Whoever said life isn't stressful hasn't been stepped into the shoes of a hiring manager. The power to keep personal biases to the side, and to go through the interviewing process patiently and productively all whilst asking the right questions and discerning a candidate's potential can occasionally be a struggle.
After all, as a hiring manager, one of your biggest responsibilities is to conduct an interview effectively to find the right candidates for your company.
Let's be honest. Interview skills training is often overlooked by several organizations. Just interview the candidate and see if they are a good match for the job, right? ... Right! but there is more to that.
Statistics have shown that 62.2% of candidates shared that they received "bad interview vibes" as their top reason for turning down a job offer.
It is crucial that hiring managers receive interviewing skills training in order to become more efficient in attracting top candidates and avoiding bad hires. This blog post will show the five steps of interview training for hiring managers that are easy to follow and improve your organization's efficiency when it comes to recruitment.
What's in this post?
What is interview training for hiring managers?
Interview training is a type of development program that teaches hiring managers how they can conduct effective interviews. The training course includes topics such as appropriate interview question formulation (questions to ask candidates during the interview stage to gain insight into their work ethic and behavior), active listening techniques, bias awareness, and ethical considerations.
Hiring managers will learn to make educated hiring decisions while guaranteeing fair and equal treatment for all candidates via interactive exercises and role-plays showing real-world scenarios. Interview training helps an organization boost the quality of new hires and promote a more inclusive workplace.
It is vital that hiring managers have a clear vision of what traits and skills they are looking for in a candidate in order to make the right choices. Therefore, having hiring criteria that are closely linked to the job-specific abilities and competencies will help hiring managers avoid letting their judgments get in the way of seeing if the candidate is a good culture fit or not.
At the end of the day, if a candidate does not get the job, taking part in an interview training will benefit the company when candidates have gained a positive interview process experience and can pass on a good word to other candidates.
Why do managers require interview training skills?
Not only do candidates need to prepare for interviews; but the management team that conducts the interviews must also be trained to be able to consistently maintain professional standards and scout the best candidates out there.
Taking part in an interviewing skills course is important for managers to begin conducting interviews that result in better hires.
Managers may think that interview training is not a necessity, but it is important to remember the importance of having a mindset for continuous improvement. The more efficient a hiring manager becomes at their job, the more productive they will be, and the less stressful the interview process gets.
Here are some of the reasons why managers require interview training:
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Effective hiring: Hiring managers play a vital role in developing high-performing teams, meaning that the quality of their recruits has a direct influence on a company's overall performance status. Interview skills training helps managers identify who the top candidates are by being able to determine whether they have the necessary skills, behavioral traits, experience, and cultural fit for the company.
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Eliminating bias: Unfortunately, hiring managers are also only human and can let their unconscious biases get in the way of their decision-making. However, with the right interview training courses, hiring managers will be able to quickly recognize and mitigate biases. As a result, managers will be able to attract top talent better when they don't let their personal judgment get in the way. This also helps to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
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Being consistent: Consistency comes when hiring managers assess all candidates fairly through a bias-free approach. It is important for hiring managers to ask each candidate the same set of interview questions and assess them from the same criteria for each job position.
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Legal compliance: Interview training teaches hiring managers to adhere to employment rules and regulations that apply to their location. Interview training also ensures that managers understand and follow all the legal requirements during the employment process which helps to lower the chance of discrimination or other legal concerns arising throughout the recruitment process.
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Improved interviewing skills: Some hiring managers may naturally possess strong interviewing skills. However, every management team could use training to keep them on track with the latest skill requirements. Interview training equips them with the face of any given interview situation (ranging from easy to challenging), and prepares them to overcome each bump in the process smoothly and professionally. It is important for a hiring manager to learn the right communication skills to form a good understanding of each candidate and stay on track.
5-step interview training
The return on investment of a proficiently trained hiring manager is clear and easy to see. This is because the number of top-quality hires goes up, which results in better work quality and efficiency, leading to an overall boost in organizational performance and outcome. A hiring manager who is equipped with all of the skills and knowledge needed to conduct effective interviews is what every organization should prioritize when it comes to training and development.
