Hiring can be a slow process – but it doesn’t have to be. HR manager Kaitlyn Annaert says speed interviews can save you time while showcasing your company to candidates.
“They’re fun and they give people a sense of what we’re about,” says Annaert, “innovative and always trying new things.”
Annaert heads up the HR department at Voices.com. She says the Ontario-based company created speed interview events as a way to meet a lot of candidates quickly while cutting down on recruitment time.
Voices.com’s speed interviews are more like networking events than traditional interviews – qualified candidates who have previously applied for a position within the organization are invited to attend an event then given a number on arrival.
When their number is called, they begin the first of four interviews. Each interview lasts only five minutes before a chime sounds, signalling the applicant to move on to the next interview station. The system lets applicants meet the four key influencers from the team while exploring the office environment and talking to current employees.
“When candidates visit the office they can take a look around while they wait, speak to employees who work here, ask them whatever they want,” reveals Annaert. “We get a good feel for them and they get a good feel for us.”
Each interview station is manned by different members of the team who ask a series of questions based on a set theme, eliminating any chance that a candidate could be asked the same question time and time again.
In the Globe and Mail, David Ciccarelli, founder and CEO of Voices.com, revealed the four interview themes as well as the questions candidates could be faced with.
1. Introduction
– Tell me about your job search up until now. How has it been going, and what have your experiences been like?
– Tell me what criteria you’re using in selecting your next company or position. What’s really important to you?
2. Climbing the ladder
– What has been your most creative achievement at work?
– From a relationship standpoint with your boss, what’s the key factor in keeping you from reaching the next rung on the ladder?
3. Compatibility
– How would you describe “professional behaviour” in the workplace?
– Tell me about your last performance appraisal. In what area were you most disappointed?
4. Wrap up
– Have you had a chance to meet some of the other candidates? Who would you say is the strongest candidate here?
Once the individual interviews are over, Voices.com offers applicants some light refreshments as well as a guided tour of the office. It’s the ideal way for the candidates to find out if the company is right for them, as well as the other way around, says Annaert.
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