Interview Tips for the Employer

The hiring process can be a difficult road to navigate when you aren’t sure what to look for in an applicant. Having the perfect arsenal of questions up your sleeve can both boost your confidence as an interviewer and help you get to know a potential new hire. 

Describing the Position

Coming into an interview, the most significant questions on the interviewee’s mind revolve around job functions, company culture and benefits. It is vital to answer these questions before making an offer. Give your potential hire peace of mind by letting them know exactly what they may be coming into. Try adding some of these items to your interview docket:

1. Expand on role responsibilities beyond what’s listed in the job posting.
2. List any benefits, salary and company guidelines they would need to know about once hired.
   • Discuss company culture by sharing company events and get-togethers, any office perks and your personal experience at the organization
3. Bring up your employee growth structure, if applicable. Having an achievable goal for growing beyond their starting role can spark interest.

Conducting the Interview

When thinking about conducting an interview, one of the most important factors is preparing your question lineup. Kris Howard, subscriber services manager at Liftoff and hiring expert, shares advice for leadership:

“Regardless of the position of industry, the first step is to identify your needs. What job functions will they perform? What kind of personality works best with your company’s culture?” 

Getting to the root of your business needs can save energy and gauge potential hiring value. Consider these questions to use in your next hiring venture:

Understanding Their Personality

Form your initial questions to determine the interviewee’s personality. Relationships are the glue that holds your company together, and having strong bonds amongst your team promotes a happy, healthy work environment.

Getting to Know the Interviewee

1. Where are you from?
2. What do you like to do in your spare time?
3. What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
4. Do you have a personal hero?
5. Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Understanding Their Work Persona

1. What experience do you have in this field, and what do you enjoy about it?
2. What did you like and dislike about your most recent position?
3. What do you look for in management and coworkers?
4. What is something you appreciate in a work environment?
5. How do you prefer to communicate with others?

The more questions you ask, the better information you’ll have about the potential hire in front of you. Weave more personal questions throughout the interview in order to keep the mood fun and engaging — these can be a green flag to an interviewee, signaling your interest in getting to know your staff and cultivating a welcoming work environment. However, be sure to keep things related to the position — the primary goal is to gain the information you need to find the right fit for the role. 

Be Analytical

Make sure to ask problem-solving questions to get a feel for how the interviewee may contribute to your team. To understand their capabilities, ask targeted questions related to the position. 

1. Describe a situation where you had to find an out-of-the-box solution.
   • For the interviewer: Provide a relevant example situation and ask the interviewee how they would personally go about finding a solution.
2. Tell me about a time when you were proactive about an issue and how that affected its solution.
3. How would you sort priorities when it comes to your position?
4. Do you have experience training others? If not, would you feel comfortable doing so.
   • If relevant: What about training clients on our product?
5. What programs do you have experience with?
   • For the interviewer: Bring up programs or tools your business uses. Ask for their perspective on what they think works well, or doesn’t.
6. How do you like trying new things? 
7. How would you deal with a situation where you couldn’t find a solution?
8. Do you have customer service experience? 
   • For the interviewer: Provide a relevant example situation and ask how they would personally go about finding a solution.

Howard also adds on the topic:
 
“If you know that your candidate needs to be analytical, asking thoughtful (not tricky) questions designed to give you insight will be necessary. The goal is to understand how quickly they process your question, how out-of-the-box their response is, whether their answer shows critical thinking skills, etc.

Asking questions based on real scenarios they may encounter is beneficial to you and them. For any non-general questions you ask, you should have an ‘acceptable response’ in your head. By that, I mean, you need to have an idea of what qualifies as a good reply before you just ask the question.”

Interview Conduct

Interviewing can be nerve-wracking, so ensure you’re in a comfortable, relaxed mindset to ensure both you and the interviewee come out of the situation with the information you need. Try some breathing exercises beforehand if you’re the type to get anxious in one-on-one settings, or have a drink sitting nearby as a casual way to break long eye contact or refresh if needed.

One of the most important aspects of a conversation is body language. Make eye contact and sit up straight while speaking to your interviewee to let them know you are paying attention and care about what they have to say. Keep your arms uncrossed and above the table — this body language portrays comfort and confidence. 

Finally, allow time for the interviewee to lead the conversation. The personal questions shared above can be a helpful way to get them to speak freely and comfortably. This tactic enables you to see how your potential hire might converse with clients and coworkers, and how comfortable they may be in a leadership role.

Am I Ready to Interview?

Interview questions may seem like the most important part, but it’s also good to bring a positive attitude and confident conversational plans into the mix. The three pillars are integral to properly gauge the interviewee. 

If possible, have one or more people from your team interview candidates as well. A screening process that provides multiple perspectives can make the difference between hiring an adequate employee and selecting a great candidate. 

The hiring process can be a heavy lift, but putting thought and effort into how you conduct your interviews can make or break your business’s productivity. Take these tips into mind when walking into an interview for the best results in hiring.

By Alyssa Alford, with contributions from Kris Howard