Techniques to Improve the Interviewing Process for Translation Companies

Interviewing is an integral part of the selection process in any translation company. A lot of organizations conduct interviews, but very few have incorporated modern techniques into their processes. 

In this article, we will discuss the modern techniques utilized by world-renowned organizations to see how they are able to recruit the best candidates for their firms. 

So let’s start!

• Behavioral Interviewing 

This technique involves asking candidates how they have handled specific situations. Moreover, it gives insight into a candidate’s problem-solving skills and how well he can communicate his points, which refers to his ability to work well in a team.

Example:

LSPs can use behavioral interviewing to assess potential candidates. They ask candidates to give specific examples of past experiences. By doing so, they can better understand the candidate’s thought process and communication skills. Once they do that, they conduct a final round of interviews with senior-level partners to ensure they have the best person for the job. 

• Structured interviews 

Structured interviews involve asking each candidate a set of predetermined questions. This approach helps to ensure that all candidates are evaluated using the same criteria.

Example:

Translation Companies must use structured interviews as part of their hiring process. The interview questions are designed to assess those skills and attributes. By asking the same questions to all candidates for a given position, Google can easily compare candidates and make good hiring decisions.

• Panel interviews 

Panel interviews involve having several interviewers evaluate a candidate simultaneously. This approach provides multiple perspectives on the candidate’s qualifications and helps reduce the influence of individual biases.

This approach will allow the organization to collect different opinions and perspectives on a single candidate. Meanwhile, it diminishes personal biases if only one person interviewed that candidate. 

Example: 

Many Language services providers conduct panel interviews. It allows a more diverse set of questions where each panel interviewer puts forth his or her own set of queries. Meanwhile, the candidate being interviewed has the opportunity to talk to different people and respond the way he prefers. 

On the other hand, we have firms like software translation services that also opt to go for panel interviews. 

• Video interviews

Video interviews are another option that saves time and reduces the need for travel. Companies can record them and commit to them for later review. 

Example:

Some translation firms use a video interviewing feature as part of their hiring platform, which allows employers to conduct remote interviews with candidates. The video interviews can be recorded and shared with other team members for review, allowing for a more collaborative hiring process.

• Gamification 

This technique involves using games or game-like elements to evaluate a candidate’s skills and competencies. For example, a coding challenge or a problem-solving match could be used to assess a candidate’s technical abilities.

Example: 

Many video game translation services utilize this technique to hire the best talent to translate and localize any worldwide video game. So what they do is that before selecting a candidate, they ensure that he or she can apply problem-solving skills under pressure. Since translating video games is a high-pressure job, candidates must exhibit swift decision-making skills to be good at their job. 

• Predictive Analysis

One advanced technique to improve the interviewing process is to use predictive analytics. This involves using data analysis and other advanced techniques to predict which candidates will most likely succeed in a given role. 

The process involves analyzing the data using machine learning to inform the interviewing process. Predictive analytics can make the interviewing process more objective. Meanwhile, it can diminish business and increase the likelihood of successful hires.

Example: 

Translation Company adopt a “Future Leaders Programme” platform to evaluate candidates for specific positions. The platform uses predictive analytics to evaluate candidates based on their performance in games and challenges. These tasks are basically designed to test their cognitive abilities when they are solving a problem.

The platform then predicts which candidates are most likely to be successful in the role. This allows Unilever to make decisions that lack biasness.

• Situational Interviewing

Another advanced technique to improve the interviewing process is to use situational interviewing. This involves presenting hypothetical scenarios to candidates that might occur in the job they are applying for.

The technique is designed to see whether a candidate is able to apply their skills and knowledge to real-life situations. The interviewer should create relevant scenarios aligned with the job requirements and present them to the candidate during the interview.

Example:

Localization platforms use situational interviewing techniques to select a candidate. For example, a candidate applying for a role at a localization firm might be asked a situational interview question like, “Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision that had a significant impact on your team’s performance. How did you approach the decision-making process, and what was the outcome?” This question assesses the candidate’s ability to think critically and make effective decisions. 

Conclusion

We discussed various techniques in this article that can make the interview process for hiring more efficient and effective. Just try to remember that all of these techniques are open to suggestions and alterations. One technique might work for a translation company, but may not be as effective for another organization. So try to keep an open mind when applying these techniques. And opt for the one that suits you the best. read more