Conducting an interview with the candidate. How to interview a candidate. Video: typical mistakes of job seekers

Sooner or later, every leader will have to do this. an important event, like an interview with a candidate for a certain position. According to research by recruiting organizations, applicants for the desired position overestimate their professional qualities and merits by 24 percent, trying to get a job, a higher salary or favorable working conditions at all costs. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly understand that the goal of any interview is to identify a truly worthy candidate and conduct a reliable assessment of the qualities of the interlocutor, to understand whether he will be suitable for the given position.

Before the interview itself, you need to carefully prepare, determine exactly what the interview will be like, and based on this make a list suitable questions. The IQReview team will teach you how to conduct an interview correctly.

The most important question that faces an employer who is about to conduct a business interview is what question to start the conversation with. Before you conduct an interview, you need to prepare.

It is best to start with easy and non-burdensome questions to give the candidate the opportunity to relax and get used to the new environment. For example, you can ask where the person lives, where they worked before, and where they studied. Give him the opportunity to speak for himself, do not interrupt - you can ask all the questions you are interested in after the interviewee finishes his story.

If your interlocutor is a man of few words and answers rather briefly, ask him several open-ended questions that require a detailed answer. And if the situation is exactly the opposite, and your applicant is too talkative, try asking him in such a way that he can only answer clearly and briefly.

You shouldn’t put demands on your candidate right away. First, try to talk about the company itself, its activities, plans and further development.

Why do you need an interview?

Remember that the purpose of the interview is to find out as much as possible useful information about the future employee, his professional qualities, so do not forget to ask as many questions as possible that directly relate to work issues and that can influence your conclusions. You should definitely ask the applicant about his professional experience, future plans, and why he came to your company.

Questions that could even remotely indicate discrimination are unacceptable. These include questions about religion, physical disabilities, nationality, debt, etc.

After you have asked all the questions you are interested in, ask if the candidate has them, and you are obliged to provide answers to those that relate to the job.
We’ve figured out how an interview is conducted, now it’s worth thinking about the most basic thing – the necessary questions.

How to write questions?

Each employer has its own list of questions that are necessary when interviewing a job applicant, but remember that their main purpose is to identify professional qualities. The main questions at the interview should reveal the candidate as a professional, determine his knowledge in this field, and identify a possible highlight. The list of popular ones recently began to include the so-called “trick” questions, with psychological background, which will help to understand how the future employee will behave in a new work environment, whether he will be able to navigate difficult situation. Whether to include them in your list or not is up to you, but remember that you are hiring a person, and are not his personal psychologist.

A list of basic questions that can be asked to any candidate, regardless of specialization:

Tell us a little about yourself.
What is your outlook on life and how do you overcome the difficulties that come your way?
Why did you choose this particular job and what interested you most?
Why do you consider yourself worthy of this job? Tell us what advantages you have.
Do you have weak sides? What are they?
Why did you decide to leave your last job? What exactly prompted you to make this decision? How did the previous management evaluate you, and what kind of relationship did you have with them?
Have you received any other offers from employers in your field of activity?
Where do you see yourself ten to fifteen years from now?
What changes would you like to bring to the activities of our organization? Why?
Who can you contact to get feedback on your previous work? Do you have any recommendations?
What are your salary expectations?
Do you have a hobby? What do you prefer to do in your free time?

You can also ask unusual questions to understand the character of your interlocutor, evaluate his personal qualities that will be useful in his work, and reveal his professionalism. A few examples:

If you had the opportunity to become any superhero, who would you choose? (This answer will indicate which human qualities the candidate considers most valuable.)
Can you describe your ideal job? You can do anything, work in any field and for anyone. (This question will show the interests of the interlocutor, his desire and desire to work).
What shortcomings would your new manager find if he is filling in for your main manager while he is on vacation? (This is a question about the applicant's weaknesses).
Name the most main reason Why are you looking for change? (This way you will find out what interests and motivation a person has).
If I talk to your previous boss, what will they tell me about you? (This will help the candidate look at himself from the outside and, perhaps, name the real reason for changing jobs).
How do you plan to become part of our team? (A new employee requires some attention, since he does not yet know all the specifics of the work, its technology. Therefore, he will have to interact with new employees, ask for help, and gradually delve into all the intricacies. The answer to such a question will make it very clear to you whether your the applicant understands how his behavior will affect future relationships in the first months of his activity).

Test tasks

So, we found out how the interview is conducted and what questions to ask. Usually, the matter is not limited to just questions, and in many companies the applicant is asked to complete certain tasks that would demonstrate his knowledge, because, as we know, actions speak louder than words.

Test tasks differ from each other, and each area has its own. It is important to compose them in such a way as to clearly see what the future employee is capable of and how quickly he will cope with the task. You shouldn’t make them as complicated as possible, but you shouldn’t get carried away with them too easy either – moderation is good in everything. It is advisable that the applicant complete them on site, and not at home - this way the concept of his professionalism will be as reliable as possible. Basically, doing test task may be the final chord in the interview and the answer to its outcome.

Interview duration

There is no point in prolonging a business conversation too much. The interview should be short and concise. Both parties must first of all understand well what awaits them in the course of further cooperation. During the conversation, the applicant must decide whether he still wants to work in this company, and the manager must identify the advantages and disadvantages during an interview with the future specialist. Nowadays, many companies conduct interviews by telephone, which is very convenient in our busy times, and can be the first step to the main interview - for example, if a candidate managed to present himself well in a telephone interview, he is invited to a more serious one.

Stressful interviews

Interviewing can sometimes include so-called stress questions - this allows you to quickly find out their personal and professional qualities, instantly sifting out the extra fluff and tinsel that sometimes not very conscientious employees like to surround themselves with in order to throw dust in the eyes of the manager or whatever began to get the desired position. This will allow us to determine the stress resistance of the future employee, his ability to control himself in possible situations. difficult situation, find out how he will cope with his responsibilities when deadlines are running out, or the situation is getting out of control, and there are no specialists nearby who can help him.

Examples of stressful questions:

What do you offer to our company, and why should we hire you?
What will be your reaction when you are subjected to strong psychological pressure during your work? Give examples of this phenomenon from your practice?
How often have you managed to carry out large projects successfully?
Describe what you consider a modern manager.
What salary do you think you deserve and why?
How would you rate yourself as a leader?
Name a situation when the work you did was criticized.
Describe yourself not from a professional point of view, but as a person.
If your presentation today was considered extremely mediocre and uninteresting, what would you say?
What is your definition of success?

Refusal rules

If you are not impressed by the applicant, and you believe that there are more worthy candidates for the vacant position, you should formulate your refusal in a culturally and professional manner, especially if you do not want to spoil the company’s image and create an image of a boor.

Psychologists offer three ways to refuse an applicant:

“We hired a more experienced employee.” There are two reasons why you might want to use this phrase: if you don't have enough experience, it really becomes a compelling argument for refusal. And secondly, this can really become the only problem that leads to refusal. Even if the manager himself cannot motivate the reasons for his refusal, his subconscious can tell him: the applicant has unforgivably little experience.
“Our job requirements have changed.” This explanation would be suitable, for example, if a vacant position required a candidate with good communication skills, and the candidate who did not get the job had them, but the company found a person who speaks a large number of foreign languages. Such wording can give a person hope that perhaps another position will soon appear for which he will be happy to be accepted.
“Unfortunately, you are not suitable for us at the moment.” Such a somewhat harsh refusal is suitable when you want to minimize communication with the applicant - such wording does not oblige management to explain the reasons for the refusal. “For now” carries with it a vague “maybe someday we will need you.”

Conclusion

Every leader needs to remember that the most important thing he has at work is his successfully built team, assembled from the best professionals in their field. And the ability to conduct an interview competently is the key to successfully collecting it.

How to conduct an interview

An interview with an applicant for a position plays a special role in personnel selection. This is a good opportunity to get to know the applicant, evaluate him as a specialist and understand whether he is suitable for the employer or not. Let's look at what questions to ask the candidate and how to plan the conversation.

HR specialists have created 6 types of interviewing:

Structured, is based on a prepared plan and list of questions. The interview is based on a retrospective method of collecting information about labor activity applicant in other organizations.
Stressful involves creating extreme or absurd conditions for the candidate in order to assess stress resistance and the ability to keep oneself under control.
Situational. The view is based on modeling a work situation related to a vacancy. They offer to solve a production problem - this allows you to clearly demonstrate knowledge, qualifications, and the ability to coordinate actions in unforeseen situations.
Competency assessment. The employer draws up a list of key requirements and, through conversation, determines the degree to which the applicant meets each item.
Design. They offer to evaluate other workers. When answering, the applicant subconsciously projects his life experience onto them. But since we are not talking about him, the answers turn out to be more truthful.
Remote. Conversations via instant messengers are common among workers.

Brainteaser testing is very popular among recruiters; the candidate is asked to solve logical problems that do not have a clear answer. The technique is widely used by Google, Microsoft, Apple and IKEA.

