Let me fill you in on the past two weeks of my life here at Dominion. We’re hiring for a new Marketing person and with me being in the Marketing department I have been lucky enough to aid in this process of selecting a new team member. 

• Step one: Post job 
• Step two: Receive an overwhelming amount of candidates
• Step three: Try and sort them out

As stressful as it has been juggling interviews and making sure I am responding to applicants, it is a pretty cool thing to see how much interest we are gaining with those looking to enter the workforce for the first time, or even just making a career move. With that being said I have been doing (what seems like) nonstop phone interviews as well as in-person interviews. If I’ve learned anything it is that interviewing is a great opportunity to evaluate your own work and to make sure you’re still contributing to the team’s overall vision. Here are a few things that popped into my mind during this process.

Am I Still Adding These Values That I Am Seeking?

As I ask people coming in for interviews about their work style, past experience, and what they feel like they will bring to the team, I think the questions silently to myself and wonder how I would answer them if asked. Now it probably sounds like a weird concept because I am the interviewer, not the interviewee, but hear me out here; I am a young professional looking to grow and expand my skills at all times, so why should I have the privilege to ask questions that I myself do not feel comfortable answering? If you’re asking the question ‘What will you bring to the team?’, you better have a satisfactory answer yourself. 

Am I Representing the Role Effectively?

There are few things less disappointing than ‘selling’ someone on a position that does not hold true to your description. Don’t make promises you can’t keep, afterall these are people's lives and careers you are altering. Include every detail of the job, even the less than exciting details. Does this job require some occasional soliciting, or maybe a late night here or there? If so, state that. Do not hire someone under false pretenses. You might just find yourself having to replace that person because you didn’t effectively represent what the role would truly entail.

Is This a Job I Would Take?

In my case, ‘Is this a job I would take again?’. Luckily, in my case, yes. Because of that answer alone I feel I am able to better communicate the opportunities the job presents. If you’re not passionate about your job, or you’re disgruntled, you’re probably not the best suited to recruit for the position. Nothing excites a job seeker more than seeing someone already in the role and loving it. For me, it is easy to educate applicants on the benefits of Dominion because I have lived it the past two years. 

If you have to sit through the interview process why not make the best of it? Use it as a tool to better your job, yourself, or simply figure out what changes need to occur. I feel the interview process is beneficial for everyone, not just the interviewee.