Staffing & Recruitment: Must-dos During a Job Interview – for Interviewers & Candidates

An interview is a process where candidates decide whether they want to work for an organization, while the organization evaluates which candidates are best suited for them.

Therefore, both parties need to do certain things to get the most out of the interview process. Candidates have little time to leave a good impression on the interviewer, other than answering the question correctly. As an interviewer, you have to hire candidates for important positions. Therefore, you must have the right resources for it and must know the right process.

In this article, we discuss, the must-dos during a job interview for both candidates and interviewers.

Important things to note during an interview for interviewers

You must keep in mind that during the interview process, applicants choose whether or not they want to work for you; precisely as you are debating whether or not to hire them. Check out the below mentioned statistics:

· Typically, job interviews last somewhere between 45 to 90 minutes.

· Employers value work experience over other factors 90.6% of the time.

· 77% of recruiters view poor grammar or typos as dealbreakers, while 35% of them feel the same way about email addresses that are unprofessional.

You just have a little amount of time to establish a favourable impression on the applicant and get the crucial data regarding their qualifications, experience, and personality.

1. Understand what to look for: When you start a job interview, it is crucial to know, what you are looking for in a candidate. A well-written job description may not be enough. You need to have more information, so you know how the ideal employee will behave in the role. The interviewers need to ask the questions against the checklist of the set expectations. Also, don’t just look at their resume! A candidate is more than just his resume.

2. Know your candidates: It is crucial to make the candidates feel comfortable. There are many ways to do that: For instance- Look for any details not included in the initial application by checking your candidate's LinkedIn profile. You can get a good idea about the candidates by going through their social accounts. However, not every candidate would be comfortable if you bring their social media to the discussion. Try to find that out.

3. Interviewers should pay good attention to their body language: The interviewer must follow the same body language standards as the candidates in order to be effective.

Please note that non-verbal communication works for both parties. If you are distracted for whatsoever reason and unable to give 100% attention to the candidate, the interview will be affected.

You must spend time reading the candidate's CV. If you have not, then it will show at some point, and it will reflect that you are not interested in taking the interview. Also, if you are too fast in conducting the interview, it may not leave a positive remark on the candidates. In short, you need to be professional and have positive body language.

4. Behavior and situation-based questions: Other than asking generic questions, interviewers must ask a few situation-based questions to determine the candidate's past behavior and experiences. It will help the interviewer determine their future possible actions.

5. Keep the interview flexible: Interview structure is important, but it should not be structured to the point that it is not flexible. Flexibility is about being a good conversationalist. If a conversation goes off-topic, there is no harm, and you can continue in that direction if it is meaningful. You may be sitting to hire the candidate for the Data Analysts role, but if the conversation goes to FIFA world cup games, it is fine but remembers, you don't go too far.

6. Enforce a uniform interview: You need to have a consistent recruitment process, as it will give you a good baseline to compare all the candidates. Once all candidates have been asked comparable questions, you will be able to evaluate each response and put all contenders on an equal footing. To achieve this, you need to have a question template.

Important things to note during an interview for candidates

You can get ready for the big day of your job interview with the help of these pointers! They will evaluate your abilities, background, and motivation with the help of the answers you provide to their questions. Check out the below mentioned statistics:

· According to 73% of job searchers, searching for work is one of life's most stressful experiences.

· Recruiters reported that 47% of them would reject an applicant if they had minimal familiarity with the organisation.

· A lack of information offered by the firm before to the interview, according to 31% of applicants, was to blame for their unpleasant interview experience.

Check out the tips mentioned below and make a solid first impression:

1. Know what to wear: The first impression is the last. Your first impression will be reflected in how you are dressed. You can impress the interviewer if you are dressed neatly and have a professional look. You must dress as if you are going to work or a big meeting with the decision-makers.

2. Do your homework: You need to prepare for the interview, but the preparation does not only involve just answering the questions correctly. You need to do your homework - research the company for which you are going for an interview. Try and find the company's history, vision, and mission statements. Also, if possible, learn about the

background of the interviewers. Once you have all this information, bring that into your answers. For example, you can talk about the company's vision in one of your answers - it will surely leave a positive remark.

3. Listen actively, don't just talk: Answering the questions is important but what is equally important is that you listen to the interviewer. If you don't pay attention, you are unlikely to give the best responses. You can establish a relationship with the interviewer and the talk will flow more naturally if you pay close attention as they speak. The interview will be more natural and will not be generic but will have more give and take.

4. Sell your expertise and strengths: You will have limited time in the interview. Your goal should be to sell your strengths and expertise in the given time. Here is an interesting thing - if you are authentic and concise, it will automatically happen, and you won't have to make an additional effort. Respond truthfully to the questions asked and bring the question back to your skills and strengths and provide examples of solutions and results you have achieved. Important point - never talk negatively about your current or former employer while boosting your skills.

5. Relax and stay calm: You have done everything that was required of you before arriving for the interview. The one thing most candidates fail to prepare for is to stay calm during the interview. You must look relaxed to the interviewer. To be relaxed, you can talk to people you love before the interview, go for a walk, listen to music you love, or do anything that can relax you.

6. Arrive on time: If you are not on time, your first impression is negative. Therefore, ensure you are not late and available well in advance for the interview. It does not mean you arrive an hour in advance. Arriving 10 to 15 minutes in advance is a perfect time to be at the interview place.

Ending Note

It takes effort to conduct successful interviews. They bring attention to detail, confidence, and preparation to the encounter. An employment offer is more likely to follow a strong interview.

We hope the above points will help both the interviewers and candidates to make the most interview process.