Can Team Interviews Improve Teamwork in the Workplace?

The traditional interview consists of a boss or HR manager speaking one-on-one with a job candidate. While this method has been used throughout history, if you are looking to improve teamwork in the workplace and create rock star results for your department, it's time to consider using a team interviewing process.

Yes, facing a room full of people can be daunting for a potential hire. It's scary enough going into an interview with one other person and now you want them to talk to 5? However, meeting the other employees and having them meet the candidate can improve your hiring decisions and strengthen your team for the future.

Marvelless Mark® reminds his clients that when rock stars need to replace someone in the band, the decision is often made as a group. After all, everyone has to work with this person, so why wouldn't they get a say in who joins the group? Your business is no different. Your employees will spend 8-10 hours a day working with whoever gets hired, wouldn't you want it to be someone they like?

The Benefits of a Team Interview

You or your HR manager may be a good judge of character, but there are a variety of benefits to having more people involved in the decision. The interviewing team will be able to assess the following questions during the process:

1) Are they a good cultural fit for the department? Workplace culture is incredibly important and finding someone with a similar mindset as your existing team will ensure a more seamless process.

2) Do they have the personality necessary? Skills and experience are important, but your employees are on the front line and know the personality and characteristics necessary to do the job.

3) Are they capable of collaborating on projects? Most companies don't have employees working as solo artists. Daily activities, as well as special projects, require that employees help each other and work as a team.

Tips for Conducting a Team Interview

Like anything else, when done properly, a team interview can be a positive way of hiring. When done wrong... it can be a disaster. Here are some tips on how to successfully include your team in the hiring decision.

1) Consider starting out with one-on-one interviews. Your employees are busy and have their own jobs to do. Potential hires should be vetted before they reach the group interview. Do they meet all of the qualifications? Present well? Show up on time?

2) Inform job candidates of the process so they don't walk into the situation and feel blindsided. Let them know that they will be meeting some of the other employees and explain your objectives in this process.

3) Inform your hiring team of what the job responsibilities are and what you are looking for in a new hire. They should be well versed in the role being filled and its requirements.

4) Create a structure for your hiring team so they know when it's their turn to speak and what they need to ask. Also educate them on what not to ask to prevent any legal nightmares.

5) Let your hiring team know how the final decision will be made so there is no confusion or hard feelings later on. Will you be making the decision based off of their feedback? Will they be voting?

Including your team members in the hiring process can help select job candidates that will gel with your team, enhance the company's culture, and produce rock star results.  Sure, it's not the way that it's "always been done," but...

"Where's your will to be weird?" - Jim Morrison

Mark Kamp® aka Marvelless Mark® works with organizations who want their teams to achieve immediate rock star results. A Keynote Speaker/Entertainer/Author, Husband, Father, and child of God, his primary message, “Opportunity Rocks®” gives attendees a fresh new perspective on Sales, Marketing, and Employee Performance. Fun and engaging, Mark combines the success secrets of your favorite rock stars with just the right amount of entertainment to transform your employees into business rockstars. Learn more at www.OpportunityRocks.net.