How to Conduct an Interview

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Your organization’s success hinges on your ability to engage and hire top talent, as the quality of your workforce directly impacts business performance and growth. Competition for skilled talent remains high, making it as important as ever to conduct effective, engaging interviews.

Well-executed interviews not only help you assess candidates’ qualifications but also create a positive experience that reflects well on your company. This article will explore why a positive interview experience matters, and how to conduct an interview that helps you identify and hire the best candidates for your team.

Why mastering interview techniques matters

The impact of hiring decisions extends far beyond filling an open position. Getting it right can accelerate your company’s growth, while poor hiring decisions can have long-lasting negative effects.

Implementing effective interview strategies help you:

Reduce time-to-hire and cost-per-hire

Streamlining your interview process and asking the right questions helps you identify qualified candidates more quickly and reduce the number of interviews needed. This efficiency not only saves valuable time but also decreases recruitment-related expenses such as advertising costs and employee hours dedicated to hiring.

Improve candidate experience and acceptance rates

A well-structured interview process creates a positive impression on candidates, making them more likely to accept offers and recommend your company to others. This enhanced reputation can help you build a strong talent pipeline and reduce the time needed to fill future positions.

Make more informed hiring decisions

Using structured interviews and evaluation scorecards helps eliminate bias and ensures decisions are based on objective criteria rather than gut feelings. This approach leads to more reliable predictions of job performance and better hiring outcomes.

Build stronger, more cohesive teams

Assessing both technical skills and cultural fit can help you select candidates who will work well with existing team members and contribute positively to team dynamics.

Decrease employee turnover

Better hiring decisions often lead to improved job satisfaction and longer employee tenure. When candidates are properly evaluated for both skills and cultural alignment, they’re more likely to succeed in their roles and stay with your team long-term.

Preparing for the interview

The success of any interview largely depends on the preparation that happens before the candidate walks through your door. Taking time to properly prepare ensures you can conduct a focused, effective conversation that yields valuable insights about each candidate. This preparation phase is crucial for creating a consistent evaluation process that can be applied fairly across all candidates.

Build a structured interview before you meet any candidates

Structured interviews guide your hiring team to evaluate each of your candidates on the same criteria. This is helpful to streamline your process and make more consistent hiring decisions.

Meet with your hiring team to align around your ideal candidate profile and how each candidate will be evaluated.

Some best practices for building a structured interview include:

Defining the job requirements: Outline the role’s responsibilities, as well as the necessary skills, qualifications, and traits required for success
Developing interview questions: Create a list of interview questions that can be used to assess candidates for your must-have skills, qualifications, and traits
Designing a scoring rubric: Create a scoring system to objectively evaluate candidate responses to each interview question
Defining roles for each interviewer: Clearly assign specific areas of focus to each interviewer to ensure your team evaluates must-have skills while preventing redundant questions
Creating an interview plan: Combine the job requirements, interview questions, and scoring rubric together in a document that your team members can use to conduct consistent interviews

Prepare your candidates

Helping your candidates prepare for the interview is a great way to put them at ease so they can perform at their best.

Your hiring team can do this by ensuring that each candidate receives a detailed interview confirmation email that includes the:

Job description
Interview date, time, and duration
Interview format and location (i.e. a hiring manager interview via Zoom or an in-person lunch interview)
Materials to bring, prepare, or review
Names and roles of interviewers

Review the interview plan and candidate’s resume

Each interviewer should aside time before each interview to thoroughly review the interview plan and the candidate’s resume. This is a good time to tweak interview questions according to the candidate’s resume.

For example, let’s say you’re evaluating the candidate’s mastery of a software program and see it listed on their resume. Instead of asking if they have experience with that tool, say “I see you used [Software] in your last role. Can you tell me how you used the tool?” Follow-up questions could include, “Did you use [Software] in your day-to-day job, or log in every once in a while?” and “How did [Software] enable you to do [task or project]?”