Interview Techniques

Historically, there have been 4 methods of conducting and organizing interviews:

British. The conversation is conducted by a commission of senior company officials. During the conversation, employers find out the applicant’s biography, family ties, family traditions and where he received his education.
German based on study. The applicant is asked practically no questions. The decision is made on the basis of established reputation, based on letters from previous places of work.
Chinese. It takes the form of testing. They give many tasks: from simple logical ones to complex production issues related to the specialization of the company. Applicants are asked to write a literary, historical essay or on the topic of a future position. Candidates with the highest scores are selected and invited to a conversation.
American. Based on identifying the creative and intellectual potential of the applicant. To do this, they conduct psychological testing and organize a meeting in an informal setting (invite them to lunch, a party or a joint weekend). By communicating with a person, an employer can identify shortcomings or character traits that are unacceptable for an employee of his company.

Modern recruiters use methods both individually and in combination, conducting single and group interviews.

Stages of a job interview

The selection of candidates is not chaotic; there are certain interviewing rules that must be followed. HR managers suggest acting in stages:

Studying. Gives you the opportunity to get a general idea of both a person and an employee.
Testing. The results help you understand whether the information on your resume is accurate.
Initial interview. At this stage, they personally get to know the applicant, determine whether he is suitable for the position, and find out the psychological type and character of the employee.
Repeat interview. Required for detailed consideration of a candidacy, as well as if a person is applying for a position a large number of of people.

When meeting again, interview methods may be used that differ from the first interview. This is done in order to reveal applicants from all sides and choose a worthy one.

How to conduct a recruitment interview correctly

Interviewing is a complex procedure, for the quality of which it is necessary to follow a plan:

Prepare for the meeting and review your resume again.
Punctuality. Don't be late for a meeting - it's disrespectful and shows negative example, which further decomposes the discipline.
Set a friendly tone. Do not start the interview right away, talk for 5-7 minutes on abstract topics, this will help the person feel good about you and build trust.
Getting to know the company. Tell us about your field of activity, introduce the candidate to the vacancy, and briefly describe the main functions.
Presentation. Give the applicant the opportunity to tell about himself, why he chose your company and what he expects from the position.
Survey. Ask questions from the plan. Based on the answers, you will make a hiring decision.
Completion. At the final stage of the conversation, invite the candidate to ask clarifying questions regarding job responsibilities, team and work moments. Then thank him and tell him how and when he will be notified of the results.

By following the scheme, you will not miss the slightest detail.

List of typical questions for a candidate during an interview

« tell us about yourself" While listening to a monologue, the recruiter pays attention to the speech (clear, clear, or the person is mumbling), notes what the interlocutor is talking about - biographical facts or personal qualities.
« Your views on life" Depending on the answer, it is determined whether the interviewee is a pessimist or an optimist.
« Why are you interested in a position in our company?" If we are talking about good working conditions, growth prospects, a person is simply looking for a job. But if the respondent focuses on details related to the future position and the work of the company as a whole, then he is attracted to your organization.
« What are your strengths?" A good answer contains clear, well-reasoned points supported by facts and figures. People with little experience and those who are unsure of themselves will give a vague, abstract description.
« Do you have any weaknesses?" Experienced employees will not talk about character weaknesses.
« Why did you leave your previous position?" or " What is your relationship with your superiors?" Pay attention to how a person speaks about former colleagues. Negativity speaks of his conflict. If the applicant talks about positive aspects, then before you is a competent, competent and discreet specialist.
« Do you have any suggestions for changing work in our company?" Ideally, the applicant should offer 2-3 methods, supporting them with experience.
« How can we contact your past supervisor?" The respondent can leave the telephone number of the employer or several colleagues from whom you will receive characteristics. If the candidate does not want to give coordinates, this indicates that he has no experience or is afraid of bad recommendations.
« What salary are you expecting?" All applicants name the maximum possible amount, but how to distinguish a specialist from a bluffing beginner? Offer in response an amount 2-3 times less, but hint about benefits. Money hunters will not be able to resist, but a professional knows the value of his knowledge and will not agree with the offer.

At the end of the survey, ask the employee what he enjoys in his spare time, whether he has any hobbies. Perhaps you have the same interests - this will have a positive impact on further cooperation.

What to ask a job seeker during an interview - questions with subtext

To get a complete picture, psychologists advise conducting a special survey that helps reveal the respondent from an unexpected angle:

« What kind of superhero would you become?"- learn about the personal qualities that a person puts in first place.
« Tell us about your ideal job“- will reveal life principles, hobbies and desire to work.
« How do you plan to join our team?“- the answer will show your willingness to interact with colleagues and your level of communication skills.
« Explain to your child in three sentences what an injection engine is?» (you can choose any device or term related to the company’s activities). A clear, quick answer in a simple manner speaks of professionalism.

Do a short psychological test. Draw a “professional field” in the shape of a square and ask the respondent to shade the part that corresponds to his experience and knowledge. If there is an unpainted area, find out why. The answer will reveal the person’s weaknesses as an employee.

Conclusion

In this article, we have collected basic rules and recommendations to help you conduct a job interview correctly. Before scheduling a meeting with an employee, determine the type and methodology of interviewing. Psychologists say that an opinion about a candidate is formed in the first 5 minutes; do not drag out the conversation. If you doubt your abilities, contact.

Are there any difficulties in this seemingly simple process? Of course there is. Our article is devoted to how to conduct an interview correctly and see among the applicants a truly valuable employee for the company.

You will learn:

What types of interviews are there?
What legal nuances to consider during an interview.
How to prepare for an interview.
What is the algorithm for conducting an interview?
How to conduct a telephone interview.
Why do you need a group interview?
How to evaluate an interview.

How to conduct an interview correctly: types, methods and stages

By competently interviewing a candidate for a vacancy, you can avoid mistakes in personnel selection and reduce the time spent searching for the right employee. This task can be taken on by a recruiter, an HR employee, or the manager himself. The main thing is to take a professional approach when communicating with the applicant.

6 types of interviews

Choosing the right type of interview will not only make it easier for the manager to find a new employee, but will also help to most effectively identify the characteristics of candidates. Let's talk in more detail about how to competently conduct an interview, taking into account the specifics of each type.

Structured interview. This type is most often encountered in practice. In order to effectively conduct a structured interview with a candidate and achieve the desired results, you need to determine whether the data indicated in the questionnaire (or resume) corresponds to the real state of affairs. To do this, the interviewer may require documents from the applicant confirming the level of education, qualifications, and work experience indicated in the application form.

Situational or case interview. Using this type of interview, you can see how competent the applicant is in performing certain specific tasks, how quickly he orients himself in the situation offered to him. The interviewer's task is to conduct an interview consisting of questions, the answers to which will allow us to understand how the employee will behave in certain circumstances. The candidate’s answers are checked against the standard ones, on the basis of which the applicant’s level of professional readiness and work experience are determined.
Projective interview. As part of such an interview, the candidate is asked to comment on the actions of people in situations simulated by the recruiter. In order to conduct an interview, the interviewer needs to choose a model that will reveal certain qualities in the candidate. Psychologists have proven that a person analyzes and evaluates the actions of others based on his own personal experience. Thanks to a projective interview, you can create a psychological portrait of the applicant and understand how he himself would act in certain situations.

Behavioral interview. This type of interview allows us to determine the candidate’s level of professional readiness for work and responsibility for decisions made. Based on the results of this type of interview, we can draw a conclusion about how adequately the applicant is able to respond to emerging problems.
Stressful interview. Helps determine the stress tolerance and level of conflict of the applicant. The interviewer's task in this case is to conduct an interview based on questions that encourage a person to leave his comfort zone and incline him to conflict behavior. As a rule, these are tricky questions for which it is impossible to prepare in advance. The recruiter's goal: to see the applicant's reaction to a difficult psychological situation. If the applicant maintains self-control, this is a plus and is assessed positively by the interviewer.
Group interview. Allows you to interview several applicants at the same time and test them for sociability and friendliness. Several HR specialists may act as interviewers in such an interview.

3 ways to conduct interviews

For each type of interview can be applied various ways carrying out. The choice will be determined by the goals and experience of the recruiter. We will present you with three categories, the descriptions of which will help you better understand how to properly interview a candidate:

Strict A (structured) interview allows you to meet with a candidate according to a predetermined plan. Each point of such an interview is developed in accordance with some specific parameters of the psychological and professional characteristics of the candidate.
Free(unstructured) interview allows you to meet with the candidate in the format of a friendly conversation. Both the recruiter and the applicant are trying to find out some facts that are interesting to them and get information that is important to them. In order to conduct such an interview correctly, you should avoid template questions. The format of communication should resemble a free discussion during a round table.
Combined interview involves a combination of elements of strict and free format. This allows you to conduct an interview correctly and create the most complete portrait of the candidate: his professional qualities will be determined using a developed plan that includes checking all aspects of the requirements for the vacancy. The psychological characteristics of the applicant can be identified in the process of informal communication on topics not related to work.

