27 Jan Preparing To Interview Legal Applicants
You have advertised the current position, completed your short-listing process and are about to conduct interviews. Most solicitors are very busy in their legal work and suddenly interviews are scheduled. What do you ask the applicants and where do you start?
Human Resource experts agree that there are twelve types of information required to showcase and ascertain the applicant’s skills, qualifications and attributes. Below is a brief summary of these twelve requirements:
- Passion . What excites the applicant? What is their ideal career?
- Purpose and Motivation. Why does this applicant wish to work for your company and are they informed on your company’s areas of expertise?
- Skills and Experience. Evaluating the applicant’s key skills and how well they will use them in the work place.
- Professionalism and Diligence. Obtaining information on the diligence and accountability of the applicant taking into account how well they use resources and manage stressful situations.
- Creativity and Leadership. Does the applicant work well in a team and take advantage of opportunities that might otherwise be overlooked? Have they personally initiated improvements?
- Job Compatibility. Does the applicant meet your key criteria as to skills and qualifications for the position advertised?
- Personal Compatibility. Would you work well with the applicant for hours at a time? How would your clients and other staff react with the applicant?
- Style and Interpersonal Skills. What are the applicants preferred style of management? Does this fit well within your practice?
- Problem Solving Ability. Is the applicant practical in applying technical skills and how have they resolved difficult issues in the past?
- Accomplishments. When has the applicant delivered more than was expected – try to obtain information on the positive results obtained. If the applicant was hired, what situations would they handle especially well?
- Career Aspirations. Do you believe the applicant will be with your practice for a short or long term? Are there opportunities within your practice for the applicant to advance?
- Persons Interests and Hobbies. Do they lead a balanced lifestyle? Is there any community work involvement?
During or immediately after the interview write notes and perhaps give the applicant a score. These are essential to refer back to a few days later once you have interviewed a number of applicants.
If you are interviewing more than one applicant, it is essential that you are prepared and ask similar questions. Covering the above key points and taking into consideration presentation, confidence and how prepared the applicants are will greatly assist in obtaining the ideal applicant to fill your legal vacancy.