
Step 4: Selecting
How do I decide which person is best for the role?
How do I interview the candidates?
‘Interviewing’ the chosen candidates can range from a casual conversation to a formal question-based interview. It's important to consider the kind of person you are looking for, the type of business you run, and the technical/transferrable skills and experience you need to decide on the best selection method.
No matter which method you use, focus on getting to know the person. Utilising whakawhanaungatanga—making and keeping connections—can be a great concept to use during this step and throughout your relationship with the candidate. By focusing on building connections and getting to know each other, the candidate is likely to have an authentic experience and accurate image of your business.
Completing interviews, or having conversations with candidates, can be as casual or formal as you like.
Tip: During interviews, it's important to be aware that not all cultures talk about themselves the same way. Being accommodating and focusing on skills and experience can help make sure you don't discount their abilities. Providing the opportunity for interviewees to have a support person with them can also be valuable.
Interview types
Type
Casual
Semi-Formal
Formal
Description
This can look like meeting up for a cup of coffee and having a conversation with the candidate about their experience and what they can bring to the role.
Specific questions may not be needed if the role doesn’t require much technical skill.
This sits between the casual and formal types. This can look like a more formal conversation with the candidate where some predetermined questions are asked. However, these questions don’t need to be scored or recorded and the conversation can be more flexible to cater to each candidate. This still looks like a conversation in a comfortable space for both you and the candidate.
This can look like a sit down interview in a private room where you ask the candidate a list of set questions, write and record their answers, and score the answers against predefined criteria. This type of interview makes sense for more technical roles in a larger business.
Pros
Short and simple
Can put you and the candidate at ease
Great for roles which don’t need much experience
Great to get to know the personality of the applicant better
Ensures answers which help evaluate a candidate's ability to complete the job
Helps assess candidates as answers can be compared
Can put the candidate at ease as more of a casual approach
Scored approach means it is easier to evaluate candidates against each other
Recorded answers means better memory of what each candidate said
Provides a thorough way of assessing and comparing candidates
Cons
May be too short and informal to fully understand a candidate's qualifications and experience
May not give you an opportunity to ask all the questions you need
Answers may not be remembered as not recorded
As answers are not being scored or recorded it may be hard to remember what each candidate said
Flexible approach may mean each candidate is not asked the same questions making comparison harder
Requires more preparation and effort
More formal approach may not be appropriate for the role or the desired candidates
Can be uncomfortable for candidates who are not used to interviews, meaning a true representation of the person isn’t given
Many industry specific questions have been published online. Such as from;
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Beef + Lamb
Tip: Some questions should not be asked during the interview process as they can be seen as discriminatory. The Employment NZ website here has a list of these questions.
What is psychometric testing?
Psychometric testing is a way to reduce the number of candidates applying for a role and measures a person's ability and personality traits relating to the role. This type of selection method is particularly useful to larger businesses. More information can be found by Hayes Recruitment here and Seek NZ here.
How do I conduct pre-employment trials during an interview process?
It is possible during the interview process to ask the job applicant to perform tasks so you can assess whether they have the skills needed for the job. This is called a pre-employment trial, but it's important to follow proper procedures to ensure it is not considered employment. More information can be found on The Employment NZ website here.