Study Shoppers, retailers have opposite views of robots in retail

Study Shoppers, retailers have opposite views of robots in retailStudy Shoppers, retailers have opposite views of robots in retailIts no secret that Amazon and e-commerce, in general, is killing retail. And retail is responding in kind, by beefing up their brick-and-mortar stores and ansprechbar portals with increased technology and personalization, plus often transforming their physical sites into Instagram-friendly experiences. But what do customers actually want?The Future of Retail, anew studyconducted by Oracle NetSuite in partnership with Wakefield Research and The Retail Doctor, a retail consulting firm, examined 1,200 consumers and 400 retail executives across the U.S., U.K., andAustralia.As it was discovered in the study, the retail industry is far out of step with what shoppers desires. While the retail industry is seemingly complicating matters with needless tech, most shoppers want to keep it simple, pay with their phones, and avoid robots.Retail execs think that theyve m ade the environment in their stores more welcoming. Customers didnt agree. 73% believe that the ambiance in retail stores has become more inviting in the past 5 years. Unfortunately, only 45 percent of consumers agree. 19 percent actually felt stores had become less welcoming.No one wants to talk to a robot to shop. Although 79% of retail executives believe chatbots are helpful to customers, 66% of customers disagree in fact, they consider chatbots an unhelpful scourge on the shopping experience, either in-store or online. Only 5% of consumers said theyd want more technology allowing them to talk or interact with a robot or chatbot.Retail execs think that blinding consumers with shiny technology will increase sales.79% of retail executives think enhancing stores with virtual reality and artificial intelligence will increase sales. Only 14% of consumers agree that unterstellung technologies will affect their buying decisions.The faith in tech continues, but only on one side 98% of r etail execs think virtual reality and artificial intelligence tools will increase foot traffic. 48% of customers do not think these things would influence whether or not they go into a store.Retail execs want to reach out and connect with customers on social media. Customers do not. Nearly every retail executive (98%) thought that they needed to engage with customers on social media in order to build relationships. Only 12% of customers thought this actually had an effect on how they viewed or interacted with a brand.So whats the good news?People still agree that theres a reason to set foot in a shop (97%). Customers like it most when brick-and-mortar stores have items that are consistent to what theyve seen online (36%) and have a smooth store layout (35%). What they would like to see in the future at stores are self-checkout options (38%) and mobile payments (15%).These findings point to a clear and urgent need for better customer service, saidBob Phibbs, CEO, The Retail Doctor, i n a release.No retailer wants their customers to be confused or anxious, yet more than half of respondents have felt that way while shopping contrary to popular belief, millennials want store employees to help them. With nearly every respondent reporting that they value brick-and-mortar stores, now is the time to craft every in-store interaction to keep shoppers coming back.