Crafting effective interview questions

Preparing thoughtful interview questions is one of the most critical elements of interview success. The right questions not only help you gather necessary information but also demonstrate professionalism and respect for the candidate’s time.

Technical interview questions

Technical questions verify specific skills and knowledge required for the role.

These questions should be tailored to the position level and specific requirements of the job. It’s important to go beyond basic qualifications to understand the depth and breadth of a candidate’s expertise.

For example, “Can you describe a project you completed using [Software] and walk me through your approach?”

Assessments may also be used in addition to, or instead of, technical interview questions. This could involve coding exercises for developers, writing samples for content creators, or design challenges for creative roles. Ensure these assessments are reasonable in scope and time requirement.

Behavioral interview questions

Behavioral questions are based on the premise that past behavior is the best predictor of future performance.

Design open-ended questions that reveal how candidates have handled real situations in the past. These questions should align with a specific key competency required for success in the role.

For example, you can ask a leadership candidate to share ways they motivate and engage their team members, or ask them to tell you about a time they had to deliver difficult feedback.

Culture fit interview questions

Understanding how a candidate will integrate with your company culture is crucial for long-term success. However, it’s important to distinguish between culture fit and uniformity—you’re looking for candidates who will enhance your culture while bringing diverse perspectives and experiences.

These questions should focus on work style, values, and collaboration preferences rather than personal characteristics.

For example, assess how detail-oriented a candidate is by asking them to tell you about a time they make a mistake. Find out how they uncovered the mistake, what they did to correct it, and what they learned from the experience.

Interview questions to avoid

Certain topics and questions can expose your organization to legal liability if they could be construed as discriminatory. Understanding what not to ask is just as important as knowing what to ask during interviews.

Topics to stay away from include:

Age or date of birth
Marital status
Religious beliefs
Race or ethnicity
Pregnancy status
Disability status
Sexual orientation

Conducting the interview

The actual interview is where all your preparation comes to life. The way you conduct the interview can significantly impact both the quality of information you gather and the candidate experience.

Set the right tone

The first few minutes of an interview are crucial for creating an environment where candidates can perform their best. Your goal is to put candidates at ease while maintaining professionalism and setting clear expectations for the conversation. Remember that nervous candidates may not show their true capabilities, so creating a comfortable atmosphere is in everyone’s best interest.

Key practices include:

Respect candidates’ time: Start interviews promptly and stick to scheduled durations. If you’re running behind, communicate proactively with candidates waiting for their interviews. This demonstrates that you value their time and maintains a professional atmosphere.
Greet them warmly: Make eye contact, smile, and use the candidate’s name. A genuine, professional welcome helps establish rapport and shows respect for the candidate’s time and effort in coming to the interview.
Introduce yourself: Share your name, title, key responsibilities within the company, and your role in the interview process. You might also include a way for the candidate to contact you in the event they have questions later.
Make small talk: Spend a few minutes on light conversation to help the candidate acclimate to the environment. This might include chatting about shared professional interests or the weather. Keep this brief and professional while avoiding overly personal topics.
Explain the interview format: Outline how the interview will proceed, including its expected duration, the types of questions you’ll ask, and when they’ll have time for their own questions. This structure helps candidates mentally prepare and pace themselves appropriately.
Sell your opportunity: Remember that candidates are evaluating your organization just as much as you’re evaluating them. Share a little about what makes your company and role unique. This might include sharing team traditions, discussing company values in action, or explaining your flexible work options.

Provide a smooth, engaging interview experience

A well-run interview experience helps you thoroughly evaluate candidates—and engage them.

