INTERVIEWS
The right time is the best time
There are many things you need to consider as you prepare to conduct an employee interview. One of those things you should consider is, “at what time should I conduct the interview?”
One rule that I have followed is a very simple one; make an effort to start the interview at:
- The beginning of an employee’s shift, or
- When they just returned from a break, or
- When they just returned from lunch.
You might be wondering, why are these considered the best times? It’s all about the strategy to help mitigate the risk of the employee making requests such as; to use the restroom, a drink of water, making a phone call, needing a cigarette, or even saying, “Oh, my shift’s about to end.”
When you bring an employee in for an interview at the beginning of their work shift, or even when they’ve just returned from a break or lunch you’ve increased your ability to capture their full attention. The employee certainly has no expectation of needing to step away from the workplace at that time to make personal phone calls, step out and have a cigarette, and so on.
By initiating the interview at either one of these moments, and bringing the employee back to the office at the beginning of their shift, it helps smooth the conversation and mitigate those sorts of risks, requests and interruptions. The conversation can then progress as planned and is likely to go much better.
