How to Conduct an Interview as an Interviewer
While playing the part of the interviewer should leave you less nervous than the interviewee, you may still feel a few butterflies and lack sureness, especially if you're conducting your first interview. Fortunately, you can make those butterflies flutter away if you come to the interview equipped with knowledge pertaining to proper interview conduct and questions. As the interviewer, you have to gauge potential employees; you must ask difficult questions that give insight into each candidate.
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Instructions
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Shake the interviewee's hand and start off the interview by asking a few basic questions that don't relate to the position you're recruiting for. Ask the interviewee if he had any trouble finding the place, his first impression of the office and anything that seems like casual talk. Three or four simple questions will suffice.
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Look over the candidate's resume. Begin asking questions about issues that raise red flags, such as employment gaps, a low grade point average, lower degree than required for the position and multiple jobs in a short period of time. Press the candidate to explain himself on these issues. For example, you could say "I see here that you have been unemployed for the past two years. Is there a reason why?"
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Inquire about experiences that the candidate faced at his previous jobs. For example, you could ask the candidate to tell you his most regrettable action, who was the most difficult employee to fire or a hiring mistake he made if he has managerial experience.
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Ask the candidate about the job he's interviewing for. Gauge his knowledge about the position. For example, you could say "Share with me what you know about this open position." If the candidate seems unsure, press him even further by asking him to explain the requirements of the job. If the interviewee has little knowledge about the job he's interviewing for, it's unlikely he's your prime candidate.
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Question the candidate about hypothetical situations. Your goal with these questions is to place the candidate in a scenario where a problem arises and he's the one who must fix it. For example, suppose the candidate is interviewing for a managerial position. You could say "What would you do if a co-worker came to you and said Jane stole money from the register?"
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Ask the candidate questions about his skills and ask him to tell you the reasons why he should get the job. You want him to sell himself and bring out his full arsenal of skills and experiences.
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End the interview by shaking the candidate's hand, thanking him for coming and informing him of when you'll contact him. If you plan to only contact the chosen candidate, say so.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid asking the interviewee questions that violate his privacy. For example, do not ask questions about a candidate's credit score, stance on legal issues or sexual orientation. If the position is for financial services and requires credit history, you will ask for this information when making the job offer to the candidate of your choice at the end of the interview process.
Do not disagree with or point out flaws in a candidate's answer.
Follow all state and federal laws pertaining to the interview and employee selection process. For example, you must adhere to the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission's laws and regulations. It is illegal to discriminate against a candidate based on age, sex, gender, race, religion or creed.