Key elements include:

Stick to your planned structure: Use your prepared interview plan as a guide to ensure you cover all essential topics. While some flexibility is important, having a clear framework helps prevent spending too much time on less relevant areas. Set rough time allocations for each section and keep an eye on pace throughout the interview.
Use interview scorecards: Your candidate evaluation scorecards should be used during interviews to quickly rate candidates on each job requirement and write comments to explain the reason for your rating. Consider explaining at the start that you’ll be taking notes to help remember important points about their experience.
Show genuine interest: Demonstrate authentic curiosity about candidates’ experiences and perspectives. Ask thoughtful follow-up questions that show you’re actively listening and engaged in the conversation. This helps create a more natural dialogue and often reveals valuable insights about candidates.
Allow time for candidate questions: Reserve adequate time at the end of the interview for candidates to ask questions. Provide honest answers and let the candidate know if you don’t know how to answer a given question.
Provide next steps: End each interview with clear information about what candidates can expect next, including timeline and process details. This helps reduce anxiety and maintains engagement throughout the hiring process.

Red flags to watch for

While maintaining an open mind is important, certain behaviors or responses during an interview may indicate potential issues. The key is to distinguish between nervous behavior and genuine red flags that could predict future problems. Document these concerns objectively and discuss them with other interviewers to gain additional perspectives.

Key warning signs include:

Inconsistent responses: When candidates provide conflicting information about their experience or capabilities, it may indicate dishonesty. Pay attention to how details of their stories align across different questions and with their resume.
Lack of specific examples: Candidates who consistently speak in generalities or can’t provide concrete examples of their achievements may be exaggerating their experience.
Evasive answers: When candidates consistently dodge direct questions or provide vague responses, it may indicate they’re hiding something or lack the required experience. Follow up on evasive answers with more specific questions to determine if there’s a legitimate reason for the ambiguity.

Remote interviewing tips

The rise of remote work has made virtual interviews a common part of the hiring process. While many core interviewing principles remain the same, remote interviews require additional consideration for technology, engagement, and assessment methods. Making these interviews as effective as in-person meetings requires careful preparation and adaptation of traditional interviewing techniques.

Technical preparation

Technical issues can significantly disrupt the flow of a remote interview and create stress for both interviewer and candidate. Thorough preparation helps ensure a smooth, professional experience that allows both parties to focus on the conversation rather than troubleshooting technical problems.

Essential preparations include:

Test your technology in advance: Conduct a complete check of your video conferencing platform, camera, microphone, and internet connection at least 15 minutes before each interview. This includes ensuring your software is updated and running properly. Consider doing a brief test call with a colleague if you’re using new equipment or settings.
Have a backup communication plan: Establish and communicate a clear backup plan for technical difficulties. This might include having the candidate’s phone number ready for a backup call, or having an alternative video platform available. Share this plan with candidates in advance to reduce anxiety about potential technical issues.
Ensure good lighting and audio: Set up your interviewing space with appropriate lighting that clearly shows your face without shadows or glare. Use a high-quality microphone or headset to ensure clear audio, and test for any background noise that might be disruptive.
Use a professional background: Create a clean, professional virtual background or ensure your physical background is appropriate and free from distractions. Consider what candidates will see behind you and adjust accordingly. If using a virtual background, test it thoroughly to ensure it works well with your movements.
Close unnecessary applications: Shut down email, messaging, and other applications that might create notifications or consume bandwidth during the interview. This helps prevent distractions and ensures optimal performance of your video conferencing software.

Virtual engagement strategies

Building rapport and maintaining engagement can be more challenging in virtual interviews. Interviewers need to make extra effort to create connections and read candidates’ responses accurately.

Effective strategies include:

Make extra effort to build rapport: Spend additional time on initial conversation to help candidates feel comfortable in the virtual environment. This might include acknowledging the unique aspects of remote interviewing or finding common ground about remote work experiences.
Use clear verbal cues: Provide more explicit verbal acknowledgment of candidates’ responses since traditional non-verbal cues may be less visible. Use phrases like “That’s helpful, thank you” or “I’d like to build on that point” to show active engagement and guide the conversation.
Maintain “eye contact” through the camera: Look directly into your camera when speaking to create the impression of eye contact. While this can feel unnatural, it helps create connection and engagement with candidates. Position your camera at eye level to make this easier.

