Interviewer tips for conducting a perfect job interview

Our step-by-step guide to running a job interview will make the search for your next employee easier. It covers everything from what questions you should ask to the post-interview process, helping you hire the right person for the job.

6 mins read
Getty Images 1428950302

2 months ago

​What is a job interview?

A job interview is a formal meeting between a job applicant and an employer to evaluate the applicant's suitability for a job role advertised by the employer. Interviews are commonly used for employee selection.

Conducting a job interview is a crucial part of the recruitment process as it allows employers to gather information about the candidate's skills and prior experience, providing insights into their potential performance in the role.

So, how can you conduct a seamless and professional interview process?

Here are some top tips for interviewers to help you conduct the perfect interview:

Familiarize yourself with the job description

Before the interview begins, it's important to thoroughly understand the content of the job description and the associated roles and responsibilities.

By reviewing the job description, you can formulate relevant questions and gain a clear understanding of the qualities you are seeking in a candidate.

Define your expectations

While a well-written job description is a good starting point, it may not be sufficient for conducting a comprehensive interview. It is crucial for interviewers to have a thorough understanding of the desired qualities in a candidate.

Consider the ideal behavior and characteristics of an employee in the role. As an interviewer, you should ask questions that assess the candidate's alignment with your expectations and determine if they are a good fit for your organization's culture.

Creating a checklist of these expectations will facilitate the comparison of interviewees and simplify the decision-making process.

Prepare relevant questions

Preparing a list of questions is essential for a successful job interview. The balance of question types is equally important.

Include competency-based questions to assess the candidate's approach to the role. Use character-based questions to evaluate how well the candidate would fit within your team. Inquire about their career goals to gain insights into their motivations. Remember to ask open-ended questions that encourage the candidate to provide detailed responses rather than simple yes or no answers.

By following these tips, you can conduct an effective job interview that helps you identify the most suitable candidate for the role.

Preparation is key: from greetings to the final question, make sure you have all bases covered.

Be Prepared Beyond the Job Interview

Do not underestimate the significance of small details during the job interview. It is important for the interviewee to feel comfortable enough to express their true personality.

For instance, check the interview room. Is it private and comfortable? Do you have water available on the table? If the interview is being conducted remotely, ensure that your sound and camera are working properly and that your Wi-Fi connection is strong. Introducing candidates to your team members on the interview panel before the interview begins is a great way to observe how they interact with people, while also giving the interviewee an opportunity to learn more about your company.

Practice Makes Perfect

Going over your questions and expectations with a colleague before the interview will boost your confidence.

It is worth considering having a second team member join you in the interview to take notes. This will give you more time to focus on the interviewee and respond to their answers.

Colleagues can provide valuable tips on how to conduct a job interview. They may also be interested in receiving your interview advice!

Foster a Conversation

A job interview can be an insightful and enjoyable experience for both the interviewer and the interviewee.

Help the interviewee make the most of the session by putting them at ease from the beginning. Asking conversational questions will allow you to get to know the candidate better and encourage them to speak freely before moving on to more challenging interview questions.

“Follow the 80-20 rule of interviewing: let the interviewee talk 80% of the time.

Listen more

As the interviewer, your focus should be on your questions and guiding the job interview.

Keep in mind that your goal is to learn about the candidate. A commonly recommended rule is to speak only 20% of the time and listen for 80% of the interview. While silence may feel uncomfortable, allow the interviewee time to think and answer your questions. Resist the temptation to break the silence yourself.

Encourage the candidate to ask their own questions during the interview and at the end.

Expect questions from interviewees

In addition to encouraging questions from the interviewee, anticipate that they will come prepared with inquiries about various aspects, such as company culture, development opportunities, and career progression.

Take this opportunity to provide additional information about the company that the interviewee may not have discovered during their research. This can include details about the working environment and how the business has been affected by the pandemic. It's important to give interviewees insight into the company's purpose and how the team operates effectively.

Be aware of 'unconscious bias'

As the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover. Your first impression of someone is formed in just seven seconds, driven by your unconscious brain.

During a job interview, it's crucial to be mindful of this bias. Remind yourself not to make hasty decisions. Stick to your planned questions and use a standardized checklist to ensure every interviewee has a fair chance.

