Introduction

As the saying goes, people don't quit jobs, they quit managers. And as a hiring manager, you have the power to shape the future of your organization by bringing on the best candidates. But to do that, you need to be a skilled interviewer. Here are some tips and tricks to help you improve your interviewing skills and hire the best candidates for your organization.

Preparing for the Interview

Before you even step into the interview room, it's important to prepare. This means researching the candidate and the position, as well as coming up with a list of thoughtful and relevant questions to ask. It also means familiarizing yourself with the candidate's resume and cover letter, and any other materials they've provided.

Setting the Stage

First impressions are important, and the interview is no exception. To set the stage for a successful interview, create a comfortable and professional environment for the candidate. This means making sure the room is clean, quiet, and well-lit, and that the candidate is provided with water or coffee.

Building Rapport

Before diving into the hard questions, take some time to build rapport with the candidate. This means making small talk, asking open-ended questions, and actively listening to their responses. Building rapport helps to put the candidate at ease, which can lead to more candid and informative answers.

Asking the Right Questions

One of the keys to a successful interview is asking the right questions. This means focusing on both the candidate's experience and their potential fit within your organization. Avoid asking "yes or no" questions, and instead ask open-ended questions that encourage the candidate to share more about themselves.

Listening Actively

Active listening is a critical skill for any interviewer. This means paying close attention to the candidate's answers, and following up with thoughtful and relevant questions. It also means being mindful of your own body language and tone of voice, and using it to convey interest and engagement.

Evaluating Candidates

As an interviewer, it's your job to evaluate the candidate's qualifications and fit within your organization. To do this, take detailed notes during the interview and consider the candidate's answers in the context of the position and your organization's values and culture.

Handling Difficult Questions

As an interviewer, you'll likely encounter difficult questions from candidates. These might include questions about salary, benefits, or the company's plans for future growth. When handling these questions, it's important to be transparent and honest, while also reinforcing the benefits of working for your organization.

Providing Feedback

After the interview, it's important to provide feedback to the candidate. This means being honest, but also tactful and professional. Feedback should be focused on areas where the candidate excelled, as well as areas for improvement. It should also include next steps, whether that's moving on to the next round of interviews or extending a job offer.

Managing Group Interviews

Group interviews can be tricky, but they can also be a great way to evaluate a candidate's team skills and leadership potential. When managing group interviews, it's important to provide clear instructions, assign roles and activities, and actively engage all participants.

Handling Remote Interviews

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in remote interviews. Handling remote interviews require some different strategies and tools than in-person interviews, it’s important to test the technology in advance and make sure to create a professional ambiance in your home office or workspace. Also, be mindful of your body language and tone of voice as it can be harder to convey them through a video call.

Considering Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are critical factors in any hiring process. As an interviewer, it's important to be aware of your own biases and to actively work to eliminate them during the interview process. This means asking questions that are relevant to the position and that assess the candidate's qualifications and fit within the organization, while being mindful of not asking discriminatory questions.

Continuously Improving

The interviewing process is an ongoing process and it's important to continuously improve your skills. This means regularly reflecting on your performance, seeking feedback from others, and taking any necessary steps to improve. It also means staying up to date with the latest trends and best practices in interviewing.

Conclusion

In conclusion, being a successful interviewer requires a combination of preparation, active listening, thoughtful question-asking, and continuous improvement. By following the tips and tricks outlined above, you'll be well on your way to hiring the best candidates for your organization.

Remember, being a successful interviewer takes practice and commitment. It's essential to constantly reflect on your performance, seek feedback from others, and take steps to improve. By staying current with the latest trends, research and best practices, you can continuously improve your interviewing skills. Additionally, it is important to be aware of your own biases, and actively work to minimize their impact on the interview process.

It is also good to keep in mind that interviewing is not just about finding the "perfect" candidate, it's also about identifying potential and potential fit within the organization. This means being open to candidates who may not have all the experience but have the potential to learn and grow. And, by providing constructive feedback, you help the candidates to improve and succeed in their careers, whether they join your organization or not.

How Hume Can Help

As an interviewer, having access to accurate and comprehensive interview data can be incredibly valuable. This is where Hume comes in. Hume is an interview intelligence platform that records, transcribes and summarizes interviews, allowing hiring teams to unlock the insights from their interviews and make faster, more informed hiring decisions.

Hume makes it easy for teams to review and share interview data, providing a centralized location for all interview information and making the hiring process more efficient. Additionally, by providing accurate transcriptions and summaries of interviews, Hume allows teams to access objective interview data that can be used to train interviewers and improve the overall interview process.

Hume also provides a useful feedback system to the interviewer that includes tips and suggestions for improvement and also tracks their progress over time.

Overall, by using Hume, companies can streamline their interview process, improve the quality of their hiring decisions, and ensure compliance with legal regulations while providing feedback to interviewers, that leads to continuous improvement.