Although it may seem effortless, conducting an interview can be very challenging. A lot of preparation goes into it, and many hiring managers make the mistake of not preparing adequately for this step, which can lead to costly mistakes. An interview is an excellent opportunity for a candidate to learn more about the company and its culture. It should also allow the interviewer to understand the candidate better. How to conduct an effective interview is significant for hiring the best talent.
Prepare Thoroughly
Before conducting an interview, it’s essential that the hiring manager thoroughly research the position and the candidate’s experience and skills. This step can help them identify the ideal candidate for the job. Another critical aspect of preparing for the interview is thoroughly analyzing the candidate’s resume. This will allow them to compare their skills and education with the company’s requirements.
Ask About Career Goals
Ask the candidate about their goals and expectations. This helps the hiring manager understand the candidate’s perspective on professional development.
Ask About Core Job Competencies
Before the interview begins, the hiring manager must have questions about the position. These can help them determine if the candidate is fully aligned with the responsibilities and duties of the job. The job description can also help the interviewer prepare for the interview. Having a list of questions can help the hiring manager compare the answers of multiple candidates.
Ask Good Follow-Up Questions
Apart from asking prepared questions, it’s also essential that the interviewer asks follow-up questions to gather more information about the candidate to identify the ideal candidate for the job. Doing so will allow them to expand on the candidate’s responses and learn more about their personality traits and work experience.
Take Notes
While we’re interviewing a candidate, our focus is mainly on the performance of the interview. It’s also possible that we forget essential details gathered during the interview. Having a notebook can help us track what happened during the interview. Notes can also be used to keep track of various details about the candidate. They should include the candidate’s first impression and body language during the interview. This information can help the hiring manager identify their personality traits.
Maintaining a balance between taking notes and actively listening to the candidate is also essential. During the interview, we should only take down notes once in a while to avoid interrupting the conversation.
Conducting an interview is beneficial as it allows us to gather more information about the candidate and their resume, making the process more effective. Before the interview begins, we can also prepare questions that will only be used to select candidates with the skills and experience required by the job.