Go to any recruitment company website in the healthcare sector, and I am sure you will find multiple articles that relate to how to excel in your next pharma or med-devices interview.

Topics might include preparing in advance, what to wear, how to exude confidence and the list goes on. Advice is sold on the premise that most candidates are not applying for jobs constantly, and therefore their interview skills might get rusty.

But what about interview skills for hiring managers?

Is it right to assume that a manager who does not interview regularly will automatically be good at interviewing; the answer is no, it is not.

Like every human being on the planet, if you want to be skilled in any part of your role, it takes knowledge, skill, and practice.

At Kinetic, we have been advising hiring managers for many years about important interview techniques to ensure they get the best from the candidate while exploring if the individual will be a good fit and match for their organisation.

In today’s post, I want to share six incredibly easy interview strategies to use.

1. Have a Plan You Stick To

With something as vital as hiring a new team member, be that a sales representative or a finance director needs to have a plan of action.

This includes:

• Who will be present at the interview?
• Will a screening video interview happen?
• Will the interview be competency-based around the job description?
• Will there be multiple stages or an assessment centre?
• Will the candidate need to present?
• What questions will we use?
• What criteria will you use to make your hiring decision?

Far too many times, interviewers do not have a consistent interview process they use with all candidates, and this straightforward practice is often the reason mistakes are made.

2. Prepare in Advance

Cast your mind back to the last time you were interviewed for a role. How much preparation did you carry out?

I suspect a lot.

No doubt you checked out the company’s website, their current products and future pipeline. Perhaps you called a few friends who might have had an experience of the company in question. Maybe you looked on LinkedIn?

By carrying out your due diligence in this way, you were as informed as you could be and armed with sensible questions as you entered the interview.

It is the same process as a hiring manager.

Luckily, you have the additional benefit of the candidate’s detailed CV to review so that you can cross-check the key outputs of the role compared to their current and past experience.

Collect background information on them as well. Take a good look at your candidates’ LinkedIn and other social profiles.  Go to your favourite browser, go incognito and search on their name and their current role profile, and continue your research from there – you may find more about them and their work background. Of course, this will give you a sense of their personality and how they will fit your culture.

3. Build Rapport

No matter how skilled the candidate is, they will be nervous. Imagine if they have always wanted to work for your healthcare organisation, and suddenly, here they are sitting in front of you; how might you feel if the roles were reversed?

Something else to remember is that a nervous candidate cannot demonstrate and communicate what a good hire they could be.

This is where building initial rapport can help, and it is easy to do.

Smiling, open questions and body language are key tools. Remember the research you carried out earlier? Now is a great time to ask future hires about different parts of the world they have worked in or projects they have led.

Ask questions that are easy to answer.

I know this sounds incredibly simple, and yet it works, and within minutes you will have a much calmer candidate in front of you.

This is not about interrogation; it is about connection, and for both parties, it demonstrates the culture of the organisation they will hopefully be joining.

4. Use Your Listening and Body Language Skills

The key to successful interviews is to utilise your ability to listen to what is being said and not said. Your core listening abilities and an understanding of how body language works from both sides are pivotal in interview situations like this.

Remember, while your candidates are focused on impressing you, they will get a first impression from the way you act and present yourself during the interview.

To help, here are a few body language suggestions:

• Demonstrate interest by sitting up straight or leaning forward with an open body position.
• Use appropriate eye contact by making contact and holding a gaze for a few seconds, then look away; don’t stare.
• Smile and nod in agreement where appropriate.

5. Prepare Your Questions in Advance

Interviews are about gaining information from a candidate about their suitability for the role. Therefore, create a list of questions related to the role description and the skills, traits, and abilities you want your new hire to demonstrate.

Have this list to hand and ensure everyone on the interview panel knows who is asking which question.

If you want more information, continue to probe with questions like:

• What else?
• Where else?
• Tell me more about x?
• Are you able to share more detail about this?

Finally, something key to remember.

STOP! Importantly: brief anyone involved as every candidate needs to be asked the same things and not off-centre random questions, please! They confuse the candidate and are rarely helpful!

6. Encourage Candidates to Ask Questions

At the end of the interview, you should ask your candidates if they have any questions. A qualified, interested healthcare candidate should have prepared questions ready for you, so be sure you know how to answer them.

Be ready to talk about company culture, development plans for new products, personal development, training and onboarding, benefits, work perks, working environment, and other common factors candidates are interested in that you likely did not discuss during the interview.

When it comes to salary, this is something you can handle with your recruitment consultant.

7. Thank You and Follow Up

Finally, thank the candidate for attending. They have likely taken time away from their current role or used holidays without knowing if they will get the position. In a candidate-short market, even this simple gesture can make you stand out as a company to join.

Then as a final step, make sure that you outline what will happen next in the process and an idea on timelines.

Would You Like Our Help?

Kinetic has supported hiring managers across the UAE to hire the right people for their healthcare organisation for many years.

To find out how much an expert medical devices recruiter can revolutionise your recruitment process, staff retention and help your whole team achieve better results – talk to us today.

We have been recruiting in the medical devices space in the MENA for over a decade, and we have access to the most exclusive candidates.

Contact our team on +971 (0)4 442 0921 or via email here to find out more about how our expert team of recruiters can enhance your medical device business starting today.

Thanks,

Rudy

How Kinetic Can Help

Kinetic sources professionals locally and internationally for leading multinational, regional and local Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices companies, including Consumer Healthcare organisations.

If you need help sourcing the best candidates for your pharmaceutical or medical device organisation who will help drive your business forward this year, contact us today.