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Recruitment is the primary mission of a company, so it is essential not to miss out on it.
The job interview is a crucial step in the recruitment process. It allows you to get to know the candidate better through their skills, experiences, and personality.
This is the perfect opportunity to present your company and the expectations related to your job offer, specifically for the position to be filled.
As a manager, how can you effectively conduct a job interview and increase your chances of recruiting the best talents?
In this article, you will discover 5 key steps for a successful job interview.
Before exploring them, it is important to explain what a job interview really is.
1 - What is a job interview?
The job interview, also known as the recruitment interview, is the first step in assessing a candidate. It is a formal meeting between the candidate and the prospective employer.
The objective of this interview is to verify and demonstrate how the candidate's skills align with the needs of the position to be filled.
In this context, certain good practices can increase your chances of making the interview effective. Let's discover them now.
2 - The 5 key steps of a successful job interview
2.1 - Interview preparation
Evaluating and recruiting an excellent candidate is not an easy task.
Our advice: Prepare your job interviews in advance. This will maximize your chances of making them effective and obtaining the best candidates.
During each interview, it is crucial to present your company and the expectations related to the position to be filled. This is a fundamental step for candidates to understand their potential future work environment.
Take the time to define selection criteria and sort through the information on the resumes and cover letters you have in front of you. It is essential to identify the key points to delve into during the interview. This is a good technique to assess a candidate's motivation, skills, and experiences.
If candidates are researching the company, it is also important to familiarize yourself with their profiles in order to judge them better and attract them if their profile interests you.
Prepare a framework in advance that will allow you to discuss and delve into different experiences and situations that align with the position and its responsibilities during the interview.
Based on the selection criteria, to assess the skills and personality of the candidates, we recommend preparing different questions. This can be of great help. Here are some examples:
- How did you hear about our company, and why do you want to work with us?
- What do you think you can bring to our company/brand?
- What would you like to know about our company?
- Can you tell us about a group project you contributed to and your role in that project?
- When you have very little time, how do you manage multiple tasks?
- What is your greatest achievement?
Don't forget to schedule your interview, choose a specific date, time, and location, and inform the candidate. This will help them easily locate the interview venue on the day and reduce their stress.
2.2 - Welcoming the candidate
To increase the effectiveness of your job interview, the second thing to consider is how you welcome your interviewee.
Prioritize ideal reception conditions, making the candidate feel unique and valued. This is a crucial element for positive feedback. Remember, you are choosing a candidate, but they are also choosing you.
Therefore, it is essential to make them feel at ease from the beginning. Greet them in a professional and courteous manner. Thank them for their presence. You can even offer them water and ask if their journey was smooth, which will reduce their stress and allow them to express themselves more effectively.
Also, remember to introduce yourself. The interlocutor should know who the person in front of them is. Give your name and position in the company first and foremost. Professionalism is an asset that everyone looks for, whether it's you or a candidate.
Our advice: To reduce your collaborator's stress, it can be very helpful to provide them with an overview of the interview beforehand. Let them know that you intend to ask them questions, suggest a simple presentation of your company, and don't forget to mention that they can ask you questions to clarify anything they may have missed or not understood from the start.
2.3 - Evaluation of Skills and Experience
Conducting an interview consists of assessing a candidate's potential through questions related to the skills the interviewee may have acquired in their previous experiences.
The exchange should allow the recruiter to determine if the future collaborator is capable of achieving the goals and tasks that the company could offer them. Therefore, it is essential to ask them about their past experiences, a previous project, and the results they have achieved to see if they are the ideal fit.
97% of recruiters pay particular attention to behavioral skills, also known as soft skills. 1 in 2 recruiters consider soft skills as a determining criterion when selecting their candidates. That's why during the interview, it is necessary to focus primarily on this type of skill.
While technical skills can be learned over the years and require regular updates, behavioral skills cannot.
Case studies are a great tool as they allow you to assess your candidates' skills using concrete situations. They are often used in Assessment Centers.
Do you want to make informed hiring decisions? Choose Yuzu.
2.4 - Assessment of Personality and Company Culture
To assess your candidate's abilities, what could be better than observing their behaviors?
For example, when the candidate arrives at your organization, don't hesitate to surprise them by introducing them directly to the team to obtain various information: stress management, teamwork, interpersonal relationships, etc.
Observing their interactions with colleagues and the reception staff will give you an idea of their fit with your company culture.
Regarding your values, ask the candidate questions about their personal interests to determine if they align with your industry and specifically your company.
2.5 - Post-Interview Analysis
At the end of the interview, it is essential to compare the candidates effectively. Don't rely solely on your intuitions. Analyze the candidate's skills, experience, and personality, not just your intuitions. Be cautious of recruitment biases such as the halo effect and the recency effect! These are traps that are easy to fall into.
The halo effect encourages you to recruit based on your initial impression, while the recency effect influences you to hire based on the most recent information you've encountered.
The recruiter must evaluate the answers to assess the candidate's problem-solving ability and decision-making skills.
Our advice: Seek the help of a manager, for example, to guide you on the information you should provide. It may even be preferable to have an employee conduct a second interview to simplify the decision-making process and increase the chances of welcoming a competent person into your team. This approach offers various advantages, which we will discuss below.
Final step! It's time to show intelligence.
You can directly contact the selected candidate or have them undergo a second interview. This will allow you to confirm your opinion and potentially validate the hiring decision.
3 - Original Methods for Conducting a Job Interview
Conducting a job interview is one thing, but opting for the most original method is another.
Here are 3 original methods to meet the best candidates! The choice is yours.
3.1 - Interview Conducted by an Employee
It is uncommon for candidates to conduct a job interview. That's why it can be interesting for you to opt for this type of interview during a second meeting. It would allow you to stand out from other companies.
Our advice: Provide your employee with an interview guide to ensure the process is effective. This method values your employees by giving them importance within your organization. Additionally, it reassures the candidate regarding their future integration.
3.2 - Interview Conducted in a Café
Choosing a formal setting can increase the stress of your interviewee. It would be a shame to miss out on the ideal candidate due to this natural reaction. That's why meeting in a less formal location is a great solution. It can help the candidate feel more confident and at ease.
This innovative experience allows the recruiter to differentiate themselves from other managers. Through this face-to-face interview, they can also draw conclusions about the candidate's behavior. Are they still suitable for a professional environment?
3.3 - Gamified Interview
The issue of distance can be overcome through a unique interview in an interactive virtual space. It is possible to use 2D avatars that can move and interact with other participants. This is an original way to engage your candidate and make a selection.
At the same time, it allows for the evaluation of additional soft skills such as methodology, curiosity, or even leadership...
The advantage for the recruiter is to see the candidate in the most natural way possible and observe how they interact spontaneously with their team.
This approach could present a different image of your company. Candidates forget the evaluative aspect while being observed, presenting an opportunity to seize.
Key takeaways
To conduct an interview efficiently, it is imperative to prepare in advance, carefully analyze the CV and cover letter. This will enable you to establish a list of relevant questions.
Give importance to the candidate by demonstrating your interest in their application. Take advantage of this exchange to provide a precise presentation of your organization and the assigned tasks.
While the interview is one of the stages of the recruitment process, it is also one of the 7 tips for successful hiring.