HR Answers: 6 Ways to Avoid Stuffy Interviews

Interviews are one of the best ways to get to know a candidate before they join your credit union team. But let’s face it—interviewing really isn’t fun for either side of the table, and it tends to put people on edge. Everyone wants to put their best foot forward; the candidate wants to impress you, and you want to impress the candidate, especially if they seem like a winning fit for your credit union. But that pressure is exactly what leads to nervous energy, a sudden bout of social awkwardness or even a loss for words. Given the stakes, interviews can end up being a bit stuffy.

Here are six ways to make your interviews memorable, in a good way!

1. Use Humor … Appropriately

Humor is a great way to lighten the mood and make the interview more enjoyable for both you and the candidate. However, it’s important to use humor in a respectful and appropriate way. Don’t make jokes at anyone’s expense. Keep it safe for work. The idea here is to simply set everyone at ease, find common ground and use humor to build rapport so that the conversation is more effective.

2. Ask Unique Questions

Most job candidates have answered the same tired, boring questions many times. Make your interview stand out by asking some unique and unexpected questions. For example, you could ask, “If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?” or “If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring 3 things, what would they be?” These questions can reveal a bit about your candidate’s personality and may make for a more engaging conversation.

3. Have a Great Set of Behavioral Interview Questions for Each Role

Behavioral interview questions can tell recruiters or managers how candidates handled a situation in the past to help predict future behavior. For example, “Tell me about a time a member misunderstood you.” This prompt offers insight into how they managed a situation that could happen in the job and what they learned from it. Best of all, you can ask follow-up questions based on their answer, especially if the story seems vague or there are holes or red flags.

You want the interview to be comfortable, but that doesn’t mean it should be easy or that you shouldn’t try to get as much information as possible to make a hiring decision. A-players will step up to the challenge.

4. Let Personality Insight Be Your Guide

The Omnia Assessment is a great tool for conducting follow-up interviews. You can delve into what the assessment shows as your candidates’ innate strengths and challenges. Also, it gives you a way to evaluate your initial thoughts and concerns from the first interview. Does the report highlight some of the issues you think you saw? Maybe it highlights something you didn’t see but need to consider. For example, individuals with high social confidence might not have the assertive drive you need in a revenue-producing role. But in an interview, social confidence can look a lot like assertiveness. That’s why an objective behavioral assessment tool is a great way to evaluate multiple sides of an individual.

Of course, assessment reports can be used at any stage of the interview process based on your organization’s selection methods. If you don’t do two interviews, then you may opt to use the tool as a pre-screen. The key is to use them consistently. Best of all, assessments can be used beyond selection as they provide a guide to your new employee’s workplace preferences and motivators. 

5. Offer Drinks

Everyone gets parched, right? Especially when they’re nervous. Offering your candidate something to drink can help make them more comfortable. Plus, it’s a nice gesture that shows you care about their well-being. Again, keep it work-appropriate—not cocktails, but water, coffee, juice, soda … the basics.

6. Follow Up With a Thank-You Note

This is another simple gesture that goes a long way. Today, hiring all about the candidate experience, and you want to show them your credit union has a people-centric culture. A note is a great way to leave a lasting impression and show that you appreciated their time and effort.

It never hurts to show your credit union’s personality during the selection process. You want people who can not only do the job but who will also fit into your organization’s culture. Interviews are your chance to show who you are as much as they are to learn who the candidate is.

So, there they are—six ways to conduct an effective interview that is also interesting, engaging and possibly even fun. Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments. Interviews are serious business, but they don’t have to be stuffy.

Wendy Sheaffer is chief product officer at CUES Supplier member The Omnia Group, an employee assessment firm providing the power of behavioral insight to help organizations make successful hires and develop exceptional employees. Sheaffer is a subject matter expert in using Omnia’s eight columns as a tool to make informed hiring and development decisions and effectively engage staff. She works directly with clients and Omnia staff to provide a deeper understanding of how to use personality data to meet business goals. For more information, visit us at www.OmniaGroup.com, email info@omniagroup.com  or call 800.525.7117.