In our quest to give the best recruitment tips for recruiters, there are a few best practices that every hiring manager, HR professional, and recruiter should keep in mind when conducting interviews. These interview guidelines for interviewers ensure that the interview process is fair, efficient, and effective in finding the right candidate for the job.

1. Understand the Job Requirements:

One of the most important things for a hiring manager to do before an interview is to have a clear understanding of the job requirements. This includes not only the technical skills and experience required, but also soft skills, personality traits, and cultural fit. Having a clear idea of what you are looking for in a candidate will help you ask more relevant questions during the interview and give the applicant a better candidate experience (CX).

2. Prepare Questions in Advance:

Interview questions and answers are a core "qualifying mechanism" for finding a candidate who's a great fit. To ensure consistency and fairness among all candidates, it is important to prepare interview questions in advance. These should be tailored to the specific job requirements and cover a range of topics, including past experiences, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. It is also helpful to have a mix of behavioral and situational questions to get a well-rounded understanding of the candidate.

3. Use Behavioral Interview Techniques:

Behavioral interview techniques are a great way to evaluate how candidates have handled similar situations in the past. The premise behind behavioral interviewing is that past behavior is a good predictor of future behavior. By asking candidates to provide specific examples from their previous experiences, you can better understand their skills and abilities. This also allows you to assess how well they fit with your company's values and culture.

4. Active Listening:

Active listening is an essential skill for any interviewer. It involves paying full attention to what the candidate is saying, asking follow-up questions for clarification, and taking notes. This not only shows the candidate that you are genuinely interested in their responses but also allows you to gather more accurate information about their qualifications and experiences.

5. Be Aware of Bias:

Unconscious bias can influence our perceptions and decisions without us even realizing it. As a hiring manager, it is important to be aware of any biases you may have and actively work to eliminate them during the interview process. This can include using structured interviews with standardized questions and avoiding assumptions based on appearance or personal characteristics.

6. Use Semi-structured interviews and Open-ended interview questions:

Semi-structured interviews involve having a set of predetermined questions, but also allowing for flexibility to ask follow-up questions and explore areas that may arise during the interview. This type of interview allows for a more natural conversation flow and gives candidates the opportunity to expand on their answers. Open-ended questions are also important as they allow candidates to provide more detailed responses and reveal more about themselves- which is what you want if you're making a hiring decision from this dataset.

These are a few interview best practices for hiring managers, but there are many more. If you'd like an interviewing shortcut- a way to streamline the hiring process, consider using Pillar's interview intelligence software. Many of the interviewer's best practices and interview questions you'll need to deliver an excellent CX are built into our AI-powered hiring software. This means you'll save time and money while making great hires!

Interview Guide For Interviewers

In addition to best practices for hiring managers and interviewers, this article was written to provide a basic interview guide for interviewers that you can refer to when needed. While today's article won't be comprehensive, it will serve as an additional resource to the other topics we cover on our blog. So let's dive in.

Here's an interview guide/ template for hiring managers and interviewers:

1. Introduction:

Start by introducing yourself and the company to the candidate. This sets a friendly tone for the interview and helps put the candidate at ease. You can also give a brief overview of what to expect during the interview process.

2. Warm-up Questions:

Ask some simple, non-threatening questions to help break the ice and get the conversation flowing. This could include questions about their background or interests outside of work.

3. Job-specific Questions:

This is where you dive into the specific job requirements and ask more targeted questions related to the candidate's skills and experiences. Make sure to cover all aspects of the job, including technical skills, soft skills, and cultural fit.

4. Behavioral-based Questions:

As mentioned before, behavioral-based questions are a great way to evaluate a candidate's past experiences and how they may handle similar situations in the future. Make sure to have a mix of these types of questions throughout the interview.

5. Situational Questions:

Similar to behavioral-based questions, situational questions ask candidates how they would handle hypothetical situations related to the job. This helps assess their problem-solving abilities and critical thinking skills.

6. Candidate Questions:

Leave time at the end of the interview for the candidate to ask any questions they may have about the company or role. This also shows their level of interest and engagement in the position.

7. Next steps:

Before ending the interview, make sure to explain the next steps in the hiring process and thank the candidate for their time. This helps manage expectations and provides closure to the interview.

Remember, this is just a basic guide and should be tailored to fit your specific hiring needs. We've found that the interview structure listed above leads to the most productive and informative interviews. So next time you're preparing for an interview, refer back to this guide to help ensure a successful and efficient process.

Interview Questions For Hiring Managers

Since the last section primarily focused on an interview guide/ template for hiring managers, let's use this section to give you a list of interview questions for hiring managers- these things can be added to pieces of training, PowerPoint, and other interview content you may be creating. Keep in mind that these questions are just suggestions and should be tailored to the specific job and company culture.

Interview training for hiring managers- questions to ask:

1. Can you tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult coworker? How did you handle the situation and what was the outcome?

2. How do you typically handle conflicts or disagreements within a team? Do have a process or framework that you like to use?

3. Can you give an example of a time when you had to prioritize challenges within a team? How did you approach it?

4. What are your thoughts on work-life balance? How do you maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life?

5. Have you ever had to manage a team member who was consistently underperforming? How did you address the issue?

6. What strategies do you use to motivate your team and keep them engaged in their work?

7. How do you handle the challenges of remote work, hybrid work, and teams that may have differing work conditions?

These are all questions that can help you assess a candidate's skills, experiences, and overall fit for the job. Use them as a starting point and add your own unique questions to create a well-rounded interview experience and they can be included in your interview training for hiring manager PPTs. Remember, hiring is not just about finding the most qualified candidate, but also finding someone who will be a great addition to your team and contribute positively to your company culture.

Interview Best Practices For Employers

So we've talked about how to conduct an interview, added interview best practices, and even interview questions for hiring managers, but what about the best practices for employers? As an employer, it's important to not only focus on finding the right candidate but also create a positive and inclusive interview experience for all candidates. Here are some best practices for hiring managers and employers to keep in mind:

1. Create a welcoming environment: Make sure your interview space is clean, comfortable, and accommodating for all individuals.

2. Be mindful of unconscious biases: Be aware of any potential biases that may affect your perception of a candidate and try to eliminate them from the interview process.

3. Keep the interview focused on job-related criteria: Avoid asking personal questions or making assumptions based on personal characteristics.

4. Provide clear communication throughout the process: Keep candidates informed about their status in the hiring process and provide feedback when needed.

5. Promote diversity and inclusion: Make an effort to have a diverse pool of candidates and create inclusive hiring practices.

6. Conduct fair and consistent interviews: Use the same interview structure and questions for all candidates to ensure fairness in the process.

By following these best practices, you not only create a positive experience for candidates but also promote a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

If you'd like to see more resources on hiring managers, check out Pillar CEO, Mark Simpson's recent piece, "Evaluating Hiring Managers: Can They Deliver Top Talent?" or book a demo to see how Pillar's interview intelligence software can help you make better hires!