Preparing Your Agenda
Research the job responsibilities, any special projects that may be required, and any and all skills that may be needed to perform the position in the most professional and skillful manner as possible.
Prepare as MANY questions in advance in writing … you will want to have them nearby, but DO NOT read them as it will appear that you are not prepared sufficiently for the interview and could cause you to lose credibility/respect during the interview.
Be relaxed and impromptu as you may want to ask other questions that might come to you on the spur of the moment based on what the applicant interjects or answers to your questions.
The Interview
Be sure to greet the applicant with your extended hand for a handshake and most definitely making eye contact during the introduction. A good, firm handshake shows that you are professional and indeed glad to meet the applicant. The eye contact and a smile will aid in putting the applicant at ease in order to conduct a friendlier and more open meeting. (Keep in mind the interview is a fact finding meeting that MUST not seem like an interrogation!)
The questions you prepared earlier should be short. Give the applicant time to gather their thoughts and answer, but don’t allow them to sit there and contemplate for long periods of time. This can cause more nervousness on their part for feeling they don’t have the answer or the right answer. If they contemplate longer than feels necessary, smile and reword the question. BE A GOOD LISTENER and feel free to jot down key words on your notes so that later you can remember their answers in full.
Describe in full the information you have collected regarding the job duties, responsibilities, skills required, job title and anything that might be pertinent to the applicant. Most applicants do NOT know the entire job description when entering the interview, but SHOULD KNOW IN FULL when at conclusion.
Try to draw out specifics by asking questions like, how long, how many, when, why, etc.?
Note any and all characteristics of the applicant that might be important later. Any nervous habits, the inability or refusal of the applicant to allow you to control the meeting, the fact that the applicant prattles on and changes the subject during an answer, looking out the window while answering, hand gestures, etc.
While concluding the interview, if pertinent, be sure to give the applicant a business card with contact information and invite them to contact you if they have any additional questions. Also make sure to ask if the applicant has any questions regarding anything you have discussed with them that day. Often times, a nervous applicant with misconstrue or misunderstand something they are told in an interview.
Follow Up
It is important to revisit your notes as SOON after you finish conducting the interview as possible. In your haste while taking notes, you could have easily used abbreviations that will be much easier to remember immediately upon review.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
It is important to remember while conducting an interview that you cannot ask certain questions. Even if the applicant mentions something about their family, their residence, their church, their children, etc. you MAY NOT INQUIRE FURTHER ABOUT ANY OF THESE SUBJECTS. i.e. if an applicant mentions dropping off their children at school, you MAY NOT ASK THEM even if on a friendly basis, “oh really, how many children do you have?” Questions of a personal nature can be perceived as a form of discrimination and are not necessary in an interview.
Some questions that might be of interest to a future employer are:
Why did you leave your last employer?
How would you deal with a fellow employee that was trying to distract you while you were trying to meet a deadline?
What is your greatest strength?
What are you weaknesses?
How do you handle criticism?
How do you handle a stressful day at work?
What do you see yourself doing in 5 years from now?
What can or have you done to make yourself indispensable to an employer?
What are some of the rewards you are expecting from your career?
How do you think a past teacher/professor would describe you?
What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort? Describe a situation in which you did so.
How do you determine or evaluate success?
Was there an occasion when you disagreed with a supervisor's decision or company policy? Describe how you handled the situation.
What interests you about our company?
Describe a situation in which you worked as part of a team. What role did you take on? What went well and what didn't?
Conclusion
Be sure to ALWAYS thank the applicant for taking their time, preparing, and being on time for their interview.
Be sure to shake their hand and if possible, walk them back to the entrance while thanking them for coming in.
If you have plans to contact them again at some point, be specific about when you think this might be.
If you are highly interested in this applicant, be sure to let them know if there is a deadline for making an offer to fill this position. (If an applicant accepts another position on the morning of the day you are planning to contact them, ONLY because they have not heard from you, it can cause a great deal of problems for ALL parties.
Be sure to look for any emails, notes, or phone calls from the applicant showing THEIR APPRECIATION for your time in conducting the interview. If an applicant is well informed and really wants the position, they will remember to thank you for your efforts as well.
It should come as no surprise to you that there is a technique to successful job interviewing. A job applicant who masters the fine art of interviewing has a definite competitive edge over other applicants. This information will answer some of the questions that are probably on your mind about interviewing. The intent is to provide you with tools to sharpen your interview skills, giving you a special advantage in today's job market.
