Does the Face-to-Face Interview Even Matter?
Organizations have expanded interview processes to encompass multiple dimensions to match the right candidates and positions. Should the face-to-face still be a factor in the hiring decision?
These days, mining for top talent happens not just through a traditional face-to-face interview, but through an expansive process that includes assessments, simulations, social meetings and other experiential phases. Advancements in technology have made the interviewing process even more capacious: video, recorded audio and social media have all gravitated to recruiters’ fingertips.
This begs the question: Is the face-to-face job interview still a valuable part of the recruitment process?
Michael Patak, president and CEO of Patak Trading Partners LLC, a boutique proprietary trading group and member firm of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, doesn’t find much worth in the traditional face-to-face job interview. He said having potential traders sit across from him at a table and speak of their ability to facilitate a futures trade doesn’t do much for his ability to discern who would or wouldn’t be a good fit for the firm.
Face-to-face job interviews can be helpful in choosing the right candidates, but this method isn’t quite as valuable as it used to be, according to George Bradt, founder and managing partner of PrimeGenesis, an executive on-boarding firm. To him, the traditional face-to-face — which typically includes questions such as “So, tell me about yourself, Jim” — is poorly designed and somewhat broken. “The best way to see if someone can do the job is to put them into the job and see if they can do it, which is why internal hires are always better,” Bradt said.
Far too often candidates will relay examples of successful projects they worked on in a prior role that may answer this question, but without specifically distinguishing what their individual contribution was to that project; they disguise their own performance through other people’s successes.
A remedy for this, Bradt added, is a disciplined process of follow-ups that seek to verify the candidate’s individual contribution and involvement in the success of a past project.
Anne Kutscher, a recruiter with Pittsfield, Maine-based construction firm Cianbro Corp., quickly dispelled the notion that the value of the face-to-face has diminished in this vein. There are many tips and tells to be gleaned from the traditional interview technique that may not be as prominent during other phases, she said.
While they disagreed in the value organizations should place on the face-to-face interview in its effectiveness as a tool to court and evaluate outside hires, Kutscher and Bradt did find common ground in tips recruiters should keep in mind when conducting these interviews.
1. Prepare in advance. Talent managers should do a detailed recruiting brief before the interview, making sure everyone is aligned on what motivations and strengths are sought for the position.
2. Make sure the interviewer is well-trained. For some talent managers, this may not be required, but for managers without proficient recruiting and HR experience, it’s a must.
3. Have a disciplined follow-up process. Really drill candidates to make sure you’re getting what their contribution was on a given project. Be wary of those framing their responses so they take credit for other people’s work.
Kutscher added one more tip for talent managers, especially those conducting interviews for specialized positions: Have an expert in the field present and involved in asking questions and vetting a candidate’s answers during the face-to-face interview.
Read the complete article at: Human Capital and Management Library: Does the Face-to-Face Interview Even Matter? <link updated to site home> ( Search On Cite | Search On Google ) OR Does the Face-to-Face Interview Even Matter? - Talent Management magazine
From India, Mumbai
94Organizations have expanded interview processes to encompass multiple dimensions to match the right candidates and positions. Should the face-to-face still be a factor in the hiring decision?
These days, mining for top talent happens not just through a traditional face-to-face interview, but through an expansive process that includes assessments, simulations, social meetings and other experiential phases. Advancements in technology have made the interviewing process even more capacious: video, recorded audio and social media have all gravitated to recruiters’ fingertips.
This begs the question: Is the face-to-face job interview still a valuable part of the recruitment process?
Michael Patak, president and CEO of Patak Trading Partners LLC, a boutique proprietary trading group and member firm of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, doesn’t find much worth in the traditional face-to-face job interview. He said having potential traders sit across from him at a table and speak of their ability to facilitate a futures trade doesn’t do much for his ability to discern who would or wouldn’t be a good fit for the firm.
Face-to-face job interviews can be helpful in choosing the right candidates, but this method isn’t quite as valuable as it used to be, according to George Bradt, founder and managing partner of PrimeGenesis, an executive on-boarding firm. To him, the traditional face-to-face — which typically includes questions such as “So, tell me about yourself, Jim” — is poorly designed and somewhat broken. “The best way to see if someone can do the job is to put them into the job and see if they can do it, which is why internal hires are always better,” Bradt said.
Far too often candidates will relay examples of successful projects they worked on in a prior role that may answer this question, but without specifically distinguishing what their individual contribution was to that project; they disguise their own performance through other people’s successes.
A remedy for this, Bradt added, is a disciplined process of follow-ups that seek to verify the candidate’s individual contribution and involvement in the success of a past project.
Anne Kutscher, a recruiter with Pittsfield, Maine-based construction firm Cianbro Corp., quickly dispelled the notion that the value of the face-to-face has diminished in this vein. There are many tips and tells to be gleaned from the traditional interview technique that may not be as prominent during other phases, she said.
