After conducting an interview, as a recruiter you are expected
to clearly understand a candidate’s background enough to determine
if he or she would be a perfect fit for your
company. Conducting an interview properly and asking the right
questions can improve your chances of selecting the right person
for the job. A productive interview should clearly allow you
to assess the candidate’s behavioral traits, qualifications,
strengths and weaknesses and determine if the applicant would fit
into your company culture.
WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA (WCF) offers these
solutions to conducting an interview:
Define the qualities you are looking for in the perfect
candidate. Before you set up the interview, determine what
characteristics you would like the employee to possess, such as
education, talents, knowledge and skills. To form your list,
consider using the traits of your best employees.
Carefully review the resume before the
interview. Know the applicant’s qualifications before the
interview begins by reviewing the resume or application in
advance. Remember that you are setting an impression of your
organization as well, and its best to look prepared.
Draft interview questions in advance. Keep
questions open ended and avoid leading questions that may direct
your candidates to the answer that you expect. Draft questions
that are behaviorally based or that allow you to pinpoint specific
situations in which a behavior was used in a past. Consider
writing scenarios that are common with the job and asking the
applicant how he or she would respond. Think about what types
of answers you would like to these questions and try to keep
questions the same for all candidates for a position.
Focus interview questions on job experience, skills, education
and achievement, but avoid all questions that may not be legally
used for hiring, such as questions regarding race, age, gender,
religious background, medical history, disabilities, handicaps,
marital status or if a candidate is planning to have
children. Including any of these items in an interview will
make your company vulnerable to a discrimination lawsuit if you
decide not to hire a candidate.
Create an evaluation form. Prepare a form in
advance that lists all planned questions. This will provide a
similar interview format if you have multiple interviewers and will
help you compare multiple candidates.
Begin the interview. Set the interview tone, start
with small talk to relax the candidate, thank the applicant for his
or her time, and provide advice on how the interview process will
work.
Be a good listener. Have control over your responses
and be conscious of the impression that you are making. Take
brief notes on the evaluation form to help you remember candidate
qualities, so you can reference them after interview or to compare
multiple candidates. Ask the interviewee if he or she has any
questions about the organization and position.
Assess the candidate’s technical skills, experience,
communication skills and interpersonal skills. Watch body
language for comfort level and interpersonal skills, and analyze
the candidate’s ability to answer tough questions and think
quickly. If a candidate’s message contradicts an earlier
comment, ask about the contradiction and observe how the person
reacts. Listen for job-related problems like poor attendance,
lack of loyalty and inability to maintain working relationships,
but keep in mind that problems do not have to disqualify a
candidate if he or she learned from the experience.
End the interview by letting the applicant know what to
expect. Let the candidate know when you expect to have a
decision and how you will contact him or her with that
decision. Then thank the applicant and guide him or her to the
exit.
