Use a few simple tricks to turn an ordinary interview into an extraordinary audition.
The best at hiring winners tend to make a big deal out of auditions. By extending an invitation to audition or to try-out, they let the applicant know right up front that the hiring decision is so very important that it is an honor to even be invited to try.
...Auditions create a sense of competition. Whenever possible, applicants who are invited to audition should see exactly who they are trying to beat out for the job. They could even be invited to audition simultaneously to further heighten the sense of competition as well as to drive home the point that the job is desirable, a factor that will ultimately impact turnover.
Best of all, simultaneous auditions let you see instantly who will fold in the heat of battle. This is very important for jobs that require high customer contact.
Schedule auditions. Because they are so important, they should never be held on the spur of the moment.
...Have top management involved in the audition process. This makes the point that auditions are important - to current employees as well as the applicants. In fact, in addition to management and the applicants, current employees should also be a part of the audition process. It's good for them to see again that they are special to have made the cut. That, and a close look at the competition, goes a long way toward putting the value of their jobs into sharp perspective.
We let our employees vote on new hires. It certainly makes the point to applicants that they are not just taking a job, they are joining a team and, in turn, the team has a vital interest in both their performance and their success.
...Auditions are more than an interview: they are a performance.
...Nearly every business requires employees to recite some type of monologue. It can be a simple greeting, a standardized sales pitch of a canned telemarketing script. Most of the time it is just plain boring.
...While new employees may need a standard patter to help make certain that they cover all the bases, the rest of us need to be protected not from beginners but from those folks who never get it right.
Ask applicants to deliver a monologue that is your standard service patter or some variation on the theme. It could be as simple as "Hi! Welcome to Acme. My name is _______, and I'll be available to help you find anything you need and to answer questions about our products. What project are you working on today?"
Invite the applicant to deliver the lines straight or personalize them to suit. Better yet, do the entire routine with the applicant interacting with several types of customers. Your part: Observe how well the applicant senses the needs of the different "customers" and adapt the spiel to fit the situation.
As a side idea, it will also be helpful to throw in any related skills that may influence the hiring decision. If the job requires basic math or counting skills, then make them a part of the process.
...The best addition to the monologue is the requirement to handle an angry or complaining customer. Role practice the situation and quickly discover the applicant's natural abilities for conflict resolution. Does he buckle under pressure? Does she attack, rather than hold steadfast to "the customer is always right" mentality?
...Just be careful not to use the term "role play." To many, it communicates that the situation is much less serious than it is. Role "practice" indicates that, while humor may be appropriate, the exercise is not designed to screen for comedic ability.
Also be careful that whatever you require as part of the audition is truly a required behavior on the job. See your local HRD professional if you would rather hear a thousand reasons why you cannot do anything out of the ordinary and why you are required by law to continue hiring people who haven't a prayer of being successful working for you.
POS Point: Even when the applicant has left you breathless with his/her skills and experience, no hire should be more than an extended trial period. The job offer should be provisional based on continued impressive performance.