3 universal interview stages

If a specialist has a clear vision of the stages of communication with a candidate for a vacancy, then he will clearly understand how to conduct an interview at a high level. Any interview consists of several parts, each of which has a logical conclusion. There are three main steps to consider to help you understand how to conduct an interview in a structured and consistent manner:

Acquaintance. The interviewer needs to be attentive to the candidate from the very beginning to assess his ability to present and present himself. The applicant also forms his own opinion about the interviewer and the company in which he may work. Many aspects are important here. For example, the level of interview organization: how interviews are conducted for a vacant position at an enterprise; who conducts the interview when hiring a candidate for a job. In addition, it is estimated appearance and professional qualities of an HR manager.
Testing. This is the most important stage, which determines the professional competence of the applicant. An inaccurate description of a candidate can be a hindrance in the process of finding the right employee. Time is a very valuable resource. In order not to lose it, you should think through all the questions in advance and prepare tests for the applicant so as to conduct the interview with maximum benefit.
Information about the company and vacancies. During this stage, it is important to attractively talk about the organization and highlight the advantages of the vacancy for which the applicant is applying. It is also worth mentioning what projects the company is involved in at this stage, describe the organizational structure, and working conditions. All these aspects are very important to the candidate, because it directly affects his interests. Complete and truthful information will help him make the right decision about whether this job is suitable for him or not. And honesty on the part of the recruiter will allow the interview to be conducted effectively, endearing the candidate to himself and the company.

How to competently conduct an interview from a legal point of view

In accordance with the Labor Code of the Russian Federation (Article 3), the employer has the right to test the applicant’s professional skills (ability to work with office equipment, typing speed, etc.) and psychological characteristics using tests.

However, if the employer identifies the level of stress resistance, the quality of performance of assigned tasks, that is, conducts a more thorough check than a regular survey, he must understand that after this he will not be able to refuse the candidate without explanation. The applicant has the right to demand from the employer a written justification for refusal to hire. This rule especially applies to those candidates who were sent for an interview by the employment service.

If the employer cannot logically explain his decision in court, that is, prove that he is refusing precisely due to the candidate’s professional inadequacy and legal aspects, and not because of personal characteristics, then he will find himself in a very difficult situation.

In accordance with the Labor Code of the Russian Federation (Article 14), the applicant has the right to refuse the employer to provide personal information. First of all, he is not required to present passport data. Filling out any questionnaires should only occur with the consent of the applicant. Otherwise, the employer becomes a violator labor legislation RF.

There is often a situation in which an employer, before conducting an interview, contacts the applicant’s previous place of work to find out more about him. This action is legal. But statistics show that 80% of employees quit due to disagreements with management. Among the reasons may be fraud on the part of the manager, disrespectful attitude towards employees, and a high level of conflict in the company. Therefore, you should react to the review of your former boss with caution. Most likely it will be negative.

On the other hand, you also should not unconditionally believe everything that the applicant says. Unfortunately, there are vile and deceitful people in the world. In order to competently conduct an interview and give a correct assessment of the candidate’s qualities, you should rely on your sense of logic and trust your intuition. Leading questions will help you more than detective work and interviews with former bosses.

It often happens that the employment service sends the applicant to an interview. Sometimes it is clear from such applicants that they abuse alcohol. How to interview a job candidate in this case? Is it legal to require a medical certificate from him? In accordance with Article 65 Labor Code The Russian Federation employer has the right to request from the applicant a passport, diploma, pension certificate, work book. Medical documents are provided only to a certain category of applicants who apply for the position of a medical worker, catering worker or children's educational institutions. In all other cases the requirement medical certificate will be a violation of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

If you still have serious doubts about the applicant’s reliability, then try to find a good reason for refusal related to his professional qualities. Convincingly justify your decision. Be extremely careful: any ill-considered word you say to an applicant can be used against you.

How to prepare for the arrival of a candidate

Before conducting an interview, the recruiter studies the candidate's resume in detail. When preparing for an interview, he thinks through a number of his questions so that they help identify not only the applicant’s professional suitability, but also determine his personal characteristics. It is important to check how the candidate’s real data corresponds to the requirements of the vacancy for which he is applying.

As a rule, a vacancy profile consists of a description of general characteristics: age, level of education, work experience. Additional requirements may also apply:

responsibility;
loyalty to the employer;
controllability;
systematic thinking;
ability to work in a team;
independence;
diligence, etc.

The interviewer may also want to prepare a detailed questionnaire or test for more in-depth study. psychological characteristics candidate, as well as to assess his professional qualities and work experience.

HR specialist: responsibilities, competencies, necessary qualities

Where to interview a candidate

In order to win over the candidate, it is best to conduct the interview in a quiet room, without the presence of other employees. For most people meeting with an employer, a noisy work environment is uncomfortable. It is best to conduct the interview in a separate room where no one will disturb you. If you don’t have one, you can allocate some space in the common work area, separating it as much as possible from prying eyes. A special partition will help reduce extraneous noise and conduct an interview in the privacy required for a business conversation.

Sometimes recruiters decide to conduct an interview not on the company’s territory, but in other places. in public places. For example:

In a restaurant or cafe. The informal atmosphere of these establishments will encourage the candidate to communicate more openly, allow him to control himself less, and feel more relaxed. This will help the recruiter quickly establish contact with the person and conduct a quality interview.
In the car. This interview option is suitable in cases where the employer wants to show the candidate the territory of his future work, demonstrate the facilities where his activities will be carried out. Thus, the employer will be able to simultaneously conduct an interview and a tour of the work area.
In the lobby of a business class hotel. This interview location will test the candidate's professional loyalty and flexibility.
By Skype. The advantages of this format lie primarily in saving time and the opportunity to conduct conversations with candidates from the most remote places of residence.
By phone. Usually a preliminary conversation is held over the phone. Below you will find more detailed description how this can be done. One of the main goals of such interviews is to screen out candidates who clearly do not meet the job requirements.

How to conduct an interview: step-by-step algorithm for selecting an employee

We present an algorithm of seven sequential steps, following which can help you conduct an interview competently and create a complete portrait of the applicant based on the results of a telephone interview.

Step 1. Initial impression.

The very first impression (it is widely believed that it is the most correct) is formed on preparatory stage. For example, during a telephone conversation with an applicant, or when the HR manager gets acquainted with the resume. At this stage, the initial selection already takes place: some of the candidates are invited for an interview, while others are rejected.

Studying a resume helps to immediately determine some of the applicant’s qualities and conduct an interview more effectively, allowing you to obtain information in advance about the candidate’s brief biography for a vacancy and his experience in previous jobs. By the way the resume is compiled, one can draw a conclusion about the intellectual and personal qualities of the candidate. Schematic and template thinking man will indicate only the names of companies, periods of work and positions held, but will omit a description of his duties. Another applicant, for example, will describe his achievements and results in too much detail. This will indicate that such a person does not know how to separate the main from the secondary. A resume compiled with grammatical and punctuation errors will also leave a negative impression.

At the same time, shortcomings in the design of the resume or any features characterizing the candidate are not decisive when assessing a specialist. The recruiter makes the main impression during the interview, during live communication.

In order to have a successful interview, it is important to create a comfortable environment for both parties. The place and time of the meeting must be agreed upon in advance. The interviewer should plan the duration of the conversation with the applicant. It is unacceptable for a meeting to be terminated due to lack of time.

When a candidate appears at the interview site, it is important to pay attention to how he enters, how he greets people in the room, how he navigates the space, what place he chooses for himself, how he sits down, where he puts his things, how he introduces himself, etc. P.

Step 2. Appearance.

It is important to understand that a person's appearance is a reflection of him internal installations. Therefore, how a person dresses and how he looks matters a lot.

A standard interview should last at least 30 minutes. With rare exceptions, you should stick to this time. Any applicant, regardless of the results of the interview, becomes a carrier of information about the company. For this reason, it is not advisable to conduct 15-20 minute interviews. The candidate has the right to believe that this is too a short time in order to form a complete impression of his professional suitability. If he is disappointed, he will most likely become a carrier of negative information about the company.

Step 3. Communication style.

It is important to pay attention to the manner in which the applicant constructs a conversation. Every employee has to communicate with colleagues or clients. One of the important indicators of a candidate will be his ability to competently and clearly express his thoughts and politely address his interlocutor.

Step 4. Experience and attitude towards life.

To get a good result, it is important to conduct an interview with a lot of questions. Thanks to this, you can get truly interesting and meaningful information about the candidate’s life guidelines and values. Also, during the conversation, it is important to cite real work stories as examples and ask the applicant about his actions in a given situation, ways to solve problems.

It is important to identify what motivation brought the applicant to your company. Almost every candidate will claim that they would like to become an employee successfully developing company. This answer only allows us to understand that the person is not used to taking responsibility and wants to find a quiet place with a stable salary. It is important to find out the true motives that prompted a person to come for an interview. If your task is to conduct quality interviews in order to select valuable employees for the company and create a reliable work team, then you should carefully find out the internal motivation of each applicant.

Step 5. Diversified personality development.

If you want to conduct a truly high-quality interview with an applicant and get a complete picture of him, then in addition to professional aspects, it is important to find out what interests and hobbies the applicant has, what he fills his life with in his free time. If a person has a certain hobby, then this speaks positively about his development. Some people find it difficult to answer the question about what book they are reading now. This will be a disadvantage for them. If the applicant does not have a favorite activity, you can ask how he spends his day off.

Step 6. Feedback and questions.

At this stage of the interview, allow your candidate to ask questions about the job and the company. It is important to do this in order to create the opportunity for communication in which both parties participate. With the help of questions, the applicant can further express himself, and the interviewer can learn more about the candidate. Be sure to pay attention to what exactly the candidate is asking and how he is doing it.

Step 7. Summary.

