What you should learn from first interviews is fairly basic. Are they qualified and eligible? Cool. They can move onto the next round. But now you’ve brought them all the way in for another interview, and you need to start weeding out job candidates. The hiring process is getting a bit muddier and you’re probably also running closer to your deadline of finding a new hire. You need to start getting serious about who you’re going to hire. Here’s a few things you should know by the end of round two. 

Any Gaps in Their Competency

By the end of the second interview, you should be able to identify where the candidate’s weaknesses or lack of experience are. If you reword the same question a few times and fail to receive a satisfying answer each time, it might indicate a weak point in the candidate’s ability. A disappointing answer the first time can result from miscommunication or poor wording of the question. After rephrasing the prompt multiple times, though, it’s safe to say the interviewee doesn’t have a suitable answer. Consider how relevant the question is to the position, and if their answer demonstrates poor work ethic or just lack of experience. Some gaps can be mended with training and exposure to new projects. Others indicate that your candidate just isn’t the right match for that position or for your company as a whole. By now, you should know if this shortcoming offers an opportunity for growth or if it’s a deal breaker.

What's Not On Their Resume

Qualification and experience are, of course, priorities. But if you’re one step closer to giving them the job, then you’re also one step closer to working next to them daily. Make sure you like this person as much as you like what’s on their resume. In fact, ask them to tell you some things that aren't on their resume. This is a chance for you to learn what other unique interests and less relevant projects they have pursued. You’ll get an idea about what types of perspectives and talents they provide and how they engage in other areas of their life. You want fascinating people contributing to your company mission, not employees who are duller than a slice of bread. 

Learning about their other endeavors can also help you read between the lines of their resume. To what extent are they a one-trick pony versus a jack of all trades? Neither is necessarily preferable over the other. The requirements of the position as well as the work our company does will largely determine which one to look for. Employees with diverse interests offer a great variety of perspectives and approaches. On the other hand, if you find that the candidate has dabbled in everything, they might have uncertain goals or not be sufficiently trained in any one area. Think about the position you’re offering and what sort of outside experience might be valuable.

If Their Values Align with Your Company

After a second interview, a candidate’s work ethics —and whether they align with the company’s values— should be apparent. Pay extra attention to examples of past experience to see how the interviewee has approached projects and problem solved in the past. Does is match how your company typically approaches issues? If a potential employee resonates with company values, their answers will demonstrate that. 

On the other hand, if they just regurgitate your mission statement to you like a robot, that’s no good either. Although, it does show good research and memorization skills. What you want is for your candidate to show you rather than just tell you how their values align. You’ll know if they can walk the walk if their examples of past experience show they’ve done it before.

If They Would Make a Good Coworker

Sociability is important. Employees aren’t computers who silently spit out numbers all day. Even coders need to be able to explain their projects. If the position is client facing or if you're hiring for a sales position, it’s especially important to find a hire with effective communication skills. No matter what position you’re hiring for, though, a new hire needs to be able to present their ideas to other people. 

One way to check this off your list is to take them on a tour of the office. Introduce them to the people they would be working with if you offered them the position. They should be just as cordial and respectful to the rest of the office as they are to the hiring manager. Watch how they interact and ask your colleagues for their perceptions. Were they blase about meeting their potential teammates? Or were they curious and engaging about others’ roles and projects. Hands down, you want the latter. Curious people want to learn and grow, so you can use the quality of their interactions as a meter of how much they care about the position. Look at how your candidate interacts with everyone —from the secretary to the CEO— to get an idea of they type of coworker they might be. 

Their Ability to Think On Their Feet

There are hundreds of potential interview questions and case studies on the internet for candidates to study before an interview. Many candidates prepare extensive game plans to handle any question thrown their way. It’s not a bad thing. In fact, it’s natural to want to be as prepared as possible. No one enjoys floundering in an interview. Honestly, you should be flattered that candidates invest hours whipping themselves into tip top shape for your company. The problem with pre-outlined answers, though, is that they’re robotic and contrived. If you really want to know about a person, throw them a curveball question or two. It will show how quickly they can think on their feet, and it also might produce a more genuine response to the question. Untailored responses, while less eloquent, are more honest than responses you’d receive to the typical interview questions. Furthermore, if they candidate stumbles in front of you, they’ll also stumble in front of clients. It should be clear by the end of the interview how well they can adapt to unexpected circumstances. 

Most of what you should know by the end of the second interview has less to do with qualifications and more to do with the candidate’s work ethic and potential as an employee. You know they meet the basic eligibility. If they didn’t, you wouldn’t have asked them to return. Round two is about reading between the lines. How do they respond to curve balls and coworkers? What’s important to them that’s not on their resume? These details can help you distinguish between candidates better than sifting through cover letters can.