Thursday 11 June 2015

Tick Tock! The Right Time for Interviews

At a job interview:
"What are your strengths?"
"I'm an optimist and a positive thinker."
"Can you give me an example?"
"Yes. When do I start?"

Timing. Good comedians wouldn't be without it.

The importance of good timing spans more than a good stand up routine though.

Feedback from our candidates regarding the timing of interviews is an issue that seems to be coming up more and more in recent months. The traditional idea that job seekers should be prepared to take time out of work to interview if they are serious about a role holds some truth -however, if they're an outstanding candidate, with more options they'll have to choose far more carefully who they do or don't meet - especially if the interview has to be in work hours.

Firms who are serious about recruiting need to provide far more flexibility for out of hours interview slots. One Head of Business Development at a Global legal firm recently commented "We’ve realised we’ve got to make it as easy as possible for good candidates to come to us; we needed to be far more accommodating." He continues, "By giving far more options for interview times it shows our potential employee we value them, we want them as much as they want us - and we're prepared to go the extra mile to get them on board". 

By creating an 8am or 6pm interview slot, we're seeing first hand that professional services firms are profiting from this kind of approach. Feedback from our candidates says they need a better range of times for their interviews and are choosing who they interview or don't interview with very carefully as a result. Once again, this can mean competitive advantage for the firm that has a more progressive approach to the recruitment process.

Maybe firms who offer a wider range of interview slots might be having the last laugh after all...

Colette Norfolk