The final interview is your last chance to really see if a candidate is the right who for the right seat. So doesn’t it make sense to do something unique and revealing with it? Here’s how we approach it at Pursuit.

‍

A presentation is a great audition. All the world’s a stage, right? That includes the final interview of your company’s interview process. Here at Pursuit, we like to assign a presentation to the sales candidate for the last hoorah.

‍

PowerPoint, whiteboard, one-person skit – the format doesn’t really matter. Instead, you’re trying to glean answers to a few critical questions about the candidate:

• Do they fit your core values?
• Can they meet/exceed your performance expectations?
• Can you add value to them?

‍

Sales People Sell. It’s what they do. So asking a candidate to sell you on themselves is an opportunity to see their sales skills first-hand before offering the job.

‍

Why are they the right person for the job? And just as importantly, why are you the right organization for them? You should walk away from a presentation with a detailed answer for each.

‍

If the candidate doesn’t put much effort into the presentation, however, then it’s probably best to move on. A sales candidate has a 5.9% chance of earning an interview from any given application. That means it took roughly 17 applications for them to get there in the first place.

‍

If those stakes aren’t high enough for them to try their best, then they’re not right for you.

‍

Use the presentation as a future touchpoint. It’s not just about the final interview and end of the hiring funnel, though. A candidate’s presentation is the gift that keeps on giving, at least for those that you end up hiring.

‍

Revisiting a presentation can be both a fun and revealing exercise for you and an employee in the future.

‍

Are they living up to the promises they made in their presentation?

‍

Are you, as an employer, holding up your end of the bargain?

‍

This unique approach has worked extremely well here at Pursuit. In fact, a number of our partners have adopted a similar strategy for their final interviews. So take these ideas, make them your own, and let us know how it works for you!