Invite the applicant to fill out your application form, even if he sent you his resume in advance. Having your questions answered will help you form a more complete impression of the candidate. For example, the answer to the question of what the applicant dreamed of becoming as a child will show how the person feels about his dreams. By how and what a person dreams about, you can determine the breadth of his thinking. If you ask the question “What could a book about you be called?”, then by the answer you can judge the candidate’s attitude towards himself and his achievements. The scale of personality can be found out by getting an answer to the question about the craziest thing a person has done. For some, this act will be to have a pet, and then there is no need to talk about the large scale of the individual.

In order to properly conduct and complete the interview, tell the applicant in the final part of the conversation about your further actions and the time after which you will inform about the decision regarding his candidacy. Contact everyone by phone personally, even in case of refusal. If you are talking to a candidate whose interview was unsuccessful, thank him for his time and wish him success.

10 Best Sales Manager Interview Questions

The practitioner tells

How to conduct an interview in 15 minutes and find out everything about a candidate

Boris Petrov,

CEO Petrocomplex company, St. Petersburg

Attentive observation of the candidate's behavior during a conversation helps me understand the degree of sincerity of a person. Based on personal observations, I concluded that a person tries to hide the palms of his hands (lowers them on the table, hides them between his knees), touches his ears, and looks away at those moments when he is telling a lie. A lot can be judged if an applicant, applying for a leadership position, does not dare to look his potential boss in the eyes throughout the entire interview. Sometimes I end a conversation with such a candidate after just 5 minutes. Seeing that my interlocutor is dishonest with me, I am not going to waste time on him and unravel the reasons for his insincere behavior.
I am absolutely convinced that in any position (from secretary to director) an employee creates a certain product, for which he receives money in the form of wages. Someone creates documents, someone produces components. However, it is extremely important to understand: created papers or parts must ultimately be exchanged for something important to the company. Only then can the employee’s work be considered complete.

Since I've done a lot of interviews, I've heard a lot of different answers from people when asked what they were paid for. Many answered stereotyped: “For fulfilling the job description” or “For coming to work.” I don’t think that working with such employees would be interesting or productive for me. But there are also applicants who immediately understand the essence of the issue and provide clear information about their results in their work activities. For example, the answer “Created software for an industrial controller, ensured testing of all functionality, put into operation the customer’s automated control system” leaves me no choice but to hire such a specialist.

4 examples of interviews that will take a candidate out of their comfort zone

What questions to ask at an interview

How to determine his professional skills and abilities? A good helper in this is the right questions. They can affect knowledge and skills that are in demand in a highly specialized field, or they can relate to a person’s general business qualities, his attitude towards the team and corporate culture. For example:

“Tell us about your achievements, results, completed projects at previous places of work (you can specify the name of a specific company). If difficulties and problems arose, what exactly were they and how did you deal with them?”
“What software do you use and why? What are its advantages?
“Let’s now try to talk in English language!” If the interviewer is fluent in English, this is a great way to test the applicant's knowledge.
“Let's imagine that in the course of your work you are faced with a serious problem (you need to describe in detail the situation that could actually arise in the work process). What actions will you take to get out of this situation?”
“How do you feel about... (list some modern and outdated approaches to performing job duties). Explain why you think so?”
“What innovations have you used in your work? In what ways did you try to increase efficiency when performing work tasks?”
“Can you ask your former boss or colleagues for recommendations about you?”
“What are your professional plans for the coming year? How will you implement them?
“Why were you attracted to our vacancy?” Thanks to the answer to this question, the interviewer will be able to assess the sincerity of the candidate’s intentions and find out what exactly interested him in the proposed position.
“What salary do you expect?”
“Are you able to work overtime if unforeseen circumstances require it?”
“Have there been any conflicts involving you at your previous place of work? Who was to blame? How did you resolve them?
“Please name your most serious mistake at work. Why did this happen? How did you solve the problem?
“Can you call yourself a responsible (creative, reliable, goal-oriented) person? If yes, then support this with examples from your life.”
“Why do you think some people find it difficult to work on their shortcomings: being punctual instead of being late; offer ideas and solutions instead of taking a passive position?” The secret of this question is that the person seems to be answering a general question, but in fact, he is talking about himself.
“When thinking about your former colleagues, name their positive and negative qualities from your point of view."
“Tell me what you see as an ideal place to work.”
“How would you describe your ideal boss? What traits and qualities do you think he should have?”
“What is the reason for your leaving your previous job?”

If the majority of the applicant's answers do not coincide with the conditions and vacancy that you are offering, then long-term cooperation is unlikely.

How to conduct a telephone interview

This interview format is becoming increasingly popular today. Here are some examples of situations in which a recruiter’s decision to interview a candidate by telephone would be appropriate:

If the applicant is applying for the position of a call center employee, telephone sales manager, or other areas of work where telephone communication is part of the direct job responsibilities.
If the candidate lives at a great distance from the main office of the company, then it is more convenient to conduct an interview by telephone. Based on the results of the interview, HR managers will conclude whether he is suitable for the vacant position or not.
If there are a large number of applicants for a position: only those who successfully demonstrate themselves during telephone communication will be invited to a personal meeting.
If the recruiter wants to clarify over the phone questions that arose while studying the applicant’s resume.

The telephone interview format has its advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages include the following:

the employer cannot see the candidate, which prevents him from making sure whether the applicant’s appearance corresponds to the desired position;
if the applicant is taken by surprise and fails to quickly demonstrate his business skills in a telephone conversation, this may become a reason for refusing a specialist who, due to his professional qualities and skills, is ideally suited for the vacancy;
limited time for telephone conversations;
lack of opportunity for interlocutors to observe nonverbal communication and each other's reactions.

The advantages of a telephone interview include:

Based on the results of telephone interviews, a recruiter can: sort out unsuitable candidates, organize searches for specialists in a wider territorial sector, communicate with applicants for positions living in different regions of the country;
Less time is spent on a telephone conversation than on a personal meeting. In a few minutes of such communication, you can form an initial impression of the candidate;
since applicants who live at a great distance from the company’s office do not need to come there for an interview, they save on travel expenses;
it is easier for a job applicant during telephone conversations (due to relaxed atmosphere) find out all the features of the position that interests him. In addition, he can finally be convinced that he wants to work in this particular company, performing specific duties.

The HR specialist is faced with the task of conducting a conversation over the phone in a calm manner and giving the interlocutor time and the opportunity to reveal himself as much as possible. Experienced recruiters immediately pay attention to such aspects of the applicant’s speech as voice timbre, quick response to a question and the ability to answer to the point. In addition, the recruiter notes for himself whether the candidate is able to keep his emotions under control, listen and hear the interlocutor, and clearly formulate his thoughts. Telephone communication may well show how confident the applicant is and whether he is punctual.

The recruiter begins the telephone conversation by introducing himself, stating his position in the company and the purpose of the call. Then he clarifies whether the applicant currently has enough time to communicate. In addition, the recruiter reminds the candidate about the main aspects and characteristics of the vacancy being discussed, after which he offers to take a test.

In order to competently organize and conduct a telephone interview, both the recruiter and the applicant, when preparing, you can focus on the following questions:

"Tell us about yourself". It is important for the recruiter to find out about the aspects of the candidate’s biography that are directly related to his work: education, professional skills, work experience, etc.
“What makes you want to work in this company?”. It is important for the candidate to show that he knows about the company’s activities, talk about its successful projects, achievements and development prospects.
"Reason for leaving previous job". Here the recruiter wants to find out whether the applicant is prone to conflict behavior, what requirements and expectations he has from others.
“Indicate strengths and weaknesses”. It is important to talk about your character traits and professional qualities in such a way as to look advantageous compared to other applicants.
"Wish for salary". If the candidate does not have information on the salary level in this company, then he can name the desired amount or agree with the amount that is due to a specialist for this position according to the staffing table.

During a further telephone conversation, the interviewer asks questions that allow him to obtain the information he is interested in about the applicant: for example, information about marital status, additional skills and abilities.

Group interview: how to conduct and what to consider

A group or team interview is a method of selecting candidates for a vacancy in which none of them is the center of attention. The interview takes place in such a way that several people are interviewed at the same time. The exception is when a team of specialists representing a company interviews one applicant for a position.

You can conduct a group interview if:

the vacant position is not of great importance;
many applicants for one vacancy;
there are not enough staff to conduct individual interviews with each applicant;
a multi-stage selection of candidates is planned;
the group format of communication assumes the specifics of the vacant position.

A group interview can be conducted in one of three types:

One interviewer works with a group of applicants.
Several representatives of the organization work with a group of applicants.
Several people interview one applicant.

The goals of such interviews will be identical:

testing the candidate for stress resistance;
assessment of how the applicant behaves in a team;
assessment of communication skills;
determining whether the candidate has the qualities required for the vacancy.

It is widely believed that this format saves time. This is quite controversial because in most cases, after group interviews, it becomes necessary to conduct individual meetings with each of the selected candidates. This type of interview is rather an intermediate stage in the selection of candidates.

The employer must keep in mind that significant time savings will not be achieved. One group interview can last 2-3 hours. Each candidate will have to make extra efforts to maintain concentration, save face and pretend that the monotonous answers of other interview participants do not cause him irritation and fatigue. The applicant’s task is to be perfect despite all difficult circumstances, to remain in good shape for a long time. The candidate should not relax and tune out the conversation: the interviewer will definitely notice this. Thus, for a recruiter, a group interview is convenient because it allows you to quickly identify such qualities of an applicant as impatience, aggressiveness and isolation.

