Interviewing Skill - An Essential Trait For An Interviewer

"Ponder over before going to take an interview and thoroughly prepare yourselves so that you may extract the best knowledge from the interviewee."

As an Interviewer, it is very important to learn how to hold an interview as a manager, as a CEO and as a professional recruiter. So what are the most important things one must consider and keep in front while conducting a meeting session with the candidates?

The interview is to be based upon what kind of a person you are looking for to be added onto your team.

Here I would not go for the complete procedure of having an interview but my main focus is on the important points and the way of arranging the session.

The most important elements which I have learned during my professional career are to be pointed and to be polite enough so that the interviewee can feel easy and make his best during his meeting.

1. Welcome the candidate
A very first and an Important thing which most of the interviewers' neglect is to welcome the Candidate. It is essential because it mimics the sense of importance and it shows the culture of the company and how the work is done there. A simple thing but tells a lot.

2. Keep a smily face
There is not only the need of the candidate but also the need for the company to have a resource to run his operation. So keep a smile on your face and make the other party relaxed by giving them a notion that he is important whether he is hired or not.

3. Your tone must be supporting and at a medium pitch
It is not you who is to show what you know to the candidate but it is the candidate who has come to present himself, So your tone must be supporting instead of arrogant and you must also keep a medium pitch throughout the interview.

4. The interview must be time bound
Decide how long the interview will be. It should not be open-ended. It can only be done if you plan accordingly before taking an interview.

5. Make the interview to the point
Read the resume of the candidate, prepare yourself and make a sheet of the interview which must contain the questions and all possible answers. Rank all possible answers into three categories Red, Yellow and Green. If the candidate answers from any of the written answers (Similarity may also be considered), put that in the relevant category.
Keep track of what the interviewee has said, focus on, attentively listen and make your notes accordingly for making the decision later on. Don't judge quickly, spend time by listening, noticing nonverbal language and a person's attitude (positive or Negative).
Count at the end how many questions were in red, yellow and green. Most answers in Green means an extraordinary, yellow means medium and red means not suitable for the specified job.

6. Focus on what the candidate knows
It has been seen that many interviewers behave like they know and the candidate does not know. So they try to fail the person. They do not focus on what he has acquired and learned but they ask such questions which he might not know. Keep in mind, you may also be a prey of such scenario at some stage of your professional career.
Your duty is to hire the best but do also focus on the person's interpersonal skills.

7. Try to keep the environment as much friendly as one can have during the process.
The interview must be conducted in an amicable manner. The atmosphere must be calm and relaxing which should provide a support to the candidate to speak in a fear freeway.

8. If possible, guide the interviewee
Yes, Guide the candidate, give him some hints so that he may answer properly in case of a difficult question. Don't ask such questions which may lead to many answers. Connotation may lead a candidate to a perplexing situation. because, during an interview, a natural pressure always remains there.

9. In the end, give the forum to the interviewee and inform the interviewee about his mistakes.
Let the person in meeting ask questions and reply to them in a sincere way.
Along with this, do also guide the interviewee about the mistakes he had made during the interview session. It will help him to know his weakness and to prepare himself for any future interview he might have. The interviewee is in need or wants to excel that's why he is giving interviews.

10. Say goodbye to the candidate in a happy note at the end of the session.
End the session in an energetic mode. Say goodbye by shaking hands. It will leave a very good impression on the candidate about the company's environment and the culture of conducting business.

11. Keep the Candidate informed about his status after the interview.
Do let the candidate know about the status of his candidacy. Whether he has been selected, rejected or put in a waiting pool.

You are the main representative of the company at the time of the interview so as a face of your organization you must be professional and try all the points mentioned above.

Thanks

Syed Murtaza Hussain Kazmi
Senior Project Manager, Senior Program Architect
Efficiency in code is good but that must be reasonable.