You don't want to lose a key candidate because someone else moved faster than you did. There is nothing more frustrating than telling your recruiter that you want to make an offer only to find out that the candidate just accepted a position with your closest competitor.
"I would like to interview another two or three Candidates." How many Loan Officers, Analyst, etc. have you talked to in the past three years? You know what makes a good one. If you wait for a couple of weeks to give yourself a chance to interview another two or three Candidates, there is a high probability that this Candidate will be gone. Top Candidates are in demand. You know what a good one looks like. When you see what you want, hire that person NOW.
When the process is not moving forward, the Candidate will assume that you did not want them or that he/she is second choice. That Candidate will start to think of reasons NOT to go with your organization and start looking elsewhere. There is a very good chance you will either lose the Candidate or by the time you move the process forward, or they will have convinced themselves that they really didn't want to work for you.
What have been the past successes of the Candidate? What have been the challenges that they have faced? How have they overcome those challenges and what were the quantifiable outcomes?
For the first 10 to 15 minutes of an interview, focus on the background of the candidate, not the personality of the candidate. Give the candidate a chance to relax and be who they really are. Don't make your mind up in the first few minutes. First impressions are not always accurate.
Have the candidate describe how he or she has handled certain situations in the past or how they would approach solving a particular problem. "Story problems" tend to be a more effective interviewing method than theory questions.
By asking each candidate a set group of key questions, you will be better able to compare candidates. You will probably want to delve further into their answers with follow up questions, but this is a good starting point
A person can have great technical skills, but if the candidate can't work closely with your team, you may damage rather than enhance the performance of your team with this hire.
Unless you are looking for someone to solve an immediate problem and then move on, ensure your Company goals and philosophy match the Candidates career goals and philosophy. You will have a much higher probability of hiring a long-term employee.
Most job descriptions are not "Job Descriptions". They are descriptions of the person that the company is looking for to fill the position. By focusing on the challenges of the position and whether the Candidate can meet those challenges, you will have a better probability of hiring the "right-fit" Candidate
There is always competition for talent. Constantly sell your opportunity to the Candidate. Let the Candidate know how your Company and your opportunity will help the Candidate meet their goals.
You must let the Candidate know what the benefit is to them of joining your Team.