Conducting an Effective Interview (Part 5 of 5)

Now that you know the objectives for your interview, you have decided on the structure, you are aware of the things to keep in mind while conducting an interview as well as the common mistakes, and you have designed the interview, it’s time to actually conduct the interview. The following 5 steps will help to ensure you are conducting an effective interview.

1. Planning the Interview – You need to figure out who is conducting the interview, who is asking what questions, where it is taking place, etc. A procedure should be established to be followed.




2. Establishing Rapport – Greeting the candidate in a friendly manner puts them at ease so they will not be too tense or nervous during the interview, so you will be able to obtain honest information regarding if they are qualified and will fit in with the job.




3. Asking Questions – Decide on the questions beforehand, and ask them in the same order for each candidate. Listen to the responses, encourage them to express their thoughts and ideals fully, and take brief notes on their answers. This increases the validity of the process and ensures that candidates are compared equally.




4. Closing the Interview – As the interview is coming to an end, allow some time for the candidate to ask any questions they may have.




5. Evaluating the Candidate – After the interview is complete, each interviewer needs to rate the candidate’s performance.

Once all of the candidates have been evaluated, and the top candidates have been narrowed down, organizations should conduct a reference and background check. After those checks have been passed, the top candidates are generally asked to have an interview with their immediate supervisor, and go through a realistic job preview. Finally a hiring decision is made and the candidate is notified. The ultimate decision is typically made by the immediate supervisor.

This concludes the final installment of How to Conduct a Successful Interview. You now know all the steps involved with the interviewing process and will be able to successfully go about conducting an employee selection interview!