… and the candidate is your customer!
I recently received a thank you message from the Senior Manager of a client company. He had just signed some new business as a result of an interview which occurred months earlier. The short story is this; A candidate applied for a mid-level Customer Support position. After reviewing the job requirements and candidate qualifications, it wasn’t the right fit. Fast forward a couple of weeks and the candidate, now employed by a different company, remembered the positive experience and what he learned about the company during the interview process. He is now the new customer.
Now, that may not happen every day, but the message is pretty clear. Interviews present a great opportunity to showcase your company. Even if the candidate isn’t right, you are giving an them an impression of the company. If you consider how you would prepare for a visit from a prospective customer, you may want to think of an interview in a similar way.
Here are some things to consider –
Prepare for the interview. Just as you would prepare for a customer. Know what the customer needs and the benefits of your product. In this case, read the resume, review the job description and consider the benefits. Know what you want to ask the candidate and what information you want to share about your company.
Love what you do? Express your enthusiasm to the candidate. The candidate wants to find a job where he will be happy and engaged and working with people who feel the same way. Help the candidate to see the perks of the product, or in this case working for your company.
Share your knowledge of the product. That’s the selling part. Candidates interviewing for positions with your company are likely to be in the same or similar industry. Whether they are hired or not, they are potential customers.
At the end of your interview, you should consider whether you have accomplished your goals. So, time to close the sale. Have you answered all questions, shown the best side of your company, and made the benefits of your company come across loud and clear? If so, job well done!
