Hiring candidates is expensive and it’s important to optimise the hiring process so you don’t make any mistakes or waste time and money taking on the wrong employee.
It’s also increasingly important to provide candidates with a good interview experience.In a survey by Hire, candidates said they would reject a job offer if:
- the interviewer was arrogant or unfriendly: 77%
- the interviewer hadn’t read their application or prepared for the interview: 50%
- the interviewer was distracted or not paying attention: 46%
The following guide will help you make sure you cover the bases to find your perfect candidate – and encourage that candidate to accept your job offer!
“I’d rather interview 50 people and not hire anyone than hire the wrong person.”
– Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO, Amazon
Preparing for interviews
While the candidate is likely to be far more nervous than you, as interviewer you represent your company’s values and the way in which the company is likely to treat its employees. For this reason, it’s important to treat the interview process and the candidate with the utmost professionalism.
1. Make sure the candidate knows what to expect
Give clear instructions about time, place, and whether you expect them to bring any samples of their work with them.
2. Research the role you are filling
Familiarise yourself with the job description and be prepared to answer any additional questions about the role and your organisation.
Make sure you’re familiar with the skill sets, experience and personal qualities required to successfully fill the role.
Familiarise yourself with the salary and benefits on offer with this job and be ready to indicate whether these are negotiable. The details won’t be finalised until after the job offer, but it’s wise to set expectations during the interview.
3. Research the candidate
Familiarise yourself with the candidate’s application form, CV, covering letter and any documentation supporting their application.
Check out the companies where they have worked, and their social media presence, particularly on LinkedIn. (Note that not all candidates will have public information available.)
4. Prepare questions
Prepare a list of insightful and specific questions to ask the candidate. Be prepared to answer questions, too – remember that the candidate will want to know more about the role and your organisation.
Be ready to move forward. If the interview is going well, expect to outline the next steps and potential timelines. This makes it easier for the candidate to make any necessary preparations.
Preparing for video calls
Prepare for a video interview in much the same way as a face-to-face interview, including:
- Professional setting: Find a quiet, private, and well-lit setting for your interview. Avoid public spaces and anywhere you might be interrupted.
- Silence distractions: Silence any notifications on your phone and laptop and close all unnecessary applications.
- Test your audio: Make sure your microphone and speaker are working properly.
- Check your camera: Use a high-quality webcam and check it’s working properly.
- Location: Avoid public spaces like coffee shops, libraries, trains or other informal settings.
- Device: Avoid conducting video interviews on a mobile phone, as this will create a less professional impression.
Interview etiquette
- Whether the interview is face to face or on video, you are hosting the meeting and should be the first to arrive and the last to leave.
- Dress in either business casual or business formal – it’s important to give a professional impression that indicates you take the interview seriously.
- Avoid locations that could prove distracting to you or the candidate. Disable any unnecessary applications on your desktop and silence notifications.
- Make sure you’ve thoroughly read the candidate’s CV and greet them by name when they arrive.
Best practices
The interview is your opportunity to learn more about the candidate, and to attract good candidates to your job. Here are some general best practices to bear in mind.
1. Arrive prepared
Prepare for the conversation and have an agenda in mind.
Whether the interview is in person or online, make all the arrangements in advance, including arranging a quiet place for the meeting.
Dress professionally and arrive promptly. If it’s a video interview, test your microphone, video and internet connection before the interview begins.
2. Establish connection
Spend the first few minutes of the interview getting to know the candidate.
Take some time to outline the role and your company and give the candidate an opportunity to ask any preliminary questions. Remember, they are assessing you as much as you are assessing them, so focus on company values and why they would want to be part of your organisation.
Engage them in conversation throughout the interview – your role is to lead the conversation. Aim to speak for about fifty percent of the allotted time, giving the candidate plenty of time to actively participate.
3. Clarify and contribute
Actively listen to the candidate and be prepared to engage in conversation, share experiences and give feedback, when necessary.
Ask, and answer, questions in a spirit of collaboration. Consider asking questions that the candidate might not have considered, not to trick them, but to encourage them to demonstrate how they can add value.
Towards the end of the interview, let the candidate know what will happen afterwards, along with a realistic timescale.
4. Take notes
Take notes throughout the interview process. Especially if you are interviewing multiple candidates, it’s a good idea to prepare a scoring system so you can compare candidates like for like after the interview process is completed.
Frequently asked questions about interviews
These are some of the questions you should consider as part of your recruiting procedure.
1. What type of interview will this be?
Depending on the role, you might conduct a behavioural interview, or you might want the candidate to arrive with and deliver a presentation, or complete an on-the-spot tasks. Whatever you decide, allow the candidate time to prepare.
2. How long should the interview be?
Interviews typically last between 30 minutes and 1 hour.
3. How many rounds of interviews should there be?
This depends on the role and the number of stakeholders involved in the hiring decision. Interviews tend to take place after the initial screening process has been completed, and only one or two further interviews are required.
Whatever the process, let the candidate know what to expect at every stage.
Potential interview questions
The questions you ask will depend upon the role you’re hiring for and the kind of candidate you hope to recruit.
Here are some questions that cover a few of the most important bases:
- Where are you based?
- What experience do you have in this technology/domain/industry?
- What attracts you to this role and why do you think you’d be a good fit?
- What are some examples of similar work you’ve done before? What were the results?
- Describe a particular work challenge you’ve faced, and how you dealt with it. Include any outcomes.
- Why should we hire you?
In addition, you should discuss:
- The specific requirements of the role, including working hours and options for flexible and hybrid working.
- Salary, benefits and holiday entitlement.
The purpose of the interview process is to attract, identify and secure top talent to your company. Approach it with the same level of preparedness and respect you would engage when meeting an important client. That way you’ll have a high chance of employing the right person for the right job every time.
