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A common mistake hiring managers make when conducting a job interview is not fully understanding what skills and traits the ideal candidate for the role should possess, according to Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, a job-advertising search engine.
Preparing for the Interview
“Before you begin the hiring process, consider the things that would attract you to a job and implement them into your own business,” Hunter told Business News Daily. “Make your mission statement and your company culture clear on your website to prevent unsuitable candidates [from] applying, saving both your [time] and the job hunter’s time.”
A checklist of tips for conducting interviews from Robert Half includes preparing some “close-ended, factual questions” aligned to the basics of the job description and the company’s hiring criteria. The staffing firm also suggests using some open-ended questions that “require thought and oblige the candidate to reveal attitudes or opinions” and behavioral questions that focus on “past experiences to provide insight into how a candidate might handle similar situations in the future.”
Conducting the Interview
In a column for the Harvard Business Review, Irina Cozma, a career and executive coach, stressed the importance of creating a “comfortable environment” for the job applicant at the interview stage. Steps include beginning the interview with a “warm greeting and small talk to ease the candidate’s nerves” and then explaining the interview structure, including duration and topics, to set the path for the conversation.
As questions get underway, the interviewer should show “genuine interest” in the candidate’s answers. Cozma wrote, “Don’t multitask or let yourself get distracted. However, do let the candidate know that you will be taking notes. Your engagement will foster a two-way dialogue and encourage them to express themselves more freely.”
Criteria Corp, a SaaS-based employment analytics platform, advises grading responses during the interview as they’re heard. A Criteria blog entry states, “You want to evaluate them while their answers are fresh in your mind.”
In a Forbes column, Matthew Kelly, founder of Floyd Consulting and author of the New York Times best-seller “The Culture Solution,” cited not having a consistent interview process, including asking each candidate the same questions, among his hiring mistakes.
Other shortcomings Kelly often sees in the job interview process include succumbing to first-impression bias, focusing on factors such as personality and appearance rather than on job-related skills and competencies, asking questions that aren’t specific enough or relevant to the role, and “talking too much and failing to let the candidate speak, even if that means waiting through those long, awkward silences.”
Concluding the Interview
Other tips include asking for and checking references.
LinkedIn advises offering opportunities to allow the candidate to ask questions. A LinkedIn blog states, “Not only does this allow them to evaluate if the position is a good fit for them, but it also allows you to measure their interest and understanding of the company.”
Michael Page, the employment agency, advises interviewers to summarize their notes as soon as the applicant leaves. A blog entry states, “This will ensure your impression of their personality, skills, and abilities is fresh in your mind and can be used to make a decision after you have met with other applicants.”