Most employers see the interview process as being one of the most important parts of the hiring process. There are a few ways that you can conduct an interview. For example, you can conduct it face to face, over the phone, through Skype or even via a panel. If you are preparing to interview an applicant, then you need to consider the style of the interview and you also need to think about the structure too. A structured interview is where you’ll ask predetermined questions. An unstructured interview on the other hand, is much more casual and often follows the flow of conversation.

Picking your Interviewers

When you are trying to decide who is going to interview someone, you need to think about the relationship that they are going to have with the potential employee. As a general rule, this should be an employee or manager who is overseeing the position, or even someone who is going to be working closely with the new hire. It’s also important to make sure that the interviewer has enough experience in the field to understand the position itself, and the skills that are required to do the job efficiently.

Determine the Length of the Interview

The time and length of the interview will depend on the company and the position that is being filled. If you want some guidance as to how long your interview should be, then take a look below.

Non-Manager

A one-on-one interview really should last around 45 minutes. It can however go up to an hour. If there are two interviewers, you could probably reduce the time it takes to conduct each interview by half an hour.

Manager

Management is often a leadership position. These interviews will usually take much longer, and it can sometimes last up to an hour and a half. If there are more than two interviewers, then each one should last around half an hour.

Logistics

Now that you have a good idea of who is going to be conducting the interview and how long the process is going to take, you then need to consider the logistics of it all. Some of the questions that you need to ask yourself include where the interview is going to be taking place, if you need to book a conference room and even if you will need to provide tea and coffee.

Job Documentation

If you want to get the best result out of your job interview then you need to make sure that you have all of the right documents, well in advance. This can include a copy of the job description, the applicant’s CV, the cover letter and even references too.

Interview Preparation

If you want to feel confident during the interview, then it helps to consider some of the questions that you are going to ask. Think about asking the potential candidate why they’re interested in the position, how they fit within the culture and why they think they’d be a good fit.

De-Stress

There’s a high chance that the candidate you are going to interview is super stressed out about the interview, so it helps to put them at ease. Give them as much detail as you possibly can about the interview, tell them your company’s dress code and even set out some scenario questions.

Closure

When your interview is over, you will need to provide your candidate with some degree of closure. You should do this whether you are giving them the job or not. One way for you to provide closure would be for you to extend a job offer, or to even let them know if you require them to come in for another interview.

By following the above tips, you can be sure to give your potential employees a good experience when coming in for their interview. You can also help to put them at ease too, which will help you to get a better idea of their skills and personality.