The Interviews You’re NOT Doing

Picture this, you’re looking to fill a position within your company, and you have a couple great candidates on your calendar, thanks to a super recruiting team. You’ve set up interviews with them all, and you’ve made your decisions. Now you have some all-star employees, and you send them on their way to orientation. You may think the interviewing process is over but don’t be fooled, it’s not.

30/60/90 day Check in’s

We’ve said it before, but we will say it again: ONBOARDING IS CRITICAL DURING THE HIRING PROCESS. With every new hire, you should be checking in with your employees for the first three months. With a proper onboarding process, employees will reach full potential 34% faster than companies without one. Touching base with your new employee can help you find weak links in your training or procedures. It will also set up your employees to be successful because it sets up a clear line of communication and helps build your relationship with the people who are making your company stay afloat.

1-on-1

For small and midsize companies, it’s easy to make time for your employees, you just have to schedule it in. Every quarter of the year you should schedule 1-on-1 meetings between you and your employees. A meeting once a year to check out performance simply isn’t enough. If you have an employee who is making a mistake for an entire year before it is rectified, you have set yourself back 365 days. However, if employees are given the proper chance to ask questions and give suggestions every 3 months, the company will suffer less severe consequences.

Exit Interviews

If you lose an employee, this interview is imperative to moving forward with the company. Replacing someone can cost a company around 20% of that position’s salary.  This interview can uncover where there are shortcomings in the company. Here are some questions you should ask:

  1. What are the reasons you took another job? This is a way to discover what similar companies are offering that your company is not.
  2.  Were there any points in your employment that you feel like you were undervalued? This can help identify if there is a problem with communication or upper management.
  3. Do you think you have been working the position you were hired for? Asking this question can help you discover your actual needs for your next hire, which could be a change in title and responsibilities.
  4. Do you feel like you reached the level of success you wanted to within this company? You should be aware if promotions, raises, bonuses, or acknowledgement were promised, but not given.
  5. Do you think you were successfully onboarded and trained? If you have a semi-recent hire who is leaving, onboarding or training is likely to be the culprit if they felt like they were set up to fail.
  6. What are some suggestions you have for improving the department? Employee feedback is invaluable. If your business cannot afford turnover, it’s imperative that you do what you can to prevent it, and sometimes the issues are bigger than just a position.

 

Take the Time

There will never be a bad time to set up an interview. The difference between a meeting and an interview is how much time you spend speaking. These three examples are meant for you to ask questions and get meaningful feedback, not to express your personal opinions about what’s going on in the company. Give your employees a time and a place to talk. A heard employee is a valued employee, and a valued employee is more likely to stay than an employee who is not heard.