Of course, it is not possible to form a complete impression of a person in this format. But no one sets this goal. As a rule, one criterion is selected by which applicants will be checked. Let's say a vacant position involves a lot of communication with clients. In this case, most of the interview will be devoted to checking the level of communication skills of applicants.

There are various techniques on how to conduct a group interview. The most popular option involves three stages:

A story about the company, a description of the vacancy, a survey of applicants to determine their level of interest in obtaining a vacancy and to determine their level of knowledge.
A team game during which a leader is determined.
Interview (5-10 minutes per applicant).

The sequence of stages may vary, some may be replaced by others. It is possible that instead of a game, candidates are offered testing. As a rule, questions do not require knowledge in any narrow professional field. Testing includes tasks for logic and attentiveness.

Some employers seek to conduct an interview in order to identify not such qualities as intelligence, ingenuity and logic, but some specific skill or character trait. For example, an applicant for the position of an accountant may be given a piece of paper as an assignment, all covered with mathematical problems. Problem solving may not be the most important skill in the accounting profession. However, the recruiter in this case will pay attention primarily to the approach and condition of the applicant. If he cannot show hard work and patience even in such a situation, then he will not be effective in his position.

You should talk in more detail about the games that can be played as part of a group interview. It is best to opt for a simple game that is easy to organize and play with the participation of several people and their teamwork. For example, it could involve participants putting together a large jigsaw puzzle. All candidates should be divided into two groups, each of which should be given a task. The composition of the groups is formed by the recruiter, and the leader in each team is determined spontaneously depending on the personal qualities of the participants. When forming groups, you should not divide people according to gender based. For objective and quick formation, you can use the alphabetical method (A-M in one group, N-Z in another) or distribute participants according to their places in the interview.

You can also conduct role-playing games, for example:

company representative - regular customer;
company representative - disappointed client;
a company representative is a candidate for a vacant position.

How to interview a candidate for a management position

Organizing and conducting an interview with a candidate applying for a management position is a very responsible process for any recruiter. A lot will depend on the choice of the recruiter: how the new manager will cope with his administrative responsibilities, how he will be able to manage the team, whether he will be able to lead the company or a separate division towards its intended goals.

When planning an interview with a potential manager, you should study and collect all publicly available information about him. An interview with an applicant for such a vacancy is different in that preparation for it is also an extremely important stage for candidates. Often, specialists try to think through answers to the most tricky questions and can easily find their way with the help of their “blanks”.

Experience shows that right choice difficult to do due to the halo effect. Thus, during an interview, a candidate can show himself as a valuable and experienced professional, but in practice it will soon become clear that he will refuse modern solutions and innovations due to his conservative attitude.

If a company invites an outside specialist, then the selection procedure must include an assessment of his personal potential. It is important to use all possible sources of information about the candidate: his resume, recommendations from previous employers, social media accounts. Only after a thorough study of the data about him can an interview be conducted for the purpose of further selection: using questionnaires, testing, and expert assessment.

It is very important for a recruiter to create a plan for himself in the process of preparing for an interview, so that during the interview he can strictly follow it. A conversation with a potential manager will differ in many ways from standard communication with applicants for ordinary employee positions. In an interview with a candidate for a managerial position, it is extremely important to assess his level of professionalism, determine what methods of work he prefers, and how developed his leadership qualities are. The interview can be conducted based on the following thematic blocks:

Assessment of general personality traits. It is important for the recruiter to understand whether the candidate speaks truthfully about himself, whether he stubbornly stands by his opinion or easily changes it under the pressure of circumstances.
Identification of communication features. The recruiter must find out whether it is important for the candidate to gain favor and respect from others, whether he is able to convincingly defend his opinion, convey his ideas, and whether he has a developed sense of empathy towards the interlocutor.
Definition of the basic approach to the analysis of work problems. It is important to understand how developed a potential leader’s analytical thinking abilities are. With the help of his questions, the recruiter purposefully finds out: what is more important for the candidate - logic or intuition? Is he a tactician or a strategist? How quickly does it process information, analyze and respond?
Assessing teamwork skills. What motivation methods will the future leader use, what management style and work methods does he prefer? Will he be willing to delegate authority? Will he be able to find mutual language in working with a team? How will he behave in a situation if employees do not accept his working methods?

Based on the results of the interview, the potential manager should be aware of what goals the company faces and how they can be realized. In addition, he must be ready rough plan on organizing work at the enterprise. It is important for the recruiter, based on the results of the conversation, to understand how the candidate corresponds to the company’s values, as well as to form a complete impression of his personal qualities and professional abilities.

Personnel development management: setting the vector and managing the process

How to conduct an interview without mistakes: 3 main misconceptions when assessing a candidate

In order to competently conduct an interview and protect yourself from mistakes at the very first qualifying stage, it is important for a recruiter to be smart and insightful. Here is a list of the most popular mistakes made by HR managers:

Educational requirements.

Companies often require the applicant not only to have a specialized higher education, but also professional experience(often at least three years). This is the most common mistake employers: by giving preference only to experienced applicants, they do not give beginners a chance to prove themselves. But it is young candidates who, as a rule, have a fresh perspective on many issues, they can think outside the box and are not afraid to take risks. In some cases, this will only be an advantage for the development of the company.

For example, a profitable deal can take place thanks to a non-standard approach and interesting projects that differ from traditional programs. That is why many managers are in search of talented specialists who can think freshly and outside the box, generate new ideas, and implement them in projects.

Personal qualities.

Often, recruiters, unfortunately, are fixated on identifying strictly defined qualities in candidates that are considered positive for an employee: work efficiency, accuracy, punctuality, loyalty to management and complaisance. At the same time, communication skills, a tendency to search for alternative solutions, and creativity often remain beyond the attention of the interviewer.

Special requirements.

The selection of candidates is carried out in accordance with the requirements for the vacancy. These may be age limits or gender restrictions. Special requirements may also include recommendations from a previous place of work and an explanation of the reasons for frequent job changes. Here it is important to understand whether a person changes jobs of his own free will. If so, then you are dealing with a fickle and unreliable employee.

6 tricky interview questions that will catch anyone by surprise

Performance analysis and interview evaluation

In order to determine whether the interview was conducted effectively, it is necessary to evaluate its results, expressed in quantity new information about the candidate and the time spent on the interview.

The results of the interview may be as follows:

A positive decision regarding an applicant for a vacant position.
Information about possible cooperation with him in the future.
Obtaining useful business information from the candidate.
Establishing contact with the applicant as a potential partner.
Thanks to him, I have access to new interesting contacts.
Conclusion on the fundamental inexpediency of further work with this candidate for the vacancy.

An interview can be conducted effectively and efficiently if at least one of the results described above is achieved during the process.

In order to conduct an interview and determine its outcome, it is important to pay attention to the quantity and quality of the following aspects:

interviewer skill;
duration of the conversation;
candidate value.

An ideal interview structure includes: full list questions to obtain complete information about the candidate. If the interview is limited by time, the recruiter should conduct the interview with full concentration and energy in order to achieve his main goal. The main findings from the interview should be recorded and stored for possible reference in the future. If the received data is not saved, the efficiency of the recruiters will decrease.

Information about the experts

Boris Petrov, General Director of the Petrocomplex company, St. Petersburg. Company "PetroComplex" is engaged in the comprehensive supply of technological equipment and automated process control systems for enterprises operating in the field of food production, combined mixtures, construction mixtures, pharmaceuticals and household chemicals throughout Russia and the CIS.

Many employers do not know how to properly interview a candidate for a position. Such a conversation should take place on equal terms - no arrogance or patronizing phrases. What should an employer look like in the eyes of a potential employee? Undoubtedly, an interesting, very open and attentive listener. A conversation taking place in this vein will help not only to see the pros and cons of the candidate, but also to study him very thoroughly.

A short introduction

Employers are often at a loss, not knowing what questions to ask. Here it is important to start not only from the professional component, but also from other aspects of life. It is important to learn about something completely abstract. This approach will help to win over the candidate and inspire confidence in him. The beginning should be informal in order to defuse the situation and prepare the applicant for the main part of the conversation, during which work issues will be discussed.

It is very important for an employer, before conducting an interview, to think about how he would like to see his employee, what traits will be important to him and which are unacceptable. In this case, you first need to think about the following two questions:

What type of employee should be suitable for a specific vacancy?
What qualities should he have?

Having an approximate portrait makes it much easier to find the right person. Knowing the approximate result, a solution is always found faster.

Interview - what psychologists think about it

Regardless of the duration of the conversation between the employer and the candidate, an opinion about the candidate is formed already in the first 3-4 minutes of communication. During this time, the manager makes positive or negative conclusions about the applicant.

Psychologists believe that the first few minutes should be devoted not to receiving information, but to creating a cozy and calm atmosphere, both for the employer and for the job seeker. This will help the candidate to relax. Constructive relationships and understanding will appear between the parties. It is this atmosphere that will allow you to work as productively as possible in the future.

