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Conducting a Successful Interview

Guest post by: Terri Levine

Article Overview: Most advice columns focus on advice for the interviewee... but what about the person conducting the interview?

Conducting a Successful Interview

To conduct a successful interview, you must first be prepared. Well, obviously, you think, but you'd be surprised the number of inexperienced interviewers who fly by the seat of their pants thinking, "How difficult could it be?"

So, start by planning for the interview. Be sure you schedule the interview to allow plenty of time and also be certain the setting is appropriate. You need privacy. Remove any possible distractions or disruptions that may occur. Next, be prompt in greeting and seeing the candidate. Don't forget they are sizing you up just as much as you are sizing them up.

Begin the interview by defining the purpose of the interview and having a clear plan for conducting the interview. Know when you will entertain the applicant's questions and tell the applicant at the start of the interview if you will accept questions at the end or if you encourage them to ask questions as they arise. To keep the applicant at ease, before taking notes, inform the applicant that you will be taking notes.

Once you have greeted the applicant, provide a few initial rapport-building questions and maybe some time for questions and comments. This will relax the applicant and allow you to view them in a non-interview relationship. Next, your role is to clearly define the needs your organization currently has open and then address the skills, qualifications and level of expertise you are seeking. Once you have done this, review the application and ask questions to verify the information on the application. It is okay to allow silence during the interview.

When interviewing, use open-ended questions. These questions should be based on the critical elements of the job, according to the job description. Prepare in advance by asking planned behavioral questions. These are questions designed to elicit specific examples of relevant past performance. Also, know what questions you can and should not ask of applicants. For example, don't ask about race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, children, provisions for childcare, criminal record or financial affairs. It is perfectly acceptable to ask about employment history, job-related skills and knowledge, general intelligence and aptitude, attitudes, personality, and education.

Read the body language. Do they look you in the eye or glance sideways, upwards or downwards - each direction has its own meaning. Do they look relaxed or are they tense and fiddling? Body language can expose the truth that the candidate does not want you to know.

Finally, if others in your organization are also interviewing the same candidate, debrief them with your opinions of the applicant. If you have several candidates, rate each one and then rank them against the other candidates. When you have narrowed down just a few top contenders, bring them back for a second interview to recheck your initial impressions. Finally, re-rank and then select the best.

Keep in mind that interviewing is a 2-way process. You are selling the company as much as you expect the prospective employee to sell himself/herself.

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Article Tags: conducting an interview, interview, personnel interview



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