The interview is one of the most important parts of the hiring procedure that employers should never skip or overlook. It is during the interview where the employer gets to meet an applicant face to face, and gets to know more about him or her. 

It is true that talking to people is not that difficult but interviewing applicants to see which ones are fit to work for your company is a different story altogether. Fortunately, this guide provides useful tips that will assist you throughout the process of interviewing applicants for your company.

Set a place and time for the interview. Schedule it in a time when you are not that busy because if there are too many distractions, it will be more difficult to interview an applicant. Aside from that, you have to develop a list of questions to ask the applicants. It is a good idea to ask the same questions to all your applicants who made it to the interview level so that you will be able to compare them more effectively.

Conduct an employee background check on your applicants prior to setting them up for interview so that you do not waste time interviewing people who are not cut for your company. With the rampant cases of resume lies, it is does not make sense anymore to rely entirely on an applicant’s resume. Be sure to hire the services of employment screening experts when conducting this kind of background check to get updated and accurate results.

Moreover, this will help you get to know more about the applicant because you can ask them to clarify or verify the information stated in the background check. You can also use the information gathered from the background check if an employee will be honest about his or her background.

Introduce the Interview

Break the ice by introducing yourself, stating your position and shaking the hand of the applicant. Be sure to tell the interviewee what your company’s objectives are and how long the interview is going to last.

Ask the Right Questions

Know more about an applicant by asking open-ended questions that will enable the applicant to talk more about himself or herself, rather than only answer in the form of yes or no. It is also good to give out follow-up questions, such as “how did you handle that kind of situation?” or “why did you make that decision?”

It is better to avoid double-headed questions where you ask two questions at the same time. More often than not, applicants tend to forget about the other question. Hypothetical or What-if questions are also great to ask during the interview but do not have too much of this, because chances are a person may handle a situation differently in real life.

Knowing what not to ask is just as important. Questions related to age, marital status, gender, race, family and religion should not be asked during the interview to avoid discrimination lawsuits. Stick to questions that are relevant to the work or position being applied for such as work experience, skills, training and knowledge of the applicant.

Establish Rapport

If you are able to establish rapport with the applicants, they will be able to reveal more information about themselves. It is therefore important for the interviewer should strive to make the applicants feel comfortable.

Listen Carefully

During the interview, the interviewer should let the applicant do more of the talking. Be sure to listen very carefully so you will be able to detect any inconsistencies if there are any. Do not forget to take notes. After you have interviewed so many people, it will be difficult to remember all of them. Taking notes will enable you to compare applicants more effectively.

Aside from listening to the applicant’s words, you must also look at his or her nonverbal cues. Does the applicant appear confident and positive? Does the applicant slouch, yawn, or give out a not so firm handshake? How about his or her appearance? Did the applicant dressed up properly for the interview? Or are his or her clothes wrinkled and not so neat? More often than not, the actions reveal more about the applicant than his or her words. 

After you have asked all your questions, be sure to give the applicant a time to ask you questions about the work and the company. Take note of the kind of questions asked. Intelligent questions should gain additional points for the applicant. End the interview with a handshake and a thank you, and do not forget to tell the applicant when the decision will be made.