Do not make promises you cannot fulfill

It is natural to want to present a positive image of the job and company, but be cautious not to misrepresent the role.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development refers to this conversation as a "psychological contract." If the actual job differs from the expectations set during the interview, the psychological contract is broken, which may result in the new hire leaving.

Conclude the interview appropriately

Inform the candidate when they can expect a response and how it will be delivered. Provide or confirm the contact information they should look out for, and ensure that the contact information you have for them is accurate.

Before ending the interview, express gratitude for the candidate's time. This leaves a positive impression of the company and acknowledges that the candidate is also evaluating you. It is important to present the company in a favourable light.

What happens after the interview?

Conducting a job interview does not end when the interviewee leaves the room. Following up with the candidate after the interview is a crucial, yet often overlooked, step in the process.

Put yourself in the candidate's position and consider their experience during the next steps. Inform them of when they can expect a decision and communicate any delays in the process. Failing to follow up can harm your reputation and lose potential prospects.

Avoid making a final decision hastily during the interview itself. Take the time to evaluate the candidates' performance before informing every one of the outcomes. Additionally, be open to providing constructive feedback if requested by the interviewee.

In this competitive market, it is essential that your interview process, whether conducted in person or online, is effective, keeps candidates engaged, and ultimately helps you secure top professionals.

New call-to-action

You may also be interested in...

Will AI eliminate the need for jobs?
1 mins read

Will AI eliminate the need for jobs?

​At the recent Microsoft CEO Connections event, the CEO Satya Nadella compared the impact of new AI technology to the birth of personal computers and the internet, in terms of its potential global impact.While writers, actors, and other artists have been fighting to protect their livelihoods from AI’s threat, Elon Musk imagines what I can only describe as a nightmarish vision of the future where no one works at all (although, as a recruiter, I’m predictably biased about the 'nightmarish' part).The recent Reed/Bloomberg job market report sheds some light on this issue. While AI is a hot topic across politics and business, jobs in the sector have plummeted, suggesting that organizations have lost interest in hiring for new AI job roles.That’s not to say that companies are ignoring AI altogether. From finance to e-commerce, businesses have been integrating this technology into existing roles, allowing them to offer new and improved products and services to their customers. Here at Reed, we’re using AI to help remedy a common problem for recruiters and managers – choosing appropriate interview questions for specific roles. With our AI-powered Interview Question Generator, a task that once took hours can now be completed with the click of a button.Does this mean recruiters and their counterparts in other sectors will soon be out of a job and replaced by AI? Not necessarily. Although AI will most likely cause some jobs to disappear, it will also liberate people from bureaucracy, eliminate mundane tasks, and allow workers to focus on the parts of their jobs only humans can do well.So, while it’s almost certain that AI is transforming the way we work and recruit, I’m of the belief that, for as long as there are people to help, problems to solve and personal connections to be made, there will still be jobs.And, hopefully, there will still be recruiters.​

Manager’s guide to offboarding – the complete kit
less than one minute

Manager’s guide to offboarding – the complete kit

An employee resignation can be a stressful time - but getting it right is essential to maintaining team performance.This kit takes you through the leaving process step by step, ensuring you cover all of the vital actions, gather valuable information from the departing team member, and keep morale high while minimizing disruption."If handled incorrectly, someone leaving can result in a missed opportunity - all that information just walks out the door."This kit will help you toMinimize disruption and keep morale high with a stress-free offboarding processFuture-proof your team from resignations with actionable feedback from the leaving employeeRecruit, reallocate, or restructure? Find the best way to deal with your vacancyThe kit containsAn expert guide featuring a step-by-step offboarding plan, failsafe handover process, information on effective exit interviews, and how to fill the team skills gap assessment.Time-saving tools and resources include an offboarding checklist, a nine-box succession planning grid, announcement email templates, and an exit interview template.

