Often times when you are a business owner you are stuck in a rut. This is something I was thinking about while attending one of the business conferences. You get so used to doing the same thing, (because that is how it has always been done) you try to reject new ways of doing things. One of the major things we are constantly arguing with our business coaching clients about the benefits of doing a group interview. Before you stop reading hear me out. How much time do you waste each week interviewing for a position you need to fill? How often are you left in a bind at your business because someone quit unexpectedly, you had to let them go, or worse you are putting up with nonsense because you don’t have a replacement?
Okay, list out all the things you do for an opening in your business, I’ll help! You have to write or update the job description for the position you are hiring for. You have to post the position on websites that reaches your target employee, (we recommend Indeed). Then resumes start coming in. You have to read over them. You call references. You then call the applicant to set up an interview time. You block and hour out of your day for the interview and wait, and wait, and wait, and wait they never show. So how much time did it take you to do each of these tasks for one or two applicants that never bothered to show up?
Now had you done this in a group interview process here’s how it would have gone. You have to write or update the job description for the position you are hiring for. You have to post the position on websites that reaches your target employee, (we recommend Indeed), also, LEAVE THE AD RUNNING! Then resumes start coming in. Instead of scheduling an individual time for each applicant you tell them all to be at the same place at the same time. You block out 1 hour for all applicants. Instead of wasting your time with one person that doesn’t show up, or is not going to be a good fit for your team, you have the opportunity to meet with multiple people who meet your qualifications. Here is the real key to group interviews though, you have to keep doing them, even when you don’t need people. Yes, you read that right, even when you don’t need anyone. This is going to keep a consistent flow of employees coming into your business and you can pick and choose the ones that are a good fit for your business. If you don’t have openings at the time you just tell them, we will reach out as soon as we have openings. If no one shows up then you wasted 1 hour of your week, that’s it!
This is another thing we tend to get push back on as coaches, hiring for the character instead of skill set. Yes I know this sounds odd, but there are multiple benefits to this as well. You are going to get a high character employee, one that will be on time to work each day, a person who will do all things expected with enthusiasm, yes you have to train them but then they are going to be an even better employee due to not having bad habits, or being uncoachable, they will also be more appreciative of you as a boss! This works unless you are hiring for a position that requires years of training or a specific license this will work for your business too!
Everyone at The Thrivetime Show is hired via a group interview. Everyone at The Thrivetime Show is a high character person, most didn’t have the skills we do now when we began. We were trained to do the jobs needed and as we were promoted we were trained further. This is how you get high-quality employees who are not going to let you down, and if they do you always have more waiting because you are always doing a group interview. For more information about group interviews and hiring for a character check out this business podcast from The Thrivetime Show https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/business-podcasts/set-weekly-group-interview-process/
