Interview Tips for Managers New to the Hiring Process

“Sometimes, interviewers are more stressed out than interviewees, especially when they’re unprepared. These tips will get you ready and help you represent your company in the best way possible while finding the best candidates possible. It’s what we do!”

Every manager wants to bring in a capable array of team players that are willing to perform, and conducting successful interviews not only gives you a first impression of potential coworkers, but also allows them to assess you and your company as well. Eliminating any discomfort and confusion is an integral part of the process, and coming prepared is one of the easiest ways to execute an interview in a professional manner. Here are some tips for managers first starting out with their employee searches:

Ask their opinion on your personal policies
This is an effective method of achieving transparency with a prospective employee — as a manager, you want to make sure your employees’ personalities will align with your company standards, beyond simply being a ‘good fit’ for the team. If the organization has a mission statement, ask the candidate how their work strategy will fit with its key components. Their responses can reveal any research they’ve done prior to the interview, as well as the training or experience they may have received.

Take notes
This is an extremely important action to take, especially when interviewing with several candidates. Jot down what makes each candidate unique as an individual to facilitate your recollection of everyone you speak to. Also note important points they bring up, positive and negative reflections, red flags, and questions they ask about the position.

Ask a variety of questions
In other words, ask questions that require different answers. Create hypothetical scenarios that the candidate has to confront in order to test their problem-solving skills and grace when faced with conflict. Open-ended questions are also effective for thoughtful responses, and any question that requires a “yes” or “no” for an answer should be followed up with a “why?”. Every question is an opportunity to reveal someone’s personality traits, so get creative and take several opportunities to acquire the information you need.

Be prepared to answer questions yourself
A proactive candidate will come prepared with questions for you to answer as well! Often, their interests will relate to the company’s future, what their plans are to increase overall progress, and salary. Have this information ready before the interview, and pay attention to the tact with which they ask these questions. If their main interest is their own income, be wary; their priorities might not be suited to your best interests.

Bonus tip: If possible, bring another employee to the interview with you. Not only will this provide another basis of opinion on the candidate, but an interview partner can also ask questions and notice details that you might miss.
Good luck with your next interviews!