How to Handle a Job Interview in a Restaurant

How to Handle a Job Interview in a RestaurantHow to Handle a Job Interview in a RestaurantTzu siche are time when employers will invite job applicants to interview over a meal - even breakfast.This interview is just as important, perhaps even more than one in a formal business setting. Thats because its more conversational and less formal. If youre leid careful, you could let your guard down, make silly mistakes and share too much personal information. So its important to keep it professional and remember that youre being considered for a job, even though its not a formal in-office job interview. When youre invited to interview over a meal or a cup of coffee, take the time to prepare just as carefully as you would for an interview in an office setting. Here are some tips you can use for an interview at a restaurant. Get Ready for the Interview Prepare for the interview just as you would for any other one. If you are very nervous, check out the restaurant ahead of time. This way y ou will know exactly whats on the menu, where the restaurant is located, and how classy or casual the restaurant is. Many restaurants also have the menu available online to review. Going to the restaurant ahead of time will also give you a chance to plot our your route - whether you plan to drive or take transit. You can also figure out where to park if you plan to drive. Doing this will help keep you on time on interview day. Confirm the Details Be sure to confirm the arrangements so youre sure you end up at the right place at the right time. Confirm who you are meeting and get a cell phone number and give yours to the person scheduling, so you can get in touch just in case theres a glitch. Dont forget to find out whether there will be a reservation or if its just a drop-in visit. What to Wear What to wear to a job interview in a restaurant depends on the restaurant and how your interviewer(s) will be dressed. If youre interviewing for a job at a formal company and the res taurant is fancy, youll want to dress in business attire. If the company and the dining are more casual, like a bar,business casual may be in buchung. Your best bet is to ask the person who invites you for advice on what to wear. Bring Your Supporting Materials Just like you would for a formal office interview, be sure to bring any supplemental materials you may need to show or give to your interviewer. Just because you may be in a casual setting, doesnt mean the same etiquette doesnt apply. This may include bringing a copy of your resume, writing samples, portfolio or any other materials to support your application. When to Arrive Arrive a few minutes early, so you dont keep the interviewer waiting. Dont ask to be seated or order a drink at the bar. Greet the interviewer in the lobby or foyer with a smile and a handshake. Order Carefully When you order your meal, order conservatively. Dont order the most expensive entree on the menu. Also be careful about what you order . Food you can cut easily works best. Pasta, burgers and other food you have to pick up can be messy. I learned that lesson when I had a full schedule of interviews one day. I went to lunch with one candidate and made the mistake of ordering spaghetti. I spilled it and had a blob of sauce that I couldnt get out of my blouse for the rest of the day. Mind Your Manners Your mom was right when she told you table manners matter. Interviewers are going to be watching to make sure you are aware of proper dining etiquette, especially if you are being considered for a job where you will be dining with clients. While youre being interviewed, dont talk with food in your mouth and chew slowly. Although doggy-bags are a good way to eliminate waste, this might not be the right environment to ask for one. Some other things to consider Dont send your food back, and be polite to the wait staff and other people working at the restaurant. This is a good way to show what kind of personality you hav e. Drinking Alcohol Always be careful about drinking alcohol when youre interviewing for a job. If the interviewer orders a drink, you may want to follow suit, but dont feel obligated. If you choose to drink alcohol, dont have more than a glass of wine, and be very careful to stay focused on the conversation. When in doubt, just pass on the alcohol. Keep it Professional Especially if you have had a drink, or two, there can be a tendency to ramble on during a conversation and to share too much personal information. Of course, youll want to be friendly and personable, but keep in mind you are interviewing for a job, not dining out with friends. Who Pays the Bill? Be sure that if a potential employer takes you out to a meal for an interview, you let him or her pick up the tab. The person who invited you will expect to pay both the tab and the tip. If the bill is placed near or next to you instead, just ignore it and continue talking. Wait for the interviewer to ask for the bill. Of course, be sure to say thank you. Follow Up Just like you would with any other interview, follow up with a thank you note for the interview and the meal, reiterating your interest in the job. The Bottom Line Just because you may be interviewing for a job over a meal instead of in an office doesnt mean you shouldnt follow protocol. True, there may be some additional things to consider, like what to order, what to wear and who pays the bill, but these tips should help guide your meeting in this unconventional setting.

8 Job Search Tips for Environmentalists

8 Job Search Tips for Environmentalists8 Job Search Tips for Environmentalists6Seek out green companies to work for.Not all companies are created equal when it comes to green practices, and some are certainly better than others. If a companys environmental impact is important to you as an employee, be sure youre pinpointing organizations that support environmental sustainability.As we detailed in a post from earlier this year, there are three main ways to work for a green companyApply for jobs with companies that have green missions. It doesnt take a green thumb to find green jobs. Whether youre in marketing, media, or mortgages, there are a number of ways to find a green job. ansicht companies have regularly listed jobs in our Environmental and Green jobs category.Look for companies with green initiatives. Many companies outside of the green/environmental industry that you wouldnt think of as environmentally friendly actually are. These companies are a great place to find green jobs for all professions. Pay attention to each companys website.Find companies that allow for remote work. Another way for you to be green in your work life is by finding a company that will allow you to work remotely. By cutting your commute, youll prevent extra carbon emissions from going into the air. If you were working in a traditional office- where everything from the overhead florescent lights to the printers and even the coffee machine is powered by electricity- youll use up so much more electricity than you would at home.Do more research to determine if a company is green.Mother Earth News has a great list of tips for how to tell which businesses are eco-friendly. In particular, they offer several resources that actual tarif a companys eco-friendliness.Independent, nonprofit organizations such as Green Seal can be a great resource. Their website includes a search program so that you can quickly and easily locate eco-friendly businesses. Other sites will actually rate companies based on their eco-friendliness. Climate Counts takes into account everything from recycling programs to the energy efficiency of automated shipping systems and gives the company a score.Keep up your green practices in your job search.Theres no need to abandon whatever daily sustainability measures youve already taken when youre job searching. Here are some tips specifically meant to green your job search.Send digital thank-you notes. After an interview, its customary to send a thank-you note. There are some gorgeous digital designs to choose from, and you wont waste time or trees sending a paper thank you.Bring your own water. Youll probably be asked if youd like a bottle of water when you arrive at an interview, but be prepared to say no thank you by bringing your own reusable bottle of water.Use recycled resume paper if you need to print. Usually, its wise to bring a couple copies of your resume to a job interview. Stock up on some recycled resume paper for printing. And dont go crazy printing a lot of copies- two or three ought to do just fine.Take public transit, walk, or bike to a job interview. If at all possible, try skipping a car ride to your job interview, and use a more green transport method instead.Readers, what job search tips for environmentalists do you swear by? How do you stay green in your job search?

