It’s been my experience that a person can give a great interview and end up being a terrible employee. This happens in spite of that person interviewing several times with different employees — from potential colleagues to two managers above the position.

This process also involves checking on the person’s references. Of course, we know few people would provide bad references to a potential employer. And some people are naturally good at talking to strangers, so they ace interviews.

I think it’s time to change the employee search process, but what works? Or should I bite my tongue and stick with the old-fashioned process that misses on occasion?

— Paul, Manager

by Meryl K. Evans, Editor, PSJ

One business person hasn’t relied on job interviews in a long time. Shocking? That person is Seth Godin. In Godin’s blog, he explains why and how he finds the right employees.

But if you do believe in doing interviews, read on for sound advice to help you find the right employee:

• Let the team in on the interview process

• Use behavioral interviewing techniques

• Consider your clients’ needs

• Try Internet searches

• Use trial runs

Let the team in on the interview process

Reading about one of the worst employees Godin ever hired recently jogged my memory of a period my team went through. If a candidate passed the manager’s inspection, then the team interviewed the candidate without the boss present.

A candidate presented himself superbly, only to turn out to be an unreliable employee. He was often late and even absent without calling. He had personal problems that got in the way of his work.

Yet, we hired a few excellent employees using the same process, so the team interview concept isn’t all bad. But, you could still miss out on a good employee because the candidate didn’t excel in the interview.

Use behavioral interviewing techniques

Nowadays, companies conduct a minimum of two interviews so candidates get the opportunity to connect with other employees. Does this work? Sometimes. Michael Everett, services marketing manager with Stratus Technology, talks about a technique known as behavioral interviewing, which objectively evaluates relevant candidate skills.

“Behavioral interviewing is based on the idea that the best indicator of future performance is past performance. The basic steps of behavioral interviewing are the following:

1. Determine the skills required to successfully perform a particular job.

2. Select the best criteria for predicting future performance.

3. Use a systematic process to objectively evaluate relevant candidate skills.

“The systematic interviewing process involves rating tangible behavioral examples instead of relying on subjective trait statements. The best behavioral examples are quantifiable by one of more of the following:

• Observable action

• Measurable outcomes (in terms of quantity, quality, cost)

• Verifiable contacts (in terms of names, dates, places)

“A side benefit of behavioral interviewing is if you are ever taken to court due to discrimination claims, you can prove you used an objective, fair process to evaluate candidate skills.”

By the way, that candidate I mentioned, the one we hired, most likely got in because of his charm, as discussed in “To get that job, bring on the charm.” This has merit — after all, when we connect with others (and charming people connect easily), we like them more.

Consider your clients’ needs

Another novel approach: Hire employees with your company’s clients in mind. In the article by Daryl Gale in Target Marketing on this topic, Lee Kroll, president of Kroll Direct Marketing says, “You have to ask yourself, ‘Will this person fit well into our work environment?’ and ‘Will they be able to satisfy our clients’ needs right out of the gate?’”

Try Internet job searches

Have you had much luck with Internet job posting or searches? I read that only six to eight percent of people find jobs through Internet postings. Computers have somewhat cursed the job hunting process. They take the human factor out of it, and employees search for candidates through keywords rather than exact talent matches. It’s also harder to break into a large company that way.

Joel Spolsky writes about several effective ways to find the best developers — and it’s not through the job advertising process, because the best ones rarely take that route. While what he says makes sense, plenty of strong developers don’t get opportunities to switch to a better job because they haven’t met the right people. You can also learn from Spolsky how he reviews resumes to filter out the bad from the good candidates.

Use trial runs

A few companies do trial runs to test out a candidate. The problem with trials is usually companies require more than a few hours or days to determine if the person is a fit. It isn’t fair to the candidate to quit a job just to go on a trial run. However, a short-term trial may work for both of you.

Networking may still be your best bet

Probably the best chance anyone has in finding a job is through networking. But I know plenty of talented individuals who are looking for better jobs and can’t connect with the right people. Not only do you have to connect with the right people, but those right people have to have a job that fits the individual. No magical formula exists for connecting employee and company. But the more you go to where the types of employees you seek are, through the grapevine, the better your chances of finding an excellent candidate.

Meryl K. Evans is the content maven behind this newsletter. Stop by her site or check out her blog.