Interviewing Tips for Managers

One of the toughest jobs of any manager is hiring the "right people." Recruiting and selecting good employees helps to stimulate productivity, channel resources and build dynamic work teams.

Yet, many managers are uncomfortable with their interviewing skills. One of the most common mistakes they make is to talk too much and listen too little. They ask standard questions that only get surface information - and in fact - may be illegal. They rarely develop questions in advance. By being unprepared, they spend too much time describing the job in the early stages of the interview.

These and other errors contribute to poor decisions and frustrating experiences for the interviewer, the applicant and the organization. But by following some simple suggestions, you can increase your chances of making good hiring decisions.

Prepare for the Interview

Identify important criteria that a candidate must possess. Examine the job tasks to determine the skills needed to succeed in the job.

Prepare "first level probes," or lead-off questions to obtain needed information. Don't use overworked questions such as "What are your three greatest strengths and weaknesses?"

Finally, review the resume and application. Add to your list specific questions for each candidate based on the information on these documents.

Conduct the Interview

Build rapport with the candidate at the beginning of the interview. Putting candidates at ease will increase their comfort in opening up and sharing information with you. Following a few minutes of conversation, move into business by setting an agenda and telling the candidate that you're going to:

1) Ask questions about his/her education, work experience, etc.
2) Describe the job and what you expect
3) Give him/her a chance to ask questions

Keep your questions legal and job relevant. Don't ask questions about race, color, sex or religion. These are not job relevant.

Make sure you listen to the candidate's response instead of thinking about your next question.

Close and Follow Up

After the candidate has asked questions, thank the person for coming, explain the next steps and conclude the interview.

Remember, job interviews are among life's most stressful events. Follow these suggestions and you can make the interview a positive experience for the candidate, yourself and your company.

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