Hiring the right person is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as an employer. For small and medium-sized businesses in particular, every new hire has the potential to shape your team’s success – and every wrong hire can cause real challenges. The interview is your best chance to get to know candidates beyond their CV, but it’s also a process that can easily go wrong without preparation and structure.
If you’ve ever left an interview unsure about a candidate, or realised afterwards that you didn’t ask the right questions, you’re not alone. Interviews can be daunting on both sides of the table. The good news is that with a few best practice approaches, you can make the process more effective, fair, and ultimately more successful.
The Importance of Preparation
Good interviews start well before you sit down with a candidate. As an employer, you need to be clear on what you’re looking for. That means fully understanding the role, defining the essential skills and qualities, and reviewing each candidate’s application carefully before the meeting.
Taking the time to prepare shows respect for the candidate and sets a professional tone. It also helps you focus the conversation, rather than relying on generic questions that don’t reveal much. Consider what success in the role looks like and frame your questions around that. For instance, if problem-solving is crucial, think of scenarios you can ask about to see how candidates have handled challenges in the past.
Why Structured Interviews Work Best
Unstructured interviews, where you “go with the flow,” might feel more natural, but they often lead to inconsistency. You might spend 20 minutes discussing hobbies with one candidate and drilling into technical skills with another, making it difficult to compare them fairly.
A structured interview gives you a consistent framework. By asking each candidate the same set of core questions, you reduce the risk of unconscious bias and make it easier to judge answers objectively. It doesn’t mean the conversation has to be rigid – you can still ask follow-up questions – but having a clear structure ensures every candidate gets a fair shot.
Asking the Right Questions
The quality of your questions can make or break an interview. Closed questions – those that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no” – rarely give you much insight. Open-ended questions, on the other hand, encourage candidates to share examples and explain their thinking.
Instead of asking “Are you good at teamwork?” try asking “Can you tell me about a time you worked as part of a team to overcome a challenge?” This approach helps you uncover not just what a candidate has done, but how they behave and what skills they bring to the table.
You can also use situational questions, such as “What would you do if a project deadline was suddenly moved forward?” These reveal how candidates might handle scenarios relevant to the role.
The Power of Active Listening
It’s easy to get so focused on your list of questions that you forget to truly listen. Active listening means giving candidates your full attention, picking up on what they say – and sometimes what they don’t say – and asking thoughtful follow-ups.
Simple techniques can help. Maintain eye contact, nod to show you’re engaged, and avoid interrupting. Take brief notes so you can refer back later, but don’t bury yourself in paperwork. The aim is to create a conversation where candidates feel comfortable enough to give honest, detailed answers.
Remember, you’re not just assessing them – they’re also assessing you. An interview that feels rushed or disjointed might put off a great candidate who could have been the perfect fit.
Evaluating After the Interview
The work doesn’t end once the candidate leaves the room. To make fair comparisons, take time straight after the interview to write down your impressions while they’re fresh.
A scoring system can help. For example, you might rate responses against key competencies like communication, problem-solving, or leadership. This makes it easier to weigh candidates objectively, rather than relying on gut feeling alone.
It’s also useful to involve more than one interviewer where possible. Having a second perspective helps balance individual biases and gives a more rounded view of the candidate.
Creating a Positive Candidate Experience
While the main goal of an interview is to find the right hire, it’s also a chance to showcase your business. Candidates who feel respected and welcomed, even if they don’t get the job, will leave with a positive impression of your company. That matters for your reputation and future recruitment efforts.
Start the interview with a warm introduction and a quick overview of your business. Be transparent about the process and timeline. And always follow up with candidates afterwards – whether they’ve been successful or not. It’s a small courtesy that leaves a big impact.
How The HR Dept Can Help
We know that interviewing can feel daunting, especially for busy SME owners who juggle recruitment alongside everything else. But you don’t have to figure it out on your own. At The HR Dept, we support employers with practical, hands-on guidance to improve their interview processes.
From helping you prepare structured questions to providing training in interview skills and bias awareness, we make sure you approach every interview with confidence. Our tailored support ensures your recruitment process is fair, effective, and legally compliant – giving you the best chance of finding the right person for your team.
Get in touch with The HR Dept today to see how we can help you refine your process and hire with confidence.
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