Hiring and keeping good workers begins with the job interview. A successful interview does not just happen, it needs to be planned, guided and prepared for. If your interview skills are a bit rusty here are a few pointers to get you back in the game.
1) Review the resume before meeting face to face with a candidate. Take time to know something about the person before you meet them. Otherwise you may come across unprepared or disorganized.
2) Explain the process. Let the interviewee know how the interview will proceed. You may start with having the candidate discuss their background, then move to talking about the firm, to questions from either side to final comments. This will let the candidate know the agenda and keep you focused.
3) Prepare and write questions before the interview. This will make it easier to compare answers among candidates. Make sure to have a mix of questions that can give you insight into a person's work ethics, experience and career path.
4) Keep the interview moving and stick to the allotted time. If you get caught on a tangent then important issues make not get discussed.
5) If you are interviewing many people for the same position it is especially important to take notes. Along with taking notes, a simple grading system for set characteristics can be meaningful and quick to accomplish. You might create categories for knowledge level, experience and presentation and give grades such as A, A-, B+ etc.
6) Keep in mind the candidate is interviewing you and your firm at the same time. Coming across polished, knowledgeable and professional will make you successful in acquiring talented professionals