How to properly conduct a job interview as a recruiter?

You have just launched your business and you are thinking about recruiting employees. After posting your job advertisement, you received many applications. All that remains is to move on to the most important step in the recruitment process. This is the job interview that will allow you to find the ideal people to expand your teams. However, although this procedure seems simple, it is not always easy, especially for a novice recruiter. Discover the steps to follow to properly conduct a job interview.

Preparing for the job interview

To properly conduct a job interview as a recruiter, it is imperative that you prepare. This step of the recruitment procedure allows you to prepare the necessary tools for the smooth running of the session. Similarly, you can list in advance the questions you want to ask the candidate so as not to forget some.

Inform the candidate of the interview

Once you have selected the candidate you want to interview, you need to inform them. The latter must receive the information 4 to 7 days before the day of the meeting. This allows them to prepare and gives a positive image of your company. To invite your future new recruit, you can reach them by email or phone according to the contact details given in the cover letter or when submitting the application.

Foresee the necessary tools

To do a job interview, you will need a number of elements. The choice of the latter is made according to the challenges of recruitment in the company you want to address and the job market. Among the tools necessary to properly conduct a job interview, we can mention:

• the curriculum vitae (CV) of the candidate you will receive,
• the documents related to your company that you will present to the candidate,
• an interview guide that contains the plan to follow to properly conduct a job interview,
• an evaluation grid including a rating scale and the expected criteria for the position.

This last tool helps you to assess the application without a hitch. Similarly, you must re-read the advertised job offer in order to have in mind all the information relating to the position to be filled. Thus, you will have more ease to present the job and answer the questions of your interlocutor.

In addition, it is necessary to carry out the analysis of the application when preparing for the job interview. To do this, it will be necessary to dissect the cover letter as well as the candidate’s CV and note the topics to be addressed, the questions to ask, your concerns, etc. For convenience, you can digitize the process. This will save you time and money. Find more information about this solution by consulting this text: the digitalization of recruitment: everything you need to know.

If you already have employees, you can collect their opinions via a trusted platform of employee reviews to make powerful arguments. Employee reviews allow companies to let their workers express themselves to gather the necessary information to improve their experience. The company can also use this feedback to show a positive image in order to reassure candidates.

Identify questions

A job interview is mainly based on the questions you will ask the candidate as a recruiter. So, during the preparation phase, you will take the time to make a list of relevant questions for a job interview. The goal is to discover and know your future new recruit, to evaluate their knowledge, their adequacy and their intentions. Your questions should therefore relate to:

• skills,
• motivation,
• professional experience,
• soft skills,
• studies,
• professional training,
• personality, etc.

You can also talk about improvement axis job interview with your interlocutor. Note, however, that Article L 1221-6 of the Labor Code prohibits any recruiter in a job interview from asking certain questions to their candidates. For example, personal and subjective subjects such as family status, religious beliefs, sexual orientation and cultural background are prohibited. Conducting a job interview requires scrupulous compliance with these regulations.

Find a place for the job interview

There are several types of job interviews : by phone, in front of a jury, videoconference on Skype, Google Meet or Zoom. Therefore, depending on the form of interview chosen, certain steps will have to be added to those mentioned above.

For example, choosing and booking the meeting place are among the essential steps to properly conduct a face-to-face job interview. You must ensure that the chosen space is pleasant, healthy, quiet and away from prying eyes. You can choose your workplace. This will allow your future employee to discover the space in which they will work if they pass the interview. Failing that, pick a small room; a large room can intimidate the candidate. On the other hand, to conduct a remote job interview, you will not need to book a room.

Seek professional advice

To properly conduct a job interview, you can use the services of a recruitment firm like Robert Walters. The advice of the latter will be very useful to you, especially if it is your first job interview or recruitment as a recruiter.

Depending on your needs, the job interview company will accompany you in the development of the questions. With professional recruiters, you will learn how to interview a candidate for a corporate position. You will also do simulations that will help you better prepare yourself to conduct a job interview.

Properly conduct the job interview session

Once you’ve finished the preparation stage, let’s now find out how to conduct a job interview. As we said above, there are several types of job interviews. We will focus here on the face-to-face, one-on-one meeting.

Welcome the candidate

The day has arrived and it’s time to receive your candidate for the interview. To preserve your company’s brand image, everything must be ready before they arrive. You have to be on time. This rule applies to both the candidate and the employer (recruiter) in a recruitment interview or job interview.

The welcome must be pleasant and warm as you would have liked if you were in the candidate’s shoes. The latter will feel comfortable and the interview will go well. You must then greet your guest with a big smile and introduce yourself. You can then offer them a cold or hot drink according to their preference. Of course, all this is not an obligation. These are tips to create a good atmosphere for the meeting.

Introduce yourself

Once your guest is well settled, remind them of the reason for their presence and explain how the session will take place. Do not forget to specify the duration of the meeting. Then, you must disclose your identity if you had not done so and present the company in an advantageous way. The idea here is to enhance the brand image of the structure through various arguments. Employee reviews can therefore be useful.

After that, you talk about the position to be filled, explaining the reasons for recruitment and the tasks that the new recruit will have to perform. In addition, the conditions under which the work will be done must be described. Above all, avoid being overly formal or automaton.

Discover the candidate

It’s time to let the candidate sell themselves to convince you that they are the right person for you. At this stage, it is crucial that you pay attention to understand each sentence of your interlocutor. Attentive listening is an essential condition for conducting a job interview. Moreover, it is one of the qualities of a good recruiter.

During this phase, you must conduct a CV survey to verify the accuracy of each of the data that appears on the CV. Ask the candidate to make a brief introduction of thrmself. Thanks to your evaluation grid, you will evaluate their soft skills, professional experience , training, motivations and ambitions.

This information allows you to ensure that the candidate will be able to perform the functions you entrust to them. To conduct a job interview well, you must not only listen, but also note the points on which you want to have more explanation. This step can be taken before the previous one. It is up to you to decide the order to follow.

Involve colleagues in the recruitment process

If you have other HR managers in the company, you can involve them in the recruitment process to conduct a job interview well. Thus, you will distribute the tasks according to the number of interviews. Don’t forget to provide a copy of the CV to each of them.

Give the candidate a chance to express themselves

The interrogation phase is a very important step to properly conduct a job interview. Once the candidate has finished introducing themself, you can use your previously developed list of questions. Start with the least difficult questions and end with the most complex ones. This phase allows you to better know the candidate, their background and their intentions.

After your questions, ask your interlocutor if they have any remarks, questions or comments. This gives them the opportunity to express themself, add information or express their concerns.

Conclude the interview

Closing the interview is like recapitulating the exchange. You must also tell the candidate when, how and by whom they will have the information relating to the progress of their application. Explain what happens next. Now it’s time for you to part ways with your guest. Thank them for their presence and say goodbye.

Take stock of the interview

This is the last step to properly conduct a job interview. Once the meeting is over, you need to take stock. You have certainly received several candidates for an interview for the same position. This is the time to reread your notes and make a comparison between the different answers collected.

After the analyses, you contact the candidate whose profile suits you best to congratulate them and give them information on the recruitment process. In case you find several good profiles, the ideal is to offer them a second job interview in order to decide which candidate is best suitable. You must also take the time to contact each of the rejected candidates to explain the reasons for refusing their application. This will help them during their job search.