Quantify, Justify Your ROI

Quantify, Justify Your ROI Quantify, Justify Your ROI Selling yourself means demonstrating your value. Use these simple tips to make your case.Common wisdom from almost every resume writer, career coach, recruiter and hiring manager: Your resume should focus less on listing the jobs you’ve had than demonstrating the value you brought to each.It’s great advice, but not always easy to follow. If you’re in sales, you can expound on how you performed against quota. In accounting, you can cite return on capital; in operations, you can enumerate reductions in cost for manufacturing or distribution.Many other corporate jobs, however, are harder to quantify. Nevertheless, to command a senior executive salary, it’s essential you can justify your return on investment in dollars and cents.In fact, there are cost justifications for even the most non-quant job and non-numerical credentials that both hiring managers and recruiters will recognize, according to Sharon Jautz, an HR consultant specializing in online and digital media after more t han 20 years as an HR executive at companies such as Forbes Inc. and Playboy Enterprises Inc.The first step is quantification.“Every job is quantifiable to some degree, even if that’s not the only thing you use to judge it,” Jautz said. “At Forbes, I hired more than 100 people in a given year without using a recruiter. There’s a (budget) number for hiring; dividing by the number I hired gives you a cost per hire. Even facilities management has that kind of quantification; if you switch from one water supplier to another, that’s a demonstrable impact on cost.”Use common process-management or efficiency-modeling techniques to quantify the non-quantifiable parts of your job.Read up on goals or performance reviews you’ve received in your career, and convert your personal priorities or accomplishments into financial metrics that show how they would have benefitted the company â€" that’s why you were rated on them in the first place.There are three categories you can use to quantify your accomplishments: revenue, personal or staff productivity, and process efficiency.RevenueEvery job deals with numbers to some degree; if yours involves cash flow in any way, focus on that first. Talk about the number of prospects you reeled in, deals you closed or any increase in the volume of business for which you were responsible.Even if your job had nothing directly do to with landing the business or making a sale, talk about your accomplishments in the context of revenue. Note your accomplishment as a key part of the effort. Adapting Jautz’s example above, you might try: “Slashed hiring expenses and cost-effectively built top-flight staff in a division that increased revenue xx percent over two years.”Personal and staff productivityTime is money; literally. The company had to pay for your salary and benefits and those of your staff. Thus, anything you did to make them more effective reduced the amount of time they required to accomplish tasks â€" whether it was the design of a product, marketing, closing the books or any other corporate function â€" and afforded the company a quantifiable increase in productivity.As a manager, did you have to absorb the workload of another department without adding staff? Did you have to demonstrate increases in workload or the amount of work your staff did without increasing hours or pay? Convert that to cash and claim it as productivity increases that go straight to the bottom line with a direct reduction in SGA.To make it easer, estimate the salaries of the people that work with or for you and break it down by the hour. If you worked in a department of 10 people, each of whom made an average of $100,000 per year, working eight hours per day, five days per week, 52 weeks per year, each hour you saved for the staff was worth $480.77 to the company:(8*5*52)/(10*100,000) A full day is $3,846. Cut the length of a weekly staff meeting by 30 minutes (480.77/2 *52), and you’ve saved the company $12,500.02.Did you figure out how to handle a trade show or other group trip with two people rather than four? Figure in the travel and full-day pay of the people who didn’t go as savings you created.Process efficiencyProcess efficiency is productivity on steroids. Rather than reducing the amount of time it takes a department to do things, you reduce the time it takes a whole company or several departments to do things. A lawyer who reduced the amount of time it takes for several departments to sign off on a particular deal or complete a set of process requirements made each of those departments more efficient.Multiply the single department above by the number of departments and the number of people in each, and you’ve got a number that gets impressive pretty quickly. Even if you’re only saving time for the top managers of each division, there are a lot mo re zeros in their salaries than those of their employees; saving their time adds up even faster.If a deal or product or event can’t go forward without the process you completed, look at the total cost of the development of that whole process and estimate how much time you saved.Making sure a product could be launched two days earlier gave the company two extra days to sell it; reduced the downtime of manufacturing and distribution networks; and gave every department involved in its launch, promotion or sale two extra days to do other productive work.Put a dollar sign in front of those numbers, and you’ve given a prospective employer a quick and easy way to understand the benefit of hiring you.Other numbersEven if you can’t correlate revenue to your specific job, provide the numbers you can. In customer service, put in the number of customers your department was responsible for and the increases in customer satisfaction. In distribution, put in the volume of shipping and reduct ions in time or cost of transport, breakage or returns.No matter the job, there are a number of cases, number of customers, number of hours, number of applications or RFPs or payroll cycles for which you were responsible for. Put in some digits to give a hiring manager an idea of how busy you were or how big the division was that you supported.Putting ROI into practiceHRLadder member Suzanne Frawley had to translate what she had done (in past jobs) into value numbers and savings during the resume revamp that eventually landed her a job as learning and development manager an office of German pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim.Sales is especially numbers-heavy when it comes to hiring, according to Russell Watkins, principal of Executive Search Professionals, a search firm in Texas. That makes it easier to use hard data to justify your compensation, but means you have to use a lot more detail and be prepared for more verification than people in less measurable jobs.Without givin g away competitive information about who the customers were or even how they landed one, candidates for sales jobs have to list as much detail as they can about quotas and sales growth, Watkins said. That includes details like how much monthly recurring revenue they generate, the number of new customers per quarter and the amount of new sales per quarter.“I hate to say this, but if they don’t put enough information on their resumes, they’re not going to get looked at,” Watkins said. “They should explain all the tools they used and the systems they worked on, whether they were in direct or channel sales, the type of vertical market, what percentage of plan they were under or over. Without that detail, some people just won’t call you.”