Below are the five steps interview training skills for hiring managers to spot, and hire the top talents out there.
Establish job skills and competencies
The first step in interview training is the preparation. In order for hiring managers to prepare for an interview, it is a good idea to first identify the job skills and competencies required for success in the role that they are recruiting for.
With that being said, train hiring managers to set up clear and detailed success criteria that explain the job requirements (including the responsibilities and behavioral traits desired for this role). It makes the process much simpler to prepare for if the hiring manager has the information ready at hand. It can help to determine the skills, attributes, and talents to look out for during an interview.
For example, you can train managers to determine what success will look like in a Sales manager. What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) and what can be expected of them? This will help them to approach an interview with more confidence and a more detailed overview of what to look for.
You can read more about the five must-track L&D measurements that will boost organizational success here.
Become aware of body language
Body language is important when it comes to interviews. Hiring managers can use a candidate's body language to get more insight into their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Hiring managers can also be trained to read the nonverbal signs that candidates give off by learning about the many forms of body language, how to interpret them, and how they can use it to their advantage in the recruitment process.
Here are some examples of a candidate's body language for hiring managers to look out for:
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A candidate having their arms folded across their chest and leaning back in their chair often indicates that they are in a defensive position and can notify the hiring manager to take a different approach to the conversation or question asked.
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A candidate with their elbows on the desk and chins in their hands can indicate that they are bored and are not fully invested in the interview. This can notify the hiring manager to ask more insightful questions or change the direction of the interview.
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A candidate that is blinking often can be a sign of nervousness. This can notify the hiring manager to switch up the ease of the conversation to make the candidate feel less anxious.
However, not only is it important for hiring managers to learn about body language when it comes to reading candidates, but hiring managers should also be trained to be aware of their own body language as this can negatively affect the candidate experience.
The hiring manager should also avoid displaying any of the aforementioned points as it can make a candidate feel demotivated and decline to move forward with the interview process. It can also leave a bad impression on the company.
Be sure to train hiring managers to maintain good eye contact, and avoid interrupting the candidates when speaking or making them feel uncomfortable in any way.
Prepare hiring managers to become familiar with different interview structures and tools
To effectively evaluate candidates, there are a range of interview structures that can be used. Ask your hiring managers about their familiarity with the commonly implemented structures and arrange for training to fill any knowledge gaps they have.
These are some of the different types of interview structures:
| Interview Structure | Explanation |
| Structured interviews |
Relies on a set of pre-determined questions and evaluation criteria to ensure consistency that every candidate is assessed the same. This is the standard type of interview.
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| Unstructured interviews |
They are more adaptable and conversational, allowing for a more natural dialogue to flow between the hiring manager and the candidate. This format does not have predetermined questions, which enables the hiring manager to ask candidates the questions that come into their minds during the conversation. |
| Asynchronous interviews |
Entails using modern technology such as AI-powered recruitment platforms to interview and screen numerous candidates at the same time as they send in their pre-recorded video responses. The questions asked in this type of interview are usually pre-determined. |
| Video interviews |
These can be done remotely through video conferencing systems and mimic the frameworks of other interview structures except for the fact that they are virtual rather than in person. |
| Mock interviews |
This is a simulation of a real interview environment that allows candidates to rehearse and receive feedback. It is mainly used for training purposes. |
| Panel interviews |
This entails numerous interviewers interviewing a single applicant at the same time. In this case, the hiring manager can have other members of the management team involved or a supervisor of the job position. |
Prioritise candidate engagement and candidate experience
The candidate's experience is what encompasses all interactions taking place between a firm and the hiring manager throughout the recruiting process. A positive candidate experience, according to a Glassdoor study, can boost the quality of hires and increase the chances of recruiting and retaining top talent.
Therefore, organizations can take various actions to train their hiring managers to ensure that the interview process goes smoothly and efficiently. Some actions including keeping candidates well-informed and engaged throughout the interview process and respecting their time will help boost candidate engagement once they join the company as well.
