Interviews are one of the last steps in the hiring process. An interview is used to find out more about the candidate’s personality and work style. Talking to them about their work experience and how they address problems can give an interviewer insight into the kind of person they’re likely to be at work, and how well they’d fit into the company culture.
Key Takeaways:
-
Job interviews are a process where both the interviewer and interviewee assess each other and decide whether they’d be a good fit for the job.
-
Interviews should be prepared for by figuring out what the objective of the interview is and tailoring questions to it.
-
Once the interview is in process, the interviewer should maintain control of the conversation while being sure to let the interviewee speak.
-
If the interviewer thinks the candidate would be a good fit, they should be sure to thank them and follow up after the interview has concluded.
What’s the Purpose of a Job Interview?
Job interviews serve an important role in the hiring process. They help ensure that you’re getting the most qualified person for the job. Interviews are a way to follow up with candidates and learn more about their achievements, skills, and how they handle work-related problems.
Now, in order to be able to get all of that information out of an interview, it needs to be conducted effectively. If an interview is done properly, then the candidate will feel comfortable and willing to talk about their past achievements. It’ll also give you a better idea of what they’re really like, as they won’t feel as forced to put up a facade.
Steps to Prepare for the Interview
It isn’t only the interviewee who should prepare for an interview. As the interviewer is the one who steers the conversation, it’s arguable that they should be even more prepared than the person coming in to be interviewed. While the common thought is that the candidate is selling themselves to the company, the reverse is also true.
Being prepared, organized, and directed allows you and the company to look professional. Remember that you’re not only representing yourself when you’re conducting an interview; you’re a representative of the company.
Here are some recommended steps to make sure your interview goes off without a hitch.
-
Familiarize yourself with the position. Depending on the size of the company you work in and whether hiring is your primary job, you may not know all the details of the position you’re hiring for. Even if you feel you do, it doesn’t hurt to double-check the job description.
The point is to know what is in the job description, the duties and responsibilities of the job, and the general expectations. After all, if you don’t know what you’re looking for then you can’t know if the candidate’s a good fit. There’s also a high probability that they’ll ask questions about the job, and you don’t want to be caught flatfooted.
-
Check the candidate’s application. You want to be sure that you know as much as possible about the person you’re interviewing. Their application should list where they worked and when, as well as their accomplishments. If there’s a cover letter, that may go into further detail that would be useful in the resume.
Work on preparing questions relevant to their experience. Not only will you likely get a better answer to a question of this sort, but it also signals to the candidate that you’ve done your homework. The better organized and more professional you are, the better you make the company and position look.
-
Know your objective. Interviews are inherently open-ended. That being said, if you want an effective interview, you should decide what it is you want to know. Do you want to know about their past achievements? Are you looking for more interpersonal skills or hard skills? Tailor your questions based on this objective.
-
Prepare your questions. Once you’ve determined your objective, you should prepare what questions you plan to ask. You should do your best to estimate how long each question will take to answer so that you don’t end up with way too many – or worse, way too few.
Know that your estimate may end up being wrong, due to the fact that it’s difficult to know for how long the candidate will talk. Organize your questions in order of importance so that you can be sure to ask the ones that you really want to know the answer to, even if your time runs out.
-
Prepare some topics for small talk. While this seems excessive, small talk is a way to make the candidate feel comfortable. If you’re stumbling over what to talk about, then that isn’t going to help the interview process at all.
If there’s something in the candidate’s application that relates to their hobbies, then you can bring that up as a topic – especially if you share an interest. Otherwise, even something as inconsequential as the weather can help set a candidate at ease.
-
Confer with co-interviewers, if applicable. Different businesses have different strategies for the interview. If yours is to have multiple interviewers, then be sure to speak to them so you’re all on the same page. It’s fine if different interviewers have different focuses – it may even be best – so long as they aren’t at odds with each other.
Steps to Take During the Interview
Once you’ve got your prep work out of the way, you’ll have to conduct the interview itself. Remember that you’re the one in the position of power and that makes it your responsibility to make the interviewee feel comfortable and welcome.
Here are some steps to follow to conduct a successful interview;
-
Greet the interviewee. Make sure to greet them warmly and introduce yourself, as well as give your position. You can talk a little bit about yourself or the company as well, especially if you’re taking them to where the interview will take place.
-
Make them feel comfortable. The greeting is part of this process, but this is also where the small talk comes in. Try to bring up something it’s likely they’ll be interested in – such as a hobby listed on their resume or cover letter. If they have a jacket with a sports team emblem on it, or something similar, then you can use that as a conversation starter.
-
Explain the interview process. It’s generally a good idea to lay out the basic interview process to the interviewee. You don’t need to go into tremendous detail, but mention if you’re going to walk them through the office at the end, for example.
If you’re doing anything besides just a verbal interview, such as having them take an aptitude test, be sure to mention it and explain when that will be and what it’ll entail.
-
Ask your questions. Once the preliminaries are out of the way, you get into the question-and-answer part of the interview. Remember that you want to hear your candidate’s answers, so try to word the questions in ways that are open-ended and encourage more than a yes or a no.
-
Be a good listener. Make sure to pay attention to what they say and show engagement. Don’t overdo it by saying “yes” or something similar at constant intervals, but be sure to focus on them and ask some follow-up questions that make it clear that you were listening and interested.
