How to Conduct a Successful Interview

Interviews are a chance for candidates to toot their own horn, impress hiring managers and demonstrate why they are the best one for the job. It’s easy to forget though that this is also a time for hiring managers to sell the job and the company. The next time you find yourself hammering an interviewee with difficult questions, keep in mind they’re not the only one who’s trying to make an impression. Here are a few tips to make sure you’re prepared to conduct a good interview.

Before

Set a time for an interview that is convenient to both you and the job seeker and schedule enough time for the interview. No one wants to feel rushed. Go over the applicant’s resume and write down any specific questions you want to ask, and just before you start, go over the CV again.

During

Be on time. Don’t keep the applicant waiting. Just as no one wants to feel rushed, no one wants to feel overlooked or unimportant. Greet the person by name and give your name and title. Give the interviewee a quick description of the company, and be honest, the right candidate has already researched it. Tell them what the job entails now and prospects for the future. When you start the actual interview, lightly touch on their education and work history. You know these things from their resume, no point in wasting too much time going over them. Ask the questions you have written down then carefully listen to the answers. Ask if they have any questions and again give honest answers.

If the candidate doesn’t feel like the right person for the job, politely end the interview and tell them you’ll be in touch. If you feel the candidate is a good fit, it’s time to sell the company to them. List the job benefits and any perks that come with the job. Maybe take them on a tour or have someone who will be their co-worker (not their boss) show them around.

After

Always follow an interview with a phone call to thank the person for taking the time for the interview. While an email might do, it is too impersonal in this case. If you don’t plan to hire the person, be polite. Let them know that while they might not be a good fit for this position, you will keep them in mind if another position more suited to their skills opens up. If you do plan to hire the candidate, this is the time to set up a follow-up interview to discuss start date and wages.

About NextGen

NextGen is the brainchild of longtime telecom professionals with nearly 50 years of experience and millions of dollars in Telecom Recruiting Services. We focus on establishing long term relationships with our clients and candidates so we can recruit the best and the brightest in the telecom industry. This ‘quality over quantity’ approach is at the heart of everything we do and has resulted in successful job placements at Fortune 1000 firms worldwide.

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