How to Interview Prospective Employees

How to Conduct an Interview

The interview process is the most important step in identifying and selecting the right people for your openings. References and background checks give you an indication on the caliber of candidate that you are selecting, however there is nothing in the hiring process that is more telling than the prospective employee interview.

Selecting Job Candidates to Interview

You should begin by carefully reviewing each candidate’s resumes and cover letter. For ideas on finding traits of a good resume please read Why This Resume Rocks.

· Does the resume reflect the skill set that you are looking for in the successful hire?

· Did the candidate provide a listing of professional references, and is there a cover letter included?

After sifting through resumes and identifying those that make the grade, it is time to move onto the interviewing itself.

The Interview

Before you begin interviewing, there are certain things to consider about the process:

· What is the interview process? Phone screen, then the number of in-person interviews?

· What team members will be interviewing the candidate?

· Will it be a group interview or will you have the candidate meet with your staff individually?

It is important for everyone that is involved in the interview process to be prepared and have a game plan on what they want to accomplish. Some things that help to keep the interview moving are:

· Know your goals, and what information you want to find out during the interview.

· Have your questions written out, so that you don’t miss something as the conversation moves along.

Here is our suggestion for the interview process:

· Start with a phone screen with every candidate. In this initial step, you need to first see if the candidate is qualified, and it is a good chance to make sure what they have listed on their resume is accurate. Verify employment dates, and if they have passed your requirements, it is a good time to get the candidate to send over their professional references.

· For the in-person interview, make sure that all involved with the interview process knows what they are covering with the candidate. Here are some links for sample questions that may be helpful:

o Motivation Job Interview Questions

o Teams and Team Work Job Interview Questions

o Leadership Job Interview Questions

o Interpersonal Skills Job Interview Questions

o Management and Supervisory Skill Job Interview Questions

o Communication Job Interview Questions

· There are some questions that you should stay away from. Illegal Interview Questions for Employers

After the Interview

You should always regroup with the interview team to debrief the candidate’s performance. A standard debrief form can be helpful to guide each interviewer as to how the candidate answered questions, their mannerisms, and overall interview performance.