Using interviews to select job candidates is one of the most common practices in hiring – and they are often done poorly.
Good news – you can fix this!
Following are suggestions for conducting effective job interviews, based on a recent article in Harvard Business Review.
Before the Interview:
1 – Prep the Job Description. Include the outcomes the person in the job is accountable for producing. Be ready to share this with the candidates.
2 – Identify Talents Needed. What are the natural talents needed in order for someone to be successful in this role. Gallup has identified a great list of these in their Strengths-Based approach to leadership.
3 – Agree on Hiring Criteria. Make sure that those making the decisions on this hire have the same criteria.
4 – Promote the Position Widely. If you want the most talented people then you need to go far beyond referrals and/or asking your team to post the job notice on LinkedIn. Identify avenues to promote the job beyond your normal networks.
During the Interview:
1 – Be Consistent with Each Candidate. In order to make a reliable decision, take special care to provide each candidate with the same interview experience. Ask the same questions and keep detailed notes.
2 – Abilities and Qualifications Questions. After some warm up discussion, review the Job Description and then ask these kinds of questions. My favorite is “Please tell me about a great success you have had in one of your jobs. What was the project, what was your role, what happened that made it such a great success.” If the person tells you a story about how they successfully used the same talents needed for the position you are hiring for, then this may be a good fit.
3 – Behavioral Questions. Identify challenging scenarios that the candidate may face in the position and ask what they would do. In addition, you can ask “Tell me about a time you failed and what you did about it?” This can provide some helpful insights.
4 – Workplace Alignment Questions. You could ask “Why do you want this job?” The A+ answer is that they love the mission, products, and services of your company and then they articulate why they would be excellent in this role.
It takes time to conduct interviews effectively, but there is a huge payoff. Hiring the right person who can make an impact and will stay with your organization for a good while is absolutely worth the investment.
*Ideas for this blog taken from: Wang, X. “How to Structure a Great Interview,” Harvard Business Review online, January 28, 2025.
