March 12th, 2022
Tips To Help Employers Prepare Interview Questions
Interview preparation isn’t sorely for job candidates. Like how interviewees research the company and ideal responses, your company should ensure interviewers are ready for the interview process. This post will provide useful tips and guidelines to help you prepare interview questions and improve the likelihood of hiring the right candidate.
Interview Techniques
One way to prepare interview questions is to identify the appropriate interview approach. A few factors to consider are the type of position, i.e., is it remote or physical, the industry type, and required skills.
There are three main ways employers conduct interviews.
- By phone
- One-on-one
- Panel
Telephone interview
This interview approach is primarily to pre-screen. It helps your company assess whether the candidates’ salary expectations, skills, and experiences match the position. As a result, your hiring team can reduce the number of applicants invited to face-to-face interviews.
One-on-one interview
There are three main ways interviewers can conduct this type of interview.
- Situational
- Behavioral
- Competency-based
The competency-based and behavioral approach rely on the principle, “past work habits predict future work behavior.” These approaches also deviate from hypothetical questions. Instead, these interviews aim to know how interviewees handled specific situations in their previous roles.
Some behavioral questions include:
- Tell us about a time you experienced stressful situations that highlighted your ability to cope
- Describe a time when you set an objective and successfully implemented it
- Tell us about a time when you successfully convinced someone to agree with your idea
Some competency-based questions to consider include:
- Describe a situation where you had to encourage each team member to participate
- Tell me about a time when your communication skills influenced the final decision
The situational technique involves asking candidates hypothetical questions to gauge how they would handle a similar situation. Let’s say you plan to fill a customer service position. An example of a situational question would be, “One of our technicians went to repair a client’s dryer. The client called complaining that the technician wasn’t willing to answer questions. What would you tell the clients?”
Panel interview
This approach involves two or more interviewers and is typically a Q&A. A panel interview can offer more insight into a candidate’s qualifications than a one-on-one with proper preparation. Moreover, they provide less-experienced HR members a chance to participate in the hiring process.
For each of the approaches mentioned above, the interview team can determine the appropriate follow-up questions. For instance, what are your career goals? Or, how do you hope to benefit from this role?
Tips To Prepare Interview Questions for Job Candidates
Here are several ways the interview team can prepare interview questions.
1. Identify the relevant interview questions
Failure to prepare job interview questions beforehand wastes the opportunity to evaluate whether the candidate is a good fit. It is critical to use the job description to ensure the questions highlight skills and other eligibilities. Avoid common interview questions like “what are your weaknesses?” Also, if you aren’t the hiring manager, it would be wise to work with one. Finally, consider preparing more than one question for each skill. Doing so offers a better understanding of the candidate’s abilities.
2. Go over each candidate’s application
Understanding your candidate’s applications helps you know the candidate better and not appear indifferent. Ensure to note down each interviewee’s past work experience and skills. Some questions to guide you while going over candidates’ applications are:
- Are the interview questions asking for information already in the candidate’s application?
- Is there any detail in their previous roles that I would like to understand better during the interview?
- Does the company need to verify the candidate’s claims?
3. Prepare to answer candidates’ questions
Remember both parties of the interview undertake separate evaluations. As you try to determine whether the interviewee is an ideal candidate, they also want to know whether your company offers a suitable work environment. Some of the interview questions you ought to have answers for include:
- A salary range and employee benefits
- Specific aspects of the company like structure and strategy
- Next steps after the interview
- The prospective team’s goals and ongoing projects
As you prepare for these questions, you must understand which interview questions are permissible under state and federal laws. For instance, if the candidate asks you about current projects. Will answering this question get you in trouble? It would be best to consult HR to know which information is confidential.
4. Teamwork
Besides preparation, a seamless interview requires teamwork. If it’s a panel interview, discuss with the other colleagues the order and determine who will ask what. The prospective team leader is more suitable to ask about career paths. The HR interviewer could discuss the remuneration bit.
5. Work on your selling skills
It is upon you to sell the company to the candidate. It improves the brand’s reputation even if they don’t get the job. Moreover, they are more likely to accept the employment offer. Be prepared to show what separates your organization from competitors. For instance, job seekers are keener towards mental health programs due to the pandemic.
Work With PrideStaff Staffing Agency To Improve Your Interview and Staffing Process
Interview preparation is a challenging task that your inhouse HR may not know how to handle effectively. PrideStaff is an employment agency in Fort Lauderdale that can help streamline your entire hiring process, whether its administrative, call center, or clerical staffing.
Remember the job search process is time-consuming for both you and the candidate. Therefore, you want to ensure you choose someone who is the right fit. Leave it to us to prepare interview questions and evaluate candidates so you can focus on priority tasks. Ready to get started? Call us at 754.800.2850 to schedule an appointment.