Your very first interview can be one of the most terrifying experiences of your life. You’re not going to die, but you have a chance at losing the great opportunity that lies before you – or, if you’re the interviewer, then there’s always the possibility you’ll botch the job so badly your prospective hire won’t even want to hear about your company ever again. This is why it is important to understand and master the interview process.
How do you grow to become comfortable with interviews, though? It seems like no matter how old or experienced we get, we will always encounter one interview or another that will leave us at a loss for words, with our hands shaking and our foreheads glazed in sweat. It might be the weather, it might be the interviewer (or the interviewee!), or it might all be you. What can you do about it?
We’ll tell you exactly what you can do about it, regardless of whether you’re the dreaded interviewer or the poor interviewee.
What Is the Interview Process?
In simple terms, an interview is a one-on-one conversation between two individuals with the purpose of making a hiring decision when it comes to a business or organization. The person conducting the interview is known as the interviewer, while the person being questioned is called the interviewee.
An interview is conducted to glean the overall level of skill and knowledge the interviewee has in order to see if they are the right fit for a vacant job position. Interviews are a critical aspect of the business world, as no workplace is going to hire you without one. For the purposes of this article, we will assume that you’re not only acquainted with what the interview process is like, but that you’ve also taken part in at least a couple of interviews.
How Do I Take Part in an Interview?
If you’re a person that is looking to be employed, then creating a CV and posting it on various job sites and boards is the best way to attract the attention that you’re looking for. Make sure that your profile is utterly professional and showcases all of your relevant skills and achievements in order to give prospective employers a reason to hire you instead of the other thousands of people clamoring for the job.
On the other hand, if you are a hiring manager, then the process is just as simple, yet significantly deeper. You will have to think carefully about your decisions and weigh your options with great consideration. Having a well-designed plan is critical to ensuring that you hire the right person.
What Interview Types Are There?
Traditionally, interviews used to be done face-to-face, as our ancestors did for thousands of years. Advancements in technology, however, have changed the way in which we conduct them, which is why we’re going to explain the big three modern interview process types. Being well-armed for the fight ahead is the best way of making sure you’re going to win.
Face-to-Face
The best way to conduct an interview. This way you can deduce a candidate’s personality, intelligence, social skills, and ability to resist pressure. Also the most nerve-racking way of conducting an interview, especially for the inexperienced. Our advice for those being interviewed this way is to remain calm, composed, and hydrated.
Telephone
Partaking in a telephone interview is significantly easier than meeting face-to-face. For the interviewee, this means that they have the leisure to wear pajamas while talking business. The interviewer, however, will find that not having the interviewee right in front of them is a great drawback, as they cannot read their body language, which is highly important.
Video
Most commonly done through Skype or Zoom, video interviews are preferred over telephone interviews due to the fact that it maintains the visual aspect. This is the best alternative to conducting a face-to-face interview since it offers the luxuries of being in your own environment with the added advantage of seeing the person you’re talking to.
How to Conduct Effective Employment Interviews
We know that interviewing people can be hard. That’s why we’ve prepared a small list of the best interview tips for hiring managers to excel and get on top of their interviewing game. Who says that being the interviewer is an easy job?
Preliminary Interviews
There is no reason to call someone for an interview if they don’t fit the requirements of the job. If you’re an outsourcing company from Europe that primarily works with clients from the United States and would like to hire an employee that can work nights and weekends, then mentioning that right from the start is going to save you a lot of precious time when droves of people who can’t satisfy the position show up.
Give them a phone call and break out the “dealbreaker” questions to get them out of the way first. Only after then should you consider calling them for an actual interview.
Dedicate Time and Effort
Don’t allow any interruptions to disrupt the flow of your interview. Dedicate an amount of time to be spent solely for the interview, without any phone calls or emails that need to be urgently answered. A constantly ringing phone can be disrespectful to the person being interviewed, which is why you need to give them all of your attention.
Make sure to review everything you know about the interviewee before they come in so that you are well prepared.
Set the Tone and Stage
It’s key not to be too serious nor too casual for a proper interview. Being too uptight can gravely intimidate and worry the interviewee for no good reason, shaking up their presentation, while being too casual can put them too relaxed and at ease to pay the right amount of care and attention.
The room in which you hold the interview should also be relaxing, since the interviewee should not be distracted by anything, but should be made comfortable – within limits.
Pose Your Questions
The meat of the interview process is when you start asking questions. These can be anything from generalized questions, such as, “Tell me about yourself,” or, “Why do you want this position?” to more specialized questions like “The previous employee thought the job was difficult. What makes you think you can adapt?”
Write down all of the answers and compare them to those of other candidates to get a better idea of where the prospective hire stands.
Address the Resume
The resume of an individual is their most important tool when trying to get hired. Use it to your advantage, as you can reference what has been written there in order to receive more detailed answers. An example would be, “It says here you worked three years as an IT Consultant. How did you like it?” or, “You’ve been a manager for the past two years. What was your hardest challenge?”
Receive Interviewee Questions
The interviewee might also have questions for yourself, such as regarding the company or the general culture of the workplace. Prepare a list of the most commonly asked interviewee questions to answer them just as they did for you, as it shows you’re just as dedicated and involved in the process. Don’t be caught unawares by questions you were hoping you wouldn’t hear!
One Blade With Two Edges
The difference between the interviewer and the interviewee isn’t that huge. Both of them have to act professionally, find out what they must, and get it over with. If an upcoming interview is getting you anxious, then relax: it’s all in your head!
Need help in assessing potential candidates? Try our pre-assessment tools!
