How to conduct an interview: tips, subtleties and recommendations

Before going to the interview, the applicant is always carefully prepared and terribly worried. But for a potential employer, this process is no less exciting. It is important to accurately predict how good the person sitting in front of you will be, to recognize the fraud, if any. And of course, you need to present your organization in the best possible light. Therefore, the employer just needs to know all the intricacies of the process and be able to properly conduct an interview.

Key interview formats

To understand how to conduct an interview, the first thing you need to understand in what format it will be conducted. At the moment, the most common are:

• Structured. Passes in accordance with the intended scenario and time limits. The employer conducts an interview using pre-compiled and clearly formulated questions.
• Stressful. During the interview, the employer tries to put the applicant in an uncomfortable position or to bring him out of emotional balance. This is achieved by limiting thinking time or unexpected provocative questions.
• Situational. During the interview, the applicant falls into conditions similar to real workers. For example, the applicant must “sell” the pen to the employer. This makes it possible to evaluate the professional skills of the applicant for the position.
• Aimed at identifying competencies. The employer draws up a list of competencies essential for a particular position. Through questions and assignments, the degree of compliance of the applicant with the established requirements is revealed.
• Remote. Occurs through video communication to establish initial visual contact. This format is relevant when searching for an employee for a remote job or as a preliminary stage of selection before a series of real interviews.

Interview Styles

When planning how to conduct an interview, the hiring manager can follow one of three styles. Namely:

• Strict. It is conducted in a question-and-answer format according to a pre-prepared scenario plan. It is relevant in a conversation with a candidate for the position of an ordinary employee, as well as with applicants who do not have work experience.
• Free. It resembles a relaxed friendly conversation, during which both working and abstract topics are touched. It is relevant if the recruiter is confident in the professional qualities and experience of the applicant.
• Mixed. Strict structured conversation smoothly goes into a free format.

How to interview for a position: basic rules for a manager

Unfortunately, many modern managers think that competition in the labor market is a struggle for job seekers. But with such an attitude to the issue, it is difficult to find good employees. Experienced managers know that among the heads of enterprises there is also a fierce struggle for qualified personnel. Therefore, the employer should prepare for the interview no less carefully than the applicant. Here are four basic rules for interviewing:

1. Room preparation. In the office, meeting room (or other room where the interview will be held), it should be clean, all things should be in place. Before conducting an interview when hiring a new employee, you need to ventilate the room in advance and, if necessary, turn on the air conditioner to a comfortable temperature. It is important to take care of the availability of stationery and necessary documents.
2. Comfortable emotional background. The interviewer's task is to defuse the situation so that the applicant does not get nervous and feels a friendly attitude. Therefore, you need to start the interview with some abstract questions. For example, ask how the applicant got to the destination, how long he was looking for the desired building.
3. Punctuality. The manager (or his authorized representative) must appear for an interview at a strictly scheduled time. Being late is a demonstration of disrespect for a potential employee and lack of discipline in the organization. If the interviewer is late due to force majeure, the applicant needs to create the most comfortable conditions for waiting or choose a convenient date for reschedule the meeting.
4. Self-presentation. Start the conversation with a story about the organization - the specifics of the work and key stages of development. Also, give the applicant an opportunity to talk about himself in a free form.

Portrait of the perfect employee

You need to clearly know exactly who you need, regardless of whether you are looking for a janitor or sales manager. How to interview in any of these cases? First of all, make a portrait of the ideal employee. It includes such elements:

• Title of the post and its brief description.
• Product of labor. This is what you ultimately expect from an employee. For example, tasty bread is expected from the baker, and sales volumes are expected from the seller.
• A detailed description of the responsibilities. This is all that an employee must do in order to produce a product of labor.
• Why is this employee needed? This is a list of problems that will be solved after hiring.
• Professional qualities and skills necessary to complete the work.
• Personal qualities that are essential for the profession and position.

Basic set of questions

Before conducting an interview, you need to make a list of questions to the applicant. Oddly enough, this point is confusing for many employers. Therefore, it will be useful to know the list of basic questions that can be reduced or supplemented:

1. "Tell us about yourself". It is good if the applicant narrates clearly and clearly, and does not stammer and mumble. Also pay attention to the content of the monologue. If the interlocutor does not retell his biography, but immediately switches to professional issues, this characterizes him as a good employee.
2. "What are your views on life?" From the answer to this question, you will be able to evaluate how the applicant responds to difficulties, how he approaches the solution of existing problems.
3. "Why do you want to work in this position?" It is important that your interlocutor speaks not only about career prospects, but also tells about some specific aspects of work that he is deeply interested in.
4. "Why exactly should you take this position?" Of course, in answering this question, the applicant will begin to talk about their advantages. Only someone will do it abstractly, and someone will give concrete examples of their achievements, which is much better.
5. "Tell us about your shortcomings." A good worker will not talk about flaws in his character. He focuses precisely on what concerns work. Moreover, it will expose its drawbacks as advantages (scrupulousness, increased demands, workaholism and so on).
6. "Why did you leave your previous job?" (if the applicant has previously worked). Pay attention to how a person speaks about the previous team and leadership. The professional, most likely, will not talk about conflict points and will not denigrate the former boss.
7. "Do you have other employment options?" A good specialist, as a rule, receives invitations to several organizations at once.
8. "How do you see your life in 5-10 years?" Someone will begin to talk about their own home and large family, and a good specialist will tell you about their career plans within your organization. It is bad if the applicant is not able to think in the long run.
9. "What would you like to improve in the work of our organization?" Not everyone will answer this question at the first interview. But if your interlocutor can offer something, it means that he was quite deeply interested in the work of the enterprise.

