Interview Techniques to Achieve the Optimum Result
An effective interview process is a proven method of selecting a company’s broadcast technology leadership team or any leadership or executive position. Cut through the traditional bluster and establish a more efficient way of discovering the opinions, facts, and details that encourage the right decision.
Design the interview to make it easier to determine who best fits the company’s Broadcast Technology leadership team. Because today’s successful leaders are allowed to influence and create bonds with their employees, it is important to start off in the same fashion. The interview should build rapport with each candidate to make them feel comfortable and welcome during the process.
Straight line model – “Skills to Cash”
Ensure you have a clear vision of what you are looking to achieve by bringing on board a new person into your leadership team. Map it from “Skills to cash” as follows….
Where are we going (Plan)?
What SKILLS are required to get us there?
What ACTIVITIES are required to get us there?
What METRICS are we working to in order to ensure we are on-track?
What is the direct ECONOMIC (CASH) impact on the business?
Skills > Activities > Metrics > Cash (Make it clear)
Know the Candidate
Identify the skills and ability required for the position and review the resume. Social media presents an opportunity to learn about possible candidates prior to scheduling an interview. This step saves time by weeding out unlikely prospects who do not fit the skills, training. or mindset for the position. Look for signs of leadership abilities. Every member of the broadcast technology leadership team should want to and have the ability to take charge and lead when necessary.
Ask Pertinent Questions
Refrain from asking repetitious questions that almost every candidate can answer by heart. Not only is it ineffective – its down right boring and predictable!
Measure Communication Skills
A successful leader promotes company guidelines through actions. He or she must speak clearly and understand the vocabulary of the trade. whether discussing procedure with the team or speaking to large groups. Excellent reading skills are essential. Provide a half-page article about equipment used in the company and give the candidate a few minutes to read it. Start a casual conversation to measure the candidate’s skill in explaining the equipment’s process and purpose.
Focus on Goal Orientation and Motivation
This is very difficult to measure, but at the very least you should be asking… Does this person set goals? (Professionally and personally) Does this person achieve goals? How does this person react to situations that are unmitigated? Be direct and look to garner real life examples of whats going on for the individual right now. The absence of real drive and determination to succeed in an individual your looking to bring into a leadership role, is a cast iron guarantee of leaving the growth of your business to chance.
Team Development and Responsibilities
Give the candidate ten minutes to discuss the importance of and ways to enhance team development. Leaders do more than supervise. They take an active role in guiding team members so they grow in technical and leadership skills. Things to note in the response include mentorship programs and team workshops that increase skills and encourage sharing of knowledge.
Close the interview process with a brief recap of company goals, objectives, and vision. Mention the work hours, schedule, and if travel is involved. After the candidate leaves, discuss what was observed or learned during the interview. Match the results to the list of attributes previously designed for the position. If a second interview is needed to select the final candidate, create follow-up questions based on answers that need further information.
Above all, understand the “Straight line” impact (From Skills to Cash) that you want an individual to have on your business, then be direct in assessing if a candidate is really capable of helping you achieve it.
If you want to find out how DTT Broadcast can effectively support you in making business critical hires, schedule a 10 minute Talent Acquisition call here