PERSONNEL behavior and achievement . These interviews can run from 60 to 90 minutes . The “ Who ” method of interviewing , which involves an indepth chronological walkthrough of the candidate ’ s academic and career journey , is ideal at this stage .
The purpose of the Who interview is to develop a well-reasoned view of patterns of behavior . Has this candidate found a way to be successful at every step in their academic and career journey ? Have they had relationship problems with their former colleagues ? Do they tend to assign blame to others in instances when goals haven ’ t been met ?
If more than one person from your company is interviewing candidates at this stage , compare questions before any meeting . A second interviewer should not be asking the same set of questions as the first ; their focus should be on developing further questions that identify the patterns discussed above . Use the scorecard you developed at the start of the process .
Depending on the nature of the position and your industry , a technical interview or case study might help the process . This should be relevant to the role and designed to assess technical skills or understand how the candidate ’ s vision for the role or outcomes align with your definition of success . Be very selective about who you move to this step from the Who interview ; only ask candidates whom you and other interviewers have determined are likely to be successful in the role , using this step to validate that decision ( rather than a way to make that determination ).
To make your decision on a candidate , combine data gleaned through the interview process with other objective data points , such as performance on the technical interview or case study . Others can include the pace or frequency of prior promotions , if they ’ ve been recruited by former colleagues to new companies or positions , any quantitative scores from prior performance evaluations , or college or graduate school GPAs .
After you ’ ve selected the candidate you want to hire , engage your broader team to confirm cultural fit . Focus on employees who will be working directly with the new hire and have them meet with the candidate in one-on-one or two-on-one informal interviews , maybe over coffee or lunch . Your team members should use this time to assess cultural and personal fit . Is everyone excited to work with this candidate ? Do they seem interested and excited to work with the rest of the team ? Are there any personality “ red flags ” that arise in the less formal setting ?
Reference calls
After you ’ ve extended an offer and the candidate has accepted , take one more step to validate your decision : reference calls . This shouldn ’ t be a surprise to the candidate ; you should let them know in earlier interviews that this is part of your process and ask them
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to confirm they ’ re able and willing to provide references . Don ’ t skip this step just because you ’ re eager for the candidate to start . References can corroborate the patterns of behavior you ’ ve come to learn about your new hire during interviews . Ask questions like those you asked the candidate in interviews to see how closely their answers align with their references ’ answers .
While this process can feel lengthy and requires significant effort , it ’ s easier than replacing people when new hires turn out not to be a good fit . Your goal through any recruitment process should not be to complete the interviews as quickly as possible , or to extend an offer to the “ best interviewer .” Remember , your goal is to ensure to the greatest extent possible that your chosen candidate is successful and is a win-win opportunity for you both . A thoughtful and in-depth process allows you to confirm this fit , rather than relying on intuition .
Cole Jackson is senior vice president , portfolio acceleration at Montage Partners . He collaborates with the firm ’ s portfolio company management teams to establish and execute each company ’ s growth strategy . Previously , Jackson was a senior manager at Accenture Strategy , where he worked with clients across industries to improve operations and develop and implement new operating models . Jackson holds a bachelor ’ s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Oklahoma and a master ’ s degree in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University .
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