by Paul Bailey

To some degree, I think everyone in a job interview is a bit of an actor. For the most part, the interviewer/interviewee relationship tends to accentuate the positives and gloss over the negatives. But, the information each party shares in the interview should give the other party an accurate image of the qualifications, experience and general work ethic or attitude he or she brings to the negotiating table.

Each party must also be ­thorough and clear in sharing his or her expectations of the other party.

But after that information is exchanged and everybody likes what’s been discussed, is that the end of the interview? “You’re hired. When can you start?” And that’s it?

Usually, that’s the way it happens. I was offered a job one time in as little as 10 minutes by someone who had never met me or heard of me before. But is it really a good idea to enter a business relationship with someone after talking to him or her for only a few minutes? That seems like a bit of a gamble to me.

After a 10-minute conversation, you don’t know that individual from Adam, and a week or 10 days later, you have three or four butchered jobs to fix  and you’re short of help again because you fired that person.

Invest the Time
I’ve seen a growing number of shop owners/managers reduce the likelihood of a situation like that happening by investing more time in the interview process. Some prospects are following suit, as well.

After receiving a job offer, I’ve often told interviewers that I wanted to come back to talk more before making a final decision. The bottom line is that it’s important to both parties ­entering an employer/employee business relationship to take enough time to learn as much as possible about the other ­person.

If you interview a potential employee and you like his or her qualifications and experience, show the applicant around your shop. Discuss your compensation package. Keep the ­conversation strictly business.

An interview in which qualifications, experience, various expectations and the like are negotiated and agreed upon would make a good initial interview, but leave it at that for now. If both parties are impressed, schedule another meeting.

While multiple meetings are time consuming, they can save both the employer and the employee a lot of lost time in the long run. After all, how many shop owners have wasted months on a tech, service writer or salesperson who interviewed well but turned out to be far more troublesome than they were worth? Many people can “talk the talk” for 15 to 20 minutes, but it takes time to figure out who “walks the walk.”

The second meeting works best after hours when interruptions are less frequent. You might want to walk through the shop again and discuss more details about day-to-day procedures and how things are generally done in the shop.

Look at some of the jobs in the shop and discuss the various steps in the repair process to help determine whether or not you’re both on the same page. Both parties should discuss as many details as possible to help determine long-term compatibility. Ask plenty of questions, but pay close attention to the answers. Ask for clarification on any gray areas.

The second meeting is also a good time to discuss your shop’s ­employee handbook. If you own or operate a business and don’t have a printed list of rules, requirements, ­expectations, benefits, holidays, etc., you’re probably long overdue to ­create one. And, it may be in the best ­interest of any applicant to request the handbook and postpone his or her acceptance of the job until they read it.

If the general details that apply to all employees are in print, there’s less room for errors in following policies. Plus, the potential employee can better determine whether the ­atmosphere is one in which he or she can work in for the long-term.

Look for Part 2 of this article in the May/June issue of Shop Owner, where I’ll discuss assessing prospects’ skill sets, and how taking the time to truly know the people you are about to hire can prevent employee turnover at your shop in the
long run.

Bailey has been a contributing writer to BodyShop Business, Shop Owner’s sister publication. He’s been a collision repairman for more than 20 years and is an avid photographer, writer and artist.