The shortlist interview is the chance for you as the client to find out if a candidate will fit into your organisation and if the personal chemistry is there to enable you to work together well.
It is important to remember that the Spindler consultant will have already given the candidates a detailed, structured interview. The hour or so that you have allocated to spend with them is precious and not put to best use if you simply repeat what we have already done.
By the time you see them, we will have not only looked critically at their experience in relation to the role in question and established real evidence of relevant achievements, we will also have discussed their career ambitions with them, as well as their interest in the role. Importantly, we will have interviewed them in depth against the leadership competencies that we will have agreed with you to be essential or desirable. All this will have been communicated to you by way of a clear and concise shortlist profile attached to their own curriculum vitae, which will also include basic information that they have given us, such as their remuneration and the need for relocation, if any.
As with most things, preparation is vital and you should find time in advance to think of just a few questions that are relevant to the position and within the law. These should be a mix of standard questions that will be put to each shortlisted candidate and specific questions to deal with points in an individual’s curriculum vitae and/or profile that may require further examination. It is a good idea to formulate questions that are rooted in real life experiences to avoid candidates simply giving text-book responses. Think of a couple of real scenarios that they would have encountered if they were already in the role. Ask them to describe how they would have dealt with them and tell you about similar examples from their own experience. This will then open the way to further probing questions and is likely to give you much richer information on which to base your decision.
Your interview should be a two-way process; both of you will be keen to find out about each other and whether the appointment could work. A proportion of the allotted time, maybe a quarter to a third, should be given over to letting the candidate ask questions about both the organisation and you personally. This is a key part of the session and - as well as helping the candidate make up their mind - will give you valuable information about them. The questions they choose and the way they ask them can say a lot. If you are interviewing alongside one or more colleagues, remember that discipline is essential. Opportunities for probing can be wasted by one person cutting in and changing the subject before the other has gathered all they want to from a line of questioning.
Finally, do listen to your intuition. If a candidate appears on paper to be a close match but, despite our comprehensive assessment, your feelings are telling you that they will not fit well into the organisation, the chances are that your gut feel is right.
Interviewing shortlisted candidates in this way is likely to increase the chances of a successful appointment that will endure for the longer term.