Making informed hiring decisions

The post-interview evaluation phase is crucial for making objective, well-informed hiring decisions. This stage requires careful analysis of the information gathered during interviews, comparison of candidates against job requirements, and collaboration with other stakeholders in the hiring process. A systematic approach to evaluation helps minimize bias and ensures decisions are based on relevant criteria.

Structured evaluation process

A structured evaluation process provides a framework for consistent, fair assessment of all candidates.

Following these steps can help you make objective hiring decisions:

Complete evaluation forms immediately after each interview: Set aside time immediately following your interview to finish your interview scorecard, including detailed examples to support your evaluations. Documenting your observations and impressions while they’re fresh in your mind helps capture detailed insights you might not remember later.
Compare notes with other interviewers: Hold debrief sessions with other interviewers to share observations and align on candidate assessments. These discussions can help identify patterns and provide a more complete picture of each candidate’s potential.
Make decisions based on objective data: Use your documented evaluations and team discussions to make hiring decisions that align with your predetermined criteria. Avoid letting emotional reactions or personal preferences override objective assessments of candidates’ qualifications.

Common evaluation mistakes to avoid

One-third of candidates have experienced bias in the interview process. Being aware of these biases and evaluation pitfalls is essential for making fair hiring decisions.

Potential biases include:

First impression bias: Allowing initial reactions to disproportionately influence overall evaluation. Combat this by focusing on specific qualifications and examples throughout the entire interview, not just the opening minutes.
Similarity bias: Favoring candidates who share your background, experiences, or personalities. Actively seek to evaluate candidates based on job-relevant criteria rather than personal affinity.
Stereotyping: Making assumptions based on demographic characteristics or background. Focus on concrete evidence of capabilities and potential rather than preconceptions.

Making decisions

The decision-making process should combine all available information while focusing on factors most predictive of success in the role. This crucial step requires balancing multiple considerations to identify the candidate most likely to succeed and contribute positively to your organization.

Consider these factors:

Skills match: Evaluate how closely the candidate’s demonstrated abilities align with job requirements.
Growth potential: Consider candidates’ capacity and enthusiasm for learning and development.
Cultural fit: Assess how well the candidate’s working style and values align with your organization’s culture.
Team dynamics: Think about how the candidate would complement existing team members’ skills and working styles.

Following up

Candidates are eager to hear back after each interview to learn if they’ll be moving forward in your interview process or receiving a job offer. Make it a point to follow up with every candidate who interviews with your company.

Follow up promptly: After interviews, send timely follow-up communications thanking candidates for their time and outlining next steps. Keep candidates informed about their status in the process, even if there are delays. This demonstrates organization and respect while keeping candidates engaged in the process.
Let candidates know when they’re no longer being considered: Most candidates (83%) want to know as soon as possible when they’re no longer being considered for a job. A thoughtful interview rejection letter can keep them informed and provides you with an opportunity give and receive feedback
Provide verbal and written offers: Call your top-choice candidates to provide a verbal offer of employment, discuss your offer package anticipated start date, and answer any questions. Build engagement by letting them know how excited you are to have them join your team and why you chose them for the role. Follow up with a written job offer letter to reiterate the details and ask candidates when you might hear back on their decision.

Final thoughts on how to conduct an interview

Conducting effective interviews is a critical skill that directly impacts your organization’s success. By implementing the strategies and best practices outlined in this guide, you can create a more efficient, equitable, and successful hiring process that consistently identifies top talent while providing an excellent candidate experience.

As you implement these practices, remember that the most effective interview processes are those that evolve based on organizational needs and stakeholder feedback. Regularly review and refine your approach to ensure it continues meeting your hiring objectives while providing a positive experience for all participants.

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