How To Conduct An Interview In 6 Simple Steps

If companies want to find the best person for the job vacancy, it is important that interviews are as thorough and well-thought-out as possible. Conducting an interview is not as easy as it may seem, and there are many steps that a company takes and considers before meeting candidates and making a final hiring decision. Companies need to clear the type of candidates they are looking to hire for positions and then be evaluative about the candidate’s experience. It should not necessarily align with the role the company is looking for or overlook the shortage of the required skills. It goes the same way for the company, how the hiring manager presents it to the candidate and how the candidate finds the company if it is a fit or not. It is important to remember that for candidates seeking a job, you, as the company, will also be under scrutiny.

Why are effective interviews important?

When it comes to putting the foundation of a successful business, it does take a village.

The likelihood of your success entirely depends on the team behind it. Hence, it is very crucial to spend time building an effective hiring process that identifies and attracts the right people. No matter what is the state of the economy, hiring competent talent will always take the business to the next level. An effective, well-run, and enjoyable interview process doubles the pitch for the company’s culture and helps to attract the right talent to the company.

How to conduct interviews effectively

A lot of preparation goes into conducting an effective job interview. An ideal job interview should help the candidate to learn more about the company and vice versa. Learning how to conduct an interview is extremely important for hiring the top-most candidates for the business. Conducting an effective interview gives an idea about the intangible attributes like passion, the candidate’s initiative and interest in the job, fitment to the job, cultural fitment, attitude, and communication skills.

Learn how to start an interview as a hiring company

Put applicants at ease, ask open-ended questions like – ‘type of team and role that suits you the best’, and keep questions job-focussed and work-related that peripherally include about applicant’s personal life. And to avoid discrimination lawsuits, steer clear of questions centered on age, community, gender, national origin, or marital/family status.

How To Conduct An Interview In 6 Simple Steps

1. Prepare materials and equipment

As an interviewer, do a thorough glance at the CV you will interview. Keep necessary and relevant questions handy while interviewing a person. By arranging enough source material required to take the interview, be prepared in advance with the right set of tools and equipment for a seamless process that saves time and energy.

2. Make sure the candidate is comfortable

Job interviews can be incredibly stressful for some candidates. As an interviewer or company, the problem is to get the most out of your candidates. Make them feel relaxed and easy so that they can speak clearly and naturally. When a candidate feels easy, they will perform naturally and will feel more comfortable with the interviewer. Which also makes it easy to build a rapport between you and the company.

3. Listen carefully to the candidate

One of the effective ways of taking an applicant’s interview is to listen to them effectively. As a hiring manager, pay more attention to non-verbal cues like posture, punctuality, dress, and  body language. Make a note if they have read about the company by cross-questioning. Provide insights about the company, management, and culture and even “sell” the position to prospective candidates.

4. Ask relevant questions

The interview should flow more conversationally than merely as an interrogation. Hence, make sure to listen to the candidate attentively and ask follow-up questions from the candidate’s responses. Allow them to finish talking, and then jump into another question. Take the conversation up slowly by making them comfortable with their responses or experiences. Taking it slowly will give you time to think of more intelligent questions that you can put to the candidate as an individual rather than who’s pre-planned for the interview.

5. Learn as much as you can about the candidate

Understanding the career goals of a candidate gives an insight into their expectations in terms of professional development. It also helps to assess their understanding of the company and the position they’ve applied for. Ask specific questions related to their job and responsibilities for the position to know more about the candidate. Ask them how they spend their time after the office, their hobbies and interests. Their interests can help you know your candidate much better.

6. Talk about the company/benefits/bonuses

Upon deciding how to invest in your employees, focus on telling the new hires about the company’s benefits first. Oftentimes, employees expect to get time-offs, healthcare benefits, fun-offering activities or sometimes even a pet-friendly office. The number of perks and benefits any company gives to the employees is a valuable addition for them that helps to make an informed decision in their career. So, describing your company’s benefits is one of the most important steps on how to take an interview.

7. Follow up and provide feedback

The hiring manager should not restrict only to the questions prepared beforehand. To select the best candidates for the job, it is necessary to seek more information from them by asking follow-up questions. Ask them to elaborate more on their answers. Doing so will unveil more information about their personality, work experience, and how they think. Do not hesitate to give feedback basis their answers.

Conclusion

Closing out an interview is as important as the other stages of the interview. As having a first impression is important, leaving the candidate feeling good about the organization is equally good. It is an important aspect for a company to efficiently conduct the interview and end it with a handshake with the candidate and thank him/her for showing up. Giving them a tour of office is also a fair idea and walk them out when they are leaving. It can be very frustrating and embarrassing for the candidate to mindlessly wander in the office trying to remember places or find out the exit when he/she hops in for the interview. Last but not least, send a follow-up email and thank them for taking time out for the interview from their busy schedule.

NLB Services