How to conduct a second interview to find the right candidate?
If you thought first interviews were tough, try conducting second interviews.
Second interviews typically involve more work. Reason being, the shortlisted candidates are all knowledgeable and qualified.
So, how do you conduct a second interview to find the ideal candidate?
The first step towards the ideal candidate involves preparing your information.
How to invite candidates to a second interview?
These shortlisted persons usually represent the best talent and therefore, you want to ensure that they are still interested in the position. Secondly, you want to ascertain they are available for second interviewing and have not secured a position elsewhere.
Therefore, a phone conversation is the best professional way to determine availability and invite them to a second interview.
How should you prepare for the second interview?
Being adequately prepared requires a recruitment strategy. Your strategy should involve:
Customising information
You may have to further specify the job description to identify the criteria you’re looking for. Build a more specific profile of your ideal candidate which makes it easy to spot, once they’re in front of you.
Reflecting on the first interview
When preparing for second interviews, make notes for each candidate. Was there something in the first interview that you want them to elaborate on? You can ask some of the same questions again to examine if answers between the first and second interviews match. Discrepancies between their answers may indicate the candidate has not, or is not being truthful.
Asking practical questions
Performing a second round of interviews means going beneath the surface to fully assess a candidate’s value, skills and competency. As such, the questions to ask need to reflect a closer examination of character and capability. This examination works best with behavioural type questions – describing situations specific to the position. From their responses, you can gauge their suitability.
Suggested questions to ask a candidate
Common behavioural questions to ask are usually addressed like:
- “In this job, you will be dealing with demanding customers with even more demanding deadlines, how would you manage that”?
- “How would you go about preparing a presentation to a room full of company directors”?
- “A fellow team member misses the mark and frustrates the customer, who is now angry at you. How would you pacify the situation”?
How to select a candidate?
When customising your information, remember your recruitment strategy should evaluate three criteria – what the candidate says, the specified job description and their resume.
To find the ideal candidate at this stage, they must be who their resume says they are and who the job description requires them to be. Such a match between these three variables is likely your ideal candidate.
Key questions to ask in the second interview
Questions ought to provide insight into what candidates can offer your company. Some of these include:
Career goals
Their professional goals should be in alignment with the company. A suitable question to ask would be, “You said in your last interview that you have these certain career aspirations. Can you elaborate in more detail how you would go about achieving them”?
Handling adversity
Your role as a recruiter is to ensure that the candidate you’re hiring can handle ‘off days’ where unexpected frustrations, stresses, irate personalities or overlapping project timelines are likely. Pay special attention to how the candidate manages stress and complexities? Key questions to ask would be,
- “Within this role, you will be managing multiple projects and speaking with key personnel who require frequent progress updates, how well can you manage that”?
- “Working hours can get very unpredictable around various peak seasons. How do you plan to manage your time successfully around those seasons?
Application of knowledge
Don’t only consider ‘book smart’, but look for applicants whose track record speaks of accomplishments by asking:
- “You will essentially be the brand ambassador for this product and will have to interact professionally with executives, government and media personalities. How do you plan to forge a successful working relationship with these groups”?
- “In this job, you will be required to use updated software to track projects, compile reports and make suitable recommendations. What is your experience in that field”?
Purpose and goals
Candidates ought to be able to communicate how they are going to utilise resources given, to positively impact the company. They should, at this stage, also understand how their position fits into the overall strategic direction, creates revenue or lowers cost for the organisation. Key questions to ask include:
- “What do you plan to achieve within your first one hundred days in this role”?
- Ask them to explain the position to you to gauge their understanding of it. “How do you see your role as being important to the company”?
- “What attracts you to this position”?
- “How do you see yourself making a significant, positive impact on the company by operating in this role”?
What is their brand
It is often cited that your brand is, “what people are saying about you when you’re not around”. Find out your candidate’s brand. What do they think past employers, colleagues and associates are saying about them? You can always cross-reference their answer with that of their references to identify if there is a solid alignment or if a discrepancy exists.
Tips for conducting your second interview
When conducting your second round of interviewing, ensure that you also incorporate the following tips:
- Compare their previous interview with their second performance. Their second interviewing should be of the same standard, if not improved. Do they sound more self-assured and confident, or has their energy and enthusiasm diminished?
- In addition to qualifications and knowledge an ideal candidate should also bring the right work ethic, personality, passion, enthusiasm, willingness to learn and sportsmanship to the table.
- Don’t evaluate or hire based on one performance. Evaluate a candidate from the first discussion to the last to paint a holistic picture.
- At this stage in the interviewing process, you can feel free to discuss salary negotiations.
- Put yourself in the candidate’s shoes to anticipate any questions they may have. That way, you can entertain all their queries with professionalism and ease.
- Do your best to make the candidate feel at ease. Interviews always involve a bit of nervousness.
- Trust your gut instinct. Very often, your instincts tell you a lot about a person’s energy and character.
