Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Be Prepared to Evaluate the Applicant
• Method 2 of 3: Conducting the interview
• Method 3 of 3: Using Effective Strategies
• Tips

It is necessary to prepare for the interview, improvisation is not the place here. By hiring the wrong person, you create a potential problem that can be costly to solve. Therefore, the interview should be conducted in such a way as to immediately weed out the unnecessary. By researching the candidate ahead of time, creating a friendly atmosphere, and asking the right questions, you can more accurately determine if the candidate is right for you. Read on to find out how to successfully conduct an interview.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Be Prepared to Evaluate the Applicant

1. 1 Research the candidate's past beforehand. You have a resume and a motivation letter with information that must correspond to reality. Check carefully if this is the case, even before the candidate walks into your office. Competition in the workforce is fierce, so it's possible that someone might well try to improve their chances of getting a good job by embellishing their resume. In addition, knowing a candidate's background will help you not only talk about general topics, but also ask direct and precise questions.
   • Call the candidate's previous employers. Ask questions about your resume and motivation letter.
   • Check the candidate online. Google him and, if his profile is open, check LinkedIn.
   • If you have mutual acquaintances with the candidate, casually ask about his work biography.
   • Explore the companies in which the candidate has worked previously. This will help you to learn a lot.
2. 2 It is important to be clear about what exactly you are looking for in a candidate. The interview is conducted in order to find out more about the personality of the candidate and to determine whether he will fit into the work of the company. This is your chance to learn something about him beyond what he wrote on paper. You may need to interview five candidates with roughly the same education level and work experience, so there is time to think about which employee you need. What qualities will be the key to successful work? What will make this person stand out from the rest?
   • Are you looking for someone with character who would "explore new territories"? Do you need a serious and responsible employee who would just accurately fulfill his duties? Determine what type of candidate you are interested in.
   • Do you need a broad minded employee or someone more detail oriented?
   • Think about those who have previously worked in this place. What worked? Something went wrong?
   • Remember, sympathy is not the reason for hiring a person; you also need to be confident that the person can do their job well. A lot of people make great first impressions, but they are disappointing as workers.

Method 2 of 3: Conducting the interview

1. 1 Start with a few general questions. After introducing yourself and finishing your exchange of pleasantries, ask the candidate a few general questions to verify the information provided in the resume and motivation letter. This will help both you and the candidate to tune in and prepare for more difficult questions. Make sure the candidate's answers match up with what you have learned about them.
   • Ask how many years the candidate worked in the last job and what was the reason for leaving.
   • Ask the candidate to describe their previous job.
   • Ask the candidate how their previous work experience is useful in the job they are interested in.
2. 2 Ask a few questions about behavior in certain situations. Ask the candidate to share how the skills and abilities you are interested in have helped them solve problems. Let him give examples. Answers to these questions will help you learn a lot about the characteristics and skills of a person. In addition, candidates tend to respond truthfully to questions about behavior because the answers are based on specific situations.
   • Ask questions about specific skills. For example, ask: "Please tell us about a case where a creative approach helped you solve a marketing problem." If you just ask, "Are you creative?", Then most likely you will not get the information you are interested in.
   • Behavioral questions can also help you learn a lot about a candidate's personality. Asking to talk about a time when the candidate was faced with a moral dilemma, you may learn something very interesting.
3. 3 Put the candidate in a quandary. Some professionals like to ask the candidate uncomfortable questions during the interview, this helps to find out how the candidate copes with stress. If such stressful situations are possible at work, it is better to immediately find out that a person can fail.
   • "Why do you think we should hire you?" is a classic question of this type. Many candidates prepare their response ahead of time, so it can be tricky, for example, "So ... I see, you don't have any experience in writing press releases. And why do you think you are a good fit for public relations?"
   • Questions about why a candidate left their previous job also give them a chance to either prove themselves or fall asleep under a little pressure.
   • Inconvenient hypothetical questions like "What would you do if you witnessed a colleague's unethical behavior?" might also be helpful.
4. 4 Let the candidate ask some questions himself. Many people prepare lists of questions for the interviewer, so be prepared to provide answers. If the candidate says "no questions", that in itself reveals him. Here you can ask the question: does this person really want to work in our company?
   • Be prepared to provide the candidate with accurate information. Working hours, benefits, salary, specific responsibilities, etc. Prepare your answers in advance, even if it's like "we'll talk about this later."
   • If a candidate asks a question like “what are my chances?”, Don't give a misleading answer only if you are 99% sure that you will offer him a job.
5. 5 Tell the candidate about the next steps. Say that you will be in touch within a few days or a couple of weeks, depending on your case. Thank the candidate for the visit, stand up and shake his hand. This will signal that the interview is over.

Method 3 of 3: Using Effective Strategies

1. 1 Everything should be legal. Discrimination of a candidate on the basis of his gender, skin color, religion, age, pregnancy, disabilities, nationality, etc. - illegal in developed countries. Don't ask questions to get information about something like that. Here are a few questions interviewers ask, although they shouldn't:
   • You cannot ask a woman whether she is pregnant and whether she plans to start a family in the next few years.
   • Don't ask the candidate if they go to church and what they believe in.
   • Don't ask the candidate about their age.
   • Do not ask if the candidate has any health problems that will affect the performance of the job.
2. 2 Don't talk too much. If you talk about yourself or the company throughout the interview, the candidate will not be able to put in a word. It may seem to you that the interview went well, and then you realize that you never learned anything about the candidate. Ask guiding questions, and let the candidate speak mostly.
3. 3 Create a friendly and pleasant atmosphere. This will provide more information about the candidate. A tough approach can make the candidate shrink and answer questions very carefully. Smile, nod, show friendliness and sympathy, if the candidate is embarrassed or mistaken, do not recoil and do not frown.
4. 4 Represent your firm with dignity. Remember, after you make an offer, the candidate decides whether to agree or not. If the company does not make a good impression, if the candidate himself thinks that you will not be a great boss, the candidate may disagree. You don't have all the cards in your hands, so don't play too aggressively.
5. 5 Take notes and double-check your answers. Write down important information during the interview so that you can double-check it later. If the candidate talks about the details of a large project at a previous workplace, you can call and check everything, there will be no harm from this.

Tips

• Some people don't have a good first impression. If the candidate comes across as a quiet and timid person, ask him questions that will allow him to feel confident and open up - this person may well be the most intelligent and qualified. If you are dealing with a very charming person, do not let him carry you away with jokes and anecdotes - let him talk about specific work situations and problems.