Don’t let the perfect candidate slip away.
Read their resume, cover letter and other documentation thoroughly, and then tailor the interview based on each candidate, focusing it around their individual experiences and skillsets. This may sound obvious, but managers will often simply replicate clichéd or template questions for every candidate. By researching then tailoring the interview you’ll be able hone in and spend more time discussing the applicant’s unique attributes.
Tip: If timelines are tough and you have an adequate amount of applicants, conduct less interviews and put more effort into preparing for each one.
Interviews are more than just a process for learning about the applicants. They’re also an opportunity for them to learn more about your organisation. To become an “employer of choice”, you need to make a good impression. Start off with a brief discussion about the business, including its aims and values, and then point out the benefits of the job. Are the hours flexible? Will the role include training? Are there any staff discounts?
Tip: Don’t over-glamourise the job by making overblown promises. It may come across as desperate and will lead to disappointment down the track.
Adopt a friendly manner and aim to start all interviews discussing mutual interests. Smile when you can and maintain casual eye contact. This will encourage greater engagement, provide a better indication of how the candidate communicates in a day-to-day workplace setting, and will generally help to make a good and lasting impression.
Tip: After each response, it’s a good idea to pause slightly to prevent coming across as interrogatory. Also ask follow-up questions to show that you are engaged.
For example, “Tell us about a time you’ve solved a conflict of interest with your work.” or “Share an example of how you were able to motivate employees or co-workers.” These types of questions can reveal whether a candidate will fit in culturally. Such information is difficult to source from a resume.
Tip: To make it more conversational, it’s best to split up long questions. For example, instead of asking “Describe a situation where there has been a crisis in the kitchen and how did you react?” ask, “Have you ever experienced a major crisis in a kitchen?” Wait for them to reply, and then ask, “So how did you react?” It’ll feel more natural.
Ask some questions around job-specific duties and ask for relatable solutions. For example, if you’re looking for a retail assistant you could ask: “Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to deal with a particularly difficult customer? What did you do?” or “How did you carry it out in a friendly, professional manner?” This will enable you to apply the applicant's skills and expertise with the role’s actual day-to-day issues.
A good candidate should generally have more than one question to ask after the interview so allow at least 10 minutes at the end for these. Leave a bit of time between interviews just in case you go a bit overtime.
Make it clear when they should expect to hear from you after the interview; if there’s a second round of interviews, and anything else pertaining to the timeframe of the recruitment process. If it’s too vague they may be tempted to take other opportunities or dismiss the business entirely.