The first few minutes can be devoted to the introduction. It should be short, informative and understandable. The employer must communicate the interview objectives to the candidate. It is also necessary to inform about the form in which the communication will take place and what its duration will be. Coordination of actions will allow you to establish psychological contact between the parties.

Interview formats

Before planning the structure of the interview, the employer must decide on its form. They can be divided into the following categories:

Structured

This type of interview requires a clear and structured template. Before starting, the employer draws up questions, paying attention to Special attention their wording. This variety is the most popular among respondents.

Stressful

At such an interview, the employer deliberately tries to unbalance the applicant. This effect is achieved through personal questions, lack of time to think and other tricks.

Situational

In this format, the applicant is placed in conditions reminiscent of work. This way he has the opportunity to demonstrate his professional and personal qualities and find a solution for a specific situation.

Competency interviews

If used correctly, this format can be very effective. A list of competencies that the employee must fully possess is drawn up in advance. During the interview, each of them is assessed on a 5-point scale.

Interviews for Skype

This option is most often used when searching for an employee to work remotely. Sometimes it is also used to make a first visual impression and establish contact. But in such cases, the interview presupposes a subsequent meeting in life.

Methods of carrying out

In addition to formats, there are also certain interview methods. Here are the methods used today:

Retrospective method

It is based on obtaining information about the applicant's past work experience. The manager learns about the results obtained and the lessons learned. Relationships with superiors at your previous place of work also play an important role. This information allows us to predict how the applicant will behave in a new place.

Perspective method (also called modeling)

The employer offers the applicant certain conditions or a situation, he, in turn, must comment on what he would do and how he would act.

Situational method (game)

The point is to bring the proposed model closer to a realistic scenario. Sometimes it is possible to simulate situations where the employer is the recipient of the service, for example, and the applicant must serve the client.

Stress method

It makes sense to use such a technique only when subsequent work will involve the occurrence of stressful situations. It is very important to use it very carefully so as not to harm the image of your organization.

After the manager chooses a certain technique and type of subsequent interview, he should understand how to begin communication.

First impression and appearance

It’s not for nothing that they say that the first impression is the most correct. It is formed even before meeting with the applicant, while studying his resume, communicating on the phone or e-mail. This can be called a kind of selection, based on the results of which a decision is made whether to invite the candidate for a further interview or not.

Some people think that appearance is not that important when choosing. People say that you meet someone by their clothes, but they send you away by their intelligence. However, don't discount a person's appearance. Neatness, clothing - all this is a reflection of a person’s internal attitudes and values.

Many people mistakenly believe that starting an interview is very simple; they have probably never encountered this. The applicant forms his opinion about the organization within the first 3-5 minutes. It is very important at this moment not to disappoint the candidate. The following four tips will help you get started successfully:

It is necessary to prepare a meeting room or your own office for an interview. There must be order there. The room should not be stuffy. Before starting negotiations, ventilation would be an ideal option. It is important to obtain a written copy of your resume and place it in front of you.
Defuse the situation. This will help the candidate feel comfortable, and he will be able to begin to trust the potential employer. This can be done by asking abstract questions. For example, whether the applicant quickly found the right building or whether there were any difficulties in finding the right transport. Another option is to tell some interesting story that will relieve tension.
No delays or tardiness. The manager must accept applicants exactly on time. It is important to understand that it is the director who is the role model for his subordinates. If the leader does not have discipline, then how can we talk about discipline in the team?
Self-presentation of the applicant. It is very important here to start talking openly with the candidate. This will also help evaluate his communication skills. At the very beginning of the interview, you can ask the applicant to tell a little about himself, clarifying some questions or letting him choose what to talk about.

If free communication between the parties is established, then you can start asking questions.

Questions to ask

When deciding on a list of questions, you need to think not only about their content, but also about their sequence. The conversation should be logically structured. Here is a procedure that will allow you to conduct the interview as correctly as possible:

Tell me something about yourself

The leader should note several nuances in this story:

How the applicant presents information - talks about his biography or immediately starts talking about his advantages. The latter indicates a desire to work in this company.
It is a good sign if the interlocutor speaks clearly, clearly and concisely. But an employee should not mumble. His thoughts should be clear.

What are your views on life?

You can also ask the applicant about how he deals with difficulties and obstacles. A question like this will help determine a person’s character, his nature. Pessimists will focus on the large number of problems and complexity of their lives. Optimists will agree that difficulties exist, but all of them can be overcome.

Why are you interested in this position?

Most answer rather clichédly, noting good conditions work, availability of prospects. If a person is a truly valuable specialist, then he will probably focus on some important details.

What advantages (advantages) do you have?

You can immediately ask why the person decided that he was suitable for the position. This question is one of the key ones. At this point, the applicant will be able to talk about his advantages. It is very important to monitor how a person presents information. Some people speak abstractly, others very reasoned. More attention should be paid to those candidates who prove their words with facts and figures. Their benefits are more real and significant.

What shortcomings (weaknesses) do you have?

A competent employee will not start talking about “real” weaknesses, but will focus on those points that will only increase the chances of getting a particular position. This includes increased demands on yourself and others. Some would call themselves a workaholic.

Why did you leave your previous job? What was the management's opinion of you?

These questions are relevant for those who no longer have a job at the time of the interview. If the candidate has not yet been fired, then it is worth asking why he decided to change jobs. It is very important to see how a person responds to his previous place of work. If he does this with negativity, showing his conflicting side, then this will certainly affect his future relationships with the team. Such employees need to be hired very carefully, after weighing all the pros and cons.

If the specialist is competent, patient and competent, then he will most likely point out positive points related to his old job. At the same time, he will say that he is now striving for more, wants to grow in his career.

Do you have any other job offers?

The qualified specialist was clearly invited for interviews somewhere else. A definite plus His emphasis will be on the fact that he is interested in obtaining a position in this company.

Where do you see yourself in 5–10 years?

Many people don't think about their lives in the long term. The company hardly needs such specialists if the manager wants to find an employee for a responsible position in for a long time. Someone will answer in a very abstract way, which is also not very good. It is important to get a specific answer. There are not so many candidates with clear plans for life. They talk about desired personal successes and professional growth.

How would you improve your work in our company?

The best option would be if the applicant can offer specific ways to improve work. Having your own experience will also be a plus. It is unlikely that this will be possible to do at the first interview, because the candidate needs to look at the company’s work from the inside, evaluate its advantages and disadvantages, and only then offer his own solutions.

Where can you get feedback on how you performed at your previous job?

This question is very important and will be very useful to the employer. The best option would be to provide the employer's phone number or even several employee contacts that could characterize the candidate. Often, applicants do not provide such information. The reason may be a lack of work experience or positive recommendations.

What salary would you like to receive?

A qualified employee always values his work. The company cannot always offer a salary that would suit the applicant. But sometimes candidates are simply bluffing when they claim high fees. It is quite simple to calculate such actions - you need to significantly reduce the amount offered or offer some benefits. This will certainly throw a person off balance.

What do you do in your free time from work? What are your hobbies?

You should ask about this at the end of the interview. Perhaps the employer will find a like-minded person, a colleague in hobbies. This will also have a positive impact on the applicant’s opinion of the director, which will help build the right relationships in the course of further work.

Sergey Abdulmanov, Dmitry Kibkalo and Dmitry Borisov

Founders and directors of the Mosigra company, authors of the book. We discovered many retail outlets and know how to conduct an interview like no one else. They talked about this in their book and we will write their recommendations below.

They looked at "Rejection in the second minute of the interview." This approach is very useful!

It happens like this: an applicant comes in and after a few questions you realize that he is not suitable at all. In this situation, there is no need to torment yourself or him with further questions. It is enough to explain that he is not suitable and end the interview. You still have to work with this person, and if you didn’t like him in the first minute, what to talk about further.

After all, it often happens that a person simply does not suit you in spirit. And most importantly, do not take such people into the core of the team. Therefore, if a tough professional comes to fill the same vacancy, with whom you feel it will be difficult to work, and a person with less knowledge, but burning with positivity, the choice is clear!

Boris Petrov

General Director of the Petrocomplex company, St. Petersburg. Interview in 15 minutes? Easily!

Boris claims that his interviews usually last no more than 15 minutes. He shared the most important details that will help negotiate with the candidate as efficiently as possible:

Language of the body. Undoubtedly, you need to observe how a person behaves during an interview. The body will always reveal whether the interlocutor is sincere or disingenuous. Thus, insincerity usually means scratching behind the ears, a distant gaze not directed at the interlocutor, hiding his palms (he puts them on the table or lowers them between his knees).

If a person, having come to an interview, never looked the interviewer in the eyes, this bad sign. It is unlikely that he was frank during the conversation. At the same time, there is little point in spending time finding out the reasons for this behavior.

What were you paid for? What is the product of your labor? Any person, regardless of what field he works in, creates some kind of product for which he receives money. Some are responsible for drawing up documentation, others work directly in production. At the same time, a person must understand that paper itself is not a product until it has brought some benefit. Otherwise, it will simply be useless.

If a potential employee responds that he receives money for performing job duties or for “sitting” the required time, he is unlikely to become a key and active employee. Such personalities, as a rule, cannot interest the interviewer. Some, on the contrary, speak very clearly about what they did, what they created. The detailed answer indicates two key factors at once. The first is that a person knows what he is doing and what he can do. The second is that it is aimed specifically at work, and not at “walking around” in order to receive a salary.

