How to Conduct a Job Interview

We specialise in; Executive Services, Office Support, Accounting Professionals and Warehouse and Logistics needs.

1. Make a short list of applicants

Give applicants clear instructions when inviting them to an interview.
Make sure they know:

• Where you are and how to get there.
• What they should bring with them.
• Who they should ask for.
• How long the interview is likely to last.

Give yourself enough time between interviews to consider an applicant’s performance before sitting down with the next one. Make notes during and after the interview. If it’s possible, have another employee or a business partner join the interview. If the position requires a particular skill it will be useful to set the applicant a short skills test. (i.e. set up an Excel spreadsheet)

2. Find a quiet space

Always find a quiet, private room to conduct the interview. Ask your candidate if they’d like water or coffee, it’s a very simple way of putting them at ease.

• Thank them for applying and coming in for an interview.
• Briefly describe your business.
• Briefly describe the role they would be playing in your business.

3. What to ask your potential employee

a job interview should not be considered as “just a chat” with an applicant, equally, it’s not suitable to run the interview as an interrogation. Your role in the interview is to identify the applicant’s underlying job skills and give them a clear picture of what working for your business would involve.

The interview process also allows the candidate to review your business. You may offer them work but ultimately the decision whether to accept is theirs. When interviewing, you are looking to learn about the candidate as a rounded individual.

Ask about their family and leisure activities: how do their interests and values compliment your business. Let the applicant talk: the more you speak the less you’ll learn about your applicant.

4. Ask open-ended questions

you’ve short-listed the candidate according to the skills set out in their resume, so the interview should be primarily about determining whether the person would “fit” into your business. Open-ended questions will require the applicant to tell a full story of their employment history, be sure to ask about specific roles and actions that they have undertaken in previous employment. Employers tend to “hire on skills, fire on fit”, so it’s very important to focus on more than just applicant’s skills during an interview.

5. Expect them to answer:

• Why have they applied?
• Why did the advertisement sound interesting?
• What do they expect to be doing?
• Do they have realistic expectations of what the job entails?
• What stage of their career do they expect to reach in the next five years?
• Are they committed to this line of work?
• Are their career goals compatible with the work you are offering?
• Why are they leaving their current job?
• Are they looking for change? Have they advanced as far as they can in their current workplace?
• What hours are they prepared to work?
• Are they willing to work overtime?
• Are they only seeking work during particular hours, such as nine to five?
• How would they handle a hypothetical work situation?
• Can they approach everyday working problems in a suitable and logical way?
• Are they genuinely interested in working for your business and industry or are they simply seeking any work? Are they more focused on another aspect of your industry?
• Have there been problems between the applicant and their current employer? Are they just looking for a higher wage?
• Really outline the available role, don’t “sugar coat” the duties, explain the role thoroughly, if it entails 2 hours per day filing then spell this out.

6. Ask about gaps

Question any gaps on an applicant’s resume. Never make any assumptions about an extended gap. It could be the indicator of a number of things, including a jail sentence!
An extended gap could also mean the applicant's skills are out of date. Applicants should be able to answer your questions without sounding scripted. Try to prompt genuine answers to your questions rather than simply listening to what they believe you want to hear.

You should expect the candidate to have questions for you. It’s a fairly standard way for them to display their interest in the job and show that they’ve actually thought about it.

If you’re concerned that a question may be interpreted as discriminatory, don’t ask it. You cannot ask questions relating to religion, sexuality, age, race, national origin or disabilities. Even if the job unavoidably excludes certain people, be sure to pose your questions directly relating to the position. For example, you can’t ask about a person’s religion, but you can ask whether applicants are available to work on the weekends.

7. Final check before hiring

Don’t contact the candidate’s current employer unless the candidate has given you permission to do so. You could jeopardise their current working situation because they might not have told their employer they are seeking a new job.