Additional questions

Before conducting an interview when applying for a job, you need to prepare not only basic, but also additional non-standard questions. Here's what you need to ask the applicant to get to know him better:

• "Describe the ideal workplace." This will help you understand how the working conditions in your organization correspond to the needs of the interlocutor. Accordingly, you will understand how a potential employee will relate to work.
• "What could the previous employer say about you?" The answer to this question will allow you to evaluate the objectivity of self-esteem and the level of self-criticism. It’s good if you have the contacts of the previous recruiter so that you can evaluate the truthfulness of the words of the interlocutor.
• "How do you plan to join the new team?" The answer will help you understand if the applicant is determined to conflict and decompose discipline.
• "Explain the meaning (professional term) of the child." This question will help you understand whether the job applicant is really well versed in the topic or just operates on memorized definitions.
• "What will you do if you are urgently called to work during your vacation with your family?" It is important to evaluate the sincerity and honesty of the applicant, and not his willingness to work, neglecting personal time.
• "Why did you get paid in the previous place?" Oddly enough, many applicants are confused by this question. This reflects the attitude to work, as well as knowledge of job responsibilities.

Forbidden topics

To understand how to conduct an interview, you need to know what topics should not be discussed in a conversation with the applicant. This is what it is all about:

• Religion. Religion cannot be a reason for refusal of employment. And the applicant can accept such a question as an insult.
• Political views (for the same reason).
• Personal life. Often interviewers ask girls questions about plans for creating a family and having children. The fears of recruiters that the new employee will go on maternity leave are understandable, but in this case, the refusal can be perceived as gender discrimination.
• Intimate life. Such questions are not related to work. Moreover, they can be perceived as harassment.
• Health status. The applicant is not obliged to inform you about his illnesses, unless they prevent him from carrying out his duties.

How to prepare for an interview

Not all managers know how to conduct an interview, and carry out the procedure quite formally. Nevertheless, the recruiter should prepare for this event no less carefully than the applicant. Here's what to look for:

• Make a clear list of questions. Be sure to write them down so you don’t have to waste time thinking.
• Make an assessment table. For example, the parameters will be arranged in rows and the evaluation criteria in columns. Such tables are especially useful if you are considering several candidates for a post at once.
• Make small professional tests. Literally 10 questions on the specifics of the work will be enough to understand how the applicant understands the issue.
• Take care of your looks. The interviewer is the face of the organization in the eyes of the applicant. Untidy appearance can push away.
• Stabilize emotions. Before conducting an interview, the employer needs to put aside all the negativity associated with workers or personal troubles. Succumbing to emotions, you risk losing a valuable employee or spoiling the reputation of the company.

Tips from experienced recruiters

Recruiters will best tell you how to conduct job interviews. Here are some tips for beginners:

• Do not waste your and other people's time. If from the first minutes of the interview you understand that a person is not suitable for you, you should not conduct an interview to the end out of politeness. Apologize and honestly describe the situation.
• Do not hire "not your" people. If a person does not suit you in spirit, most likely you will not build a fruitful working relationship with him, even if he is an excellent specialist.
• Pay attention to sign language. If a person fusses, constantly touches his nose and ears, hides his palms and does not look into his eyes, then he is insincere.
• Use psychological tests. The interlocutor may try to deceive you and embellish your virtues, but he will not deceive the test.
• Control the interlocutor. If you notice that the applicant begins to speak on extraneous topics, do not hesitate to return him to the essence of the question.
• Get it done in 30 minutes. Half an hour is enough to get a detailed opinion about the applicant.

A few more tips for beginner recruiters

You can not take an interview formally. For both the employer and the applicant, it is a serious and sometimes fateful event. Here are a few more recommendations on how to conduct an interview when hiring a new employee:

• Take a look. Record key points in the responses of the applicant. At the end of the interview, formulate a brief conclusion.
• End the interview on a positive note. Regardless of the results, you have to part with the applicant in a good way. This is part of your organization’s reputation.
• Be polite. Say to the interlocutor: "Please," "Thank you." If you see that a person is nervous, do not put pressure on him.
• Refuse reasonably. It is not enough just to say to the interlocutor: "You do not suit us." It is necessary to indicate objective reasons, highlight the shortcomings of the applicant.
• Respect the time of the applicant. At the end of the interview, give the person accurate data on how and when they will be informed of the results.

How to interview a candidate for a position: international experience

In the domestic labor market, a recruiting culture began to emerge with the advent of foreign companies. Abroad, the question "How to conduct an interview?" close attention has always been paid. Four models are of most interest:

• British Recruiters of this state pay special attention to personal matters. Applicants are asked about biography and family traditions. Attention is also paid to family relationships.
• German Before getting into an interview, a German applicant carries out fundamental work on collecting all kinds of documentation (diplomas, certificates, recommendations, and so on). Recruiters carefully study the data presented, and then make an appointment with those who have passed the selection.
• American Residents of the New World are interviewed in the form of computer testing, during which professional skills and psychological characteristics are revealed. As a rule, the event takes place in an informal setting.
• Chinese The interview is conducted in the form of a written exam. The first stage is an essay in which you need to demonstrate knowledge of the history and culture of the country. Those who have passed the initial selection proceed to the second stage - an essay on the topic of their profession.