How to Conduct a Successful Interview

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Do you own your own business? Are you suddenly responsible for hiring? One of the most difficult aspects of the hiring process is interviewing. A good hire can help contribute to your bottom line and be a pleasure to work with. Hire the wrong person and suddenly your life just got a lot more difficult. From reduced productivity to low morale, a bad hire can cost you time and money.

With so much on the line, it is important to make the most of the interview process. When I conducted my first interview I think I was more nervous than the candidate. Even now, years later, interviewing can be stressful but I finally feel in control of the interview process.

Below are some of the lessons I've learned along the way. While I cannot cover every aspect of interviewing, I hope these tips will give you something to think about.

Before the Interview

A successful interview starts before anyone walks through the door. The first thing you need to understand is the essential job function that you are hiring for. Write out the job description. This will help guide you through the process of creating questions for your interview. When crafting questions remember the 80/20 rule - let the job applicant do most of the talking. I always ask open-ended questions and not just simple yes/no questions. Below are somevsome examples of open-ended questions. These questions force the applicants to talk about themselves. Also note how these questions all relate to a specific skill set. As mentioned earlier, the job functions you are hiring for will determine which questions to ask.

Example questions:

Leadership qualities: "how was something accomplished that would not have been if you weren't there"
Initiative and follow-through: "tell me about goals or priorities you set and how you are achieving them"
Communication skills: "tell me about a time when you persuaded coworkers to do something your way" or "what would you do if you got conflicting instructions for a task"
Deadlines: "what would you do if you know you will not be able to meet a deadline"

Scheduling

Schedule an appropriate amount of time. I always schedule an hour. Interviews for management or executive positions can take longer.

Be aware of your limits and stay alert. I try not to schedule more than four interviews in one day.

Try to use a private room with no distractions – this includes not taking phone calls or answering emails. This is your chance to get to know your future colleague.

The Interview

This is how I structure the interviews I conduct:

Greet the applicant and let them know how the interview will proceed. An example: First, I'd like to go over your background and qualifications. After, I'll give you some information on our company and the position I am hiring for. I hope you don't mind, but I'll be taking notes during the interview. Lastly, we can discuss any questions you have about the position
Talk about applicant's past experience and education – why they left their last job, specific examples of past successes, etc.
Talk about why the applicant is interested in the job
Answer any questions
Close the interview and give the applicant a time frame of what happens next – "I'll be interviewing for the next two weeks, so it may be 3 weeks until you hear back". This cuts down on phone calls from prospects calling to see where they stand.

Legal Issues

It is very important to be aware of legal considerations. Always be in line with EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) laws and regulations. Federal and state laws have protected categories; it can be illegal to ask questions on certain topics. Below is a list of some topics that may be protected (this is not a definitive list, and categories may be different depending on your location; be sure to do your own research on these and all other legal obligations):

Age
Race
Color
National origin or place of birth
Gender specific questions
Questions on religious affiliations, sexual orientation, veteran status, physical characteristics or disabilities.

Other points to consider:

Ask the same questions of all candidates (I have a pre-printed list of questions so that I ask all candidates the same questions)
Treat all candidates the same
Document related job skills
Do not ask questions in 'protected' areas
Identify selection criteria

Take Notes

Note taking is very important. It's not enough just to get a good feeling from an applicant. Taking notes let you review all applicants to see how they answered your questions instead of just relying on your memory. One important consideration - notes can be a permanent record – if unsolicited information is given (i.e. protected topics as mentioned above), don’t record, as this information should not be used when making a hiring decision.

Observation

Observe the candidate's behavior throughout the interview. Not only are you deciding if the applicant is qualified, but you also want to find a good fit for your company. Do applicants answer with clear and concise answers? Do they avoid certain topics, such as why they left their last position? What are their attitudes toward their current job? Are they arrogant or defensive?

Pay close attention to both the resume and the actual job application. I expect the resume to be perfect - no omissions or spelling errors. If you are hiring for a copywriting position and someone gives you a resume filled with typos, how well do you think they will perform on the job? I also look to see if there is a pattern of job-hopping. Let's face it, hiring is time consuming and stressful - do you want to go through this again next year?

Lastly, be aware of your own biases, and challenge them. Just because someone is friendly does not make them the best fit for your organization. This is where your interview notes come in handy. I create categories and score each applicant. This gives a good idea of where applicants stand in relation to one another.

The last piece of advice I would like to mention is to always have the interview reflect well on your business.

Interviewing is not easy, but it does get easier with each interview you do. I'd love to hear your thoughts and additional tips on the interview process.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think!