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Interviewing tips
There are many pitfalls interviewers can fall into, which can lead them to wrongly assess a candidate's suitability. This often results in staff turnover at the high cost of management time, induction, training costs and disruption. There is a definite structure to follow in holding an interview to attract and recruit the best staff.
Preparation
Interviewing is a stressful situation for many people. Interviewers have a responsibility to reduce stress in order to benefit from the maximum amount of information to be exchanged. Some people argue that candidates should be put under stress in an interview to see how they perform in a stressful working environment. However this is counterproductive and only serves to reduce the effectiveness of communication in the interview. Always aim to get the best out of a candidate, not see their worst.
Handling delays
Do not keep a candidate waiting longer than 5-10 minutes. If you are delayed at least tell them the situation and ensure they have a drink and something to read - basically that they are settled as opposed to just left.
The interview environment
The ideal environment is a low table with two chairs at right angles to the table. If the interviewer has a large chair and is looking down on the interviewee with lots of files/books etc on the desk, he/she is putting up barriers (both psychological and physical) to effective communication and not getting the best from the candidate. It may be better to sit the candidate at the side of the desk to reduce the barrier. People who feel intimidated are not going to tell you why they really left their company or about any personal/confidential information that should be exchanged. The candidate's attention should not be distracted by lines of sight through windows and doors. Noise is also a distraction and should be kept to a minimum - telephone calls diverted and no interruptions allowed.
CV preparation
Try to read the candidate's CV before he/she arrives in order to assess and prepare any questions that need to be raised - such as employment gaps, travelling distances etc. Reading CVs in a candidate's presence generally serves to annoy. Writing copious notes whilst interviewing will make them suspicious - always ask if you are going to jot down information.
The interview
The interview should have a clear beginning, middle and end.
The beginning
The interviewer should settle the candidate in by asking some easy questions about how they got to the office or commenting on the weather to relax the candidate. A small talk should be given about the format the interview will take - for example, how long it is expected to take, when they can ask questions etc.
The middle
Going logically through their CV, use open-ended, closed and probing questions (see below) to discuss, check facts and get to know the skills, experience and personality of the candidate to assess suitability. Start with education and qualifications, moving on to first job held to gradually work up to present job (so that you have a chronological picture of the candidate's career development). Once this has been completed, it is your turn to talk about the company and the job and discuss all the duties required.
The end
Thank the candidate for attending the interview and explain the procedure for considering candidates and when a decision is likely to be made.
Types of candidates
Nervous: candidates who are either too talkative, or difficult to draw out, should initially be asked simple questions (about hobbies or family) to relax them.
Over-confident: dismissive or evasive candidates need specific questioning to pin them down and control the interview.
Flirtatious: candidates should be countered with an objective style of questioning and impartiality. If it continues, address the behaviour specifically.
Negative: and those with low self-esteem need probing style questions to assess reason for negativity and insecurity. Then try encouraging them to talk about positive aspects of their background. If negativity continues, bring the interview to a close.
Controlling the interview
By establishing the format that the interview will take at the outset you will automatically establish control. If you feel that the interview is losing direction, regain control by using statements such as '...anyway back to where we were' or 'briefly can you tell me..'.
Styles of questions
Open ended questions
Questions which you cannot answer yes or no to. These are used to get the candidate talking and for you to understand as much as possible about their experience and gain an insight into how they conduct themselves and come across in general - use of language, voice intonation, tone etc. Questions which start with Who, What, Where, When, Which and How are 'open-ended questions'.
e.g. What happened when...?
How did you feel about...?
Where do you live?
Tell me about your time at your last company
Closed questions
Questions which answer with a yes or no. These questions are used to check facts.
Probing questions
Used to get to the bottom of a particular subject and to check information and details. e.g. Tell me more about...?
Exactly what did you do...?
What did you mean when you said...?
What precisely was the role you had in...?
Reflective questions
Can be used as a powerful way of uncovering feelings and of going back to something which needs further probing. 'You say you were pleased with ... what did it mean to you?' 'You said earlier that he reacted to what you said. How did he react?
Evidence or situation based questioning
Used to look back at past behaviour as a predictor of future behaviour. 'Tell me about a time when you persuaded someone to do something. How did you go about it? 'Think about when you have had to deal with someone whose work has been unsatisfactory. 'How did you approach it with them?'
Types of question
Asking about strengths and weaknesses - this can tell you about someone's self esteem especially if automatically they go on to answer about their weaknesses. Theoretical question - Giving hypothetical questions on the whole are unfair and do not give a fair indication of a candidate's reasoning. Ask evidence or situation based questions (as above) instead. Trick questions - Asking trick questions again may give the wrong impression about true behaviour. Firing questions - 'So you think you can sell do you, what makes you so special? This is obviously aggressive and does not indicate how someone behaves under pressure. Selling an object - 'Sell me this pen', for example, can give you an idea of the candidate's spontaneity and creativity.
Subjectivity and objectivity
It is very important throughout the interview to be as impartial and objective as possible. Your own upbringing and influences may subjectively affect the way you view a candidate. For example, if you have a degree education, this may lead you to feel that someone with no GCSE's is not intelligent. If you and the candidate are both tennis players, for example, you may get on very well but don't let this influence you in deciding whether they are right for the job. Look out for:
Mirror Image
The candidate identifies your personality and begins to mirror you. You may feel that he/she is therefore just right for the job because you get on so well.
Halo and horns effect
A candidate who is dressed smartly may lead you to expect that his/her work is smart (halo), or a candidate who is scruffy may lead you to expect sloppy work (horns) - but this may not be the case.
Projection and identification
This happens when a candidate says that it was he/she that thought of the wonderful idea which saved the company lots of money, when it was someone else's idea anyway.
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