HR Professional Interviewing Tips and Tricks

In Thailand, where unemployment rates hover just below 1%, it really is a “candidate’s market.” Thailand has the No.4 lowest unemployment rate in the world! When everyone’s got their choice of job, employers must take a specialized approach in interviewing ideal job candidates.

Another unique aspect of the job market that HR professionals in Thailand must consider is this: Thai employees are most accustomed to climbing the career ladder by switching companies, rather than staying with a firm for a long time and being promoted from within.

Feedback from our clients consistently indicates that one of the biggest challenges organizations face is retaining talent.

Frankly speaking, most of the Human Resource Managers we work with are relatively skilled interviewers. Moreover, there is hardly another HR subject more researched than ‘interviewing techniques.’ Information, tips and techniques are everywhere – HRM journals, professional websites and academic information abound. So the key is to find the most appropriate interview questions for the position, your organization, and the skill set required to effectively recruit in Thailand.

Interviewing Best Practices for HR Professionals in Thailand

One of the more successful interview strategies is to ‘disarm’ a candidate by being polite, congenial, and warm. Rather than erring on the side of professionalism, focus on establishing a friendly rapport. This means:

• Open the interview by asking friendly questions relative to the candidate’s experience. For example: “I notice that you worked at XYZ Phone Company. I’ve been thinking of switching to that company. Between just you and me, do you think this is a good idea?” This will take the focus off the candidate and you’ll get a sense of their personality, diplomacy and tact.
• After a short and friendly opening, you can proceed to the standard HR questions that will help you determine if the candidate is qualified for the job.
• Assuming they are qualified, the next step, as we mentioned in the opening paragraph, is to make sure that they are prepared to accept a long term opportunity.

HR Professional Secrets to Recruiting Long-Term Talent

To determine this, many employers make the mistake of asking candidates direct questions about how long they plan to stay at the company. They might also ask the perennial favorite, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” The problem is that a well-prepared candidate will have the ‘correct’ answer for these questions. What you want is the truth.

An alternative – and extremely effective – strategy is to sell the candidate on the potential career paths available for a high-performer within your firm. Explain that you are looking for candidates who will grow with the company and explain what it takes to achieve that growth. Then consider asking open-ended questions about what the candidate think about growing with the organization.

In terms of a response, listen closely. There is no ‘correct’ answer – it’s a case of finding an ideal match. This opens up a great opportunity for genuine dialogue and discussion about how committed they are to growing professionally (with you).

As always, we here at PeopleServe recognize that each of our clients have different HRM needs and we’d be happy to talk with you about what interview strategies and approaches will best work for you.

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