I've given several presentations on behavioral interviewing and I'm passionate about this topic. As a recruiter, I've seen firsthand the success and failure of interviewing. Here are 7 tips for conducting an interview that showcases your company and friendly corporate culture.

1. Show appreciation. Treating a candidate poorly by not greeting then or making them feel like they're interrupting a meeting reflects badly on the company. They made the effort to be at the interview. Tell them how much you appreciate them taking the time to visit with you.

2. Be realistic about the job. Don't over promise advancement, promotion or benefits for the position. Be brutally honest about the job responsibilities even though it might be a deal breaker. If the position requires extensive travel, or overtime, don't hide that requirement. Of course you can offset the extensive travel with other benefits.

3. Avoid 'glare.' You know what I'm talking about - that straight in your eyes unwavering gaze. The candidate will feel like they're being interrogated instead of interviewed. Instead, relax, smile and vary your expression.

4. Take good notes. Your note taking shows genuine interest in the candidates experience. Your detailed notes will also be the basis for a second interview. You can check items that need follow-up or further clarification.

5. Allow silence. Don't rush in with another question when the candidate is pondering their answer. Silence is natural and if the candidate doesn't have an instant answer. offer them the option of following up by email or calling when they have the answer.

6. Don't interrupt. Let the candidate speak and hold your responses until they are finished. Constantly interrupting the candidate distract you with unnecessary information. The candidate may also be more guarded because your interruption tells them that what they have to say isn't important.

7. Say thank you. The interview is over! Don't forget to tell them thank you.

These 7 tips will help you become a rock star interviewer. Now I want to hear from you - what advice do you have to offer for interviewing?

Views: 94

Comment by Jonathan D. Davis on December 17, 2010 at 2:05pm

I especially appreciate #2.  There's nothing worse than over-promoting or over-selling a role.

 

I would suggest the additional advice of having your interview questions be scripted in advance and, whenever possible, make sure that there is one person who is involved in all of the Behavioral interviews for a particular role.  This establishes a baseline with one person's subjectivity and the scripted interview questions ensure that every candidate is challenged with the same things.

Comment by Julie Deane on December 20, 2010 at 5:50pm

Good idea Jonathan!

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