Conducting Job Interviews

Job interviews are vital for an employer or recruitment agency if they are going to be capable of finding the right employee for the job vacancy and for their company or client. The interview must enable the recruiter or interviewer to uncover the essential details of every applicant they interview thus allowing them to make the right decision. Many organisations will have their own standard format for conducting an interview but often interviews can be tailored for certain roles, for example an interview for engineering vacancies may focus on the technical aspects of candidates, but for a supervisory or management position leadership, communication and people skills can be more important. Regardless of the individual vacancy, the interview has to be properly planned with the aims and objectives identified.
Prepare the questions prior to the interview, asking standard questions about previous employment such as the key duties, their achievements in the role and reasons for leaving are asked in most interviews. Questions about the job role including how their previous experience relates to vacancy, ask staff in other departments such as sales, manufacturing etc., personnel department, the line managers, supervisors and co workers what relevant and essential questions they would like answering. Prepare a list of key questions to take with room to make notes and the candidates' answers, a copy of their resume and a description of the job role and a person specification. Candidates are expected to prepare for interviews so they should come armed with questions regarding the job role, company and opportunities, so the interviewer must have enough knowledge to provide satisfactory answers. Don't forget that interviews work both ways, the interviewer also has to sell the job and the company to the candidate or the best candidates may get away.
Interviews are often stressful and worrying for candidates, for certain roles such as sales or management you may need to see how they react to these situations, but it is vital to make them feel comfortable and be able to perform to the best of their abilities. Do not leave them waiting in reception for a long time, offer drinks and make sure the interview can be conducted in a private location, without any disruptions. If candidates are required to attend dressed in business attire then the same should be expected of the interviewer, even if they are not required to for their day to day duties. Always thank the candidates for coming to see you, they may of travelled a long way or had to take time off from their current job, before the interview starts break the ice with informal questions; how was the journey? Did you have any trouble finding us?
Before starting the interview explain the format, what can they expect during this interview, explain about the job role, what you are looking for to fill this role and why the candidate has been invited. The interviewer should have a copy of the CV ready in front of them and should already be familiar with it, a good place to start is to to talk through their CV with the candidate, allow them to talk and go into more detail about previous jobs, only interrupting if appropriate, such as explaining gaps in employment or any points which need further discussion. Always be certain to get enough information to make the correct decision.