While they disagreed in the value organizations should place on the face-to-face interview in its effectiveness as a tool to court and evaluate outside hires, Kutscher and Bradt did find common ground in tips recruiters should keep in mind when conducting these interviews.
1. Prepare in advance. Talent managers should do a detailed recruiting brief before the interview, making sure everyone is aligned on what motivations and strengths are sought for the position.
2. Make sure the interviewer is well-trained. For some talent managers, this may not be required, but for managers without proficient recruiting and HR experience, it’s a must.
3. Have a disciplined follow-up process. Really drill candidates to make sure you’re getting what their contribution was on a given project. Be wary of those framing their responses so they take credit for other people’s work.
Kutscher added one more tip for talent managers, especially those conducting interviews for specialized positions: Have an expert in the field present and involved in asking questions and vetting a candidate’s answers during the face-to-face interview.
Read the complete article at: Human Capital and Management Library: Does the Face-to-Face Interview Even Matter? <link updated to site home> ( Search On Cite | Search On Google ) OR Does the Face-to-Face Interview Even Matter? - Talent Management magazine
From India, Mumbai
Dear Sanjeev,
My replies to few of the thoughts are as below. My comments could be little critical however, I request you to not take them personally.
You have written that "Michael Patak, president and CEO of Patak Trading Partners LLC, a boutique proprietary trading group and member firm of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, doesn’t find much worth in the traditional face-to-face job interview. He said having potential traders sit across from him at a table and speak of their ability to facilitate a futures trade doesn’t do much for his ability to discern who would or wouldn’t be a good fit for the firm."
I would say that this is personal opinion of Mr Michael Patak and one swallow does not make a summer!
You have written that "according to George Bradt, founder and managing partner of PrimeGenesis, an executive on-boarding firm. To him, the traditional face-to-face — which typically includes questions such as “So, tell me about yourself, Jim” — is poorly designed and somewhat broken. “The best way to see if someone can do the job is to put them into the job and see if they can do it, which is why internal hires are always better,” Bradt said"
If George Bradt runs on-boarding firm then he should know how to design good questions around the candidate's CV. Secondly, you can always have first interview on telephone or Skype or Google Talk. In fact latter two have provision of video also. Basic questions can be asked in telephonic or video interview. Thirdly, Mr Bradt advises to put candidate on job for month or so. Tell me how many candidates will be ready to quit their employment, work for month or so in some company and then get selected? What will happen if the candidate after one month is not selected? Should we leave him high and dry? Will any employee have nerve to ask one month's leave so that he can work with his/her prospective employer?
Final Comments: - Selection of the right candidate is utmost important. For this "Behavioural Interviewing" is quite handy tool. In my training programmes, I have shown how we can maximum information in just 10 minutes. Secondly, the behavioural interview questions are such where candidates cannot concoct answers even if they given chance to do that. Thirdly, for behavioural questions candidates cannot tell lies also. Some articles do appear in some blog or some website. We need not take these at its face value!
Ok...
DVD
From India, Bangalore
My replies to few of the thoughts are as below. My comments could be little critical however, I request you to not take them personally.
You have written that "Michael Patak, president and CEO of Patak Trading Partners LLC, a boutique proprietary trading group and member firm of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, doesn’t find much worth in the traditional face-to-face job interview. He said having potential traders sit across from him at a table and speak of their ability to facilitate a futures trade doesn’t do much for his ability to discern who would or wouldn’t be a good fit for the firm."
I would say that this is personal opinion of Mr Michael Patak and one swallow does not make a summer!
You have written that "according to George Bradt, founder and managing partner of PrimeGenesis, an executive on-boarding firm. To him, the traditional face-to-face — which typically includes questions such as “So, tell me about yourself, Jim” — is poorly designed and somewhat broken. “The best way to see if someone can do the job is to put them into the job and see if they can do it, which is why internal hires are always better,” Bradt said"
If George Bradt runs on-boarding firm then he should know how to design good questions around the candidate's CV. Secondly, you can always have first interview on telephone or Skype or Google Talk. In fact latter two have provision of video also. Basic questions can be asked in telephonic or video interview. Thirdly, Mr Bradt advises to put candidate on job for month or so. Tell me how many candidates will be ready to quit their employment, work for month or so in some company and then get selected? What will happen if the candidate after one month is not selected? Should we leave him high and dry? Will any employee have nerve to ask one month's leave so that he can work with his/her prospective employer?
Final Comments: - Selection of the right candidate is utmost important. For this "Behavioural Interviewing" is quite handy tool. In my training programmes, I have shown how we can maximum information in just 10 minutes. Secondly, the behavioural interview questions are such where candidates cannot concoct answers even if they given chance to do that. Thirdly, for behavioural questions candidates cannot tell lies also. Some articles do appear in some blog or some website. We need not take these at its face value!
Ok...
DVD
From India, Bangalore
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