The hiring process is a difficult exercise in discernment. Over the past two weeks I have been part of the interviewing process sharing with four different individuals for the same position. Moving from paper applications and resumes to face-to-face question/answer sessions is a fascinating experience in itself. My initial impressions, as I review the written documents submitted by the potential employee, are often altered as a begin to dialogue with the individual across the table.
Some of these recent interview settings have underscored to me the importance of both written and verbal communication skills. Those written applications (and my organization utilizing some rather lengthy documents) are critical because the provide an introduction to personality as well as a view of the depth of the individual's thinking and philosophy. The resume provides the basic facts about employment background and educational preparation (all essential information), but, for me, the application dives beneath the facts and bullet points to the heart and passion of the candidate. It can also reveal skills in logic, creative thinking, and a professional "fit" for the position. Little things, like spelling, grammar, and vocabulary can bring to light some strengths or weakness of the applicant. A carefully crafted application can make a significant difference in my initial impression of the individual.
The face-to-face interview allows those personal communication skills to shine. It shouldn't be as importance as it is, but personal attire and choice of dress make a large impact on me. I don't think I have ever made a hiring decision based on dress alone, but it certainly opens the door for serious listening in the interview setting. Many elements impact the actual words that are being said - vocal quality, facial expressions (in particular for me: smiles and the look in the eye), ease of sharing, tempo of the communication, and a sense of humor. Obviously, the content of the answers is key, but the use of proper grammar, clear articulation, and a pleasing volume level all assist my ears in listening to the content. An finally, the information shared by the candidate must be deep, well formulated, logical, and thorough enough without being filled with undue pontification. A pet peeve of mine is a candidate who fails to answer the question that was asked and leads the interview down a completely different path by the answer provided (assuming the question was clear and well stated).
Interviews can be exciting and encouraging. At the end of the process, one individual is extended the invitation to join the organization and the other applicants are not. This is the hard part. Paper documents, personal impressions, and notes jotted down during the interviews must be aligned and synthesized in order to make the best selection. I have usually embraced several individuals during the process as kindred spirits and "good fits" for the organization. Prayer is such a key element for me in the discerning process. I am so often overjoyed with the new employee but saddened that we could not hire several others.
One final point - I wish I could say that all the hiring decisions in which I have had a voice have worked out with great success and long tenures of service. Some have!!... but some have been poor choices that did not work out like my minds-eye predicted. In those cases, I begin to question the whole hiring process. But, until we can x-ray the attitudes and spirits of candidates, I guess the process of written and verbal communication is still the best process to follow.
interview photo found at http://ispotasolution.com/job-interview-preperation-the-correct-way-to-prepare-and-interview/
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