Hiring Interview Reflection

             This past week, I interviewed the owner of Modern Shoe, Inc., a small business in downtown Provo, Utah, that sells high quality shoes. Tony, the owner, does all the hiring of employees, and occasionally includes his wife, Jane, in the interviewing process.

            When hiring a new employee, the specific traits he looks for in the applicants are good personality, honesty, overall appearance, and if they seem trainable and not fixed in their ways already. If the candidate worked for a large corporation, they were likely told exactly what to do and how to do it. Tony prefers someone that can be taught and that is able to “think on their feet.” Often he finds that former large corporation sales persons are unable to do this.

            As stated above, Tony most often interviews candidates alone, but will include his wife to sit in on the interview if the candidate is a member of the opposite sex. Jane is also owner and secretary of the Modern Shoe, Inc. corporation. Modern Shoe does not have a Human Resources staff member because it is a small business of about twelve employees.

            Tony states he prefers to interview candidates on an individual bases, not in a group. Tony says about thirty years ago, group interviews were almost unheard of. For example, when he had a managerial position at AutoZone, his boss would do the interviews, and then later would have Tony do the interview. They would converse about it after. Tony has maintained the tradition of interviewing applicants individually and not in a group setting. Plus, Tony says he would feel uncomfortable, if he, himself, were to be interviewed in a group setting.

            In most every case, Tony checks references. If he hires a family member, he does not check references. Tony referred to a little saying, “It’s as hard to find a good candidate as it is to find a bad reference” (quote from the book On Hiring, authored by Robert Half). The references that are most important to Tony are former employers since they know the candidate in the working environment.

            During an interview, dishonesty is the number one reason for not getting hired. Tony says it bothers him when people try and tell you what you want to hear. If they contradict themselves, they one can easily assume they are not being honest.

            In determining who to choose, Tony mainly looks at their prior work history, how well he thinks they will fit in with the other team members, and certain other traits that is imperative for the job description. For example, if the candidate would be potentially working in accounting and handling their money, he would prefer someone who is detail-oriented and honest. That way he can feel assured that all the money will be accounted for. For the graphic design and advertising position, Tony likes to choose somebody who is not only artistic, but disciplined and task-oriented. Not very often can he find these two traits in one person.  Basically, if the person will be able to perform the job description, they are likely to be chosen (as well as possessing the aforementioned traits). Tony also stated that if he feels good about a potential employee during the interview, the reference is usually what seals the deal for him.

            Tony also mentioned, as a potential employer, he will “sell” the Modern Shoe business to the candidates. He knows how he portrays himself is important in whether people will want to work for him. If they don’t think they will enjoy the company, he likes to know that. One of the last candidates Tony hired said during the interview that he felt like Modern Shoe would be a good place to work that wouldn’t be too stressful. This was helpful for Tony to know.

            Tony performs a screening process by calling applicants on the phone. This way he can eliminate some applicants beforehand and narrow it down to just a few candidates. Most often he asks what their availability might look like, especially if they are a college student. If their schedule doesn’t match up with his need at work, they will be screened from his list. He will then schedule an interview with the remainder and sets aside at least 15-30 minutes for each interview. During the interview, if Tony knows the applicant won’t be a good fit with his company, he will end the interview as soon as possible. If he believes there is a possibility for them to be hired, the interview will last a lot longer, sometimes up to an hour.

            First impressions, especially good hygiene, and being punctual to the interview are very important to Tony. He does not want a tardy employee showing up to work. Often employees are responsible for opening the store at 10am. If they are late, they could be losing business.

            Tony does not include a point system in the hiring process. He interviews with questions and really tries to get a feel for who the person is and what they are like. Some traits Tony looks for is if the candidate appears self-motivated, will follow-up with things and is a hard worker.

            There are times Tony warrants a second interview with potential employees if he wants a second look, or to have a different view on a different day. Often he will include his wife, Jane, during the second interview. For example, he had one candidate who was very shy and reserved, but with the second interview, she was more talkative. She ended up being hired and was outstanding on the salesfloor. These second interviews were helpful for determining more of the person’s personality.

            Tony states he is very rarely in a hurry to make a decision about who he hires, unless the need for an employee is more urgent. Early on, when he first owned the company, he would write letters right away and thanking candidates for the interview while informing them they didn’t receive the position. Now, Tony only calls the people that he chose with an offer over the phone.

            Tony states that once in twenty five years has a candidate ever blown him away where he hired them on the spot. (Although, he can’t remember who it was). Other than that, he has always slept on things over night without making rash decisions as to who to hire. It is a carefully thought out process involving discussion with his wife, and co-owner, Jane, in the hiring decision process.

            From this hiring experience, I learned a lot of different factors play into hiring a person. The interview is the key time to get a feel for who the person is. Being punctual, well-groomed, honest, hard-working, and a great personality are qualities that are often looked for in a future employee. Modern Shoe does not have a Human Resources member, but Tony has his wife sit in on the interview when he interviews members of the opposite sex. This is a smart way to protect himself by having another witness present. One thing that would be more courteous to applicants is to give a time-frame for when they should receive a call-back. If Tony feels too busy to do this, maybe he can have his wife, or another employee perform these calls. This way, they will not be left wondering or calling endlessly to see if they got the job or not. I like how Tony “sleeps on” his decisions over night and takes his time before hiring someone. It is important to not be rash or feel obligated to hire someone. This ultimately helps him somewhat avoid the issue of having an employee he would want to get rid of later on. Tony uses his time with second interviews or having his wife accompany him later, to get a better feel of who the person is, what they might be like working for them, and how well they will fit in with his other employee team members.