Train managers to combat biases
Unconscious bias is a partiality or judgment that one has towards or against a specific person or group of people that operates on a subconscious level.
Raising awareness of how our unconscious biases can heavily impact the quality of hires or the number of bad hires is critical. This is particularly important during the recruiting process where situations can lead to discrimination claims and negative candidate experiences.
Moreover, doing so will train hiring managers to recognize and mitigate bias by learning about the different forms of unconscious bias, how it affects the interview process and its outcomes, and how to overcome it.
For hiring managers to overcome unconscious bias, organizations should invest in training managers to expose themselves to various viewpoints and opinions. This can help hiring managers to know what to potentially expect from different candidates and not let personal opinion cloud their decision-making skills.
How does interview training benefit your company?
According to a report by PwC, approximately half of the surveyed candidates decline a job offer due to a negative recruiting experience.
Similarly, a report by Greenhouse revealed that 36% of their respondents agreed that a well-prepared hiring manager is an essential part of a positive candidate experience.
So in short, better-trained hiring managers equals better interviews, which results in:
Better quality hires
When it comes to hiring the right candidate, culture is essential for talent attraction. Great hires that align with the company culture will cultivate higher job satisfaction, better working relationships, and increased retention.
In the case of training, well-trained hiring managers will know how to identify a candidate who is a good fit with the organization's values and motivations. Proficient hiring managers will understand how to sift through the crowd and spot candidates that have the ideal mix of the desired skills and cultural fit
Higher candidate acceptance rates
Your company's interview process has a significant impact on creating a first impression among candidates. Candidates often leave the recruiting process for a variety of reasons, with the most common one being a lengthy wait to receive an interview date.
Organizations with a long and inefficient interview process will face struggles to hire top talent swiftly, which is exacerbated by candidates opting out. Therefore, training hiring managers to be skilled in their hiring responsibilities will win you the talent you seek.
Faster time-to-hire
Time is money, and when it comes to hiring, acting fast while making the right decision is critical. Top candidates are often surrounded by offers waiting to be accepted. Therefore, organizations that are primed to interview them at top speed will come out on top. They have the agility to act quickly and can immediately arrange for an interview, make a well-informed decision, and give an offer if suitable, therefore recruiting their top candidate.
In summary, a shorter time to interview translates immediately into a shorter time to offer and time to hire. Candidates that experience a fast and efficient interview process are less inclined to abandon your process.
More consistency with less bias
Well-trained hiring managers operate consistently when it comes to candidate evaluation. They are consistent in their questioning and ask more rigorous questions as a whole to gain a better understanding of who each candidate is and what they have to offer that will contribute to the company's long-term success. Along with this consistency fomes less bias, opening the path up for more equitable hiring results and a more diverse business environment.
Improved business velocity
It is known that when organizations do not have a large enough pool of hiring managers to depend on for good-quality hires, it often leads to a hiring bottleneck situation and an inefficient interview process.
When faced with a lack of trained hiring managers, companies are forced to push recruitment responsibilities onto the employees. This causes calendar conflicts, which leads to interview slots being piled up and candidate interviews becoming either ignored or pushed out.
As a result of the chaos, your company is more likely to recruit poor-fit hires. However, organizations that have a large pool of qualified and calibrated hiring managers, organizations are better equipped to manage bottlenecks and drive faster hiring efficiency across the board.
Retorio's behavioral intelligence platform provides organizations with a library of high-quality AI-powered training that enables hiring managers to develop skills quickly and efficiently. With role-play simulations that immerse you into realistic workplace situations with different types of candidates, you can train to step into any situation with confidence.
Retorio's training platform offers personalized feedback and personalized learning paths that allow you to learn and master skills at your own pace.
What's more - you can train in an on-demand psychologically safe space that actually works and is easily accessible to you 24/7.
Prepare your people today for what really matters tomorrow. Click on the link below to find out more and get started!
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