Sunday, March 24, 2024

How To Conduct A Professional Interview

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Would The Candidate Like To Ask You Any Questions

HR Series – How to conduct a job interview

Dont get so preoccupied with getting your own questions right that you forget to prepare yourself for those questions the candidate might ask you. For example, the candidate may well ask you how the role came about. Whatever you do, do not say anything negative about the predecessor for this role. Even if they left on bad terms, theres no need to share this information.The candidate may also ask you about some of the challenges you face as a business or within your team. After all, challenges at work are inevitable. But again, this type of question still demands a positive and professional answer. Yes, you can talk about the trials you are sometimes up against, but place the emphasis on how you work to overcome them.

How To Conduct An Interview In 8 Steps

Interviews can be an important part of the hiring process because they can help you get to know a candidate. You can use the interview meeting to determine if a person is a good fit for the open position. If you’re a hiring manager or specialist, learning more about conducting effective interviews can be beneficial. In this article, we explain how to conduct an interview, describe why they’re important, review preparation methods and offer you helpful tips for interviewing.

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Reflect On The Interview

While the interview is still fresh in your mind, take some time to go over your notes and reflect on some of the things they had to say and jot down any other important information that will contribute to your decision. Although you may still be waiting to interview other people, you can make a judgement about whether you feel they could be suitable for the role. If there was more than one of you holding the interview, then you can use this time to share your thoughts on the interview and come to some sort of conclusion.

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Determining The Interview Questions

Bear in mind the two main types of interview questions:

  • Closed-ended or direct questions that focus on facts
  • Open-ended questions, which generally fall into one of the following categories:
  • Hypotheticalthat is, what if questions about a situation that has not happened
  • Behaviouralthat is, questions that ask the candidate to describe past behaviour when they handled a real situation

Open-ended questions will be the most relevant as they allow you to assess the candidates ability to communicate in a non-structured way. This can create opportunities for you to probe into many important aspects of the persons experience and skills.

Preparing For An Interview

Interviewing Tips

Preparing for an interview primarily means taking time to thoughtfully consider your goals and qualifications relative to the position and employer. To accomplish this, you should perform research on the company and carefully review the job description to understand why you would be a good fit. Lets look at the steps to preparing for an interview.

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End The Interview Politely

When the interview is over you thank the candidate for his or her time. Dont tell the candidate that they did great or give them any indication that the job is theirs. You dont want to give the candidate false expectations.If you are the hiring manager, and you know for certain that you are not going to hire the candidate you should end the interview when you have reached your decision . Youd just be wasting the candidates and your own time by continuing to interview them when there is no point in doing so. If youre not one hundred percent sure, ask one more difficult question to make up your mind. To end the interview politely you can say:

Thank you for your time. I know this interview was a bit shorter than planned. At this stage, I have what I need. We will be in touch

If you are the hiring manager, and you have the final say , you could also be open and honest and tell the candidate that he or she is not a good fit. Some might find this harsh and unprofessional I actually think its the more ethical thing to do . You can still be polite even if you are delivering bad news. For example, you could say:

Thank you for your time. I know this interview was a bit shorter than planned. I give tough interviews. At this point in time, you are not a good fit for this role. I prefer to tell you face to face. Good luck with other job opportunities.

Evaluating Applicant And Interviewer Reactions

As part of the review, you may want to collect applicant and interviewer reactions to the structured interview. For example, a survey can be used to assess applicants’ reactions following the interview. Such a survey can assess applicants’ perceptions of the service they received , the content of the interview questions, the interview process, and the perceived fairness of the process.

An applicant reaction survey, with a rating scale, may be designed so that the collected data can be analyzed and interpreted easily. The meaning of each point on the scale must be clear to ensure you collect accurate data. You may wish to include a neutral response option on your rating scale. You may also need to include a “don’t know” response option if there is a chance respondents might select a neutral response when they really don’t know the answer. An example of an Applicant Reaction Questionnaire is provided in Appendix E.

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Consider Your Answers To Common Interview Questions

While you wont be able to predict every question youll be asked in an interview, there are a few common questions you can plan answers for. You might also consider developing an elevator pitch that quickly describes who you are, what you do and what you want.

There are some jobs that may involve a test or evaluation during the interview process. For example, if you are interviewing for a computer programming, development or analytics role, you might also be asked to write or evaluate lines of code. It might be helpful to consult with colleagues in the industry for examples of tests theyve been given to prepare.

You should also prepare to discuss your salary expectations, just in case. If youre unsure about what salary is appropriate to ask for the position youre applying to, visit Indeed’s Salary Calculator to get a free, personalized pay range based on your location, industry and experience.

