Hiring is one of the hardest jobs as a franchise owner. The people you bring on board could have a direct impact on your profitability. One bad experience and you could lose a loyal customer. One bad review and you could lose several potential customers.
Perhaps you had an employee leave. Or, perhaps you’re building your staff in preparation for your franchise’s grand opening. In either case, finding the right people to fill your empty positions is a daunting task. To help you find better employees for your franchise, here are three interview tips to keep in mind.
#1. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
Preparation is key to having a good interview. The more you know about the candidate sitting in front of you, the better you can vet him to see if he’s a good fit for your franchise.
There are a few things you can do to ensure you’re well prepared.
- Read his resume closely. Get to know his experience and accomplishments so you have something tangible to ask about during the interview.
- Check out his social media accounts for a glimpse into his life outside the workplace. This can be eye opening and it can give you a few good conversation starters to bring your candidate out of his shell.
- Call a reference. If you require references, call them before your interviewee arrives. This will also give you a few talking points to break the ice.
#2. Plan Your Questions Ahead of Time
Another important step in the preparation process is getting your questions ready before the interview begins.
Interview questions should dig deep. They shouldn’t trigger canned responses but rather invite conversation between yourself and your candidate. This is what will truly help you get to know the person sitting in front of you. Here are a few examples:
- What do you like to do in your free time?
- Tell me about someone you’re proud of.
- Talk about how you’ve grown after a challenging situation.
- What is one of the best lessons you’ve ever learned?
#3. Turn the Tables
Interviews should bring out the details of the job. This is just as much about your candidate figuring out whether he’s a good fit for your franchise as it is about you deciding whether or not to bring him on board.
Turn the tables during the interview and start to do more of the talking. Give your candidate a realistic idea of what it’s like to work in the day-to-day job you’re hiring him for. Doing this will oftentimes bring about more questions and interest than giving the blanket statement, “that’s it for me, do you have any questions?” Set him up to get the insight he needs to know if he’ll enjoy working with your business.
Takeaways
Ultimately, your interview should feel more like a conversation rather than a Q&A session. The more you know about your interviewee, the more you can break the ice and spark a deeper connection up front. This will help you get familiar with the person you’re about to bring on board to represent your business.
