My daughter just turned 15 years old and will soon go get her driver’s permit. I think this is silly…they should just give her a driver’s license now because she has watch her mother and me drive for 15 years to date. Surely she knows how to drive by now, right?
Does this sound strange to you? Well, sadly, this is the way most companies view training for their supervisors on how to properly interview new job candidates. Most businesses just figure that, by the time you are promoted to supervisor, you have been interviewed for jobs so many times that you must know how to interview others fairly well by now. It just does not work this way.
Think of it as “teaching them to drive”.
· New drivers have to learn something about the rules of the road before they can even sit behind the wheel. Provide instruction to your supervisors on some of the key points first …what they can and cannot ask for instance. Insure they understand the “why” as much as the “how”.
· New drivers need an experienced person in the car with them at first. Pair your new supervisors with experienced and effective interviewers on your staff so that they can see how it is done properly.
· New drivers must pass a test before they get their license to drive alone. Supervisors should pass a similar test with HR reps and experienced interviewers observing them but otherwise allowing them to conduct the entire interview “solo”.
· Even good drivers get into accidents. Hiring mistakes are not something to cover up. Even the great Jack Welch claimed to only have a track record of about 60% on his hiring! If a poor employee slips through with a great interview, the supervisor must be willing to do his job and get rid of the “bad apple”. If he or she does so properly, they can still be considered great “drivers” of your company’s hiring efforts!
· Poor drivers can get people hurt. Poor interviewers can cause a lot of pain in your company ranks. Both hurt and can be deadly!
Follow these simple steps to get your people driving down the road to success!