Here are a few examples of common interview questions:

Why do you want to work here?The best way to prepare for this question is to learn about the products, services, mission, history and culture of the company. In your answer, mention the aspects of the company that appeal to you and align with your career goals.

Example:Id love the opportunity to work with a company thats making a difference. Finding a company with a positive work environment and values that align with my own has remained a priority throughout my job search, and this company ranks at the top of the list.

Work On Your Questioning Technique

How to Conduct an Interview

When preparing interview questions, most hiring managers cover off all the necessary technical skills required to perform the role successfully.

Dont forget to also cover:

Soft skills: Some interviewers may neglect to ask those questions which will reveal more about the candidates soft skills, such as being well organised, the ability to build rapport with stakeholders or good listening skills. These are traits that cant always be taught but are essential to the role or business culture. So identify the necessary soft skills required and ask questions designed to reveal their abilities in these areas. For example, Tell me of a time you built a lucrative relationship with a client. How did you do it?

Cultural fit: Many new hires dont work out simply because they dont suit the company culture in some way or another. Ask questions that will help you determine how well the candidate would fit in with the team and company culture. For example, if they need to be team spirited to fit in with your culture, you could ask, How would you describe your style of working? or Can you give me an example of a time when you worked well in a team?

Ask about their ambitions: This new hire is an investment. More than likely you will want her or him to remain with your organisation long-term and progress their career internally. Therefore ask questions about the candidates career ambitions, areas in which they would like to develop, and their longer term goals.

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Study The Candidates Resume Or Cv

Look over the candidates resume. Using a blind resume might offer an opportunity to limit the influence of unconscious bias. You can familiarize yourself with their work history and background. Reviewing the CV in depth ahead of time ensures that you maximize the time you have in the interview. Why?

Many general questions are often easily answered with just a quick scan of someones CV. When you start with this knowledge already in hand, you can take advantage of the interview to really dig deep into the candidates skills and abilities.

You can also take the time to highlight any areas in their resume that may seem vague or unclear, or perhaps that contains something that may be unknown to you, such as a unique hobby. Allow the interviewee the opportunity to expand on those areas as it may reveal possible behaviors or personality traits that will have an impact on effective job performance.

Looking For Compatibility Not Just Likeability

We all tend to hire in our own image, but when it comes to how to conduct an interview, you need to look beyond immediate chemistry by asking questions such as:

  • How many hours a day do you find it necessary to work in order to get your job done?
  • How sensitive are you to accepting constructive criticism?
  • Describe the pace that you typically work in the office moderate, fast, or hair-on-fire?
  • How much structure, direction, and feedback do you generally prefer on a day-to-day basis?
  • Do you generally ask for permission or forgiveness when making decisions?

Some natural follow-ups to these types of questions would be to inquire about specific examples. So, for example, a natural follow-up to the last question above would be:

  • Tell me about a time when you may not have erred on the side of caution when you should have.

These types of questions help you to better match an individuals personal style to your departments corporate culture. Without rounding out these questions, you could end up with someone who can do the job technically but whos totally out of sync with the rest of your team.

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Determine What You’re Looking For In A Candidate

While creating the job listing for an open position, you can explain which traits and skills you want in a candidate. For the interview, it can be best to have a more detailed understanding of what the ideal candidate is like. You can consider traits, skills, qualifications, experience and background when describing the perfect candidate, as this can help you decide which interviewee best fits that description.

Conduct A Structured Job Interview

How to Conduct an Interview

If you want to make the most out of your structured job interview, you need to develop certain skills in order to become a great interviewer.

Here I will list some key practical tips that will help you conduct a great structured job interview:

  • Create a relaxed atmosphereGive your candidates a warm welcome! Upon their arrival, offer them a glass of water or a cup of tea or coffee. Have an ice breaker prepared to help candidates settle in and relax.

  • Give an overview of the processGive candidates a quick overview of your interviewing process so they know what to expect. Tell them how long an interview is going to last. Start by introducing yourself, your company and the position.

  • Stick to your questions listMake sure that you stick to your questions list and ask all candidates the same questions in the same order. Allow each of your candidates the same amount of time for answering your questions.

  • Take notesTake notes during the interview and write down each of your candidates answers. This is a crucial step in your interviewing process so make sure that youre focused. Taking detailed notes will help you decide the scores later and ensure each candidate is assessed fairly

  • Provide closure At the end of the interview, ask candidates if they have any questions for you. You should also explain the next steps and the expected timeframe in your hiring process. Finally, thank the candidate for coming and if time permits, provide a quick tour of your office.

