Overview

An interview is a two-way process, an exchange of information between a company or the prospective employer and a candidate or the prospective employee. At its simplest, it’s a sales pitch, a transaction, or trading information where both company and the candidate decide if they are right for each other.

Interview structure

As a prospective employee, structure the interview to ensure you can select the best talent from the shortlist of candidates. Remember you have already selected candidates who on paper have the minimum skillset you require.

Your aim is to:
• Sell the company
• Sell the role and opportunity to the candidate
• Outline the company culture and expectations of employees.

With your focus on the candidate you want to:
• Explore and understand the candidate’s skill set and suitability for the role from their past experiences
• Probe and understand the candidate’s expectations and see if these are aligned with the company.

Key pointers for a successful interview

Preparation is critical to getting the most out of the interview and selecting the best talent.

People are a vital resource and the recruitment process is a cost to the organisation; it costs money to recruit and employ staff so do it well.

Key tips:
• Have an interview process and communicate this to the candidate
• Read the cv and try to understand the strengths and weaknesses of a potential candidate may bring to the role
• If interviewing several candidates for a single role, try to have a set of questions to ask to everyone so you can easily compare the responses
• Offer the candidate an opportunity to question you
• First impressions count – this applies to both parties, so make sure you are on time, dressed and groomed appropriately
And finally:
• Thank the candidate for their time and offer some feedback, ideally within 24 hours, either directly or via your recruiter.

Next steps

If you are about to recruit for a new role, Conspicuous can help you at every stage. If you’d like more information about writing job specs, interviews or how to build brilliant teams, please get in touch.

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