How to conduct an interview

THE CONTENT OF THE ARTICLE:

How to conduct an interview

According to Glassdoor, it takes four to six interviews for a recruiter to close a vacancy. If none of the selected candidates fit the company's requirements, the number of interviews may increase.

 

But interviews' effectiveness does not depend only on the candidates' skills. The professionalism of the recruiter also plays a significant role. Do they know how to interview a job seeker properly? Can they correctly assess the qualifications of the applicant? Will they be able to take the initiative?

 

In this article, JOBITT experts have gathered some tips on how to effectively conduct a job interview and close the position very quickly.

How To Conduct Job Interview Correctly — Opinion of Psychologists 

The interview algorithm has not only the recruiter's questions and riddles to assess the candidate's personal and professional qualities. Psychologists say the first interview stage should create a positive atmosphere for the job seeker. Offer them a glass of water and ask how they got to the company office. It will help the potential employee to loosen up and feel more confident.

 

Once the contact is established, you should go to the point of the event. Voice the purpose of the interview, the format of the upcoming communication, and the estimated duration of the meeting. Providing all the necessary information will encourage the person to communicate in the same style – without fear of the recruiter, unnecessary worry, and secrecy. 

 

Answering the question of how to structure a job interview properly, psychologists distinguish several techniques to get the complete picture of the candidate. One of them is the projective interview. Its essence is that the job seeker is asked questions that do not concern them personally. For example, ask what, in their opinion, makes people work better. And get a detailed answer about the important motivation for the person. Although they may not realize they are talking about themselves.

How To Conduct a Job Interview — Key Recommendations

Many articles published online give tips for applicants on interviewing. They include tips on how to write a resume, how to behave with a potential employer, and even what to wear to an interview. It turns out there are some tips for recruiters on how to properly interview for a job, too.

Preparing a list of questions  

The interview process should not be left to chance. And if the personal qualities of the applicant, or so-called soft skills, can allow some deviation from the plan, then the hard skills require thorough preparation of the interviewer. 

 

To begin with, it is worth defining clearly what level of the specialist the company is looking for. It is especially true for those who are interested in how to conduct an interview in IT. So, a candidate for Junior developer position without minimum experience is useless to ask about previous projects. After all, the most that they can tell – freelance works or personal development for GitHub. In comparison, Senior specialists can omit info on their student achievements. More informative in their case will be a story about the positive experience in the past workplace.

Greeting and establishing contact with the applicant

Do you want to know how to conduct a successful interview? Think it through from the moment the job seeker walks through the door. Do not make them wait for too long in the waiting room, communicate openly and in a friendly manner, and do not get distracted by telephone conversations. Remember that the impression of an employer is formed during the first visit to the office.

Control the candidate at the interview

When forming an idea of how to conduct a job interview, you should not confuse friendliness and the initiative's complete transfer into the applicant's hands. It should be you who controls the conversation, otherwise, it risks going on forever, and you, as a recruiter, will never find out what you planned.

 

Suppose the job seeker does get carried away and tries to take the conversation in a different direction. In that case, there is an excellent technique for putting the initiative back in the hands of the interviewer. These are so-called reflexive questions. "We don't have much time left, I suppose we can get back to your work experience, can we?" Logically, the interviewer will be forced to agree with you and continue the conversation as you want.

Identifying the candidate's need

An experienced recruiter knows how to interview, so the applicant feels interested in them as a specialist. Don't get hung up on what the company expects from the future employee. Be sure to ask what is important to the candidate. What level of income do they expect? How acceptable is it for them to work overtime? Are they interested in training? Consider a list of questions while planning on how to interview the candidate.

Require clear answers from the candidate

Naturally, closed questions like "Do you have any experience in JavaScript?" candidates will only be able to answer "Yes" or "No." With open-ended questions, it is a bit more complicated. If a candidate doesn't have a definite answer, they can talk about everything and nothing for a long time, recalling knowledge from the student's bench, read articles, or experience of colleagues. In order to determine if the developer has actually dealt with a particular tool/language/framework, etc., demand clear answers.

Cut-off questions

When learning how to interview, pay attention to cut-off questions. They help you decide whether a candidate is a suitable fit for a specific role at the beginning of the interview. For example, a candidate for an Angular.js developer position might be asked to explain the difference between Angular.js and Angular 2. 

Find out the candidate's accomplishments at work and in life

Theoretical knowledge of the applicant is, of course, important. But they are worthless without practical skills in applying them. The exception is Junior specialists, in whose development the company is ready to invest money and time. Therefore, the question of how to conduct a successful interview involves telling the candidate about their work experience, achievements, problems, and ways to solve them.

 

In addition to professional experience, ask about personal achievements. This will help you understand whether they have the personal qualities needed to fill the position.

Interviewing a Candidate — Mistakes To Avoid

How to conduct a job interview with a candidate as effectively as possible? JOBITT experts recommend avoiding a few mistakes.

 

1. Neglecting to analyze the competitive market. The question of how to interview a candidate will probably never arise for a recruiter who drafts a job posting incorrectly. Research what salaries competitors offer, what requirements they have for applicants.
2. Condescending tone of communication. Do not treat the candidate as if they owe you something. Even a Junior would not want to work in a company that treats its employees that way. And a Senior would not want to communicate in that way at all.
3. Lack of feedback. While it seems natural to call a candidate with a job offer, informing the job seeker that they are not suitable for the position is often forgotten. However, a call or feedback letter should be present in any case. It shows respect for each professional and that the recruiter knows how to conduct a good interview.

Conclusion

How to conduct a job interview directly affects the speed and quality of closing a vacancy. Correctly selected employees will not only bring maximum benefit to the company but will also be able to become a united team with a developed corporate culture and shared values.