MSI Recruiting

Struggling with narrowing down candidates to find the perfect addition to your team? Here are some tips and insights into what to consider for second interviews as well as narrowing down your candidate pool!


The first interview is the qualifier… 

Usually second interviews are the opportunity for the company to ‘sell or market’ the candidate on the opportunity of employment with your company. The first interview is the qualifier as in, is the candidate a good fit? Once, a good fit has been determined the company should look for ways to market their opportunity to the candidate.

So, asking candidates the question of what they would ideally like to see in an opportunity is a good start and as you hear things that your company offers you can answer those ideals with the ways and means your company can meet those ideals.

You will want to offer the candidate who demonstrates the most excitement…

The second interview is also an opportunity for you all the gauge the excitement level of the candidate. This is important because you will want to offer the candidate who demonstrates the most excitement, assuming they have all the qualifications, the job since they will come into the job with good energy and commitment.

The second interview should be about creating excitement with the candidate so that when an offer is made there is great confidence (100% chance) it will be accepted.

Make sure the candidate knows about any perks…

We have heard from candidates about the cost of living in Key West being considerably higher than where they currently reside. You should look for ways to lay aside those concerns with suggestions and examples of what other employees do in terms of where they live in the Keys and how they cope with that added cost. Or, just point out that’s part of the cost of living in paradise, having access to a unique lifestyle or however you want to phrase it.

Make sure the candidate knows about any perks, benefits or any other positives culturally or otherwise your company offers.

If there is a spouse or children involved look for ways to make that a comfortable transition in terms of employment opportunities the spouse may be good for and school options for the kids.

Managing expectations on your hiring process in terms of time, testing, and background checks will also help keep the candidate warm and engaged.


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