Hiring managers, do this for guaranteed interview success.

In today's dynamic talent landscape, the interview process is more than just a formality; it's a critical touchpoint that can make or break your hiring success. For hiring managers, refining this process isn't just about finding a warm body to fill a role, but about strategically identifying high performers who will drive your team and business forward. Poor hiring decisions and inefficient interview processes can lead to significant costs and missed opportunities.

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Interview Workbook

Are you asking the right interview questions? Our free workbook helps streamline job interviews and suggests insightful behavioural questions to assess the candidate's ability to thrive as part of a high-performing team.

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Here are some sobering statistics: Up to 74% of companies admit to hiring the wrong person for a role, with some reports indicating this can cost a business up to 2.5 times the employee's salary. In Australia, 10% of employee turnover is directly attributed to poor hiring decisions. Beyond the financial hit, many HR Managers report how a bad hire can plummet team morale (23% of HR managers), affect performance, and significantly decrease productivity (55% of HR managers).

Oh, but there’s more. 

Let’s not forget that the candidate experience also plays a pivotal role. A staggering percentage of job seekers, with figures around 60%, abandon applications due to length or complexity and over half of candidates have turned down job offers due to a poor candidate experience.

So, how can you, as a hiring manager, navigate these challenges and transform your interview process into a powerful tool for success?

Mastering the job interview: Your guide to smarter hiring

Building a robust interview framework

A structured, well-thought-out approach is a non-negotiable.

Just as Aquent Australia's Candidate Interview Workbook emphasises, a streamlined evaluation process is key to identifying the right talent—and avoiding losing top candidates along the way. (Remember how we said 60% of candidates drop out of lengthy or complex interview processes?)

Here's how to elevate your interviewing game:

1. Define your ideal candidate and role impact: Before you even begin, clarify the job description, the desired impact of the role, and how it aligns with your company culture. This foundational step, as highlighted in our Interview Workbook, ensures everyone on the hiring team is aligned on what success looks like.

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2. Focus on high-performance behaviours: Beyond technical skills, delve into behaviours that signify high performance. Our Interview Workbook's focus on “8 behaviours of high performance teams” from their Talent Insights Report offers a valuable framework. Develop questions that uncover these traits, moving beyond generic queries to truly reveal insights about the candidate. For example, instead of “Tell me about yourself,” ask behavioural questions like“Describe a time you faced a significant challenge at work and how you overcame it.”
3. Master the art of questioning: Interview questions should be strategic. Utilise a mix of behavioural, situational, and competency-based questions. Prepare open-ended questions that encourage detailed responses and actively listen for specific examples. This structured approach helps in obtaining consistent, comparable information from all candidates.

4. Streamline candidate comparison and feedback: One of the biggest pitfalls in interviewing is inconsistent evaluation. Implement tools or systems to capture questions, feedback, and ratings consistently across all interviewers. This provides a high-level overview of each candidate and facilitates objective comparisons. This reduces the risk of unconscious bias and ensures that decisions are based on merit.

Enhancing the candidate experience

A positive candidate experience is no longer a luxury; it's a necessity. It impacts your employer brand and your ability to attract top talent.

• Communicate clearly and consistently: Lack of communication is a major pain point for candidates; 63% are dissatisfied with communication from most employers. Make a point to keep candidates informed at every stage, provide clear timelines, and prompt responses. Even a simple automated“thank you” after application is crucial, as only 58% of candidates receive one.

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• Respect candidate time: Long wait times between interviews and slow decision-making processes lead to candidate drop-off. Two of the top three reasons candidates withdraw globally are “My time was disrespected during the interview process” and “The recruiting process took too long”. Aim for efficiency and provide clear next steps.
• Provide meaningful feedback: Did you know only 7% of candidates receive a phone call about a rejection? Offering thoughtful feedback, even to unsuccessful candidates, can leave them with a positive impression and can make them more likely to consider your company for future opportunities.

By adopting a more structured, candidate-centric approach to interviewing, hiring managers can not only mitigate the substantial risks of bad hires but also build stronger and more productive high-performing teams. 

Investing in and reviewing your interview process is an investment in your company's future success that too many overlook, so pay attention and stay ahead of your competitors.

If you’d like to have a chat about your company’s hiring process, feel free to reach out to anyone on our experienced team.

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