Is interviewing more of a science or an art form? It requires a little bit of both in my opinion.
Throughout my career in internal and agency resourcing, I have come across many types of hiring managers. All with different interviewing techniques and thought processes around why they choose the candidates they do.
Some are evidence-based and quickly discard a candidate when they can’t find evidence that supports what they are looking for. I have also worked with those who make snap decisions based on the first few minutes of the interview and the idea that ‘first impressions are everything’.
What many hiring managers don’t realise is the key to successfully assessing candidates during an interview lies in asking the right questions. Questions that can reveal the answers you are really looking for. It sounds obvious, but many interviewers don’t prepare adequately or simply rely on a HR template with a list of standardised questions. This approach is guaranteed to make the interview feel robotic. It also makes it hard for the candidate to relax by not giving them a platform where they can feel comfortable and open.
Here is my take on some of the top questions that should be covered during an interview and what you should be assessing in a candidate’s answers, based on 16 years of experience interviewing on behalf of employers.
1. What are their career plans?
A person’s answer will demonstrate if they have done their research on your company and whether the role they are interviewing for is a step up or a stepping stone.
2. Will they be challenged?
Many a person has left a role in the first six months because they didn’t feel challenged. Staff like this are less engaged and lack enthusiasm, which has an overall effect on their work and the team they work with.
3. Are they looking to move into an identical role to their last?
Ask them why they expect this role to be different? Dig down into the detail on the why and how. Sometimes the grass isn’t always greener just because they’re sitting in a new park.
4. Will they be reliable?
All employers want a loyal and reliable employee in their team. The best way to assess this is by asking for an example of when they have gone over and above for an employer or their team in the past. Getting real examples that can be validated later with a reference check is invaluable.
5. Are they self-aware?
Being asked to reveal their improvement areas in an interview will put the most confident interviewee a little off-kilter, but those that can be upfront and demonstrate that they have/had areas to develop are those that show self-awareness and also drive to improve, and if they have taken steps to do so. It also gives you as the potential employer the opportunity to see how you can draw on their strengths and support those weaknesses.
There are so many more questions you can ask, but essentially it is about understanding the motivations of the interviewee. What drives them, what are their areas of strength and will they be a team player? Don't rely purely on that first impression. Perhaps meet them a second time if you don’t feel you gained all you needed or start with a telephone interview and then a face-to-face. There are many options to consider. Ultimately the cost of a bad hire is not one you want to be dealing with…..and that is a whole new blog!
13 Mar 2025