Interview Tips

Ten Top Interviewing Tips for Employers

There are tips all over the internet for candidates and interviewees on how to make the best of themselves in an interview situation, but what about those who are lacking in confidence when interviewing? Making the right decision off the back of an interview is one of the most important decisions an employer can make, and making the wrong decision one of the most costly!

Here are our Top 10 interviewing tips and techniques for employers:

1. Be Prepared

Make sure that you have read the CV of the candidate prior to the interview, and make sure you understand the key requirements of the role you are interviewing for.

2. Plan Your Questions

You may think that you will be able to improvise or feel your way through an interview, but to make sure that the interview process is fair, and to make your decision-making easier, you should plan your interview questions ahead of time, and take them into the interview in a written format. This will help you make sure you get all of the information you need, and keep some consistency between interviews with different candidates.

3. Set Expectations

Right at the outset of the interview explain to the candidate the format and exactly what is going to happen. It may seem obvious to you, but you’ll be amazed at how much more comfortable and prepared your candidate will become.

4. Offer Refreshment

It may sound silly, but an interview is a stressful experience. Not only does having a glass of water ward off a nervous dry mouth and help the candidate to perform, but this action also helps to establish a rapport between you and the candidate, showing you are a human being and helping them to relax.

5. Round Table It

If there are multiple people from your company interviewing one candidate, try not to all sit in a row directly opposite them! This is really intimidating. If possible sit around a table, which will give the interview a more ‘discussion’ feel and make for more relaxed, better answers from your interviewee.

6. Ask Open Questions

Don’t ask anything that can be answered with a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, you will get frustrated with the candidate for not giving you details, and the candidate will get frustrated with not really knowing what information you are looking for. Try using questions that start with What, Why, When or How.

7. Look for Evidence, Not Speculation

Ask for examples of when a candidate has demonstrated skills, not what they might or would do if faced with a situation. We all like to think that we would do the right thing in a given situation, but unless we’ve faced it, how do we know?

8. Remember, You’re being interviewed too!

The interview is a two way process, you have to be the right company with the right position for the candidate as much as they have to be right for you. Make sure that the candidate gets a good appreciation of the company and role, and make sure that you present yourself in the best possible light – dress smartly, be prepared, be approachable and make sure that the interview location is suitable!

9. Leave Time for Questions

Plan 10 minutes into the end of an interview to allow for a candidate’s questions. This not only make sure that a candidate has enough information to make a decision should you offer them the role, but also will help you as the quality of questions asked can help you to assess the intelligence of a candidate and their level of interest.

10. Follow Through

Tell the candidate when you will make a decision, and what the next steps will be, and then most importantly, stick to this! Nothing frustrates a candidate more, and may lead to you losing your ideal employee, than ‘surprise’ extra interview steps, or delayed feedback.