How to Conduct a Job Interview

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A job interview is of much importance. It is normally done by the HR department to judge a candidate’s ability. It is very important to have a competent interviewer doing the job so that everything goes smoothly and the perfect candidate is chosen.

To help you conduct a good job interview, given below are a few important points to remember.

Make the Interviewee Comfortable

Things to Do: It is important to make the interviewee comfortable by taking care of small things, such as the environment. Many experts believe that asking the interviewer for a glass of water and such general things right at the start of an interview helps boost his or her morale.

Things Not to Do: It is important to be nice; however, make sure you do not come across ‘too friendly’ as it may put off some interviewees.

Prepare in Advance

Things to Do: It is very important for every interviewer to prepare in advance. The key points include going through the client’s profile and knowing the purpose of the interview.

Things Not to Do: It is important for an interviewer not to prepare the whole conversation, i.e.: “he will say that and then I will say that and then this will happen”. It is better for interviews to flow smoothly.

Ask Questions

Things to Do: It is very important to ask questions to know about the interviewee’s knowledge and background. Most experts suggest interviewers to have a standardized questions pattern so that all the candidates can be judged in the same light.

Things Not to Do: It is important to avoid irrelevant questions as they do not only result in time wastage, but they may also make the interviewee uncomfortable.

Have a Conversation

Things to Do: Best practices include having a small conversation with the interviewee, not only to make him or her comfortable, but also to know more about his or her background and personality.

Things Not to Do: It is important to keep the general conversation short and controversy free. Always try to stay away from topics such as politics and religion (until necessary) as they may lead to confrontation and other issues. Also, do not make any false commitments regarding anything during the interview.

Notice Everything

Things to Do: Many experts believe that what we say does not matter as much as how we say it. Tone and body language actually tell a lot about our behavior and how we are. It is very important for the interviewer to pay attention to these clues that are often sent unintentionally by the interviewee.

Things Not to Do: It is important that the interviewer does not lose the main goal while concentrating on body language and other such things. An interviewer must be able to multitask and concentrate on every point.

Take Notes

Things to Do: It is important to take notes of all the things. Best practices include have a standardized chart (such as marking bad to exceptional) on skills. It is done because the interviewer might not be able to recall back the whole thing at a later date. The notes will help in reference.

Things Not to Do: It is important that the interviewer does not get too lost in taking notes and pays attention to the interviewee.

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