recruitment.