A while back, I wrote a post about how companies should always be hiring. Let’s unpack this statement, because beyond the advantages of staying on the lookout for sharp people at all times, interviewing itself has intrinsic value:

• Interviewing people seeking employment in your field will keep you up to date on the marketplace and your competition.

• Meeting people interested in working with your company and with you adds value. What makes them interested? How did they learn about you and about your organization? How can you do more of the right things to build wider interest?

• If a candidate attracted your attention, she will probably land somewhere interesting (even if not in your shop). Building a professional relationship with her could help you both down the road. Interviews make for good networking.

• People leave—and people get fired. You can’t always predict either event. When staff members head for the door, it helps to have traction with people interested in your organization. Further, interviewing without desperation ensures you don’t ignore red flags, gloss over critical questions, and make hasty decisions.

• As with everything, you get better at interviewing the more you interview. Practice leads to improvement. What questions elicit valuable answers—and which never do? How should you best structure interviews for your open position?

As I mentioned in my prior post on hiring, if you find someone knock-your-socks-off perfect for your company and you don’t have an open position, fight to create a role. Top-notch people will return significantly on the investment.

Seeing me interview used to raise the alarm among my team: Is someone leaving? Who’s getting fired? Is there a new position open? What’s going on? Over time, they’ve relaxed into the notion that I’ll always interview good candidates when they come to my attention. They’ve seen the benefits of the process (and some have even come on board as a result).

Does your company interview regularly?