Sitting outside my office door, a manager is interviewing a candidate in a meeting room. He is talking loudly and non-stop. The manager did not ask the candidate any questions. Even if a question was forthcoming, the candidate couldn’t get a word in edgeways. How the manager thought this technique was providing good information about a candidate, I’ll never know.

Other managers use the technique that anyone who shows up, can state their name, complete paper work, and pass the drug test gets the job. Just another warm body.

Still others don’t feel it’s necessary to prepare. They have a few stock questions they ask every candidate and if the answers are even close, the job is theirs.

Being in a job interview is not news. However, it seems that being a good interviewer just might make headlines! We’ve all been in job interviews. It’s sad to say, but most of the time, the candidate is better at interviewing than the interviewer. Having a career in HR brought this fact home to me as the opportunity to observe both candidates and the hiring manager puts me, and now you, in a rare position of sitting on both sides of the desk.

Every person you hire will either improve your organization or detract from it in some manner. Hiring the “heroes” that contribute in a positive manner to the organization is a valuable strategic goal. People involved in the hiring process need to be your internal “hiring heroes” who maintain a constant vigilance in seeking out the “heroes” to hire. The good news here is that you can have both.

Many who conduct hiring interviews think they must ask the “magic bullet” questions or play gotcha’, or believe they are the ones who should make the hiring decision. None of this is necessary or even encouraged. Following some proven, effective guidelines consistently will produce candidates who are “Hero Hires.”