The ability to effectively interview and select the right candidates is a critical skill for any employer or hiring manager. Our comprehensive guide is designed to enhance your interviewing skills and refine your evaluation process. Packed with practical tips and innovative strategies, this guide will transform the way you view the hiring process.
From crafting insightful questions to accurately interpreting candidates’ responses, we cover all facets of the interview process. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the hiring world, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to make informed, effective hiring decisions, ensuring the growth and success of your organization.
Interviewing 101: Keep It Simple
Interviews are tough, says John Crossman, founder of Crossman Career Builders, a career development organization created to help college students and young professionals reach their full potential, professionally and personally.
“And sometimes, it’s easier to be interviewed than to do the interviewing,” says Crossman. “I was interviewed a few times early in my career by people who just talked for 45 minutes. I never said a word. And one of them hired me for a job.”
This scenario is not uncommon. Let’s be honest—most people who are tasked with interviewing and evaluating candidates for a job don’t interview or evaluate candidates for a living. They are a manager in a large corporation or lead a team for a small company. They got to where they are because they were good at their job—and promoted to leadership roles—not because they are skilled at interviewing and evaluating candidates. Others use dated interviewing strategies that don’t work or focus on the wrong qualities or experiences when evaluating candidates.
That’s why keeping it simple is a good strategy for interview success.
“I like to start by just asking them to tell me about themselves, where they grew up, went to college, and so on,” says Crossman. “I then like to try to point out a mutual interest and affirm that. Hopefully, this makes the candidate more comfortable. Start by asking simple questions to get the candidate to open up.”
Whether one is conducting an in-person interview or a video interview, remember to print out the candidate’s resume and have a copy of the job posting on hand. If it’s a panel interview (multiple people interviewing one candidate), make sure everyone on the interview has a copy of the resume and job posting. This can help all who are involved learn more about the candidate, formulate questions, and get to know them in advance of the interview.
Interviews Are Not an Interrogation
When starting an interview, be prepared and find common ground to break the ice. Interviews are not an interrogation. This isn’t a one-sided process. It should be a healthy conversation to find out if the candidate has the skills to do the job and would fit in with the team they would be working on and within the company culture. There is no need to focus on trick questions or to ask oddball questions that really don’t prove that one is the right fit for the job.
If a candidate went to the same college as a member of the panel or interviewer, volunteered for the same organization, or had such unique work experience, discussing that at the start of the interview can be a good way to break the ice.
One story that stands out is the time the recent college graduate applied for his first job in finance. He had all the credentials—strong GPA, solid internship with a reputable Fortune 100 company, job shadows with industry professionals, and strong recommendations from intern supervisors. That was great, but one thing stood out to the interviewers. During the summers, the candidate, who was from Wisconsin, worked at a salmon canning factory in Alaska. He spent 90 days cleaning salmon and living in a dorm-like environment, working long hours in tough conditions. In every single interview this job seeker went on, employers started off by asking about this experience. Why? It likely helped the interviewers break the ice—and also helped the interviewee feel more comfortable. Finding commonalities to talk about, or unique angles like this helps each to get to know the other better on a personal basis, which can help them open up on a professional basis.
“It doesn’t behoove any of us to employ scare tactics,” says Julie Shore, president of Career Development Advisors, a Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania-based organization that helps individuals and teams hire and develop successful teams. “I always tell my clients an interview is simply a conversation, a two-way dialogue to discern the most suitable fit.”
Shore works with employers, managers, and teams on the importance of transparency, meaning communicating the obvious.
“If you’re going to take notes, say so,” she says. “If you need a moment to review the resume, say so. It’s authentic. We are not robots on either side of the table, nor should we be. This helps to build trust, rapport, and a better overall conversation. While I’m not inferring to address any protected classes or illegal areas of question, we can be human, and I think we sometimes forget that.”
Strategies for Interview Success
Provide Candidates with Information
Employers can do a better job of preparing candidates for interviews by arming them with simple information in advance, such as who will be interviewing them and some background information on the role, company, and requirements of the job. Letting candidates know who will be in the interview and/or how many people are interviewing can help them better prepare. It can be a nerve-wracking experience having a candidate jump on a Zoom call and suddenly be on screen with three to five other people they know nothing about, wondering why they are all on this call and who they are.
“Too often, candidates come in blindly without that information which can cause fear and angst,” says Shore. “Just like not all students are great test takers, neither are all great at interviewing. The same holds true for hiring managers. They are experts in their area, which may or may not translate well to the interview setting.”
Prepare Talking Points and Questions
Writing out questions in advance can be a good training exercise for those who aren’t well-versed in conducting interviews, says Max Ade, CEO and co-founder of Pickleheads, the digital home for pickleball players.
“Until you get comfortable with the conversational nature of a job interview, you’ll benefit from having some talking points to reference,” says Ade. “You should also incorporate questions about an applicant’s preferred work environments. Finding out what type of work culture a candidate likes is the best way to determine if they’ll be a good fit for your organization.”
