How To Take Notes When Interviewing A Job Candidate

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Without a doubt, the job interview is an important stage in the hiring process. As an employer, it is when you finally get to meet the candidates who so far have been judged based on their application, their resume, their cover letters, their portfolios, or the referral from a trusted source.

It is the interview that will give you a better idea of how this candidate matches your expectations. The interview also acts as the final filter among candidates because, at this point, you have picked among those who seem like potential matches.

To capitalize on this important stage, you should take notes during the job interview. This will ensure that your impressions of the interview will be based on accurate and relevant information.

Key Takeaways

• Use your notes to help recollect the interview and evaluate the candidate, as well as compare them to others.

• Prioritize listening to the candidate. Only use your notes as a tool for later decision-making.

• Objective notes provide an element of fairness and protect you against claims of discrimination.

How To Take Notes When Interviewing Job Candidates

To take notes when interviewing a candidate for an open position, make sure to:

1. Use a scorecard. An interview scorecard is a standardized system of rating the candidates and their answers during the interview. With a predetermined set of criteria, you use the scorecard to help be objective when you compare candidates against taking notes on one another.

   An interview scorecard should be considered a separate entity from during the interview because it involves a standard format. Although there are many different formats, an interview scorecard usually contains the following:

   • A consistent ranking system.

   • Specific questions related to qualifications such as skills, experience, and traits.

   • Criteria that are specific to the position.

   • Total score section.

   • Yes or no, hire or not hire, section.

   Interview scorecards work in tandem with note-taking. They allow you to use the scorecard to focus on specific rankings, while the notes provide supplemental material for comments and other observations.

2. Have a separate section for notes. Your notes should be separate from the application form and the candidate’s documents. You may combine the scorecard and the notes; however, you still want to have a clear space where you can take your notes.

   This will allow your notes to be focused and easier to read. You may want to consider using prompts for your notes, such as providing a “comments” section under each question you ask.

3. Inform the candidate. This is the polite thing to do and has the added benefit of putting the candidate at ease because they may be nervous to see you take notes.

   It also highlights how you are trying to be fair about your evaluations which can give the potential hire confidence to be themselves. As a result, you will get a more natural and positive experience.

4. Prioritize listening. It is important that your notes act as a tool to serve your primary purpose, which is to listen and observe the candidate. It is easy to get caught up in making your notes perfect, so focus on only capturing key information that will be helpful later.

   If you need to, set reminders about the length of your notes and consider using active listening techniques to keep yourself present with the candidate. Your candidate is likely to feel more comfortable when they see that you are focused on them and not your notes.

5. Focus on answers to be objective. Your notes should be able to recall what happened during the interview. Be accurate and stick to the facts, such as quotes from the candidate, to avoid any biased judgments. Your notes should be able to be used as professional documentation and can be read by a variety of people without any poor reflection on you.

6. Be concise. To help you stay focused on the interview and the candidate, keep your notes short. Again, stick to the facts and key points of the candidate’s responses. Your notes are simply a helpful tool to use when you need to recollect the interview, compare the candidate to others, and come to a final evaluation.

7. Save the analysis for later. To avoid making unnecessary value judgements or discriminatory biases, save any kind of analysis for later. This is also helpful to keep you present during the interview because it reduces the number of notes to take.

Tips For Taking Notes As An Interviewer

To take effective notes when interviewing potential hires, consider the following tips:

• Have a system in place. If you go into an interview with no system of note-taking in place, then you risk your notes being inconsistent between candidates. At best, this makes it hard for you to compare objectively, and at worst, it could put you at risk for discriminatory behavior.

• Be aware of your biases. Everyone has biases, so it is better to be aware of yourself ahead of time. Minimize your biases by focusing on the answers of your candidates and how they relate to their competency for the position. Do not take notes on anything that can be considered discriminatory, such as age, race, gender, cultural habits, or disabilities.

• Keep notes legible. Your notes are a form of professional documentation. At some point, others may need to read them, so make it easy for them. This also helps you keep your notes structured and objective.

• Choose your technology. Some people prefer pen and paper, while others prefer typing on the computer. Do what works best for you. Sometimes, interviews are recorded; however, depending on state laws, this may require consent from the candidate.

• Create a conversation with the candidate. To help you focus on the candidate and their answers, make the interview a conversation. Bluntly asking questions and awaiting answers is unnatural and prevents the candidate from behaving like their true self.

  By creating a conversation, you get more useful answers and a glimpse of interpersonal skills in action.

• Look for STAR answers. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result, and it is a great way for candidates to sum up their answers to behavioral questions. Take note if you hear candidates structure their answers in this way because it allows you to easily break down their skills and character traits.

• Don’t be afraid to ask candidates to repeat themselves. A lot is going on during an interview, and if you need clarity about an answer, go ahead and ask the candidate to repeat what they said. This makes sure your notes are accurate.

The Benefits of Taking Notes During Candidate Interviews

Taking notes while interviewing job candidates is necessary for any employer who wants to make the most out of the experience. This is because note-taking:

• Aids in memory recall. When your notes record the facts, what words were said, what actions were taken, you can use them to help later on when you need to think about the candidate. This is good to help focus on the specifics of the candidate and distinguish them from other candidates.

• Increases consistency in evaluations. If you have a system in place, then your notes can help ensure that there is consistency in your evaluations because when you need to recollect interviews, you work within a framework that is the same for each candidate.

• Creates a sense of fairness. The consistency of the notes and their presence as objective evidence makes sure that you are fair in your judgements both during and after the interview. You focus on the competency and qualifications of the candidate while avoiding distractions.

• It can protect against claims of discrimination. When you come to a decision, you can use your notes to be fair and objective, which in turn will help you if you are accused of discriminatory behavior. You can use your notes as evidence of your objectivity.

As you can see, you are only hurting yourself if you are not taking notes during your interviews in a standardized format. A lack of notes or notes that are inconsistent can set you up for failure, while structured notes will set you up for success and finding the best candidate for the position.

Template Example For Job Interview Notes

Taking Notes During An Interview FAQ

1. Is it OK to take notes when interviewing someone?

   Yes, it is OK to take notes when interviewing someone; in fact, it is highly recommended. Your notes are a tool to help you in your evaluations. As long as you keep your notes consistent and objective through a standardized process, you can be sure that your notes will be essential in making an informed decision about candidates.

2. How do you take notes when interviewing someone?

   When interviewing someone, keep your notes objective and focus on the candidate’s qualifications.

   It helps to have a process in place that allows you to take notes that are consistent between interviews. Make sure that you focus on listening and interviewing the potential employee, so only use your notes to highlight key points that will help you later.

3. What is the golden rule of interviewing?

   The golden rule of interviewing is to be prepared, professional, and authentic. This is true for both interviewees and interviewers. The job interview should be a conversation, not an examination.

   Only through this can you both ensure that you discover information essential to your primary objective, which is to determine if this person is a right fit for the position and if the company is a right fit for the candidate.

4. What is the first thing to do in an interview?

   The first thing to do in an interview is to greet the interviewee and establish a friendly relationship. This helps reduce any tension or awkwardness that can naturally arise in a job interview. You want to keep the interview as friendly as possible because any anxiety in the situation will only serve as a distraction.

References

1. U.S. Office of Personnel Management – How to Conduct a Successful Interview

2. University of Guelph – Note-Taking in the Employment Interview

Author

Conor McMahon

Conor McMahon is a writer for Zippia, with previous experience in the nonprofit, customer service, and technical support industries. He has a degree in Music Industry from Northeastern University and in his free time he plays guitar with his friends. Conor enjoys creative writing between his work doing professional content creation and technical documentation.