5 Ways to Reinvent the Traditional Job Interview
Over the past couple of years, companies have been talking about “reinventing the performance appraisal”. Well, performance reviews aren’t the only process that’s being re-examined. Let’s take a look at the job interview.
According to LinkedIn’s Global Recruiting Trends Report 2018, fifty-six percent (56%) of talent professionals say that new interview tools and methods are changing the way they hire. Now, like the traditional performance review, we can’t just stop doing interviews, but it could make some sense to introduce some new strategies into the existing process.
LinkedIn’s report cited five key areas where the traditional job interview isn’t helping HR and hiring managers make the best selections.
And they suggest five techniques that could provide more value.
- Online assessments. We’ve talked before about how cognitive aptitude tests can play a role in measuring a candidate’s ability to solve problems, apply information, and think critically. The key is administering the assessment at the right point in the interview process.
- Job auditions. Organizations can pay candidates to do a project so they can see the person in action. Think of this like a realistic job preview. Both the company and the candidate would get a real sense of what the employment relationship would be like.
- Casual interviews. This already happens in some industries. Instead of a formal conversation in a stuffy conference room, the job interview takes place over a meal or coffee. It’s a great way to get to know someone. Just be up front and don’t play any tricks on the candidate.
- Virtual reality (VR). I’m not sure how many organizations would make the investment in this type of interview format. I could see it happening in airlines where they already have simulators. Or organizations could do something similar to VR with a game like the “My Marriott Hotel” (which is no longer active, sorry!).
- Video interviews. These are especially helpful when you’re recruiting globally and don’t have the budget to meet face-to-face. However, video interviews aren’t exactly the same as in-person ones, so companies might want to provide some helpful tips to candidates.
As the business world changes, so do our processes. At least they should! And that’s a good thing. Technology is supporting us in ways we could never imagine. This doesn’t mean we have to turn everything upside down. Organizations can effectively manage change and introduce new ways of doing things by integrating a technique (like the ones above) one at a time.
P.S. If you’re looking for some new techniques to add to your talent acquisition process, I hope you’ll check out the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) virtual and in-person seminars. In particular, the one I’m facilitating on “Talent Acquisition: Creating Your Organization’s Strategy”. SHRM is offering a $200 discount on any SHRM seminar registration (except Certification Prep) made between now and February 28, 2018. Just use the code 18SEMALUMSP. And don’t forget the seminar has been pre-approved for SHRM and HRCI recertification credits!