Top 9 second round interview questions to ask candidates
6 mins read

Top 9 second round interview questions to ask candidates

Once the initial round of interviews is complete, you should have a shortlist of potential candidates. Conducting a second interview will provide a more thorough assessment of each candidate and assist in making the final decision on their suitability for the position.Effective interviewingWhen it comes to hiring someone for remote or hybrid work arrangements, there are two types of interviews that you can conduct. The first one is more formal and can be done remotely, while the second one can either be more demanding or more casual and done in person. This approach allows you to gain a better understanding of the interviewee in two different settings. For instance, you could conduct a phone interview first and then another one in person.It's important to remember that interviews are a two-way communication process. You are not just looking for the right candidate, but you are also trying to sell the role to them. Therefore, it should be treated as an informative conversation rather than an opportunity to impress the interviewee. You need to represent yourself, your team, and your company in the best possible way.Keep in mind that every candidate could be a potential customer, client, or advocate for your business, and they will remember how you treat them. So, it's crucial to make a positive impression and treat every candidate with respect and professionalism.Common second interview questions to ask candidatesJust as in your first round of interviews, asking the right questions in the second round is vital to understanding if a candidate is suitable for the role.“Although there are never a fixed set of questions to ask in the second interview, here are our selection of questions for employers to ask which will hopefully allow you to understand a candidate more fully before making a decision on who to hire.”What are your long-term career aspirations?Asking candidates about their long-term career goals can provide useful insight into their suitability for your company. If they mention your business specifically, it suggests a desire to remain and contribute to its growth.Moreover, this question can reveal important aspects of their personality, such as honesty and passion.Understanding their priorities can help you make informed hiring decisions for your organization.Do you have any questions about the business or the role since your first interview?This question gives them the opportunity to clarify any doubts they may have and to demonstrate their level of interest and engagement.Furthermore, asking questions helps to fill any gaps in the candidate's knowledge and shows their preparation for the interview. However, some candidates may be nervous, so it is important to create a comfortable and supportive environment.Remember that this is an opportunity for both the candidate and the interviewer to learn more about each other and make an informed decision.How has your job search been going so far?If you ask this question in a second interview, you can gain valuable insight into your competition and the challenges you may face if they are selected instead of you. You might find out about other positions they've applied for and their current status in the hiring process.If they've recently attended multiple interviews, you may have to wait longer for their response or come up with a counteroffer to stay competitive. It's important to ask all candidates the same questions during the interview process to avoid discrimination or bias.What skills do you think are required for this role?This can help you evaluate their comprehension of the position and their ability to think critically. It also gives them a chance to showcase their skills and how they align with the job's requirements.This can give you a better understanding of their expectations, interpretation of the job description, and ensure they have a clear picture of the responsibilities involved. If there are any misunderstandings, you can clarify them, promoting transparency and reducing any future confusion.Ultimately, this approach can lead to better retention rates as candidates have a thorough understanding of the position before accepting an offer.What are the reasons you might not be suitable for this role?The response can reveal their level of motivation and attitude towards success. If a candidate expresses a willingness to learn and improve, this indicates a growth mindset, which is a valuable trait in any role.In contrast, if a candidate has a fixed mindset and believes that they cannot improve upon their abilities, they may not be suitable for the position.Therefore, asking this question can help identify the candidates who have the potential to grow and contribute to the organization.What changes would you suggest at this company?This question allows them to provide valuable insights into their potential challenges and how they could overcome them. It can also reveal their motivation for success.If they express a willingness to improve and be trained, it could indicate a valuable candidate with a growth mindset. Such individuals have more potential to learn and develop than those with a fixed mindset who believe they cannot improve in certain areas.What is the lowest salary you hope to earn from this role?It's important to ask applicants what their minimum salary expectation is for the job. It will help you to understand their salary expectations and gives you an opportunity to manage them if they're too high.On the other hand, the applicant may have done their research and found that the salary you're offering is lower than their worth. You may have the chance to increase your offer to match their expectations if you feel they are worth it.How would you describe your ideal work environment?The answer for this question will help you gain useful insights into their personality and work style.If their ideal work environment is similar to yours, then they are more likely to be a good fit for your company culture. Hiring someone who is not a cultural fit can lead to dissatisfaction and increase the likelihood of them leaving.On the other hand, if a candidate describes a work environment that is vastly different from yours, they may not be a good match for your company and could end up being unhappy and leaving later on.How soon would you be ready to start this role?This question will determine the candidate's availability and professionalism in the hiring process. It also helps to compare candidates based on their responses.It is important to note that if a candidate mentions leaving their current job without giving notice, it could be a red flag for your business. Therefore, asking the right questions during the hiring process is crucial to finding the best fit for your business.After meeting with a candidate for a second time, you should have a better understanding of their skills and abilities, and whether they would be a good addition to your team.​