Successfully interviewing applicants

At a time when competition for qualified employees is becoming increasingly intense, it is crucial to conduct good job interviews. A successful interview is not only important to identify potential candidates for a position, but also to ensure a positive candidate journey. In this blog post, we share some tips and recommendations on how to conduct effective job interviews.

Structuring the interview

A job interview should be well structured to ensure an efficient and informative interaction. Start with a warm welcome and a brief introduction of the company. Then give an overview of the interview process. The structure can be divided into four phases:

• Introduction: Getting to know each other personally.

• Main part: Expertise and experience of the applicant.

• Questions from the applicant: Space for the candidate's own concerns.

• Conclusion: Outlook for the next steps and farewell.

The duration of the interview typically varies between 30 and 60 minutes and should provide enough time to allow a thorough assessment of the candidate without overstretching them. Plan in advance how much time is allocated to each topic to ensure all relevant areas are covered. A well-timed flow will help to increase the efficiency of the interview and provide clear direction for both the candidate and you.

Questions for an effective interview

Use open-ended questions to get detailed answers from applicants and learn more about their experience and skills. Be careful not to ask questions that violate legal requirements, such as questions about age, marital status or religious beliefs. Focus on questions that assess the applicant's suitability for the job. Questions about motivation, working methods and previous positions are particularly revealing here. Examples of such questions are:

Motivation

• How did you come to specialise in your current field? What interests you most about it?

• How do you see this subject developing over the next 5 to 10 years?

• Imagine you had 3 million euros at your disposal. What would you do with it?

Previous position

• What were your main tasks in your last job?

• Tell us about a project or task that you did particularly well. What are you proud of?

• What did you like most about your last job and what will you not miss?

Working style

• What does an ideal working day look like for you?

• Do you prefer to work alone or in a team?

• How do you deal with unexpected problems or challenges in your day-to-day work?

Furthermore, questions about the new job can be informative in order to understand how well an applicant fits into the company and the specific position. They help to match the applicant's expectations and ideas with the requirements and corporate culture. They can also help to ensure a successful and smooth working relationship later on. Examples include:

• What interested you most about this job advert?

• What do you hope to gain from joining our company?

• What expectations do you have of your manager and what support would you like to receive?

Dos and Don'ts in a job interview

It is important to maintain professional behaviour and always make sure to ask neutral questions. Avoid personal opinions or judgements during the interview. A welcoming, professional interview atmosphere is crucial for a positive candidate journey and prevents possible discrimination.

Do: Ask professional and neutral questions, conduct the interview respectfully. Listen actively, ask specific questions and show interest in the candidate's answers.

Don’t: Express personal opinions, ask legally problematic questions, such as questions about age, marital status or religious beliefs. Don't interrupt the applicant, don't be biased and avoid dominating the interview.

Using technology to optimise the interview process

Candidate management software can significantly simplify the entire interview process and make it more efficient. From scheduling appointments to documenting interview results and communicating with applicants, the software helps to ensure a smooth and professional candidate journey. Tools for appointment scheduling, assessment integration and communication are particularly helpful in simplifying and improving the process.  

INJOBS supports you, for example, in the evaluation of applicants through the Rating Pro assessment system, which offers customisable scales and rating sheets and automatically calculates scores for each application. Additional relevant information can be recorded and shared via the notes function, allowing applications to be quickly classified and compared. INJOBS also allows external assessors to be consulted in order to incorporate different perspectives and minimise bias in assessments. The statistical analysis of application data by the system helps to identify trends and patterns and to continuously improve the selection process. Automated response emails based on customisable templates provide applicants with timely feedback and improve the candidate experience, while your company leaves a professional impression in the application process.

Conclusion

Well-managed interviews are essential for finding the best candidates for a job and ensuring a positive candidate journey. With a structured approach, the use of appropriate questioning techniques and the support of applicant management software, you can ensure that interviews are effective, fair and enjoyable for all involved. Sign up for an INJOBS demo for more information.