What your favorite pasta dish says about your personality

What your favorite pasta dish says about your personality What your favorite pasta dish says about your personality A good bowl of sizzling pasta al dente can turn a bad day right side up. But when it comes to choosing the  type  of pasta to make, we all have our preferences. Maybe you’re a fan of the creamy white sauce pasta, or you prefer eating your noodles with a meaty sauce. Whatever the case, your favorite pasta dish can reveal a lot about your personality. Find out what your favorite pasta dish says about you.1. Penne Alla Vodka - You like to partyAnyone who likes to eat their pasta with vodka sauce definitely enjoys a good pub crawl. You’re the life of the party and usually the last person to leave the dance floor when the club is closing.Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!Our favorite Penne alla Vodka recipe:  Penne with vodka sauce from Handle the Heat2. Spaghetti With Clams - You’re adventurousYou need to be a little adventurous to eat your pasta with little creatures tha t live buried under the sand at the bottom of the ocean. But hey - we’re not judging you, we wish that we had your sense of adventure! You’ve likely already skydived at least once in your life and you’re probably a certified scuba diver.Our favorite spaghetti with clams recipe:  Spaghetti  with  clams, parsley, garlic and lemon from Food523. Mac And Cheese - You put family firstThere’s nothing that makes you happier than sharing a big pot of mac and cheese with your family. You likely live close to home and enjoy a close relationship with your parents and siblings. You would do anything for your family and you truly value their opinion. If they don’t approve of your SO, that relationship won’t last long.Our favorite mac and cheese recipe:  Creamy  crockpot  butternut mac and cheese from A Beautiful Mess4. Pasta Al Pomodoro - You like the classicsYou like pasta al pomodoro because it’s the most iconic of all the pasta dishes. You’re a firm believer that the origina l is always better than the remake. You probably have a stack of Jane Austin novels in your bedroom and an Audrey Hepburn poster on your wall. You secretly wish that you grew up in the ’50s and Top 40 music is your worst nightmare.Our favorite pasta al pomodoro recipe:    Spaghetto al Pomodoro from Eataly5. Ravioli - You’re full of surprisesYou’re not easy to predict and people who have preconceived ideas about you when they first meet you find that you’re a completely different person after getting to know you better. You’re the sweet, quiet one who likes to get a little wild sometimes. Like ravioli, you appear hard to read on the outside but on the inside, you’re bursting with flavor.Our favorite ravioli recipe:  Portobello mushroom ravioli with peas and prosciutto from Bev Cooks6. Pasta Primavera - You’re a secret health nutYou pretend to be a pasta person, but secretly you still care about eating your vegetables. That’s why you steer clear of the higher calorie creamy pasta dishes that all of your friends order when you go out to eat Italian. You care about eating healthy but you’ll never deprive yourself of all the yumminess that life has to offer.Our favorite pasta primavera recipe:  Easy pasta primavera recipe from Simply Recipes7. Spaghetti Aglio E Olio - You’re a minimalistIf you like eating your spaghetti simply with olive oil, fresh garlic, red pepper flakes and nothing else, then you’re one of those people who thinks less is best. You’re happy with owning only a few quality possessions and your worst nightmare is a cluttered closet. You’d rather spend your money on travel than an expensive car.Our favorite spaghetti aglio e olio recipe:  Spaghetti aglio e olio from Kitchn8. Pasta All’Arrabbiata - You’re the sassy oneYou’re a little spicy, just like your favorite pasta dish. You live your life with a “take it or leave it” attitude - people can either take you as you are or take their business elsewhere. In It alian, “Arrabbiata” means angry, but you’re not an angry person by nature, you’re just not afraid to confront people if they betray you.Our favorite penne all’arrabbiata recipe:  Spicy arrabbiata penne from the Food NetworkThis article originally appeared on Swirled.You might also enjoy… New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy Strangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds 10 lessons from Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule that will double your productivity The worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs 10 habits of mentally strong people

