Interviewing Tips

Finding the right person for the job is difficult enough for the professionals, but for the rest of us it can be a very daunting task. However with the help of these guidelines from recruitment experts Kelly Services you should find the whole process much easier and be able to identify your best contenders.

Good interviewing techniques

One of the most important aspects for any interviewer is good listening skills. This is much more than just listening in the literal sense. It means being able to interpret what is being said and when necessary to probe answers for what may be being withheld.
A good interviewer must be able to tie up verbal and non-verbal communication to make sure that there aren’t any contradictions, as well as being able to ‘see through’ answers and test them out. During the interview show that you are listening by looking attentive and using your body language to show that you are interested in hearing what your interviewee has to say. Try to link your questions to show you are taking in what you have heard and only interrupt if your candidate appears to be rambling.
Summarise from time to time to clarify what information you have covered and what still has to be discussed. This will also help you to move into a different line of enquiry.

Opening an interview

The first thing is to make sure that your interviewee is put at their ease. Ensure that you won’t be interrupted and that the interview room is calm and welcoming. As an opening gambit you could ask them about their hobbies or something of a general nature that is completely non-threatening.

Interview structure

It is important to use a structured interview technique because it will give you confidence and will help to keep your discussions on track both in terms of time and subject matter. It will also ensure that all your interviews are consistent thus providing a level playing field for all the candidates.

‘It is important to use a structured interview technique because it will give you confidence and will help to keep your discussions on track both in terms of time and subject matter’.

You might find it helpful to break down your requirements into headings and to decide which are essential and which are merely desirable as well as things that make a person unsuitable for the job in question. For example you might consider WP skills essential but that knowledge of the package your company uses is desirable but not essential. If this was the case then a person with no WP skills would be ruled out. You need to have a very clear picture of the attributes you require ‘up-front’ and the areas where you would be willing to provide training. One way of approaching the interview is to split it into four sections.

1. Background and experience

In this part of the interview you need to check that the candidate has the right educational background, any specialist skills necessary for the job and that they have relevant work experience and/or the potential to do the job well. The primary focus is to establish evidence that shows that they have the skills, qualifications and qualities necessary to do the job. Probe where necessary using open questions such as what, where, how etc.
Questions:

• Tell me briefly about your career to date.
• What is your understanding of the role you are applying for?
• What experience do you have that relates directly or indirectly to this role?
• What qualities do you think the job needs?
• What do/did you enjoy most about your current/last job?
• Give me some examples of when you have worked to deadlines or targets.

2. Motivation

Find out here whether you are convinced that they really want the job. How much effort have they put into the interview and is their body language conveying enthusiasm. Ask some of the following questions to help you find out.

• What do you know about this company?
• What is your reason for leaving your present/last company?
• Why do you want to join us?
• What has motivated you at work recently?
• What is the most important thing that you are looking for in your next job?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
• Do you have any reservations about this position?
• How would your manager get the best out of you?
• Do you have any questions?

3. Ability to do the job

Find out here whether you think they could do the job straight away or would need additional training. Check out some of the most important skills and qualities that you feel the job requires. Ask questions such as:

• What do you think will be the most challenging aspect of this role?
• Give an example of a pressurised work situation and how you handled it.
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• How do you react to criticism?
• Why should we give you the job?
• If we offered you the position and you found yourself struggling with the demands after a few weeks, what would you do about this?

4. The ‘Fit’

Find out how they will relate to and fit in with the rest of the team. Ask:

• How would your best friend describe you?
• Tell me about your relationship with your last boss
• Have you ever worked with someone who you didn’t get on with that well – how did this affect you?

Taking notes

If you are interviewing on your own then you should prepare especially well so that you only need to take very concise notes during the interview. If you are writing all the time then you won’t be able to concentrate on what the person is saying or plan what you need to ask next. Ideally interviewing should be undertaken by two people so that whilst one of you is writing the other is talking.

Giving out information

When giving out information about the job, be careful that you do not oversell. Whilst it is important that you make the job sound attractive and you should push all the positives that it offers, it is not professional to misrepresent it in any way. This could result in the new person staying only a  short while because the job has turned out to be a disappointment. It is also sensible to talk about some of the demands that may not be the most attractive features, i.e. the hours can be long and sometimes unsociable.

Your instinct

Just how much emphasis should you place on your instinct. The answer is that it should play a relatively small part in the final decision which should be made on all the information you have gathered during the interview. However, we are all human and there will be times when you just take a shine to a candidate or can’t help feeling negative about them. It is however important to try and rationalise why you might be negative. Just because it is someone who would never become a great friend doesn’t rule them out as a suitable candidate. On the other hand don’t avoid your instincts altogether as it may well be an indication of that person’s ability to fit in and mix with new people.

Techniques to reveal the real applicant

More and more companies are using psychometric testing as an additional interviewing tool. However a technique which you can use at the interview to try and get under the skin of the person is to ask applicants to give examples of situations relevant to the job, where they can describe how they reacted or felt. That way you can begin to make judgements about some of their personal qualities such as resilience, their ability to operate under pressure and how they might cope with stress etc.
In today’s competitive job market, having the right skills, personal qualities and approach to work is crucial. Make sure that you find out how they get on with people at work, how they cope with pressure, whether they are happy to work alone or can cope with repetitive tasks.

Closing the interview

You should know when you have finished your meeting – it is when you feel that you both have enough information upon which to base your respective decisions. Under no circumstances should interviewees be offered the job there and then. Remember that verbal offers are legally binding and you might find that your views or circumstances change. It is also healthy to leave them with the chance to really think through whether they want the position.
Before you finish it is worthwhile asking the candidate if they still wish to be considered for the position. In the light of what they have learnt at the interview they may not wish to be considered after all.