How To Do An Interview (As Employer)

Conducting an interview in 2021 couldn’t be easier with our guide.

Interviews are a great way to interact with candidates to see if they are an ideal fit for your company. For the applicant, we all know they can be daunting, stressful situations. Even for the interviewer, the process can be overwhelming.

In addition, if you aren’t careful with how you conduct it, you may end up wasting both time and money.

But you may be wondering, what type of interview should I conduct? How do I start an interview? How do I ask the right questions?

We will cover everything you need to know about conducting the perfect interview, improving your technique as well as all the steps you should follow. Let’s get started.

What Is A Job Interview?

A job interview is a process of understanding whether a potential employee is an ideal person for the available position. Around the world, they take place every day in all different formats.

Why Are They Important?

With an opportunity for both parties to interact, this is where big decisions are formed. Interviews have benefits for both the employer and the applicant. Some of the reasons why they are important includes:

Gain information about the applicant

This is an opportunity to understand the applicant and why they could be a good fit for your team. Here, questions about experience, interests and skills are asked to gauge if they could be beneficial to your workforce.

Choose the ideal candidate

After learning more about the interviewee, you may find they are the perfect solution. Without interviews, you wouldn’t get a true understanding, as well as being able to ask specific questions related to the role.

Job description

On the other side, the applicant can ask questions about the position, such as the salary and expected tasks they will perform. They may find the role isn’t what they were expecting, or on the other hand, better than they expected.

Deciding On The Type Of Interview

Before diving in headfirst, you need to decide on the format of the interview. This will vary from industry to industry, so you will have to do some research on what will work best for you. Let’s take a look at some common types.

Face to face	The most common type of interview is a face-to-face meeting. This is an opportunity to get a good understanding of the applicant’s social skills, which could be vital for certain roles.
Over the phone	Easy to schedule, over the phone interviews are convenient as it removes the need for travel. However, it doesn’t allow you to judge body language, a key component of the process.
Video chat	In the current world we live in, video calls have become essential. This applies to the job-hunting process. Just ensure to have a good Wi-Fi connection and no distractions.

How To Prepare When Conducting An Interview

So, you’ve chosen the format of the interview. Now you need to prepare for the upcoming meeting and ensure you’re ready to be as efficient as possible. Let’s take a look.

Setting aside sufficient time

Make sure not to rush the interview or create a feeling that the candidate is hurried. Dedicate a set amount of time to have the meeting, so that both parties are aware of the time limits. This will make you look more professional too.

Read over the CV

Of course, you will have chosen this applicant by reading their CV, however, before the meeting, take another look over it. Have a copy nearby too so that you can ask more specific questions.

Have a set list of questions

We will take a look at some good interviewer questions later, but you should never go into the meeting without questions prepared. Have 10 to 12 on hand, with the flexibility to choose ones to ask that suit the candidate.

How Do You Start An Interview As An Employer?

The big day has arrived, both parties may be nervous. This is natural. Meanwhile, you need to start the meeting but are struggling to know where to begin. Let’s talk about how to start the interview.

Greet your potential employees, creating time to ensure they feel welcome. This will make your brand look more professional, as well as a place they want to work. Make eye contact, smile and offer them a drink before you begin.

Ease them into the process. Start by introducing yourself and anyone else in the room, then begin to talk about the role, the company and the reason that you are hiring.

Now ask your candidates to introduce themselves a little bit, or talk about a certain part of their CV that stood out to you. This can be a great ice breaker before you delve into the big questions.

How To Conduct An Interview

You’ve greeted the interviewee, given an overview of the role and put them at ease. Now is the time to begin the main part. Below is a table that breaks down the sections of an interview, giving you a plan of action.

Begin with general questions	Start to ask about the interviewee’s background and why are interested in the role. This can give some good understandings about how they can be a good fit for your company.
Discuss the applicant’s CV	You’ve taken time to scrutinise their CV’s, now is the time to ask about parts of their working history that could be relevant to the position. Also, this is a time to ask about gaps in employment or education.
Vary your questions	Questions should relate to the position, such as the duties and responsibilities needed. Here, you will find out what their strengths and weaknesses are. Be mindful to ask follow up questions for important areas of your brand.
Ask specific questions about the role	For all applicants, there should be a specific set of questions to help compare and contrast between different potential employees. This will allow you to see which skills match what you are looking for.
Allow the candidate to ask questions	We recommend allowing applicants to ask questions about the job, ensuring they are comfortable and understand the role. Think about the 80/20 rule, where 80 per cent is you listening and 20 per cent is you talking.
Finish with a timeline	Finally, you should thank interviewees for their time and definitely give an idea of how long not will be before applicants will know if they were successful. This is just a professional thing to do.

How To Ask the Right Questions

The right questions will extract the most information possible, giving you a better chance of hiring the right person. It will also save both time and money, avoiding the likelihood of more interviews and meetings.

Below are some different types of questions to consider:

Situational or hypothetical questions

These include the likes of: “What would you do if a shopper asks you for a refund without a receipt?”

This puts the candidate in a real-life situation and can be based on previous experiences they have had. It allows you to gain a better understanding of if they would need to be trained or not.

Behavioural questions

These include the likes of “Tell me about a time when you went the extra mile for a customer?”

Questions like this allow the interviewee to talk about past performances, giving you a good prediction of how they will perform for you. Ask for specific examples that relate to your business, explaining how they’ve done something similar before.

Fact-based or general questions

These include the likes of “Why did you decide to leave (company A)?”

General questions are great for clarifying information on a CV. Any gaps in employment or areas you aren’t sure about should be answered in the interview, as well as general questions linked to their reasoning of wanting to work here.

Stress questions

These include the likes of “Why should we hire you?”

No one likes to answer these questions, but it puts people in a stressful situation, allowing you to gauge how they will react when times get tough. Body language is a key metric here.

5 Tips For Conducting A Successful Interview

We all want to make sure time is spent wisely. You don’t want to waste money by hiring the wrong person, this is why getting it right is crucial. Finally, let’s take a look at some tips to make sure your interview is the best.

Be prepared

Beforehand, you already know a lot about the candidate. You should have researched their CV, LinkedIn profile and have a good understanding of who they are.

Take down notes

With lots of different names and faces, you should have a notepad by your side to make notes. This will keep you on top of the process, as well as look professional.

Be friendly

Smile and make the interviewee comfortable. The better they feel, the more you’ll get out of the meeting and the information received will be better. Decisions will then be easier to make.

Utilise every second

Don’t be scared of asking follow up questions, especially when you are intrigued or want them to continue with their points. This will sometimes help to decide between two close candidates.

Let them speak

Remember the 80/20 rule and allow them to speak. They should be doing the majority of the talking, allowing you to sit back and