Another part of this is that the interview is for the purpose of the interviewee answering questions. They should be doing the lion’s share of the talking. You will ask follow-up questions and engage with them, but mostly it should be them talking about their previous work experience, problem-solving, and achievements.
-
Take notes. Taking notes is another way of showing that you’re paying attention to what they’re saying. It also has the benefit of keeping track of their answers and maintaining continuity should there be a second interview – all of the information you need will be in your notes. This is especially important if there ends up being two different interviewers.
-
Maintain control. This isn’t something you have to do strictly, but remember that you’re the one giving the interview. If the conversation ends up off-topic, it’s your responsibility to bring it back. Also, if they start asking either too many questions or questions that aren’t really on topic, you need to steer the discussion back to where it should be.
-
Let them ask questions. Typically this is done at the end of the interview, though there isn’t anything wrong with the interviewee asking questions throughout the interview, so long as they’re topical. But it’s important to answer any questions that they have to make it clear that you’re interested in them and willing to fix any potential issues.
The questions that the candidate asks can also show that they’re engaged and interested. For instance, they did some research and didn’t find an answer to a particular question. Or they want to make sure that they’re absolutely clear on various parts of the process.
-
Sell the job. Remember that this is a mutual tryout. Both you and the candidate are trying to see if the job and the candidate suit one another. Don’t start trying to sell the job from the very beginning, as that can feel forced. If you’re focused too much on that, it may also make it difficult to tell how good of a fit the candidate actually is.
Usually around the halfway point is when you should decide whether or not to start wooing the candidate. If you think they’re qualified and would be a good fit, then start talking up the job’s perks. Talking about the culture and the organization, in general, can also be a good way to sell them on the idea.
Tips for Concluding and Following Up Effectively
Most interviews are a set amount of time. Depending on the complexity of the job, they can range from half an hour to two hours. Sometimes it’ll vary depending on what answers the candidate gives and how well the interview goes. Most candidates are going to assume a shorter interview implies that it didn’t go well, so keep that in mind.
Now that you’ve asked the questions you wanted answers to, it’s time to conclude the interview.
-
End the interview professionally. Be sure to not make them feel like you’re tossing them out. Mention how you feel that you covered a lot of ground (or something similar) and that it’s time to move on to the next steps.
-
Thank them for their time. Candidates are expected to express thanks on a regular basis to potential employers, but it shouldn’t be one way. The candidate did take unpaid time to come and talk to you, and you should thank them for it. If you want to be formal about it, you can even send them a thank you note later.
-
Outline the next steps. If this is a candidate you think you might want to hire, be sure to tell them what they should expect next. You don’t need to go into tremendous detail, but let them know when to expect a follow-up response and basically what it’ll be. You can even go beyond that if you think the follow-up is likely to be an offer letter.
-
Follow up with them. Be sure to get in touch with them after some time has passed. This can be the aforementioned thank you note, an offer letter if you’re sure you want to hire them, or even a note letting them know you’ve chosen to hire someone else.
Many employers won’t bother to contact a candidate they’ve chosen not to hire. Despite this, candidates, while being disappointed, generally appreciate you taking the time to inform them that they’re no longer in consideration. This allows them to focus on other opportunities or send out new applications, as they know you aren’t going to make them an offer.
If you send them an offer letter and don’t get a response, then you can follow up again. Make sure to give the candidate at least a few days – likely a week – before doing this, or it’ll seem overly insistent. An additional follow-up shows interest, and politeness, and avoids any potential errors – like the previous communication being overlooked.
How to Conduct an In-Person Interview FAQ
-
What should you do if an interview didn’t go well?
Even if the interview doesn’t go well, you should maintain professionalism. End the interview in a similar manner to how you’d end one that did go well. Thank them for their time and let them know if they should expect any further communications from you.
The majority of workers consider it polite of the employer to inform them that they aren’t under consideration. Sending a letter letting them know that you’ve chosen another candidate and wishing them luck in their endeavors is a nice thing to do.
-
How many people should conduct an interview?
No more than three people should be involved in conducting an interview. Most interviews are done with only one interviewer, but two or three interviewers are also possible. It can have the benefit of having different perspectives and people with different areas of expertise.
However, the candidate’s comfort level should be kept in mind. The more people interviewing them, the more intimidated they’re likely to feel.
-
How should you start an interview?
You should start an interview by greeting the person and introducing yourself. Once you’ve done that, you usually take a few minutes for small talk to try to make the interviewee feel comfortable.
-
How do you end an interview?
You end an interview by thanking the person for their time. You should also outline what the next steps are expected to be. Such as how soon they should expect to hear from you if the interview went well.
-
What’s the STAR method?
The STAR method is a way to organize a response or a story in an interview. The most successful answers and explanations make use of this method.
Star stands for;
-
Situation.
-
Task.
-
Action.
-
Result.
The interviewee should go through their explanation or anecdote by using this method. For example, they explain what the problem was and how they were involved in it. Then what they did do to try to fix or mitigate it, and what the effect was?
-
Author
Di Doherty
Di has been a writer for more than half her life. Most of her writing so far has been fiction, and she’s gotten short stories published in online magazines Kzine and Silver Blade, as well as a flash fiction piece in the Bookends review. Di graduated from Mary Baldwin College (now University) with a degree in Psychology and Sociology.