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    Set Expectations For The Interview

    Before you begin asking the candidate interview questions, you can set your expectations for the interview. You may include the structure, what kinds of questions you intend to ask, how long you expect it to take and what you’re looking for in an ideal candidate. This often allows the candidate to relax and refine their responses before they answer your questions.

    What Do You Want From The Interview Process

    As with any business process, setting a goal when interviewing applicants helps maintain your focus throughout the process.

    When conducting interviews, your aims might include:

    • Finding out all the information you can to determine whether a candidate is fit for the job
    • Documenting this information in a way that ensures it’s easy to make a hiring decision
    • Impressing the most promising candidates
    • Maximising fairness and avoiding discrimination during the hiring process

    Your interview technique should be formulated based on these goals – you can’t afford to wing it if you’re new to interviewing.

    Now that you know what a successful interview stage looks like, you can start working towards it.

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    Conducting The Interview: Your Roadmap

    Use the following as a basic roadmap to steer you through the interview:

    • Start the interview on time
    • Introduce yourself and panel members and explain your role
    • Offer the candidate water to drink and establish a rapport
    • Give a high-level overview of the interview process and the job
    • Begin the interview questions and keep track of relevant information
    • Use open-ended questions
    • Ask the candidate if they have any questions or comments about the job or organization
    • Explain the follow-up process, including reference checks and the timing of any job offer and start date

    Structured Job Interviews: The Best Way To Hire

    How to Conduct Interviews

    At first glance, conducting a job interview can seem pretty straightforward.

    You find candidates, sit down with them and ask them questions. Based on their answers, you choose a candidate who seems the best.

    Download The Ultimate Candidate Interview & Employee Onboarding Checklist!

    However, your first impression and gut feeling often arent enough to make an effective hiring decision.

    As recent CareerBuilder survey has shown, nearly three in four employers say they’ve hired the wrong person for a position.

    Choosing the best candidate for a position and your company culture is hard. However, a structured interview process can help.

    According to extensive research, only structured job interviews can accurately predict job performance!

    Through structuring interview procedures, you can significantly improve the reliability and validity of your hiring process.

    A structured interview process also reduces hiring biases.

    In this blog post, youll learn exactly how to conduct a professional, effective job interview.

    We prepared a detailed step-by-step guide that will help you develop, prepare and conduct an effective structured job interview – from scratch.

    Lets get started!

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    How To Conduct An Interview In 6 Simple Steps: A Pocket Guide

    Ji-A Min / Mar 23, 2021

    Youre hiring a new employee and youve done the hard work of attracting, prescreening, and shortlisting your candidates. Now for the last crucial step in the process: how to conduct an interview.

    Figuring out how to interview candidates the right way can be stressful and confusing. Thats why I created this handy pocket guide on how to conduct an interview in 6 simple steps, including a list of sample questions at the end.

    Organize A List Of Questions

    Its best to come with a list of questions. The right questions can tell you exactly what you want to know about a potential hire.

    Focus your questions on the areas that matter most to you. For example skills, experience, career goals, and personality. Then, a general rule is to organize them by those different areas, starting with the simpler yes-or-no questions and moving on to ones that require more in depth responses, such as the following

    Skills Questions

    Skills questions are going to be dependent on the job position. For many agriculture jobs, there is specific equipment or technology the candidate must be familiar with or capable of selling. You want to ask the right questions to find out upfront how experienced they are with these tools.

    Aside from technical skills, it is also important to ask questions about the candidates soft, problem solving skills:

    • If happened, how would you handle it?
    • Have you ever been part of a team that didnt work well together? How did you handle it?
    • How would you sell me this piece of paper?
    • What unique skills can you contribute to this company?
    Experience Questions

    When asking about experience, its important to avoid just aimlessly going over a candidates resume with them. Instead, ask direct questions about their past work experiences to gauge their ability to do the job, as well as how they present themselves.

    Career Goals Questions
    Personality Questions

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    Conducting A Professional Job Interview Part : Preparing For The Interview

    Posted on July 16, 2012

    Selecting who to hire is an extremely important decision for your organization. It can be quite expensive if you hire the wrong candidate. Many experts claim that hiring the wrong person exceeds the cost of an annual salary for the position. Despite the importance of hiring, Ive witnessed numerous instances where managers interview candidates totally unprepared. They tell the candidate to wait a few minutes while they skim through their resume and then they ask random questions during the interview. Needless to say, this is not the recommended approach for spotting and hiring talent.

    In this first part of the series on conducting professional interviews, Ill cover how to prepare for the interview. You shouldnt fool yourself into believing that you are naturally good at interviewing. Everyone needs to prepare in order to conduct a good job interview. If you follow the five steps below you will have come a long way.

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