Interviewing

It has been said that interviewing is more of an art than a science. It is a wonderful professional skill to develop, allowing you to elicit important information about someone without making him feel "handled" or uncomfortable. Before the interview, thoroughly review the candidate's r sum and compose a list of questions germane to the job being interviewed for. The interviewing process can be a stressful one for both the interviewer and the interviewee. The more relaxed and unguarded both you and the candidate feel, the more you will learn. Show the candidate around the studio. Ask how the drive was. Make small talk for the first few minutes before getting down to business.

Preparing for the Interview

If more than one person will be meeting with a candidate, talk with everybody prior to the interview and come to an agreement as to who will cover what areas. Otherwise, you risk having an individual having to answer the same questions, possibly with some fairly involved answers, four or five times in one day. This can frustrate a candidate and make your company appear disorganized.

Some people will come prepared with a list of questions about your company. It's acceptable to offer brief answers to applicants' questions during the interview but if the applicants ask a question that warrants a lengthy answer, make note of it and explain that due to time constraints you will answer their question toward the end of the interview. The goal is to learn as much about the applicants as possible. You want to keep the focus on them and keep them talking.

Selecting Interview Questions

Avoid obviously illegal questions about ethnicity or family situation. Several books have been written based simply on compilations of hundreds of interview questions. Prepare a list of questions before the interview and give some thought as to how you want to phrase the questions in order to get the specific information you are looking for. Beyond the position-specific questions, technical and otherwise, here are a few staple questions to consider asking:

• "Why did you leave your last employer?" Or, if the candidate is currently employed, "Why are you looking elsewhere?" Keep in mind that if a recruiter was responsible for sourcing the candidate, the candidate might be there for no other reason than the recruiter has convinced him that it was an opportunity not to be missed.

• "Describe your typical workday? Your typical week?"

• "What was the biggest professional challenge you have faced? How did you go about tackling it?"

• "What do you feel it takes to be successful as a (position title)?"

• "In what type of environment or culture are you most productive?"

• "What type of environment or culture do you not work well in?"

• "What kind of games do you like to play? What is your favorite game and why?"

• "Professionally, where do you feel you could use the most improvement?"

• "What is your greatest professional strength?"

In addition, don't hesitate to ask a few "Why . . ." oriented questions. These questions speak to what motivates someone and offer an insight into their reasoning processes. For example:

• "Why did you take the job at your current/last employer?"

• "What made you choose to use (Maya, RenderWare, etc.) on your last game?"

When you have gotten the answers to your questions, revisit any questions the applicant might have had during the interview and offer him a chance to ask more.

Finally, keep 5 to 10 minutes at the end of the interview to sell your company. This is crucial, even if you don't intend to hire the candidate. You want everyone who interviews with your company to leave with a positive impression of the interviewing process and your studio as a whole. If the candidates believe that your company is a great place to work, they will encourage friends in the industry to interview with you as well. If the candidates have a negative impression of your studio, then they will discourage friends and colleagues from applying. Think about what makes your new studio special and how you want to communicate it.

After the Interview

Immediately following the interview, while the candidate's answers are still fresh in your mind, take a few minutes to write down your impressions of the candidate and flesh out any notes that you didn't have time for during the interview.

Making an Offer

If you are confident that you have found the right person, move as quickly as possible to offer the job. If you are just working out the details of the offer, then let him know an offer will be coming. This will help reduce the risk of the applicant committing to another company before you have a chance to conclude the deal.

Extend the offer by telephone first. Once the candidate has committed to a verbal acceptance, have other employees whom he met with call or e-mail to congratulate and welcome him aboard. It is important that the new hire feels good about the decision - and fully committed to your company. Otherwise, there is a risk he might accept a counter-offer, especially one coming from his current employer; after all, no organization likes to lose a good talent. The bottom line: don't simply register the acceptance and then wait for the new employee to show up a few weeks later. Stay in touch; make him feel like a member of the team as quickly as possible.

Offer letters vary, but should contain:

• The position title and to whom it reports

• Salary and bonus, royalties or option details

• An explanation of what benefits the employee will be eligible for, such as insurance, health, dental, profit sharing, 401k, and any other notable benefits

• A tentative start date and a summary of what conditions the offer is contingent upon (e.g., physical, drug test, reference checks)

Include an expiration date by which the candidate must accept the offer. Giving the candidate two to five days to think about it is usually sufficient; extend the deadline only at his request.

Finally, send the offer sheet in two copies (one for the applicant to return, and one for his own personal files) and a signature line for the human resources manager and the new hire.