Interviewing someone can be nerve-racking, especially when you are new to the hiring process, and it can be difficult to know which questions to ask. Even managers with years of experience in the hiring process often do not know how to effectively handle an interview to make the most out of their time with a prospective candidate. A successful interview can be difficult to conduct because it requires digging beneath the surface to gain a comprehensive understanding of a job candidate. Whether you are new to the hiring process or you have been doing this for years, read on to learn interviewer tips to help you get the most out of each interview you conduct.
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Prepare for the Interview Ahead of Time
Before you interview someone for a job opening, make sure you really understand the position first. What are the tasks and responsibilities of the position, and what competencies are necessary for fulfilling them? This way, you know exactly what you are looking for in a prospective employee. Know ahead of time what you are hoping to get from the interview. It can be helpful to make a list of everything you want to understand about the candidate, then develop questions that will help you get the necessary answers.
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Research the Prospective Candidate
You want to already have a basic understanding of a candidate before the interview begins. Most candidates have professional and personal social media profiles that you can use for some quick research. When you look at a candidate’s resume, check out their LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media profiles as well to see what else you can learn about them. Here is a bonus interviewer tip: It is also helpful to conduct a pre-screen of potential candidates with a phone interview. This will allow you to weed out unsuitable candidates without wasting time in a full-length interview.
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Build a Rapport
It is important to make the candidate feel comfortable and at ease at the start of the interview. Break the ice with a simple question to build a rapport. Ask about where the candidate went to school, or simply, “What’s your favorite color?”. Starting out with a simple question like this will not only ease any tension but will also allow you to get a better feel for the candidate’s personality. Their answers are likely to be more honest as well if you start out with a non-interview question.
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Ask Each Candidate the Same Questions
Prepare your interview questions in advance and ask each candidate the same questions for the same job. This allows you as the interviewer to evaluate and compare each candidate based on their responses to the same questions. Asking everyone the same questions also reduces the risk of potential discrimination claims against you. When you are coming up with your list of questions, skip the generic “tell me about yourself” question. Instead, ask questions about why they feel they would be a good addition to the company. This shows which candidates have done their own research about your company, which will tell you who is serious about wanting the position. An unprepared candidate will likely not make a good hire.
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Go with the Flow
Even though the previous interview tip recommends that interviewers ask each candidate the same questions, if the interview starts to go in a direction different from what you had planned, don’t worry. Follow your interviewee and pay attention to what they are saying. This will help you get to know the candidate better than if you stop them mid-conversation. Trying to stop the conversation to get back into your planned structure is rude and will make the candidate much less open with their answers. However, even as you go with the flow, you still need to make sure all the bases are covered. You can always go back to a point at the end to make sure it is discussed.
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Interview with a Partner
Having multiple interviewers sitting in on an interview can be very beneficial. Each person will bring different questions to ask, allowing you to get a better understanding of the candidate. Furthermore, if you have all the major decision makers involved in the interviews, this will speed up the hiring process because information about each candidate does not need to be relayed multiple times.
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Ask for Solutions to Problems
Describe a problem and ask the candidate for a solution. This will show you whether they will be able to handle the job or not. You should describe problems that could potentially arise in this job position to see if the candidate will resolve them in a beneficial way. If not, then they are not a suitable candidate for the position in question.
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Promote Your Company
This interview tip is suggested by Harvard Business Review. An interview is a great opportunity for you to promote your company and the position to the candidate. Many interviewers focus on finding out information about the candidate, but an interview is supposed to be a two-way exchange. The candidate wants to learn more about your company and the position just as much as you want to learn about them. Promote your company so that they can understand its culture and whether the position is one that aligns with what they want. If the candidate is someone you want at your company, then take this opportunity to sell them on why your company is the right choice for them.
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Watch Out for Problematic Questions
You need to be careful that your line of questioning stays in the legal realm. Be aware of what you can and cannot ask a candidate. Protected characteristics that you cannot ask about include age, sexuality, marital status, religion, political status, and national origin. Asking about these things can offend the candidate and have legal repercussions. To avoid asking problematic questions, stick to asking questions about professional topics. While engaging in small talk with the candidate, be sure to keep your questions neutral.
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Practice
The final interviewer tip seems self-evident but is often forgotten. To become better at anything, you need to practice. If it helps, think of an interview as a business presentation. You wouldn’t give a presentation without practicing beforehand, so don’t try to conduct an interview without first practicing. This will make you feel better prepared for the interview; giving you the confidence you need to effectively conduct a successful interview.
Get Professional Help with the Hiring Process
If you need some assistance with the hiring process, Vega Connections can help you meet your needs. Find the perfect, most efficient match for your company with the help of our recruitment services. Our recruitment packages are built to fit your recruitment and HR needs, whether you simply need help screening resumes or you need assistance with the entire process from the application to running a credit check. To find out more about how our professional recruitment services will help you find the top talent in your industry, reach out to us today at 865-212-4867 or online.
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