How to Conduct a Successful Interview

How to Hire Good Employees for Your Business

When it comes to business success, it all begins with hiring a team of top talent that will help you achieve your mission and provide exceptional service to your customers. As the business world becomes ever more competitive, having a team of great employees by your side could provide the extra help you need to sustain and expand your company. If you’re in the process of hiring new talent for your business, it is paramount to conduct an effective interview that will allow you to assess whether a prospective employee is the right fit for your specific needs.

Before hosting the interview, consider the character traits of a good employee, and compare these to any CVs that may have been sent to you. In addition to relevant communications and experience, which is usually dependent on the specific role available, an outstanding employee will be:

• Confident in their abilities, which is reflected in their CV and during the interview process itself.

• Reliable and punctual, which you can assess by contacting their previous employers.

• Excellent at communicating, which is evident through both their written abilities on their CV and how they conduct themselves during the interview.

Interview preparation is arguably as important as the interview itself, so take your time to closely review the candidate’s work history provided by their CV. By doing so, you can identify areas that you would like to question in order to learn more about their relevant skills and experience, while also saving interview time that would otherwise be spent asking about information that has already been offered to you. The average 1:1 interview should last between 30 minutes and 1 hour, so try to stick to this time frame to ensure that the process is thorough without being overwhelming for the candidate.

Questions to Ask During an Interview

Before conducting an interview, bare in mind that there are certain questions to avoid. Refrain from asking interviewees any questions that inquire into personal matters such as race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexuality or gender - these have no relevance to the role, and asking such questions can cause legal complications. It is also best to avoid asking canidates about their family structure and any personal commitments they have, instead asking questions such as whether or not the interviewee has a specified work schedule.

When the candidate arrives for their interview, try and make the environment as comfortable and welcoming as possible. Interviews can be nerve-wracking, even for the most competent employees, so creating a friendly atmosphere will allow the interviewee to really showcase their talent. The main factor that determines the success of an employee interview is the effectiveness of the questions asked. Some useful questions to include are:

• Asking the employee what attracts them to the position at your business - as well as gauging the candidate’s knowledge of your company and dedication to the job, questions such as this that require more than a simple yes or no answer are excellent for analysing the potential employee’s communication skills.

• Asking the candidate to tell you about what they believe has been their greatest achievement in their previous workplace is a great way of discovering more about their personal values and the kind of contributions they can make to your business, while also providing an opportunity for the interviewee to demonstrate their talent.

• It is vital that the candidate believes in your business mission, so ask the candidate how their skill set could help you to achieve the said mission. Not only will this prove their understanding of the role, but it will help you to discover more about how their previous experience could be applied in your workplace.

• Finally, ask the interviewee what they would like to get out of the job in terms of personal career development - the best candidates are always open to learning and are strong believers in continuous development, so it’s essential to find out how committed a potential employee is to expanding their professional knowledge.

While many interview questions will be specific to your workplace and the role on offer, these core questions can be applied to almost any interview situation, and are sure to further the effectiveness of your interview. Then, it will be easier than ever to choose the best talent for your team so that you can see your business thrive!