Niche Recruitment

Posted by Niche Recruitment
4th September 2024

Maximising Staff Retention Through Effective Interviewing: A Guide for Hiring Managers

Effective interviewing is just the first step in hiring the right talent. The real challenge lies in retaining that talent long-term. High employee turnover is costly. Expenses, loss of knowledge within the business, impact on morale – the list goes on.

Interviews should assess a candidate’s suitability for the role and set the stage for a positive employment experience. One of the most effective ways to maximise staff retention, making sure hiring managers within your business know how to interview effectively should be top of your priority list.

BEFORE AN INTERVIEW

First impressions count. When was the last time you conducted an interview or had interview training? Leaving a positive impression that lasts could be a deciding factor for candidates should a job offer be extended later in the process.

Know the scope of the role you’re hiring for
What are the role requirements, goals, and objectives? How does this position fit within the wider team and at company level? This will help you assess applicants against your criteria and gives you a foundation to work from when setting expectations of the role and responsibilities during the interview.

Identify your dealbreakers
Be clear about your non-negotiables – salary range, essential skills and experience.

Thoroughly review the candidate’s CV
Preparation is key and shows respect for the candidate’s time. You’ll also be able to ask tailored questions to make an informed decision when progressing or regretting a candidate.

Prepare open questions
Know what you want to learn from each candidate prior to interviewing and develop questions specific to the role to give you deeper insights. Rather than ‘What are your strengths and weaknesses?’, you could consider ‘What skills do you want to develop in your next role?’.

DURING AN INTERVIEW

Now you’ve done your pre-interview preparations, it’s time to conduct a professional interview. Using your tailored questions, you should feel well-informed about a candidate’s suitability for the position once you’ve interviewed them.

Be clear on the recruitment process
How many stages of interviews will you be conducting? How long do you expect the process to take? When would you like someone to start in this position? Clearly outlining the steps gives the candidates transparency throughout the process.

Set the scene
Candidates should leave the interview with a clear understanding of what the role entails and what is expected of them. This should include responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities.

Engage with the candidate
An interview is a two-way process. You’re assessing the candidate’s suitability and they’re assessing you too! Be prepared to answer any questions they have during the interview.

AFTER AN INTERVIEW

Block time to debrief
Give yourself time after each interview to write down your thoughts while the conversations are still fresh in your mind. Your notes will be useful to refer back to when deciding which candidates to progress to the next stage.  

Be timely in your response
Most interviewees will expect a slight delay in receiving feedback due to ongoing interviews for the role. But, you run the risk of losing out on your preferred candidate if you leave it too long.

ONBOARDING

Have a clear plan
Map out what the first day, week and month in the role will look like. Having clear expectations outlined from day one and a thorough training plan is fundamental to a successful onboarding process and contributes to employee retention.

Interviewing effectively is the first step in ensuring that the right person joins your team and stays with the company long-term. Preparing thoroughly, asking the right questions and providing a positive candidate experience can significantly improve your hiring success and retention rates.

A good hire isn’t just someone who can do the job, it’s someone who will thrive and grow within your company over time.


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