Evgeniy Demin

CEO and one of the owners of the companySplat, Moscow. What to pay attention to, what questions you can ask additionally.

Evgeniy notes that the duration of the interview depends on the position. It can last 10 minutes or an hour.

Thinking. To understand how a person thinks, you should ask him a question that can be answered in different ways. As an option, ask who is his authority or what he can teach the company’s employees. Such questions allow a person to answer in a free form. At the same time, he involuntarily demonstrates his character traits.

Trainability, ability to learn from one's mistakes. A person often exaggerates his successes and tries to minimize his failures. Everyone makes mistakes, but it is important to understand whether the applicant is able to learn some lessons from them and adjust his activities. Much depends on the specific situation and the scale of the consequences that occurred as a result of incorrect work.

Unusual questions to ask a candidate during negotiations:

What kind of superhero would you like to become if you had the opportunity? The answer will help identify those qualities that a person considers most important and valuable.
Ask the candidate to describe their ideal job. This applies to place, time, scope of activity and specifically functionality. This way you can learn about hobbies, interests, life principles. This will allow you to understand how honest a person is and whether he wants to work.
The question of shortcomings can be replaced with a kind of game. To do this, you need to draw a square on a piece of paper and ask the candidate to shade it in accordance with how professional he is. A completely shaded figure means that knowledge and skills are at the highest level. Typically, people leave part of the square unshaded. In this case, you can ask why it is not completely painted over, what the person specifically lacks.
What shortcomings of yours would immediately catch the eye of a new manager? This question will also help to find out the weaknesses of the interviewee. In this case, the candidate will have to look at himself from the outside.
For what reason do you want to change jobs now? Maybe this is how a person wants to change something radically in his life, maybe the work environment or relationships with the team. At the same time, the employer will also be able to learn about the priorities and motivation of the applicant.
If I contact your previous employer, what will he say about you? This question will also help the candidate look at himself from the outside and understand why he wants to change jobs.
How will you join the new team? New employee is not aware of how the work process takes place in the company, so he needs increased attention. A person will have to contact many colleagues in order to understand the principle of work, get help, explanation or advice. The answer to the question will help to understand whether the applicant himself is aware of this, whether he understands what will be required of him in the first months of work.
Explain to an 8-year-old child a concept from your field of activity (you need to name a specific one). Any professional term will do here. The clarity and speed of explanation will show whether a person is able to explain the whole essence of his work to a child who is completely uninitiated in this field of activity. This will once again demonstrate the candidate’s professionalism.

Vladimir Saburov

GGeneral Director of the company "Glinopererabotka", Bryansk. Don't give time to think.

It is important to ask about the presence of family (children, spouse, parents), clarify their age. Many people will feel that this question will not help clarify anything. In fact, these answers will help to understand whether the applicant has an incentive for intensive and fruitful work whether he can work focused and intensely, approaching his responsibilities with a high degree of responsibility and genuine interest.

Ask to rank priorities. In this case, you can indicate the following factors that may influence the choice of place of work: salary (size, availability of benefits), opportunity for career growth, independence, location close to home, opportunity to improve your professional skills, good atmosphere in the team, complexity of work.

Situational question. Here it is worth asking what the applicant will do if he is assigned a job that is not part of his job responsibilities. Refusal indicates a lack of desire to develop. Such a person will constantly have reasons and circumstances not to do what he should not do. Such employees can only be hired in the accounting department.

Getting to know the place of work. It is important here to show what the applicant will be dealing with. Sometimes expectations often do not match reality. In such situations, applicants themselves may often refuse to work.

Life interests. Vladimir shared a case from his practice. One day, a young applicant with an economic education came to his company for the position of head of procurement and logistics. The decisive factor in choosing this candidate was that he plays sports and trains children. Vladimir realized that such interests probably mean that the applicant has strength of character, endurance and a clear understanding of the value of time. All this was exactly necessary to work in the proposed position. The manager was not embarrassed by his small age; he invited the young man to work with him. Within a year, this employee was able to positively influence the work of the service on a global scale. He established a supplier monitoring system and honed the interaction between different services of the organization. Such activities made it possible to significantly reduce the costs of purchasing components and transporting finished goods.

Honesty check. You can also ask a situational question here. For example, a job seeker is preparing to go on vacation with his family, and then he is unexpectedly called to work to complete an urgent task. What will he do in this case? Even if a person is insincere, it will be immediately noticeable.

Self-esteem. Here you can also resort to modeling the situation. Let the applicant imagine that he has done a lot of work, on which he has spent a lot of time and effort. The results of his work turned out to be unclaimed. How will he react to this? What will he feel? If a person has low self-esteem, he will probably think that no one appreciates him, and that his time and effort were wasted.

A manager who doesn't know how to lead? It makes sense to ask the next question in a situation where you are searching for an employee for a leadership position. You can ask what the candidate will do if his employee does not complete his work on time. If he says that he will carry it out on his own, then this means that the person does not have the makings of a leader, he is only a performer.

Rigidity. This question should also be asked of those who want to get a management position. You should ask what the applicant will do if a subordinate is rude to him. If he resorts to moralizing, it is unlikely that the employee will be able to work as a manager. Work requires strict discipline; subordinates must complete assignments on time and in accordance with requirements. A positive response would be the application of penalties, dismissal if the incident repeats. A particularly tough position is needed by those who work in production.

Do you have any interest in the work? It is very important to understand whether the applicant is interested in the activity or just wants to receive a decent salary. Any manager wants to see in his employees an interest in the process and the resulting result. This is the only way to build a strong system.

Life principles - what suits the company? It is necessary that the company's principles coincide with those of the applicant. Vladimir again shared a situation from his life. Once he did not ask a candidate during an interview for the position of production director what “production culture” meant to him. It was important for the manager that everything in the workshop area was always in order and clean. It is this factor that directly affects the size of wages. This culture is also associated with honesty at work. The hired candidate performed well, was able to join the team, and organize work. But he also had one serious drawback - he tried to hide shortcomings in his work. The employees worked in perpetual chaos. Vladimir tried to fight this for some time until he found out that the director and the house had the same situation. It became clear that there was no point in raising such a person. I had to part with him. The issue of cleanliness is very serious in production, because clutter increases the likelihood of injuries at work and equipment breakdowns. Ultimately, this leads to additional costs. In addition, the workers themselves treat the company very differently when there is chaos around them and they do not support it in any way.

How to formulate questions correctly

To get a true answer, you need to ask open questions. They always begin with question words - when, with what, why, how many and others.

Closed questions	Open questions
So no need to ask	This way, asking them will be as effective as possible.
Didn't you like your previous job?	Why did you decide to change your job?
Have you done this, this, and this?	How do you see your work in our company, what will it consist of?
Are you sociable? Will you be able to join the team?	How would you characterize the team at your previous job? How were your relationships with your boss and colleagues? What traits of a leader turned you off?
Can you handle the job?	Why are you suitable for this position? What are your knowledge and advantages?

Closed they also call those questions that do not require a detailed answer, only yes or no. They are used exclusively to collect formal information. Do you smoke? Have a family? Do you have your own car? And others.

There is no need to give the applicant hints, offer answer options, or say anything else immediately after the question.

There is no need to set other applicants as an example. Under no circumstances should a leader talk much himself.

Questions for backfilling

The following questions help the manager figure out whether this is his employee or not, and reveal the motivation of the applicant:

You were criticized in Lately? Do you agree with the critical assessments directed towards you or do you prefer to challenge the statement? Why is this so?
Where do you see yourself in a couple of years? What do you need to do for this?
What goals are you guided by when identifying your desire to take up this position? Are your plans for career growth and development of professional skills related to the development of the company?
What is missing in your work so that it can be called ideal?
What job responsibilities bring you the most pleasure?
What three adjectives would you use to describe yourself? What adjectives would your subordinates use?
What does “achieving results” mean to you?
Tell us about three situations in which you achieved recognition and success?
Is it possible to get people to work better? What motivation do you give to your subordinates?
Are you able to sufficiently praise a person for his achievements?
What difficulties will you expect at your new job? Which ones would you like to discover? 3 examples for each.
Tell us about three traits of yours that you would like to change.
Why did you decide to change jobs? What don’t you like about your current (former) place of work?
How do you work with “difficult” subordinates? How will you continue to communicate with an applicant whom you will not hire?
What new things do you want to bring to the company?

Question form: what question to ask in a specific situation

The manager must compose the questions in such a way that the applicant is not engaged in deciphering them, but in answering them. They should be formulated clearly and understandably. The sentence must use simple words. There is no need to ask several questions right away.

Open-ended questions help reveal a candidate. They are the ones that are used most often.
Closed questions are applicable in situations where the manager expects to receive a positive answer or wants to receive clarifying information.
If the manager really liked one of the answers, it’s worth asking a question for negative balance. So, one might ask, have there been situations in life that didn’t go so well?
If something suddenly alerts the employer, he can ask a question that will confirm or refute the negative information.
Clarifying questions are used as additional questions when the manager would like to know a little more about what was said before.
Questions ending with “isn’t it?” They help direct the conversation in the right direction.
Mirror questions. The person uttered a statement, the leader repeated it, only in a question form.
Questions with choice or justification. In this case, the most effective way to obtain reliable information will be to model a certain situation.
Provocative statements. The manager sets a specific situation and asks for the applicant’s opinion.
Leading questions that already contain the answer.
A series of questions helps you immediately learn about all aspects of a particular situation and see it through the eyes of the applicant from different angles. This is a more stressful mode in which you can understand how the candidate perceives a large amount of information.
Questions related to the previous answer. They provide an opportunity to learn more about the statement or situation that interests the employer.

