How to Effectively Structure Your Job Interviews

Each interview must be prepared in advance and should consider the characteristics of the position and the expectations of company that is hiring.

Before the interview day, you must identify the technical and interpersonal skills required for the role. These selection criteria are usually outlined in the job posting and job description, but it’s always useful to review key points to emphasize during the interview.

Don’t hesitate to create a checklist if these criteria are clear and easily identifiable (such as certifications or specific software skills).

A job interview shouldn’t be improvised: you need to have a general idea of the interview questions you’ll ask before starting the meeting. Ideally, these questions are grouped by theme to structure the discussion, thus simplifying your future selection process. They are also open-ended to encourage constructive dialogue.

Avoid tricky questions that may catch candidates off guard and unsettle them. This kind of tactics can hinder your strategic decision-making by introducing biases related to the candidate’s personality.

Need inspiration to create your interview questionnaire? Find useful examples of interview questions right here!

Job interviews aren’t necessarily conducted by a single person. It can be helpful to designate people who will participate in the discussion and decision-making process (recruiters, managers, department heads, and HR representatives, for example). Don’t forget to define their roles: are they there to guide the conversation, ask questions, take notes, or participate in the final decision?

Ideally, each participant should actively engage in the discussion to avoid causing unnecessary stress and misunderstandings. It’s essential to introduce everyone at the beginning of the meeting to establish a transparent and harmonious connection.

The recruitment interview is a great opportunity to showcase your company culture and ensure that the candidate evaluation happens in the best possible conditions. Here’s how to welcome candidates properly:

As previously mentioned, tricky questions and tense situations are counterproductive. Instead, it’s important to create a welcoming environment to foster a positive discussion, improve the candidate experience, and make a good impression on potential hires.

If you fail to make qualified candidates feel comfortable during your meeting, you may struggle to convince them to join your organization later on. Don’t miss out on the best talent because you failed to create a positive and constructive interview environment!

While it’s important to ask strategic questions, you should also take time to provide an overview of the organization, your mission, values, and company culture, as well as the specific responsibilities of the role. Highlight your strengths and describe the work environment offered to employees. This is the best way to showcase your employer brand and start assessing the cultural fit between the candidate and your company.

While the structure of an interview may vary depending on the role and the needs of the company, having a clear outline before the official meeting is crucial.

Be flexible during the interview, and don’t forget to document the candidate’s answers throughout the discussion to avoid memory biases:

Based on the candidate’s resume and cover letter, ask detailed questions about their past professional experiences.

The goal of these questions is to determine if the candidate would quickly integrate into their new role, as well as to identify the reasons for leaving their previous job (or reasons for departure if applicable).

Ask them about their qualifications and career path to get a sense of their profile and professional goals. This will help guide and personalize the rest of the interview.

Evaluate the candidate’s profile and professional attitude by asking questions about their soft skills, communication abilities, and teamwork approach. To delve further, consider using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to allow the candidate to showcase their behavioral qualities in context.

This method involves a situation, a description of the tasks assigned to the candidate, an explanation of actions taken to optimize basic processes or resolve issues, and finally, a presentation of the results obtained. This will help you evaluate the candidate’s overall skills, problem-solving abilities, strategic and proactive approach, and effectiveness.

The interview is the best time to assess the technical skills required for the role by asking specific questions or presenting situational challenges.

If your company requires technical tests, make sure to inform the candidate in advance and facilitate the test-taking process during the meeting. Ask for information on certifications and training credentials when relevant.

After asking your questions, it’s essential to give the candidate an opportunity to ask additional questions about the company and position. This step is not only necessary for addressing their concerns and motivating them to join the team, but also for evaluating their interest and understanding of the role and organization.

Remember, most hiring processes aim to establish long-term collaboration and ensure the integration and retention of the new recruit within the organization. It’s important to encourage the candidate to ask questions and show interest in the company culture.

At the end of the interview, don’t forget to thank the candidate for their time and summarize the next steps in the hiring process, regardless of your final decision. If you need to schedule another meeting with the candidate (whether by phone, video, or in person), mention it at this point and send an invitation shortly after the meeting.

Remember that the candidate will likely continue their job search after the interview; therefore, you should be efficient and responsive in the following days to keep their interest.

Now is finally the time to proceed with a comparative analysis of candidates. It’s important to maintain maximum objectivity throughout the selection process, with a strategic view of the position’s requirements and the needs of the company and team.

Consider holding debrief meetings with all recruitment stakeholders and the candidate’s future team to gather their feedback and present the shortlisted candidates. Make the best strategic choice, but don’t delay too long to avoid losing top talent.

By structuring your job interviews, you’ll gain efficiency, strategic visibility, and reduce the risk of missing out on top candidates.

Need additional resources to prepare your interviews? Discover:

• Essential questions to ask during job interviews;
• Example of culture-fit questions to ask candidates;
• Recruitment email templates to send to candidates.