Create an Effective Job Interview
Table of contents
Introduction
It's a fact: the way you interview candidates can make or break your entire hiring process. It sounds obvious, but most people don't realize how important it is to go into a job interview prepared. The best way to do this is by putting yourself in the candidate's shoes. What questions would you ask if you were on the other side of this desk? How would you feel if someone asked those same questions? These tips will help ensure that both parties get what they want out of their time together during an interview—and make sure that they are both satisfied with each other's answers!
Research
Researching the candidate and the organization will help you interview more effectively.
- Research the candidate by reviewing their resume, checking their social media profile, and talking with references from previous jobs.
- Research what skills your team needs most by looking at organizational maps and job descriptions for open positions. You can also use free online tools to analyze your current employees' strengths and weaknesses in order to identify gaps in needed skill sets.
- Ask questions based on this research: "Why is this person perfect for us?" or "What makes them stand out from other candidates?" This will give you an idea of what it would be like working with this person on a daily basis (and whether they'd fit into our culture).
Prepare Your Questions in Advance
Before you call a candidate, you should have a list of questions prepared. The questions should be relevant to the role and company culture. Here are some potential topics:
- What is your experience in this role?
- What’s your current role in your current company?
- How would you describe your working style?
Make sure you have an open mind when asking these questions because it will help ensure that these candidates get a fair chance at landing the job.
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Decide Who You Want to Interview
This is the first step in the interview process. Before moving forward, you must be clear about what qualities you are looking for. The goal is to find candidates who have both the skills and experience necessary to do well in this role. It's also essential that they are a good fit with your team and culture, as they will be working closely with other members of your team on a daily basis.
Once you've decided on your hiring criteria, take some time upfront to determine how many people you want to interview for each position (or maybe two or three different positions). If possible, try not to schedule interviews back-to-back; it'll help keep everyone fresh and give everyone time between interviews so that nothing gets lost in translation or washed out over time due simply to the sheer amount of information being processed at once!
Be Time-Efficient
The best way to be efficient and effective is to keep your interview short. There’s no need to drag the hiring process out or go overkill with questions that you don’t even need answers for. Keep it simple and precise, only asking what is essentially needed from each candidate.
It’s important that you also end on a positive note so that candidates leave feeling good about themselves, their performance, and the position itself.
Give All Candidates the Same Opportunity to Impress You
Make sure that all candidates get the same opportunity to impress you. Give them all the same amount of time to present their skills and qualifications, and give each candidate an equal opportunity to ask questions, feedback, or make a good impression.
Stay Objective and Open-Minded
- Stay objective and open-minded. Listen to what the interviewer says, how they say it, and how they respond to your questions.
- Ask follow-up questions. After being asked a question by the interviewer, take time to think about your response before answering verbally. This will allow you time to formulate an answer that’s both effective and professional.
- Ask about their career goals and experience in detail—if possible get them talking about themselves rather than yourself! Try asking: “If I were hired for this position today, where do you see yourself in five years?”.
- Ask about their educational background/skill set (i.e., computer programs used on the job).
Listen for What They Say and How They Say It
- Identify the candidate’s use of words. Observe how the candidate uses language, especially when they are speaking about their experience in the field. Those who can effectively convey their knowledge through language are better candidates than those who rely on technical jargon that may not be understood by others (or even themselves).
- Identify the candidate’s tone of voice. Tone can reveal a lot about someone’s personality, so pay attention to how your interviewee speaks—are they friendly? Serious? Sarcastic? A calm tone is generally preferable, but if your interviewee does have an excitable voice or one that never drops below a certain level of intensity, this might be indicative of an overly aggressive personality rather than one with passion for their work.
- Observe enthusiasm levels during responses—they should not be subdued but neither should they be over-the-top excited about everything related to job responsibilities; this could indicate that they lack objectivity and would likely jump at any opportunity presented regardless of whether it was appropriate for them professionally or personally.
Ask for Follow up Discussion and Inquire About Their Career Goals
After the interview, you'll want to ask for feedback. This can be a valuable way for you to learn about your performance and make adjustments for future interviews. It's also important to ask if there is any chance of a follow-up meeting or discussion in the future so that you have time to prepare further questions and come up with more ideas before your next appointment with them. You may also want to inquire about their career goals: What are their personal aspirations as an employee, and what do they hope their work with this company will accomplish? These questions will allow you insight into whether or not it would be beneficial for both parties if you were hired by this company. Finally, it's always good practice at this point in an interview process (and even after being hired) to ask how someone sees themselves growing within their current job role—or even within the company itself!
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many things to consider when preparing for a job interview. You need to know exactly what you’re looking for and make sure that your questions will help show off that talent. It’s also important to keep the conversation going by asking follow-up questions and inquiring about career goals so that candidates feel comfortable speaking freely about their experiences.