Thoughts for Interviewing Potential Teammates
Each interview is an opportunity to match the person on the resume to the real possibility of a future employee. Interviews should be a conversation in which you share your vision for the company and the position and the applicant can share their expertise and have questions answered. While you certainly want the atmosphere to be comfortable during an interview, the art of drawing people into revealing conversations about themselves is a skill that most people do not naturally have. In fact, especially bright absorbed entrepreneurs are frequently delighted to have an interested audience and are often the big talkers in these settings. It is a good idea to have a set of questions ready for the interview. These should be used to elicit information about the applicant that can help make a good decision about whether they are fit for the job and culture of the workplace.
Listen
Resist being the interviewer who does all the talking during the interview. Be prepared to provide the applicant with succinct information about the company, the position they are applying for and the history of the workforce. It is often helpful to explain why the job has opening has emerged. Beyond that, this is a time to learn about the applicant so make sure that you questions will help you get to know what you need about them. There are, however, areas of discussion that are not allowed. There are laws that prohibit your asking questions designed to elicit information about:
- Race
- Religion
- National Origin or Citizenship – This will take place with the I-9 Form if they are hired
- Age
- Marital or Family Status (including whether they have children)
- Disability
- Sexual Orientation or Gender
- Weight