Tips on conducting interviews

This section will provide you with some insights into how you can most effectively use interviews.

Questioning

The best interviews use a mix of open ended and closed questions.  Using both helps you manage the flow of information back to you from the candidate and also allows you to give the candidate some space when answering to show you how articulate they are and how they present themselves when responding.

 

Closed questions are most appropriate when talking about specific requirements for the role, for example, do you have advanced Excel skills or do you have experience managing a shopping center complex?

 

Open ended questions should be used to try and delve deeper into the candidates’ backgrounds and profiles.  Open ended questions also give them the room to show whether they can confidently present themselves.  Bear in mind these questions are intended to be rather vague in order to test the candidates’ succinctness in response and their ability to collate their answers and respond clearly.

 

1, How have you recently had to display common sense?

 

2, How would your current/most recent manager describe you?

 

3, What drives you as an employee and why?

 

4, How do you usually spend your free time?

 

5, Why are you applying for this role in particular?

 

6, What do you want to be doing in five years time and why?

 

 

5 things to look out for

There are also a number of things you can look for and ask yourself during an interview that will give you a good idea as to what the candidate is really like.

 

1, Do they make regular eye contact?

 

2, Are they arrogant or are they self confident?

 

3, Are they displaying nerves or are they unsure in their answers due to lack of preparation and/or knowledge?  (This is especially important in interviews with a large amount of technical questions)

 

4, Are they relaxed and if so have they still maintained professionalism?

 

5, Will they fit in with their potential colleagues and the company culture?


Discrimination awareness

 

It is very important that you are aware of the Federal and State anti-discrimination legislation.  Generally speaking it is unlawful for you to discriminate against people when considering who to offer employment to.  Discrimination is more than the obvious, it also relates to matters which you may not consider fall under discrimination law. 

 

For example in some jurisdictions you are not even allowed to collect information that could be used to create a basis of discrimination.  Therefore what you ask in interviews and in application forms needs to be carefully considered to ensure it could not be construed as providing information to form discrimination.

 

As a rule try to avoid asking candidates their age, their marital status, if they have any kids, what their race or ethnicity is, where they are from, whether they have any disabilities or not.

 

In some situations and for some roles you may need to ask questions that may appear to be discriminatory.  In these circumstances you should rephrase the questions to ensure the focus is on the role and why the role requires a certain type of person/characteristic.  Alternatively tell them what the requirements of the role are and ask them to confirm they can carry them out without any problem.  However, if in doubt seek legal counsel or talk with your state’s anti discrimination/equal opportunity commissioner.