6 Things You Didn#8217;t Know About Reference Checking

6 Things You Didn#8217;t Know About Reference Checking 6 Things You Didnt Know About Reference Checking Whats there to know about checking references? A lot more than you might think. Here are six things you may not have known about this very common and very crucial practice: 1. Reference Checks and Background Checks Are Not the Same Thing Do you do both? If so, make sure youre getting useful insight from each and not just duplicating your work. For example, if you use reference checks to verify employment history, then youre not learning anything new. You could have gotten that information from the background check. Why do a background check? - To comply with the law (when required) - To verify employment history - To check criminal records Why do a reference check? - To confirm job titles and dates of employment - To learn about a candidates strengths and weaknesses - To better understand the candidates previous job duties and experiences Background checks are fairly standard, but the effectiveness of a reference check will depend on your process. If youre not able to differentiate your reference checks in a meaningful way, then its probably time to rethink your approach. 2. More Than  Half of All Resumes and Job Applications Contain Untruths* Can you tell fact from fiction? Probably not, but former coworkers and managers have firsthand knowledge of what a candidate is like to work with, what theyve achieved, and what theyre capable of. According to a survey of more than 1,000 senior managers, more than one in five candidates are  removed from consideration after their references are checked. Thanks to insight from candidates professional contacts, many employers are spared the expense of a bad hire. (*Society for Human Resource Management) 3. Traditional Reference Checks Can Take Weeks to Complete Meanwhile, your time-to-hire spins out of control. If your company requires a reference check as a condition of employment, then you and the candidate are at the mercy of the references who are in no hurry to call you back. Fortunately, when you automate the process, you can see much better results, including: -  an 80 percent response rate; - two-minute completion times; - and full reports (3-5 references) within 24 hours. 4. Employers Dont Know What Theyre Allowed to Say About Past Employees Therefore, they err on the side of caution. The truth is, in many states, employers are protected from civil liability when providing good-faith references and truthful negative information. But try telling that to a reference who wont pick up the phone. The answer is anonymity, which is an option in automated reference checking. Providing anonymity is a huge advantage because it boosts response rates and allows references to be honest about a candidate without fear of repercussion. 5. Reference Checking Doesnt Have to Be the Last Thing You Do Many companies use reference checking as a screen-in method, which means  it  happens at the end of the hiring process with the purpose of moving a candidate forward as long as references dont give the employer reason to reconsider. But what would happen if you checked references earlier in the process? Doing so could help you narrow down a large pool of candidates or identify the best match among top contenders. With automated reference checking, youre free from the time constraints and can check references for as many candidates as you like whenever you like. 6. References Are a Valuable (and Often Untapped) Source of Talent In most cases, employers contact references for one specific reason: to get feedback about a candidate. Its a single-serve conversation, and unless the employer is a renowned brand, the reference will know nothing about the company they just interacted with. Dont miss an opportunity to source great talent. As part of the reference checking process, consider asking references if theyd like to join your talent community. Its essentially a free referral program! Plus: - Candidates tend to choose their best professional contacts as references. - References usually work in the same field or industry as the candidate. - 30 percent of references will opt in, exponentially growing your talent pipeline. Greg Moran is president and CEO  of OutMatch.Master the art of closing deals and making placements. Take our Recruiter Certification Program today. We're SHRM certified. Learn at your own pace during this 12-week program. Access over 20 courses. Great for those who want to break into recruiting, or recruiters who want to further their career.

