Hiring the right candidate for a job involves more than just reading a resume or having them complete an online assessment. Recruiters must ask candidates in-depth questions that clarify their skills, expertise, work habits and personality. The best way to do this is through an in-person interview. Here are simple strategies to help you improve your in-person interview techniques and find the best candidates for your organization.
Preparing for the In-Person Interview
Before the scheduled interview time, review the candidate’s resume, cover letter, prescreening assessments and other information you may have from the candidate. Next, clearly define the role’s key responsibilities and skill requirements. Defining these elements and familiarizing yourself with the candidate will allow you to tailor your questions accordingly.
You can then create a structured list of questions you want to ask during the interview. Coordinate with any co-interviewers to preclude repeat questions. You should also focus on logistical needs. For example, you may need to arrange a quiet office space for the interview.
Creating a Welcoming Interview Environment
It’s helpful to create a welcoming environment for the interviewee. A comfortable and professional interview environment will help them feel at ease and present their best self. Your role as a hiring manager is to learn as much as you can about each candidate, and one of the best ways to do this is by ensuring interviewees feel welcome. One survey found that half of candidates would turn down a job after a bad interview experience, underscoring the importance of a good environment.
Greet the candidate warmly, and start with some light conversation. You should also pay attention to the interview space, ensuring it’s in a clean and distraction-free setting.
Effective Questioning Techniques
Use effective questioning techniques to elicit the best possible responses from your candidate. Good questions to ask are those that encourage the candidate to share examples from their previous work history and how they’ll apply what they learned in their new role. For example, you may ask a candidate about a time when they handled a difficult situation at a previous job.
Throughout the interview, incorporate a mix of behavioral, situational and open-ended questions. Behavioral questions allow candidates to provide examples of how they responded to challenges in the past. Situational questions are more hypothetical and encourage the candidate to think critically about a situation they may face within your organization. By asking the right questions and following up when you need more details, you can learn a lot about what a candidate has to offer.
Active Listening and Observation Skills
Use your active listening and observation skills when the candidate is answering your questions. Maintain eye contact, and provide verbal affirmations to let the candidate know you’re listening. Avoid interrupting the candidate so they can fully express their thoughts. Remaining engaged with the conversation shows the candidate you care about the interview and their responses.
You should also pay attention to nonverbal cues. A person’s body language, tone of voice and facial expressions can often inform you about their confidence, enthusiasm or hesitation. You may also wish to observe how the candidate manages silence or challenging questions, as this can provide insight into their problem-solving skills or composure.
Assessing Cultural Fit and Soft Skills
Many interviewers just ask questions about technical skills and experience. While these elements are important, you should also try to assess the candidate’s cultural fit and soft skills. Some 73% of professionals have left a job due to a poor cultural fit, so getting this right from the start can help you reduce turnover.
Ask candidates about their preferred work environment or their teamwork style. Use behavioral questions to learn about their communication style, emotional intelligence or problem-solving abilities. A new hire must work well within your organization, so use the interview time to assess their fit.
Avoiding Bias and Ensuring Fairness
Unconscious bias is a common challenge during the hiring process, so hiring managers must ensure fairness. A structured interview process is one of the best ways to eliminate bias during hiring, as is introducing co-interviewers. Scorecards to objectively rate candidate responses are another good way to compare candidates based on predefined criteria. Your organization will benefit from eliminating bias in your interview process.
Effective Note-Taking and Evaluation
Take notes during all your interviews. Thorough notes will allow you to compare candidates rather than relying on your memory. Use a structured format to document your responses, as this will allow you to focus more on the responses rather than your notes, giving you an objective way to compare candidates. Adhere to factual observations about the candidate in key areas such as competencies, strengths and areas for improvement. Review your notes immediately after the interview while your memory is fresh.
Putting It All Together
Following these steps will help you improve your in-person interview techniques. This type of interview is an essential step in the hiring process, and it gives you the best opportunity to learn about a candidate and discover whether they’re a good fit for the role. Preparation, following a structured list of varying questions and remaining engaged throughout the interview through active listening and note-taking are ways to conduct better interviews.
Looking to conduct in-person interviews with the best possible candidates? Post your job online today.
Key Takeaways
- Reviewing the candidate’s resume, cover letter and prescreening assessments before the interview allows you to create tailored questions.
- Using a mix of behavioral, situational and open-ended questions leads to more detailed responses.
- A structured note-taking format records responses accurately and enables better candidate comparisons.
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