How to perfectly conduct an interview

When an organization grows, the recruitment of new employees becomes necessary.

This leads to the hassle of conducting interviews and giving appointments to candidates who have been filtered for the job. However, preparation for an interview before hand is equally important for the interviewer as it is for the person who is going to be interviewed. Let us see how and why.

1. Be Thorough

Make sure you have a thorough understanding of the position for which you are going to interview the candidate. This will help you decide whether the candidate has a profile matching the job description or not. Also go through the candidate’s resume and highlight points on which you may want to question the applicant.

2. Well begun is half done

Start off on a positive note. There is no harm in making the interviewee feel welcome. It is not an interviewer’s prerogative to scare the life out of a candidate and make him as uneasy as you can. Do remember though, never form an opinion based on whether the person seems affable or not. Your job is to test his knowledge specific to the position he has applied for.

3. Action

Now that you have the candidate’s full attention, get into the thick of things. You must have a basic list of questions prepared beforehand which can be applicable to all candidates. These questions should be aimed at the candidate’s skill sets and abilities. You can also ask questions pertaining to previous work experiences or projects, based on the kind of candidate you have. Their responses and body language will help you make a basic assessment of their nature.

4. The art of 20 Questions

There are different approaches you can take to judge a candidate’s potential. Factual questions will give you an insight to a person’s subject knowledge related to the position. You can also give the candidate a situation to analyze and ask them how they dealt with similar problems at their previous workplace. Ask them about significant tasks or projects they had accomplished earlier. Make sure your questions are more open-ended than of the closed nature. Also avoid asking yes/no questions. Reframe them in a manner which prompts the candidate to elaborate on his answer.

5. Ask & Listen

Clarify the available time at the beginning of the interview. This will allow the interviewee to pace his answers accordingly. Never rush a candidate into giving out his answers in a hurry. Maintain eye contact and keep a note of how the candidate reacts and responds to your questions. Allow them to ask questions too. Listen attentively and answer to the best of your abilities.

6. Behave professionally

As discussed earlier, make the candidate feel at ease, but at the same time maintain a professional demeanor. The candidate should be able to understand the importance of the situation. Also keep in mind, that the candidate will definitely be sharing his experience and giving feedback to other people. Your manner and approach will directly represent that of your company, so look before you leap.

7. Over and out

Once you’re finished, the questioning and answering, thank the interviewee for his time. Let him know when he can expect to hear back from the company about the final employment decision. Do not make false promises and be clear on the company’s policy in this regard. Once the candidate leaves, take your time and give a fair evaluation of the interview process. Do not let your personal view of the candidate as affect your assessment. Rather, list out the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses relative to the position he is being considered for.

Remember, a well-conducted interview saves the company a lot of time, money and other future hassles. You do not want to hire the wrong employee and then have to lay him off later on. Taking the final call is in your hands, so play your cards perfectly.