- Check references before the in-person interview. This may sound controversial, but I think you should reference check before the in-person interview. At this point, you aren’t too invested in the candidate, so if the checks don’t go well, you can halt the interview process (as you should). From the references, you can also identify what to press on during the interview.
- Interview for culture and competency. Train your interviewers and make sure everyone is well prepared. Each interview should have a specific purpose. I recommend one to two interviews focused on skill set (can they do the job?) and one or two focused on culture (are they a fit?). To truly interview for culture, you should have a set of well-defined values.
If you follow a thorough hiring process, you will build a strong team and likely won’t have to fire (slowly or quickly). Getting the right people on the bus will save you and the employee a lot of pain, while giving your business the best chance for success.
Aaron Schwartz is founder and CEO at Modify Industries, Inc., which creates custom, print-on-demand watches, t-shirts and cell phone cases. You can see it all at Modify Merch. He loves working on startup ideas and has spent innumerable (happy) hours advising friends and former students on how to grow their ideas.
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