I've always believed that interviews are a two-way process: the interviewer evaluate whether the candidate can help the company success, and the candidate evaluate whether the company is a good working environment for him/her. I've been on both sides of the table. One thing I think I'm not doing very well (meaning it's not bad, but not certainly not excellent) is, how do I promote a good impression of the company to the candidate?
The advantages are obvious:
- If the candidate likes the company, he is more willing to negotiate a lower salary package
- If the candidate's impression of the company is not good, he may reject the offer
- Even if the candidate is not selected, words of mouth will spread; they may recommend friends to here
The problem is, all my planned actions during an interview is geared for me accessing the candidate. We are looking for smart people, and I will be expecting smart candidates to be accessing me during the interview as well. How should I design the interview process, or what should I look out for, to leave a good impression of the company?