A lot depends on how a manager prepares for an interview. The more carefully he approaches this issue, the faster he will be able to find a suitable person to work in his organization.

Conclusion

This article turned out to be so long, but we tried to collect all the tips and recommendations for conducting an interview correctly. But these recommendations are only a support for you, and you will build your own interview format yourself. Because there are no identical leaders.

If you have your own methods for conducting interviews, please share them in the comments!

Today, in conditions of fierce competition, only competently selected employees can ensure the success and prosperity of any enterprise. Hiring an employee for a vacancy is a big responsibility for both the organization and the candidate.

As a rule, several applicants apply for one place, and in order to choose the best one, an interview is held. Preparing for this is the task of both parties. We will look at the process from the employer's side.

What tasks are solved during the interview process?

The interview is conducted either by the HR manager or directly by the head of the company. There are two important tasks that need to be addressed in the process:

Select a candidate for a vacant position taking into account the requirements of the organization.
During the interview process, a potential employee objectively assesses his or her capabilities regarding the vacancy.

Selection begins with posting an advertisement seeking a candidate for a vacancy. Potential applicants, responding to it, send out their resumes. After carefully selecting resumes, hiring managers call applicants and invite them for an interview.

Types of interviews

Depending on the organization and the specifics of its work, the interview may be conducted in different ways. In many large companies, interviews often take place in several stages. During the interview process, the personnel officer on behalf of the enterprise gets to know the applicant. At the initial stage, it is necessary to determine the candidate’s qualifications, as well as his suitability for the proposed position.

Information about the applicant is important for the employer; in order to obtain it, different types interview:

As a rule, several resumes are received for one vacancy. After selecting the most suitable ones, the recruiter calls applicants. IN telephone interview, the recruiting manager informs about the company and also tells the candidate about the proposed vacancy. By communicating by phone, the recruiter has the opportunity to clarify information that is not indicated in the resume. He provides information about the company, asks questions and answers the applicant's questions. A telephone conversation is a very convenient tool because it can be used to weed out uninterested candidates.
If the employer is interested in the candidate, he is scheduled for an interview. It may be biographical. The applicant is asked to answer a number of questions that provide information about education and work experience in a similar position. As a rule, this is a standard set of questions that may differ in structure. After the applicant has answered the recruiter’s questions, he is invited to ask questions that interest him. In most companies, this is the initial stage of the interview. This type of interview is also used by managers of recruitment agencies.
Sometimes it is necessary to conduct an interview to determine the competence of a future employee. This type is called behavioral. When conducting it, questions are asked that allow you to obtain information about the candidate’s work experience in a previous organization. In addition, you can find out how the applicant behaved at his previous job. Knowing this information, you can make a prediction about how it will perform in the future. In order to obtain the necessary information, you should ask questions such as:
- “What was the worst project you took part in?”;
- “When did you have to take the initiative when working on a project?”
Very often this type of interview takes place during the biographical interview process.
Some positions require the applicant to have logical thinking and reasoning skills. Allows you to obtain the necessary information situational interview. Often this type involves the use of cases. You can present the candidate with situations and ask them to find a solution. In this case, it is not the correctness of the answer that is assessed, but the ability to think logically. For example, a similar task: “Can you tear a thick reference book in half with your hands?” - it seems that such a task cannot be completed without foreign objects, although you can tear the book one page at a time. This question allows you to obtain information about the applicant's ability to analyze, perform arithmetic problems, as well as creative and communication skills.
Often you need to select a candidate for a vacancy that requires the ability to interact with colleagues. In this case, department heads and representatives of the HR department participate in the interview. This type of interview is called panel. Often such an interview requires preliminary preparation by the applicant himself. He is given a task, for example, to draw up a project plan.
Large companies often conduct group interview. Sometimes they involve several applicants for the same position. This type allows you to determine leadership qualities and professionalism. Candidates are forced to prove themselves in order to be noticed.
Stressful interview. When conducting this type of interview, the recruiter makes every effort to unsettle the applicant. This can be done with questions that are asked very quickly, and the candidate does not have time to answer them. The “intimidation technique” is often used; sometimes the recruiter pretends that he does not hear his interlocutor. This method allows us to draw conclusions about whether the applicant can cope with a stressful situation.

They all have one goal - an objective assessment of a potential employee.

Methodology

In modern interviewing practice, four techniques or combinations thereof are used:

Often used during a personal interview British method. During such an interview, the applicant may be asked about family traditions and biographical information. For example: “Do you have any relatives among the management members?” If the applicant answers the questions, he is considered hired.
Interview according to the German method assumes preliminary preparation candidate. He must prepare documents and written recommendations. When conducting interviews, commission members analyze these documents. In addition, you need to go through a number of procedures that precede the interview.
IN American method includes a number of tests that allow you to identify the intellectual and creative abilities of the candidate, used Computer techologies. Such interviews often take place in an informal setting. This could be a presentation or a business lunch. Great importance have potential human capabilities and shortcomings. This technique allows you to identify shortcomings that a person usually hides and which are not always acceptable for working in a certain company.
Chinese technique involves a written examination. Often required to write an essay, show your knowledge of the classics, literacy and historical knowledge. If candidates successfully pass all tests, they must write an essay on the topic of their future work.

Conducting interviews using the methods described above allows you to more carefully select candidates. Unfortunately, classic interviews have a number of disadvantages and do not allow reliable conclusions to be drawn about the suitability of the applicant.

Interview structure, rules and plan

When conducting an interview, the employer must be sure that the candidate fully complies with the vacancy offered to him. In this case, you will need to spend a minimum amount of time on its training.

The difficulty of conducting this is that each vacancy requires certain skills, experience and qualifications. Therefore, in order to identify the necessary experience, knowledge and skills in a potential candidate, it is necessary to draw up a plan and structure for the upcoming interview.

Psychological comfort during an interview is of great importance. It is necessary for the person to talk as much as possible, and the recruiter to direct the conversation in the right direction. In order to achieve this goal, you should ask questions that interest the employer.

It is very important to plan your interview correctly. It would be correct to invite the applicant to fill out a form and print out a resume. It is recommended to take notes during the conversation.

There are several options for constructing an interview:

In free form.
Situational.
Stress interview.
Behavioral.
Mixed type.

Each type assumes a certain structure. As a rule, this is determined by the vacancy itself and the direction of the company.

You can learn more about conducting interviews from the following video:

What questions should be asked, their correct construction

The behavior style of the recruiter himself is of great importance. The conversation should be structured as naturally as possible. If the interview is conducted in a confidential tone, then the person becomes more relaxed and his strengths and weaknesses can be seen.

It is important to establish contact with the candidate. In order for a person to relax a little, you can talk with him about general topics. After all, every applicant is a little nervous before an interview.

At the beginning of the interview, you should talk about the company and the specifics of the position. By asking questions, the interviewer gradually moves the conversation in the right direction. The questions should help the candidate reveal his professional and personal qualities. If a person grasps the essence of the conversation, then we can make the assumption that he is attentive and capable of learning.

Observing the applicant during the interview process is of great importance. After talking about the company, you need to invite him to tell about himself. Firstly, you let the person know that you are interested in him, and secondly, this is an opportunity to learn more useful information about him.

Typically, questions are formulated as follows:

“What exactly interested you in our proposal for cooperation?”;
“What attracts you to our company?”;
“What do you expect when working with us?”;
“What didn’t suit you at your previous job?”

Testing, test and case options

After the first stage, which involves a personal interview, you are often asked to take a test.

There are several test options, which are divided into three types:

Personal testing allows you to evaluate the properties and certain character qualities that are necessary to perform a specific job.
In order to determine the professional qualities of a candidate, intellectual tests. They provide insight into the applicant’s experience and knowledge.
In order to determine the communication style of the applicant, use interpersonal tests. They allow us to identify how conflicted a person is, as well as his leadership qualities.

there are a lot of them, they are selected depending on the type of vacancy and the direction of the company.

Cases are often used. Unlike tests, they do not allow obtaining an objective assessment of the personal and professional qualities of the applicant. However, they allow you to simulate a certain business situation and assess the competence of the applicant. Very often, cases are used when conducting interviews for positions of top managers, other management positions, and even sales managers.

A few examples

Sometimes psychogeometric tests are carried out during interviews. For example, it is suggested to draw geometric shapes, animals, humans. By analyzing the result, you can obtain information about the character and personal characteristics of a person.

You can offer to take a color test. Its essence is that cards of a certain color should be laid out in a certain sequence. This type testing allows us to draw conclusions about psychological characteristics personality and assess communication abilities and stress resistance.

What are the case options:

What will you do if you find out that your work colleagues regularly complain about you?
If you have received several lucrative job offers. What will you do? What might influence your choice?
What will you do if you are offered work that is not specified in the employment contract? What are you going to do?