You know what people say: it’s good to be prepared. Be prepared for a test, for a vacation, for an interview. And just like your candidate will spend an ample amount of time researching the company before an interview, why shouldn’t you, as a manager, do the same like an effective interviewer. In this article we go through 5 tips that can help you improve your interview skills.
If you take your time to prepare well, you’ll be able to answer every question the candidate has, evaluate their skills, conduct productive interviews and make a smarter hiring decisions.
Review the Candidate’s Resume Before the Interview
If you want to be an effective interviewer, start by reviewing the candidate’s resume ahead of time. By doing this, you’ll be in a position to prepare more insightful interview questions and determine whether the candidate is a good fit for the company.
If you were wondering what’s the best way to review resumes, here are some tips:
- Scan each resume for keywords that best fit your job title and description
- Look for industry experience as this is especially important
- Check for related certifications, degrees or other skills and credentials
- Review the most recent employers and the applicant’s stated experience, accomplishments, and contributions
- Red flags include employment gaps, evidence of decreasing responsibility, short-term employment at several jobs, and multiple shifts in career path
Outline the Interview Structure for the Candidate
Every manager who wants to know how to be an effective interviewer will find this tip very useful. This is what I do every time before an interview with a candidate. I outline the interview structure so that the meeting goes smoothly. Why? Because hiring top talent requires an effective interview structure. You won’t get carried away outlining the candidate’s job duties only to see that you forgot to discuss the benefits package.
Here’s a peek into how the ideal interview structure should look like:
- Give a short description of the company.
- Outline the candidate’s job responsibilities.
- Ask the applicant questions.
- Answer the candidate’s questions.
- Save the end of the interview to discuss the compensation package.
Prepare Your Interview Questions
Speaking from experience, if you don’t prepare your interview questions ahead of time, you’ll have difficulties assessing the candidate properly. You might end up hiring the candidate only to find out that they’re not a great fit for the company’s culture. Or, not hire the candidate and later find out that they possessed the ideal combination of skills.
So, if you’re wondering how to be an effective interviewer, prepare your questions before you walk into that meeting. Simply determine which skills are most important for the job position and build your questions around those skills. The candidate needs to show why they are a fit for the job.
Several types of interviews can assess your candidate. They include:
- Behavioral interview questions: the candidate needs to tell you how they handled situations in the workplace.
- Case interview questions: you give a scenario and ask the candidate what they would do to handle the situation.
- Competency-based interview questions: the candidate needs to give specific examples of times in which they demonstrated particular skills.
- Communication skills interview: you ask the candidate how they handle issues and difficult situations, and how they communicate with their team and superiors.
- Interpersonal skills interview: these type of questions can let you know whether the candidate has the necessary skills to get along with colleagues, clients, and supervisors.
Make Sure You’re Ready to Answer Questions
Remember, you’re not the only one who should be speaking. At the beginning of my career, I was interviewing candidates without giving them the stage to speak and ask questions. That was a huge mistake that I try to avoid up to this day.
If you want to know how to conduct an interview and be an effective interviewer, let your candidate talk. This is their chance to ask questions and determine whether the job is a good fit for them. So get ready to answer questions about your company’s culture, benefits, mission, and vision. If you prepare ahead of time and give clear answers, you’ll create a better candidate experience and succeed in selling your company in the best light.
Make sure you can answer candidates’ questions about:
- The nature of your company’s business.
- Your company’s strategy and vision.
- What the benefits package incorporates.
- Your company’s culture.
- The range of the monthly salary.
- The company’s projects, direction, and goals.
- Your competitors.
- The next steps of the hiring process.
Plan Your Time
It’s a widely known fact that managers’ biggest dream is to have 30 hours in one day. With so many tasks to complete, it’s only natural that they’ll want to have more time to be more productive.
When it comes to interviewing candidates, the most essential thing is to deliver a superb candidate experience. And not being late for an interview is a major part! Make sure you clear your schedule at least 15 minutes before and after the interview. By doing this, you won’t have to rush to finish the first interview on time and worry that you’re late for the second one.
In case you’re doing an online interview, make sure your internet connection, camera, and microphone and working properly. If there are any issues, you’ll have plenty of time to fix them.
Don’t forget that you can always use a time management app! If you’re looking for an all-including project and time management app, my favorites are Basecamp, Trello, and Asana. If you want to see how much time you spend on applications and websites, you can try tools like RescueTime, Toggl, and TrackingTime.
Final Word
Every single manager wants to know how to be an effective interviewer. The bad news is that conducting successful interviews is not a walk in the park. The good news is that delivering a great candidate experience is possible, and all you need to do is prepare ahead of time. Simply follow the tips mentioned above and let them help you hire top-level talent.
