3 zombie interviewing techniques to exterminate this Halloween Viewpoint careers advice blog

3 zombie interviewing techniques to exterminate this Halloween In the spirit of Halloween, I have been thinking about the interview techniques which are as dead as the zombies, and could infest your entire hiring process just as quickly. I’m talking about the techniques which are designed to trip the candidate up or make them feel small, from the ghoulish “why don’t you like your current job?” to the ghastly “why shouldn’t we hire you?” Nowadays, candidates have a digital platform on which to air their grievances if they have a bad interview, whether it’s leaving a bad review on Glassdoor, or taking to Twitter to share their #nightmarehorrorstories. Therefore whether you want to hire the candidate or not, their negative experience could come back to haunt your reputation. So which zombie interviewing techniques need to be dead and buried? 1. Asking questions which are all trick and no treat Let’s start off with the questions which are designed to trick the candidate into saying something negative about themselves, for instance: What would your worst enemy say about you? How did you manage to take the time off for this interview? Why don’t you like your current job? What’s the biggest mistake you have made? (coming to this interview probably) As the interviewer, it is your job to make the candidate feel at ease, giving them a platform to talk about the positive aspects of themselves. If you need to understand any negatives, ask directly     and don’t make it the focus of the interview.   Trying to trick them into talking themselves down, won’t provide you with the information you need about their suitability, and will only serve to make them feel uncomfortable. In short, bury this zombie interviewing technique six feet underground. 2. Trying to spook the candidate Some interviewers think it’s a good idea to try and gauge how resilient the candidate is by spooking them with “power play” techniques.  For instance: Talking loudly over the candidate Barely talking at all, leaving long periods of uncomfortable silence on purpose Maintaining a blank expression or “poker face” Power posing- for example sitting back in their chair with fingers laced around the back of their neck or on the table You may think the above tactics will test how thick skinned a candidate is, and that if they can endure the above, they must really want the job. In fact, these interviewing techniques will only give the candidate a bad impression of what it is like to work with you, prompting them to consider their other options. Candidates have a choice of employer, and if you spook them, guess who won’t make the shortlist. 3. Dwelling on a supposed “skeleton in their closet” You will have a clear criteria of what you are looking for in this candidate, which is recommended. But what if this candidate has a “skeleton in their closet” or a shortcoming which goes against this criteria? For example: A skills gap which could be taught on the job A lack of industry experience Seeming too junior for the role Coming from a much smaller/larger company A gap in employment Firstly, dwelling on these “skeletons” during the interview itself, is a waste of both yours and the candidates time. Get the facts about the supposed “skeleton” from the candidate, take notes so you can reflect on it later, and move on to finding out why the candidate is suitable. Secondly, where talented candidates are in short supply, you may need to compromise on your idea of perfect.   You may need to accept that there are certain risks, such as those listed above, which you should be willing to take if the candidate has some more redeeming attributes which actually, you don’t want to miss out on. Use this Halloween as a chance to review your zombie interviewing techniques, and honestly ask yourself, should these tactics be dead and buried by now? The above are of almost zero benefit to your hiring process. Not only do they provide the candidate with a negative interview experience, damaging your reputation as an employer, they also waste time that could be spent using the interviewing techniques which will help you to attract the best talent. Are you currently hiring? Our recruiting and hiring tips and advice will help ensure you find the right person for the job First time interviewing a candidate? Avoid these mistakes Get ahead of the game if you want to snap up the best talent Eight red flags to look out for when interviewing