To make great hires you need to be a good interviewer. It’s why interviewing plays such a critical role in the hiring cycle. Up until this stage pretty much all your recruitment takes place online – posting your job, screening your applications, and complying with your shortlist – so it is your first opportunity to meet your chosen candidates face to face whether that’s online or via a video call.
In order to be a good interviewer there a number of key skills you should possess. Here are our top five skills for interviewers.
Communication
You need the candidate to understand what you are asking and why. You should make yourself making yourself understood using professional and approachable language.
Listening
You need to be able to listen attentively so you can pick out key points throughout the interview. Your goal is to carefully assess how a candidate’s skills, qualifications and experience relate to your available role.
Interpersonal
You should be able to make the candidate feel at ease and engaged with good emotional intelligence so you can read between the lines and pick up on body language.
Strategic
You should have a strong understanding of your team’s strategy and the objectives of your organisation. You need to able to evaluate whether or not the candidate fits with the wider business goals. You should possess an in-depth knowledge of the vacancy, so you can answer all questions and accurately convey the opportunity with your business.
Self-awareness
You need to approach each interview without prejudice, having done enough preparation to ensure each candidate is treated equally. Some recruiters undertake unconscious bias training to ensure their interviews are conducted fairly and to ensure the very best person gets the job.
It is worth taking the time to develop your interviewing skills. Being able to conduct strong, rigorous interviews can help you develop your employer brand, improve candidate experience and ultimately result in better hires for your business.
