Summer’s here! And for lots of us that means a time for reflecting and reassessing the way we do things at work. With the hustle temporarily on pause, it’s the perfect time to step back and look at the bigger picture – especially when it comes to hiring strategies.

So just before you jump into posting your next job ad, why not stop and consider how you can hire better? Did you know the secret to great hiring starts long before CVs land in your inbox? It’s the result of forethought and strategy. And in this blog, we’ll show you how.

Read on to learn how pressing pause, consulting your existing team, and aligning internally can help you to hire better in the long run. We’ll explore strategies to help you rethink the way you’re doing things, plan impactful interviews, and most importantly, ensure your new hires don’t just fit in with your culture, but thrive within your organisation.

Hiring Tip: Interview Your Team Before You Interview Candidates

If you want to hire well, clarity is the key. And the best place to find it? It’s within your own team. While the summer season’s typically quieter, why not take the time to talk to your people? By doing this before you even start drafting a job description, you can help to reveal valuable insights that could otherwise be overlooked.

Why Internal Clarity Matters In Strategic Hiring

When you include your team in the early stages of hiring, it allows you to take stock of what’s genuinely needed. Over time, roles and requirements shift. What worked for your last hire may no longer be the case. Has the scope of your projects expanded? Are there skill gaps you hadn’t noticed until recently? These kinds of questions will naturally arise when you check in with your team – and the answers to those questions may not necessarily be what you expected.

For example, say you’re looking to bring in a new marketing manager. A quick chat with your team might reveal that the gap isn’t necessarily in leadership, but in technical SEO expertise. And when you understand this, you can create a job spec that’s more accurate, more focused and, importantly, aligned with your business goals. Additionally you skip the risk of attracting the wrong candidates.

Hiring Questions For Managers to Explore With Their Team 

Here are some pointers for those team conversations to help gain the clarity you need when hiring:

  • What’s working well in the team dynamic?
  • What are the pain points?
  • Where does it feel like things are falling short?
  • How has the business or strategy changed since the last hire was made in this role/team?

By asking these kinds of questions, you’ll gain valuable insights and start the ball rolling for a more aligned, successful hiring process.

Use Team Insights for Top Interview Questions

Once you’ve aligned on what the team actually needs, the next step is applying those insights directly to the interview process. And that means upgrading those tired, generic interview questions.

Why Team-Led Insights Work

Team-led insights work because your current team members are the ones dealing with the day-to-day challenges and nuances of the role you’re hiring for. That makes their input invaluable. Ultimately, they’ll help you to shape questions that dig deep into what really matters – for both them and your organisation.

For instance, say your team notices there’s a lack of collaboration across departments. A question like, “Tell me about a time you bridged communication gaps between teams,” is more likely to help you to find a candidate with the skills and understanding to solve that internal challenge. A question that’s targeted towards your specific needs will provide more insight than a broad “What are your leadership strengths?” query. You can then shortlist applicants knowing that any of them can strengthen your team and help you to solve very specific everyday problems if hired.

Examples of Smarter Interview Questions

Here are a few examples of how team-led feedback can elevate your interview questions and ensure they’re relevant to your business needs:

  • If problem-solving is key: “How would you approach solving X? (X being a specific pain point that’s been highlighted by your team)
  • If adaptability matters: “Can you share an example of when you had to adapt quickly but still deliver results?”
  • If cultural fit is a priority: “What attracts you to working in a company that’s driven by Y? (Y being your specific company value/s).

When you take the time to really think about what you’ll ask interviewees, you’ll make your interviews more relevant and insightful. Tailoring your questions like this also has the added bonus of leaving candidates feeling like you’ve done your homework, too.

Make the Candidate Feel Coached, Not Caught Out

Hands up if you’ve ever been responsible for turning an interview into an interrogation? This is a common mistake – even if done inadvertently – and around 15% of job hunters report bad interview experiences.

But think of how powerful it could be if you were to shift the dynamic from “prove yourself” to “collaborate with us.” This can be a total game-changer – and it all starts with how you frame the process.

Adopting a Coaching Mindset for Interviewing

The key here is thinking about the interview process as more than just an evaluation; it needs to be a two-way conversation that’s completely focussed on the future. You want to make candidates feel supported rather than scrutinised, because that’s when they’re more likely to open up and showcase their true potential. (And let’s not also forget the positive impact a great candidate experience can have on your reputation.)

Here’s how you can ensure a more positive interview experience:

  • Be transparent about your process. Share the structure of the interview and how you expect it to go. Be upfront so candidates know what to expect. You may wish to take this a step further and explain your entire hiring process, including your  estimated timelines.
  • Make room for dialogue. Don’t overly lead the conversation. Allow candidates to ask questions about the role, culture, or team. And plan in adequate time for extra discussion outside of your planned interview questions.
  • Define success metrics. Be clear about how the role contributes to the company’s goals and how success will be measured if they were to join your company.

Here’s an example of turning an intimidating moment into a collaborative one. Instead of asking, “Why should we hire you?” you could say, “This role is responsible for solving [insert specific challenge]. How do you feel your skills could help us to achieve this?

When you reframe questions in this way, it not only shows you value a person’s expertise, but it also gives you better insights into how they’ll approach the work.

Long-Term Impact of Getting Hiring Right

When hiring focuses on internal alignment and how bringing in specific skills can help you to solve business problems, the results are clear. Yes, there’s a danger that job ads might take longer to go live, but the benefit is that when you do receive applications, they’ll be from people who are likely to be better suited to the role, who have the skills you really need, and who will stay with you for the long term.

Here’s how refining your hiring process will help further down the line:

  • Reduced turnover rates. When roles, team expectations, and personalities are well-aligned, hires are more likely to stay with your organisation for the long haul.
  • Stronger onboarding foundations. New team members step into a role that’s been clearly defined, and has been well thought-through. They’re more likely to be able to hit the ground running.
  • Consistency for your employer brand. A hiring process that reflects internal values enhances your external messaging. It’s easier to attract and retain talent when you provide a strong candidate experience and candidates can really see your culture in action.

A recent study from Harvard Business Review suggests that aligned hires outperform rushed hires by up to 20% during their first year. Proof that taking the time to reflect and prepare as a team will ultimately give you better returns. And that’s not just in terms of output, but in team morale and culture, too.

A Hiring Process With Intention, Not Just Urgency

This quieter summer period provides employers with the perfect opportunity to get ahead. It’s about slowing down, and taking time to think more strategically. If you’re able to focus on your team first, you’re not just filling a vacancy, you’re actually strengthening the foundations of your business. After all, recruitment is far more than just ticking boxes; it’s a golden opportunity to find the person (or people) who can really make a difference in your organisation and help you achieve your goals.

If you’re ready to hire with intention and could use some expert guidance, Connexus is here to help. We pride ourselves on connecting businesses with top-tier talent, and we do that by ensuring the process is aligned from the inside out. Contact us today to start creating a hiring strategy that will really help you to achieve long term success.

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