Conducting structured interviews can be a form of art. Some companies choose to outsource the recruitment to a recruitment company, while many do it themselves.
The job interview is the best chance to get to know a potential new employee and it is therefore important that you are well prepared.
This is one of the most important processes in a growing company since the interview determines who gets hired, which in turn affects how the company will develop in the future. Wrong recruitment can be extremely costly.
In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average cost of a bad hire is up to 30% of the individual’s first-year earnings.
In addition, it means wasted time for the HR manager and the recruiter, while your business may encounter lost productivity and lower staff morale.
Continue reading below if you want to learn how to make the interview process effective and successful.
Consider Corporate Training
As we already know, hiring and retaining top talent is one of the key aspects of business growth, innovation, and success. Companies that are aware of this have realized how important it is to equip their HR teams and everyone involved in the hiring process, with corporate training that will give them the skills and teach them how to perform consistent best-practiced-based inclusive interviewing so they can make quality hiring decisions.
Interviewers who have been trained are better equipped than others to assess candidates’ abilities, behavior, and experience. This leads to better hiring decisions. Interviewers are also able to create positive, professional experiences that attract top talent.
You can make sure that your recruitment efforts are efficient and effective and that you attract the best candidates to your job by investing in this type of interviewing training.
Preparation Before The Interview
A good plan prepares you and helps you when you have to interview someone for a job. It’s at the interview that you will find out if the candidate is the right person to take further in the employment process. It is also the moment when the candidate feels whether the job is right for them.
It can be good to read the candidate’s resume and motivational letter right before the interview to understand their work history and keep it fresh in mind.
Compare the requirements of the job with the skills, education, and experience of the candidates. These requirements can be used to create a list of interview questions that will help hire the best candidates for the job.
Know exactly who’ll be at the interview, where you’ll be, and how much time will be set aside for the interview.
Start The Right Way
If you’re unsure how to begin an interview, start by making the candidate feel comfortable. Interviewees are often anxious and nervous. We see the candidate’s true personality when we make them feel at ease.
While it may be a useful way to gauge how someone performs under stress and other factors, it should not be the only indicator that you use when assessing a candidate.
Try to resist the temptation of jumping straight into asking the interview questions. We should instead introduce ourselves to the candidate so they know who we are and what our role is in the company. Also, it’s a good idea to inform the candidate about the interview process and the steps involved so they can be mentally prepared.
Ask The Right Questions
It’s a good idea to prepare a list of questions related to the job before you start the interview. Hiring managers can use these questions to see how well the candidate matches the job’s responsibilities and duties.
Also, they can learn how to ask the right questions by carefully reading the job description. Preparing a list of questions ahead of time can also help compare answers from different candidates.
It‘s not enough to only answer the questions we prepared. You must also ask follow-up questions to ensure that the job interviewees are qualified. Asking candidates to elaborate on their answers and provide more information can help you understand their personality better, their work experience, and how they think.
Explain The Next Steps
When the interview is over, it’s important to tell the candidate what the next steps are and when they can expect to hear from you.
Spend a few minutes after the interview summarizing your impressions of the candidate. What strengths and weaknesses do you see? Is something missing in terms of skills and experience and how can this be compensated if so?
Final Thoughts
Knowing how to conduct a job interview will allow hiring professionals to learn more from the job application and resume, and make the job interview smooth and successful.
By investing in corporate training, preparing relevant questions, and taking notes, you can conduct an effective interview that will bring you a step closer to hiring the right candidate.
