Chapter 5: The Interviewer

Carrying out a job interview is an important step in the hiring process, and the manner in which you handle it can have a great impact on both candidate experience and the quality of your hiring choices. You are the company ambassador and the way you conduct the process will go a long way in establishing trust, engagement, camaraderie and loyalty to the brand. It is important to note that an awesome experience will go a long way in the candidate recommending others, and speaking well about the company, even if they are not selected for the job.

I typically need 60 minutes for interviews as the hiring manager where the first 10 minutes is all about the role, the company, the challenges and others, the next 45 minutes is about the candidate and the last 15 minutes if questions from the candidate. I always insist that we need to start the meeting on time, hence if it’s a video call, I too need to log in a couple of minutes ahead of time, if a face to face, I should walk to the reception and greet the candidate, and not expect an office peon to complete this task on my behalf. It is important to respect the candidate as he is at this stage your client, and if he likes you, will get you revenue and business.

Here are a few points to evaluate and build into your processes around interviewing candidates –

Prepare Thoroughly:

Read through the candidate’s resume and other relevant information, e.g., cover letter, projects, social media feed, etc., beforehand. Make sure to create questions that relate directly to the job vacancy. If you are an independent interviewer, make sure you read the job description first before going through the candidates’ profiles.

Create a Welcoming Environment:

If possible, meet them personally and walk them to the interview area, showcasing the office, the people and possible elements of what makes the organization great. Offer beverages, snacks, and point out the rest rooms as well as fire exits, and explain any emergency procedures that may be important. If the candidate is meeting you overlapping lunch or any other meal, offer to show them to the cafeteria once the interview is completed. It is important that you treat them as a “client” and impress to the maximum.

Active Listening:

Listen closely to applicants’ responses. It is crucial not to interrupt them as they respond, and give them enough time to respond to your questions. If they do not understand your question and start speaking on a different tangent, gently bring them back to the topic at hand.

Use Behavioural Interviewing:

Ask open-ended questions that will encourage candidates to talk about how they reacted or behaved during specific situations in their past jobs with specific examples. This form of questioning helps expose their experiences and also evaluate if their actions would translate into real-world scenarios.

Provide Information:

Share team dynamics at the workplace, the nature of our business culture, and the positions we want to be filled. Candidates make better decisions when equipped with knowledge of what lies ahead. One thing I always did was explain to them our Great Places to Work certification and our top 5 policies and also seek their input on anything that they have heard the market do differently. If they do give some advice, remember to appreciate and be willing to evaluate the same, honestly.

Be Transparent:

This means being straight about the challenges and possible achievements of such a role. This way, a candidate can make informed choices based on facts, not assumptions or mere promises. They are also able to customize their responses to share their experiences in handling your stated challenges.

Ask for Questions:

It is always important to leave enough time for questions that the candidate may have, You should do this even if you have already decided that you don’t intend to take the candidate forward. This is a natural step in building the candidate experience as you need to remember, they will be your future ambassadors.

Assess Cultural Fit:

It is just not about their skills, its also about their compatibility with your corporate culture. Their integration is extremely important, hence watch out for signs of them being destructive, selfish, driven monetary benefits, disrespetful, etc.

Take Notes:

Make some short notes it will help you remember important points later when comparing various applicants. I prefer recording the meeting (especially remote meetings) so as to enable me to listen back if required. I have sometimes used the recordings to reduce the number of interview rounds, sharing the same with other members of the decision making process, and helping reduce the turnaround.

Follow Up:

Try explaining what’s next from here as far as recruitment process is concerned and how long it might all take. Get back to those who participated in order for them not stay in the dark after undergoing that phase of recruitment.

Do Not Assume:

Assumptions should not be based on personal prejudices. Candidates should be assessed objectively by focusing on their qualifications and experiences and their responses to their questions. Unless there is a clash with the company culture on certain elements e.g. clearly letting the candidate know that the dress code is formals, to see that the candidate came in casuals, we need to be careful of our biases during the process.

No Illegal Questions:

Abstain from asking questions about age, marital status, religion or anything else that could potentially lead to discrimination. Only job-related issues should be addressed herein.

Avoid Rushing Decisions:

Every candidate has to be taken through detailed scrutiny. Quick decisions may result into disqualification of highly experienced candidates or making hurried judgments. This is especially important during the resume screening process where bias may creep in.

Don’t Be Overly Dominant:

Keep the conversation balanced. Don’t hog all discussions and give the candidate enough time to voice their opinions. This is a moment for them to share about themselves, you will get your time at the start and the end of the process to make an impression.

If there is anything missing please add under comments.