34
Business and training
Use ‘undercover’ interviews to
weed out undesirable candidates
You will be shocked by what an employee can discover when
talking to potential hires.
By Jeff Haden
Interviews can provide great insight. But do you
know what a potential new hire is really thinking?
Sometimes you don’t. That is why the ‘undercover’
interview can be a great tool.
Here’s how it works. Most interviews include some
form of tour, even if the tour is just a quick stroll around
the office area. Handle that tour correctly and you
might learn a lot more about a candidate’s motivations,
interests, and fit for your business than you
ever imagined.
June 2017 Volume 23 I Number 4
For example, years ago I was in charge of
manufacturing. My boss had just finished interviewing a
candidate for a management position and was about to
show him around the plant when some crisis came up.
I happened to be in the hall. My boss saw me
and said, “Jeff, can you show Tom (not his real name)
around? He’s interviewing for the opening we have in
Customer Service. Thanks!”
And off he strode to slay another dragon.
By accident I slipped under Tom’s ‘how important is
this person in the organisation?’ radar, a device many
www.plumbingafrica.co.za