Candidates are savvier than ever and in a competitive market for top talent it’s important to be as prepared as possible to conduct a thorough, well thought out interview.

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1. If you’re having a bad day, leave it at the door.

It’s important for the candidate to feel some sort of connection with the person they could be spending 40+ hours a week with. If you’ve just received bad news, aren’t in the mood to interview, or have a to-do list a mile long don’t bring this to the interview. Your “A” game needs to be in the interview.

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2: Discuss the compelling reasons why a candidate would want this job

Just as you’re interviewing the candidate, the candidate is also interviewing you and your company. Most are looking for tangible reasons to take a new job, which could be adding a skill to their resume, flexibility, a growing company, a stable company, a step up in responsibilities. When discussing the role and your company, be sure to weave some of the plusses of the position into the conversation.

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3: Keep the process moving!

The interview process is one way that a prospective candidate is assessing your decision-making skills. If the process drags on and there is too much lag time between interviews, it is human nature for interest to wane. It’s also important to limit the number of steps in the process before an offer is made. Only have key stakeholders involved as it’s very difficult to get a unanimous decision the more people are involved.

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4: Maintain communication between offer acceptance and start date.

This is the time that a counteroffer will happen, so it’s important to keep the communication going after the acceptance. The candidate is still in the “old camp” and although they’re excited about their new job it could also be a difficult time to leave well respected colleagues behind. Meet for coffee or lunch, check in with a quick call to discuss projects they will be diving into during the first 30 days or to ask if they have any additional questions about on boarding. STAY IN TOUCH!