Establishing Trust: Turning Interviews Into Conversations

There are some obvious things that all recruiters bring up during the interview process. We all want to know about a person’s experience and skills, and it is also common to try and gauge how well they will fit into the company’s culture. However, all of this information can be gained while engaging in casual conversation. In fact, casual conversation is the best way to engage potential future employees.

How might you strike a conversation during an interview? The first step really is to stop narrowly viewing the situation as an interview. This is a person who has come to speak with you, and while the subject is mainly the job position, you want the recruiter to trust you as a person so that they can relax and be open with you. Trust is always the key; this is the only way you will truly discover key talent for your company.

Candidates should not only see a recruiter as a human who cares about career goals and future aspirations; these things, after all, are mostly all listed on a candidate’s resume. It is always important to impart the benefits as well as the challenges a candidate will face while on the job, since this will likely give you insight as to how well they believe they can handle certain pressures.

Keep things Casual

While the standard for interviews usually relies on simply questions and answers, this is sometimes also the easiest way to make your candidate uncomfortable. If a candidate feels as if they cannot discuss anything besides the questions asked, it can come off as an interrogation. Also, pay attention to where the interviews take place. Is the environment inviting? Will your candidate be in a quiet, comfortable space?

During the time you being asking questions, try to start off with the lighter ones. This is a good way to keep the conversation casual. Afterwards, ease gradually into the more detailed questions. By this time, your candidate will have opened up a bit, and this is what will allow them to slide into deeper discussion. In the end, this will leave them feeling substantially more positive about you and the company overall.

Transparency above all else

It is important to keep things casual, but it is also important to be honest and upfront about what candidates will experience should they be hired. You should make them aware of what the job includes in detail, along with what each stage of the hiring process looks like. Not telling them these things can cause some major issues, and cause the loss of some very talented employees.

This means you will have to be prepared to answer their questions just as much as they prepared to answer yours. Full, detailed responses from you will also instill trust. The recruitment consultant does care about those they interview, but it is something that needs to be shown by example. Do your upmost to make it clear to interviewees that their success will benefit the entire company. When you meet them, therefore, always aim to have a conversation and build rapport.

F. Aldea is Marketing communications consultant at Linked agency, an Ireland-based advertising consumer experience consultancy that improves agencies in the Ireland generate excellent client experiences.