4 Tips on How to Give an Interview for a Job Opening

advance career Jun 15, 2020

Almost every adult has had to do a job interview at some point in their life, but what do you do when you're on the other side, and need to give an interview to someone else? Most new interviewers just use a standard set of interview questions with no real purpose or goal in mind. They haven't learned the art of the follow up question after someone gives an answer to their original question.

While large human resources departments will provide training for these eventualities, what do you do if you're a part of a small business who doesn't have the resources for this kind of training?

Understand the Position You're Filling

To really understand how to give an interview for your job opening, you need to understand the position you're hiring for. If this position is one you aren't familiar with, try talking to people who have held this position, either now or in the past.

Make sure you have a good idea of what is really required on the job, day to day. Is this job more physically or mentally demanding? What level of education does it require? Use these facts to inform the types of questions you decide to ask.

Make a List of Relevant Questions

Once you understand what the job entails, the new thing to know about how to give an interview is writing questions that address the issues that will come up day to day. Being certain the candidate has the qualities you need is vital, but to do so effectively, you may need to ask around the issue.

Hobbies, for instance, can indicate a lot about a person. People who play sports can handle a physically rigorous job, where as a person who enjoys crafting maybe better suited to a detail oriented profession. Figure out the most important qualities and figure out ways to get that information reliably.

Don't Do All the Talking

Surprisingly, one of the most important things to know about how to give an interview is when to let the prospective hire talk. Nervous people may give away more than they intend when giving long, rambling answers.

Don't interrupt these rabbit trails, they can provide valuable information. By staying present and listening to everything the interviewee says, your decision making process can be much easier. Make sure to take notes to aid you in your selection process.

Stay on Top of Human Resources Law

There are some criteria which can be used to eliminate a potential employee and some which are illegal. Discriminating based on race, gender, sexual preference or religion is something that can get you in serious trouble.

Make sure that whatever decision you make, it is based on the potential employee's qualifications and ability to do the job alone. It helps to remember that the most important factor in how to give a job interview is finding the best possible employee, and the perfect employee may come in many different packages.

Knowing how to give an interview isn't that difficult, just keep your company's needs in mind, and address those above all else. A friendly candidate may not be the right one for the job, unless the candidate works with people. A very qualified candidate may not do if they present themselves in a way that will chase away business. By focusing on what's right for your business, you are more likely to find the right person for the job.

Jonathan Milligan