Leading an interview isn’t so hard if you’re well prepared. It’s your interviewee’s show, you just set it up, and observe. Try to gauge what your coworkers would think, and go beyond the resume to really understand the person. Really, most of the job is simply getting out of the way.

1. Think Fit.

Having the right skill set is important for your candidate, and having someone with experience is invaluable when things move quickly and you need someone ready on day 1. But don’t forget fit. Can you see this person enjoying the position and sticking around? Can you see others working well this person?

2. Be consistent with your questions across candidates.

Questions can lead in all sorts of directions, but keep a baseline for everyone. This way you can better compare them.

3. Practice.

It’s amazing how much a little practice improves your game.

4. Don’t talk too much.

Don’t fill in the awkward silences. Let the interviewee step up and audition for the spot; it’s on them to present their value and create a compelling case. It’s human nature to want to talk and help them along, but it’s better to keep this impulse in check.

5. No Trick Questions.

Be as honest as you can, avoid tricks. You need to focus on what sort of value this person is going to bring and whether or not he or she is a good fit. You can ask about industry trends or their hobbies, but trick questions are annoying.

6. Know what you can legally ask.

You can’t ask someone questions about their age, marital status, religion, ancestry, whether or not they’re planning on having children or how many children they have. Learn more here.

7. Pre-screen candidates by phone.

This will save a lot of time and headache and you avoid meeting face to face with a complete stranger.

8. Get Help from a Recruiter.

Recruiters help not only with talent but manage all the aspects of the process.

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.