We have all been interviewed at one point or another throughout our lives. We can probably remember a couple of questions we were asked, but our nerves probably swallowed up the memory of a lot of the questions we responded to.

Here is a general guide about interviewing candidates to make sure you find the right one for your small business.

General Etiquette

Generally, interviews should last about 45 minutes, plus a little extra time may be needed for specific tests.

The atmosphere in the interview room should be relaxed to keep your candidates as calm as possible and so they can therefore show themselves to you in the best light. Though, the interview should have some structural base to it to make sure all the topics are covered in the limited timeframe.

Most people will start the interview with a description of the business and its values to give candidates time to listen, learn, and relax in your presence.

Generally Asked Questions and Their Uses

When you start questioning the candidate, you should start off with open questions ie, questions that require more than just a yes or no answer.

Eg “What did you think of your previous job and why did you decide to leave?”

This will help indicate the applicants suitability and their motivations for applying.

“What are your strengths and weaknesses?” is a question designed to tell you what they are good at, and lets you look at if they can take criticism and learn from mistakes.

“Where would you like to be in five years’ time?” is often asked to give an idea of the applicants ambitions and if they are realistic about the job you are offering them.

On top of the above question, asking candidates how they would react to a series of situations that mat occur also gives you chance to discuss the offered job, how their skills will enable them to do it well.

Keep it Legal

There are certain things you cannot ask in interview. I suggest you find out and remember what these things are in case you accidentally ask a clued-up applicant a forbidden question.

Legally, you should also explain the terms and conditions of the job to your candidate as well. This could be done verbally, or they could be written and handed out before the interview to give the candidate chance to ask about the company or job.

Also, remember to ask candidates if they have any holidays already booked.

Keeping Track of Answers

You should probably consider taking short notes during the interview, and more lengthy impressions afterwards, while it’s still fresh in your mind.

You should record your reaction to their answers, along with general impressions of how well suited they are to your company and the offered job. You could also comment on things like enthusiasm, confidence, communication skills etc.

You should also attempt to keep a small timescale between interviews to make it easier to compare candidates.

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