There are a number of benefits for coffee shop and café style interviews. They are convenient, casual and set an informal tone for the interview – putting both parties at ease and making it much easier to gauge the personality of the candidate and seeing whether they’re the right culture fit for the company.
So, once you’ve decided to have a café interview – the next question is Where to go?
We’ve put together some of our top tips for deciding Where to have your café interview.
1. Location
Pick a location that is convenient and easily accessible for both of you. Somewhere that is close to your office is ideal – This way you’re not travelling too far for the interview and the candidate has an opportunity to get a feel for where they will be working on a day-to-day basis
2. Service & Layout
Pick somewhere you know has quality service and plenty of seats. There’s nothing worse than being caught out because there aren’t enough tables to seat you. Similarly, you don’t want to be waiting for your coffee for 15mins, if the interview will only go for 20 minutes. You can always call ahead or book a table if necessary but as a general rule – pick somewhere that has adequate seating and quick service. That way you can focus on the important stuff – learning more about your candidate, their career prospects and filling that role
3. Timing
The most important of all! There is no point having an interview at 8.30am right outside Southern Cross Station when everyone is rushing in and out to get their coffee on their way to work. It will be noisy, disruptive and slow – neither you or your candidate will have a chance to think about your responses. Pick a time in the late morning or early afternoon, so you don’t get caught up in the peak hour lunch rush or entangled with all the morning commuters. A quiet and relaxed environment will make for a great interview setting, and you’ll be both be able to think more clearly.
If you get these things simple things right, you’re bound to have a successful café interview and have a great opportunity to find out if the candidate will match your role requirements and company culture.
If you’re looking to fill a role or having quite yet found the right person for the job – we’d love to help. Send us an email or get in contact today.