Effective interviews

Effective interviews

An interview is one of the most common methods of assessing prospective employees by careful probing and by examining their knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is important in so many ways that the right candidate gets the job, not least to mention the huge costs involved in selecting the wrong person for the job.

When interviewing candidates, there is a need to be consistent, objective, and fair. Ideally all candidates should get asked the same questions, should get treated in the same manner, and should be given an equal chance to demonstrate their strengths and suitability for the role.

Therefore, it is important that the interviewer is aware of all potential obstacles to an ideal job interview.

Some tips and advice when interviewing people:

• Be aware that different people come from different backgrounds and no one in the whole world shares the same experiences as you, so try to see things from their perspective. Your personal values and attitudes are bound to be different from the candidate so don’t judge them on this basis.
• Make sure you don’t fall into the trap of the “halo effect”. This occurs when something the candidate says or does is perceived by the interviewer as positive and causes everything else that is said to be viewed in a positive way. Perhaps the candidate has been to the same university as the interviewer has, and this causes the interviewer to view everything the candidate says or does in a positive light.
• The opposite of the “halo effect” is also true. It is called the “thorns effect”, and this is when a candidate is perceived from the start in a negative light, and therefore everything that is said from then on is perceived in a negative way.
• First impressions are said to be important. But they should not cloud your judgement. The real question is: can this person actually do the job?
• Make the candidate feel relaxed so that they can demonstrate to you their potential. An interview is a stressful enough experience for the candidate without the added stress from a “cold” or an indifferent interviewer.

We may not know when we are actually doing some of the above. Perhaps unconsciously we filter things the candidate says or we treat them differently than others. Therefore, it is important to be aware of these biases and always keep them in mind when interviewing.