Missed Opportunity: How Unprepared Hiring Managers Lose Top Talent

04 Nov Missed Opportunity: How Unprepared Hiring Managers Lose Top Talent

I recently spoke with a candidate who attended an interview only to find the hiring manager was completely unprepared. He was blindsided by the interview itself, didn’t know much about the company’s larger picture, and couldn’t answer basic questions about future opportunities within the organization. This was frustrating for the candidate and, quite frankly, an unfortunate missed opportunity for the company.

Hiring managers, this isn’t a one-way street. You need to come prepared too, especially when you’re vying for the best talent in a competitive market.

Taking the time to prepare sends a strong message about your leadership, the team, and the company.

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 7️⃣ 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰:

👓𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 – Don’t skim it on your way to the meeting. Review the candidate’s experience and craft thoughtful questions that align with their background.

🔭𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲’𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 – Candidates are looking for long-term opportunities. Be ready to discuss the bigger picture, including potential growth, expansion, or internal transfers.

🗣️𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 – Speak with other team members or leadership about the role and how the candidate could fit into the broader strategy.
Consistency is key.

📃𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 – Be able to clearly articulate what success looks like in this role, and why the position is critical to the team’s success.

💁🏼‍♂️𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲’𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 – Candidates want to know what it’s like to work with you. Be prepared to share insights about team dynamics and what makes your workplace unique.

💬𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨-𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 – An interview is a conversation, not an interrogation. Be ready to answer their questions with as much thought as you’d expect from them.

🤔𝐃𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩 – This isn’t something you rush through. Spend at least 30 minutes preparing, reviewing the candidate’s details, and considering how the role aligns with the company’s goals.

𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞: You’re not just interviewing a candidate; they’re evaluating you and the company too. Be prepared, be informed, and show up with the same enthusiasm you expect from them.