Most of the existing literature helps us prepare for a job interview when we are the candidate, but what happens when we become the interviewer? Anxiety and nervousness can also be present when we are in charge of the screening process. It is normal - we are looking for a worker who will be a part of our team for the foreseeable future. That is why it is worth remembering a series of tips, so that you do not escape a good employee for not knowing how to recognize one.
1. Prepare the key questions
As mentioned earlier, at a job interview preparation is required on both sides. It is advisable that you have construct a battery of questions that you could classify in two ways: the ones that you are going to put forward to to all the interviewees alike so that you can compare their answers, and those that are specific in nature and need to be asked from only a select few types of candidates.
To do this, consider yourself first: what do you really need to know about your next employee? Remember that you already know the basic framework of the interview through the candidate curriculum vitae you have studied – it is only a matter of implementing it viably.
2. Create a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere
Once the interview begins, the first few minutes are essential in creating a relaxed atmosphere that encourages conversation. Our goal is for the interviewees to relax and show themselves as they are, providing us with valuable information to make our final decision.
A nervous or uncomfortable candidate will tend to respond with monosyllables that will not let us see their true potential. There are many strategies for getting a good atmosphere. For example, start the interview explaining exactly what your company is dedicated to, the position you offer or what projects you are currently working on. Such flow of information from the interviewers end has been shown to help interviewees in getting rid of their waiting room jitters and nervousness.
3. Listen to everything that the candidate says
As important as knowing how to ask is to know how to listen. That is why, as mentioned earlier, in the previous point, it is really important to create a relaxed atmosphere, because this way the candidate will feel the confidence to give as complete answers as possible. By listening attentively to these responses and any inflections in speech, we can make a very good mental picture of how the candidate would fit into your company.
4. Inquire on aspects of the work experience not explicitly mentioned in the CV
Usually in CV there is not much space to explain what exactly a candidate did in their previous post. The professional experience is often reduced to the years, the position and some notable projects handled in these past jobs. But we all know that a work experience is much more than that. How did they meet the daily challenges? How were the dynamics of working with their former colleagues? What rhythms and patterns of work are they accustomed to? A conversation about the job in which the interviewee feels comfortable will give you much more information than those few "three years of experience as a community manager".
5. Contrast the required skill and experience with the position you offer
Once you have put your required training and previous experiences on the table you can bring out, in depth, as to what you are looking for in a worker who joins your business. Contrasting the needs of the position with the interviewee's skills is a good strategy to see how they would fit into the company.
In addition, if there were any deficiencies in the candidates CV with regards to the aforementioned required skills and experience, it is very interesting to see how they defend, what would they do to overcome that barrier.
6. Allay the doubts
It is very important that at the end of the interview you allow time for the candidate to have any of their queries answered. Doing that now will avoid future misunderstandings that can restart a costly recruitment process. Finally, do not forget to let them know as to when and how you will communicate your decision.
Final Tips
Conduct the interview as a conversation in which you are very interested in knowing certain aspects of the person in front of you. Flee from the robotic questioning format in which one question leads to another.
Also pay attention to the feelings that the person you have in front of you is exhibiting. This can give you vital clues as to how a person holds under pressure and how they will affect the dynamics of your workplace. For instance, a worker who gets aggressive quite easily is bad news for a team-based project.
In short, finding the ideal employee depends as much on your ability to interview as it does on the candidate’s ability to answer. Do not miss a great 'signing' for not asking the right questions.