Provide the Questions in Advance
Another simple but effective strategy: Send the list of interview questions to the candidate prior to the interview. That way, they can prepare in advance and better answer the questions. This can help generate more thoughtful responses and also help the interviewee relax since they have time to prepare.
“I like that,” says Crossman. “Someone who is more comfortable is likely to be more real.”
Creating a one-page document or info sheet with the logistics of the interview, such as the following, can go a long way towards helping candidates prepare, says Shore.
- Time, place, and duration (same for remote/virtual interviews)
- Names and titles of people involved.
- Overview of interview
- List of interview questions
“This way, you provide the candidate with the information, and then the initiative is on them to prepare,” says Shore.
These are all great strategies to help the candidate prepare for the interview—and a better-prepared candidate can better succeed in an interview.
How to Evaluate Candidates after an Interview
At every stage of the hiring process, companies need to assess culture fit, says Kelsey Bishop, founder, and CEO of Candor, a platform that helps remote teams get to know each other by sharing their motivations, values, and more. In addition to asking questions related to the job, good interviewers can ask questions that help get to know how they would fit into the company and team culture, says Bishop.
An entire team does not have to have the exact same interests or experiences. In fact, successful teams are diverse and include team members with varied and unique backgrounds. But understanding what qualities the top candidates have, not just for the job, but within the team, is important.
Topics that can help identify if one will be a good fit for a team can revolve around things such as:
- Willingness to help people
- Experiences of working with a team to solve a problem
- Styles of communication with other team members
“These are important questions to ask throughout your review process,” says Bishop. “We use applicants’ Candor profiles to review how they think, what drives them, and whether they have the same outlook on work as we do. For most jobs, you can train someone to do it. Finding a person who meshes well with your existing staff and processes is a bit harder. For example, we practice self-management. This is a great environment for someone who is autonomous and growth-oriented, but less so for someone who wants a top-down hierarchy. Looking at these organic profiles allows us to ensure that the people we bring in are driven by the same passions we are.”
Nick Gausling, retail consultant and managing director of Romy Group LLC, says one way to determine if one is a team player is to ask them to share a story about a time they helped someone at work.
“Manipulative people tend to tell stories about helping their boss because they think that’s what you want to hear, while people who are genuine tend to tell stories about helping others when they had nothing to gain,” says Gausling.
Shore likes to use the Kolbe A Index test in advance of an interview as a way to get to know and evaluate a candidate. This test does not measure intelligence, personality, or social style. It measures the instinctive ways you take action when you strive. During the interview Shore discusses these results and asks candidates follow-up questions from the results.
“Too often, candidates are asked to take a personality test that isn’t necessarily job-related, and then it becomes this big secret as to what the organization is looking for,” says Shore.
Define What Makes a Candidate the Right Fit
Taking the time to understand and define exactly what the company needs in a role—versus what is nice to have—can go a long way towards evaluating candidates after an interview.
“One of the best strategies for updating your interviewing process is to discuss it with a current rock-star incumbent,” says Shore. “Identify their attributes and experience and see if you can ask, gauge, or discuss this with candidates for the same position.”
The reality is, that evaluating a candidate based on a resume review and a few phone calls or in-person meetings or Zoom meetings is hard. Even reference checks don’t truly tell a candidate’s entire story. Crossman likes to create a scorecard that highlights what is most important in the role and then evaluates each candidate fit for that role. Unless it’s a referral, personal friend, or past co-worker, most interviewers don’t truly know the candidates and if they are the right fit, or better than other top candidates.
“So, you are trying to build trust and get your arms around the person the best you can,” says Crossman. “I like to try to learn how they became the person they are. That is why I share my story. Lead through vulnerability.”
Beyond traditional ways, Crossman always likes to ask others at the company how they greeted them or treated them during their visit. Were they polite to the administrative assistant? Did they come across as professional? This is much more difficult in today’s era of video interviews, virtual teams, and remote interviews, where people don’t ever meet in person. But Crossman says there are strategies to incorporate for those scenarios too.
“I really connect to how they follow up,” he said. “Do they send a thank you note? I often give a candidate a small thing to do just to see if they do it. I want to know if they will follow directions.”
It’s also important to conduct multiple interviews and to include several people in the process.
“It’s good to have the candidate meet with more than one person,” says Crossman. “Some people are really good with me and then are rude to other staff members. That is why I want them to meet with multiple people.”
The Key to Interviewing Success
Ultimately, the key to interview success and evaluating candidates to find the right fit comes down to preparation. The more the interviewers prepare in advance—and help the interviewee prepare—the better the interview will be. It should be a discussion, with a back-and-forth dialogue about the position, company, and challenges of the role. The focus should be getting to know the candidate as a professional and person to determine if they are the right fit for the job and company.
“Keep the conversation real,” says Shore.
Be authentic, and you can get the same from the candidates you are interviewing and evaluating. Prepare for interviewing your next applicant using these tips and strategies. You’ll soon be on your way to successfully interviewing and evaluating the right candidate for your open position.