Make a Positive Impression When Interviewing Candidates

Make a Positive Impression When Interviewing Candidates Make a Positive Impression When Interviewing Candidates In today’s job market, talented creative and marketing professionals have lots of options. As a hiring manager, you need to use interviews as a platform to showcase both the position and your firm (in addition to evaluating if an applicant is right for the role, of course). When it comes to interviewing candidates, it’s essential to remember that it’s a two-way street. The person sitting across from you is assessing the opportunity - and how you represent the company - from the moment your interaction begins. Here are my seven tips to help you make a positive impression: 1. Nail the pre-interview prep Making a great impression begins before the candidate even walks through the door. Providing all the information they need in advance of an interview is a must. This includes confirming who the candidate will be interviewing with, who they should ask for on arrival, and providing directions and parking information to expedite their arrival. Devoting time to making sure their experience is a positive one from start to finish makes your company stand out. Even small things, such as letting your reception desk know you are meeting a candidate, demonstrates such attentiveness. 2. Pick the perfect interview spot The space you choose for interviewing candidates should be well lit, comfortable and conducive to conversation. If you’re meeting outside of your place of business, the environment is even more important. Think about the time of day and make sure your location won't be too noisy. Having to scream in a crowded coffee shop obviously wouldn’t be ideal. Interviews are already nerve wracking, so do whatever you can to select a location that will help put the candidate at ease. NEED TO HIRE? 3. Run on schedule I once participated in an interview where we kept a candidate waiting for what must have felt like an eternity because my colleague was running behind. Starting the meeting by profusely apologizing wasn’t part of our plan. Being even a little bit late for an interview (or keeping the person for far longer than scheduled) will give the impression that the applicant’s time is not important to you. 4. Be prepared Even if you have read the candidate’s resume very closely, scan it again before you enter the room, and keep it on hand. Also bring a copy of the job description and the questions you plan to ask for quick reference. Decide in advance, not on the fly, how you can best convey the greatest selling points of the job and your company culture. It’s your responsibility to bring to life what makes your creative department or agency such a rewarding place to work. 5. Practice positive body language Body language is complex. As the interviewer, yours sets the tone for your interaction. The candidate will likely take cues from you to get a sense of how they are doing. Pay attention and use your body language to communicate your interest in the conversation. Avoiding eye contact, fidgeting, crossing your arms or slouching can send negative signals loud and clear. Out of respect to the interviewee, regardless of their performance, keep your own body language in check. 6. Avoid potential distractions Don’t check your phone or computer during an interview - or let anyone who isn’t supposed to be in the room interrupt you. In short, focus solely on the candidate and nothing else. It’s smart to take notes, which can prove to be particularly useful if there will be additional rounds of interviews - and also demonstrates attentiveness, which reinforces a positive impression. 7. Wrap things up positively Regardless of how well or poorly the interview went, treat all your candidates with respect and close the interview in a positive manner. Allow time for them to ask questions - and answer each one enthusiastically. Thank the person for their time and explain next steps. Smile. Make eye contact. Shake hands as you depart. Your end goal is for job candidates to leave feeling excited about your company and the opportunity to work with you. If you’re professional, prepared, enthusiastic and authentic, you will make a good impression on your next employee from the outset. Octavia Goredema is the founder and editor of Twenty Ten Talent, a career resource for talented young black women. Find her on Twitter at @OctaviaGoredema.