The Casual Interview
Posted under: General by Joel
Job Interview
Let’s face it. That picture is not your typical interview. Or maybe it is. However, in current times, the interview process changed dramatically. The economy is really low and slowly recovering, and companies who are trying to hire new employees need someone that will become an asset to the company and not a burden.
But how do you know which one is the right candidate for you? Well you call them for an interview. However, that small word… that nine character word. Is the most feared word right now. Why? Because everyone who is looking for a job wants to get the job. So what they do is when they go into the interview they prepare this show to try and blow you away with their characteristics and talents. Some of the employers may be blown away but some find out how desperate is for people to get the job and their performance look terrible. So you think their lying and proceed to tell them you are going to interview more people, or he didn’t got the job, or simply won’t call at all.
So, the person that impressed the employer the most is the one that got the job. However three months in the employer notices that he is struggling. He gave a great performance at the interview process, but forgot a couple of details that would be important to the employer. So now the employer is put in a bad situation because someone needs to be laid off in order to find another candidate that will fit the position. Right there, the interview process didn’t worked or helped the company at all.
I was reading around some business magazines and thinking about how can the employer get a person that is trust-worthy and will be a great asset to the company, but the employer doesn’t want to go through the interview process where he knows that the interviewees are just putting up a show in order to get the job. Well, one alternative is the casual interview. It is understandable that the employer would like to see someone in a professional attire, as well as, his attitude in a professional environment. Those are key elements to run a professional company.
Let me explain what the casual interview means. The casual interview is basically the same interview process the only difference is that is not taken to that straight up meeting in the closed office. In the article I was reading, I found that an employer was looking to hire an executive level position for his company. Instead of going to the whole interview process, the employer decided to go to the employees house to conduct the interview. The employee was surprised at the decision and the employer must have known that in that situation the person would create a show in the house to impress the employer. Instead the interviewee was surprised at the comfortable level that the employer came to the house. Once they are in a comfortable environment, the employer will start picking up their natular attitude and how they work, without the interviewee having to say a single word. The employer then took the idea of asking the person’s wife about him. Such unexpected turn of events can only get you the truth of that person. Utimately this landed the persons job.
How did it worked? You may ask yourself that question. When you think about it, it makes a bit sense. Because in the casual environment you are looking at the person for who he is and not for who he wants to portray. Therefore is a more honest and smooth process to get that perfect candidate that will stay in the years to come.
So next time you are thinking about interviewing someone for your job, whether it would be contract, or permanent position. When the person walks through the office door, why don’t you say: “Let’s grab a coffee” or “Let’s walk”. Taking those elements will give the person a bit more of comformity and he will open up more to you. Have an “ice-breaker”, the person being interviewed is nervous enough, talk different things and get to know the real person behind the mask of the interview process.
I learned a lot from this article, I sure hope that all those who want to interview someone, or find a new employee in these tough economic times can do so as well. Remember that when in an interview process is a show the real person will come in when he or she begins the job. Why don’t choose the right candidate from the beginning?
Tags: Casual Interview · Interview · Job Interivew · Process