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Interviews are a critical part of the hiring process. But many managers don’t know how to conduct an interview well. Here’s some advice.
1. Prepare in advance. Create an agenda and a structure for the interview.
2. Come up with questions in four categories: fact-finding, creative-thinking, problem-solving and behavioral.
3. Fact-finding questions seek to identify the candidate’s experience, skills and credentials.
4. Creative thinking questions are broader queries that ask the candidate to demonstrate a grasp of wider business trends
5. Problem-solving questions ask the candidate to solve problems.
6. Behavioral questions, which many experts say are the most important, get at how an employee acts in certain situations.
7. Interview the candidate in person whenever possible. If you must do it over the phone, try using a video-conferencing service that allows you to see the person while you talk.
8. Take notes during the interview. You don’t need to write down everything, but note highlights and things you want to follow-up on later. Pay attention to whether the employee is taking notes as well.
9. Pay attention to the candidate’s nonverbal cues during the interview and how the employee acts before and after the questioning.
10.After the interview, have human resources follow up with any fact-checking or background items you noted during the interview.
