What kind of role do you assume are you when interviewing prospective employees for a job? I don’t mean Hiring Manager, Recruiter, HR, or Peer. Are candidates treated as a guest or as a specimen under the microscope?

Is the interview a pleasure for the candidate or uncomfortable?

I have seen the both extremes when companies host interviews. Some roll out the red carpet and try to put the best foot forward according to an established employee brand. Some use the interview to make the candidate squirm and see how they react. This, some believe, give the hiring authority the true picture of how the candidate deals with stress, flexibility, and problem-solving.

Some Recruiters and Hiring Managers feel the interview should be really tough so that once the candidate makes it through; he/she will feel an allegiance to the group, sort of an initiation rite into the organization. Makes sense, right? Well…sometimes.

Example: Interviewer A = I try to make the candidate feel at ease so they feel more comfortable and give more candid answers.

Interviewer B = I ask pointed and direct questions to see how they answer under pressure to see if they can think well on their feet or hesitate.

Interviewer C = I always ask them at the end of the conversation, “What if I told you that you were bombing this interview. How would you react?” This gives me the best picture of how they deal with rejection and their listening skills.

Interviewer D = As part of the hiring process, we bring all the candidates in for a panel interview. That way I can see how competitive they are and how bad they want the job.

I use extreme (but actual) examples to get my point across, but you get the idea. Interviewers use many different styles and techniques throughout the interview process to evoke a response that will accurately predict the success the future employee will have on the job. After an onsite visit AND again after the offer, I ask the candidate for their perceptions of the company at the respective stage of the game. After over a decade, I have identified two key findings concerning interview style:

+ By making the candidate sweat during the interview process, you will flush out the “no’s” much faster.

- The interview-to-hire ratio and the offer-to-acceptance ratio are 60% and 75% less when candidates feel uncomfortable in the interview – so it flushes out the “yes’s” much faster too.

IMHO, I want to put the employer in a position to say “yes” or “no” to the candidate, with the candidate’s perception of the company always on the positive side. I use behavioral-based interview questions to assess the candidate’s ability to deal with pressure, their flexibility, and other competencies that have been identified as key indicators of success in the job. Sure, I’ll challenge the candidate on some answers and probe deeper to go beyond that first impression, but I always keep in mind that I am competing with other employers – that’s the key. I coach my Hiring Managers to do the same. The worst thing in the staffing world is to lose the candidate because they felt they were treated poorly during the interview process. Whether they were a good fit or not, they will tell others about the experience and hurt the reputation of the company.

No matter which role you take on, just be sure to treat all candidates the same and follow the established protocol during the interview process. Not only will this give you a much more accurate assessment of the candidates in relation to the other interviewees, it will also protect your organization from the potential exposure to liability.