There are a lot of moving parts and people involved in the hiring process and at times, it can feel like a circus act. Here are a few tips to ensure your next performance is a crowd pleaser.

Be the Perfect Ringmaster

One of the most important (and fun!) jobs at the circus is that of the Ringmaster. He is that eloquent, charismatic gentleman who guides the performers, and who entertains the crowd.
Take a few pages from his book. Go the extra mile to make your potential team member feel appreciated, respected, and like a peer. Put yourself in their shoes and be relaxed, warm, and welcoming. Be open, honest, and have a real conversation with them. Don’t spit out your questions in an impatient, rapid fire manner. Remember, you’re the ringmaster, not the human cannonball.

Bring in the Clowns

Not literally, but do bring humor into your hiring practices. Not only will it lighten your load by bringing a bit of fun into this very necessary process, but this will also provide you the opportunity to see some of a potential coworker’s likeableness.

Clean, light-hearted humor is a sign of intelligence, empathy, and the ability to connect. Forbes advises looking for humor in a prospective employee stating, “You want to look for someone who can read a room and find ways to connect on a personal level. The ability to quickly connect with and reassure others is vital to working with clients, prospects, and fellow team members.”

Find a Great Balancing Act

Of course, you want to find someone who can do the job, but your search should go deeper than that. Look for someone whose personality works well with the staff, and with the position you need them for. Do look at their skills, but don’t stop there. An excellent candidate is someone who is not only qualified but dependable, curious, cooperative, at ease in high-pressure situations, and personable. In other words, you are looking for a great high-wire act who has amazing balance.

The Wow Factor

Every excellent circus has plenty of the WOW factor. Bring a little zing and surprise to the job interview. Ask unexpected, thought-provoking questions. A hiring manager’s guide suggests you ask interviewees how they feel the company could benefit them. Another question could be to ask them if they were to ever quit, what do they think the reason would be. WOW! Bring the unexpected!

About NextGen

NextGen is the brainchild of longtime telecom professionals with nearly 50 years of experience and millions of dollars in Telecom Recruiting Services. We focus on establishing long term relationships with our clients and candidates so we can recruit the best and the brightest in the telecom industry. This ‘quality over quantity’ approach is at the heart of everything we do and has resulted in successful job placements at Fortune 1000 firms worldwide.