Ten steps to an effective interview
1. Do your preparation
· Focus on areas of most relevance to the vacant role
· Pay more attention to the candidate’s recent experience
· Design your key questions with an emphasis on desired competencies
· Investigate any gaps in employment or illogical career moves
· Manage time expectations…..if the candidate is expecting the interview to last an hour and you close it after half an hour then they may assume they have not done well
2. Choose an appropriate environment
· Interviewing is about attracting as well as assessing so the right environment is important
· Try to avoid large rooms / boardrooms – they can be intimidating
· Avoid sitting behind a desk or opposite the candidate – this can create a barrier and appear confrontational.
· Sit the candidate with their back to any distractions
3. Relax the interviewee
· It is your responsibility to establish rapport, not the candidates
4. Structure the interview and stick to it
· Greet the candidate
· Outline the interview agenda
· Move onto the main questioning stage
· Describe the organisation and the role
· Answer the candidates questions
· Close the interview
5. Ask Effective Questions
· The interview should not be a form of conversation, it should be structured to obtain information about the candidate in order to make a good recruitment decision
DO………
· Use open questions
· Use probing and clarifying questions
AVOID…..
· Closed questions
· Leading questions
· Loaded questions
· Multiple questions
6. Encourage the candidate to talk
· Remember that the candidate should be the one doing the talking. Where a good conversation is 50:50, in an interview the candidate should be talking for approx. 75% of the time.
· Use verbal affirmations i.e. mmm, aha etc. and nod your head
· Use positive body language, avoid crossing your arms, frowning or looking bored
7. Be a conscious listener
· Do not make snap decisions or make assumptions about a candidates ability by their appearance, degree of eye contact etc.
· Make every effort not to make a decision within a matter of minutes. A candidate is, understandably, not always at their best in the first few minutes of an interview.
· If using a pre-planned questionnaire be prepared to adapt and adjust these depending on the candidate
8. Note down key information
· Take notes throughout the interview which should be clear and concise
· Notes should be evidence based – fact versus opinion
· Not subjective – for example ‘No personality’ or ‘Is a star’
· Remember that candidates have the right to view all notes taken during the interview.
9. ‘Sell the Company’
· Remember that the candidate will be assessing the company during the interview. As the interviewer you are the representative of the Company
· Treat the candidate with professionalism at all times – don’t keep them waiting, make sure they have all the information they need at the start and finish of the interview
· Present a positive image of the organisation, its culture and the team they may join
· Remember that information given should be consistent with the messages given by other interviewers and everyone else the candidate encounters during the selection process. Contradictory information might put the candidate off
· Don’t oversell. Be realistic about the position and what the individual’s working life might be like if they join the company
10. Close the interview professionally
· Once the candidate has been given the opportunity to ask their questions, the interviewer should bring the meeting to a close
· Thank the candidate for their time and explain the next step
· Provide timeframes if possible
· Make sure the candidate leaves the interview with a good impression
From India, Pune
241. Do your preparation
· Focus on areas of most relevance to the vacant role
· Pay more attention to the candidate’s recent experience
· Design your key questions with an emphasis on desired competencies
· Investigate any gaps in employment or illogical career moves
· Manage time expectations…..if the candidate is expecting the interview to last an hour and you close it after half an hour then they may assume they have not done well
2. Choose an appropriate environment
· Interviewing is about attracting as well as assessing so the right environment is important
· Try to avoid large rooms / boardrooms – they can be intimidating
· Avoid sitting behind a desk or opposite the candidate – this can create a barrier and appear confrontational.
· Sit the candidate with their back to any distractions
3. Relax the interviewee
· It is your responsibility to establish rapport, not the candidates
4. Structure the interview and stick to it
· Greet the candidate
· Outline the interview agenda
· Move onto the main questioning stage
· Describe the organisation and the role
· Answer the candidates questions
· Close the interview
5. Ask Effective Questions
· The interview should not be a form of conversation, it should be structured to obtain information about the candidate in order to make a good recruitment decision
DO………
· Use open questions
· Use probing and clarifying questions
AVOID…..
· Closed questions
· Leading questions
· Loaded questions
· Multiple questions
6. Encourage the candidate to talk
· Remember that the candidate should be the one doing the talking. Where a good conversation is 50:50, in an interview the candidate should be talking for approx. 75% of the time.
· Use verbal affirmations i.e. mmm, aha etc. and nod your head
· Use positive body language, avoid crossing your arms, frowning or looking bored
7. Be a conscious listener
· Do not make snap decisions or make assumptions about a candidates ability by their appearance, degree of eye contact etc.
· Make every effort not to make a decision within a matter of minutes. A candidate is, understandably, not always at their best in the first few minutes of an interview.
· If using a pre-planned questionnaire be prepared to adapt and adjust these depending on the candidate
8. Note down key information
· Take notes throughout the interview which should be clear and concise
· Notes should be evidence based – fact versus opinion
· Not subjective – for example ‘No personality’ or ‘Is a star’
· Remember that candidates have the right to view all notes taken during the interview.
9. ‘Sell the Company’
· Remember that the candidate will be assessing the company during the interview. As the interviewer you are the representative of the Company
· Treat the candidate with professionalism at all times – don’t keep them waiting, make sure they have all the information they need at the start and finish of the interview
· Present a positive image of the organisation, its culture and the team they may join
· Remember that information given should be consistent with the messages given by other interviewers and everyone else the candidate encounters during the selection process. Contradictory information might put the candidate off
· Don’t oversell. Be realistic about the position and what the individual’s working life might be like if they join the company
10. Close the interview professionally
· Once the candidate has been given the opportunity to ask their questions, the interviewer should bring the meeting to a close
· Thank the candidate for their time and explain the next step
· Provide timeframes if possible
· Make sure the candidate leaves the interview with a good impression
From India, Pune
Hi vandhu Realy your errorts are valuable. Keep it & do more on this articals. Warm regard Sunil
From India, Jaipur
From India, Jaipur
thnx....dat was really helpful. can u tell something about Dip Stick Study in Organisation
From India, New Delhi
From India, New Delhi
Hi Richa, Good post , very essential and apt, cause seldom one is nervous during the interview, specially people who are facing interview for 1st. time. Regards, Evelyn. :icon1:
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