How to conduct an interview correctly. Job interview for an employee: secrets of a successful interview. Be on an equal footing with the applicant

Personnel selection is one of the main tasks that must be solved to ensure the effective functioning of the enterprise. Finding a qualified employee is not so easy. Information about vocational training the employee is not enough. For a thorough selection, an interview is conducted, which allows you to form an opinion about the person as a specialist and personality.

To maintain the work process, you need to take care not only of the economic components of the operation of the enterprise, but also create a favorable psychological climate a team. For this, it is very important not to make a mistake when choosing a new employee.

Each manager must clearly understand what professional qualities and personal characteristics of the candidate he requires. And, based on this data, open a vacancy.

An interview helps to avoid mistakes and reduce the time spent searching for an employee. It doesn’t matter who will conduct the interview - the head of the company or an employee of the HR department. Main - professional approach. If there is a lack of experience and knowledge on how to conduct an interview, enterprises attract specialists involved in personnel selection.

Basic types of interviews used to evaluate candidates

Right choice this type will make it much easier for the manager to find a new employee. Most often, one of six types is used. Each of them is aimed at identifying specific features character of the applicant. They provide an opportunity to fully reveal the candidate’s abilities. Choosing the right type will allow you to understand how to interview an applicant. Let's look at them in detail.

Read how to properly prepare for an interview:

Structured interview.
It is considered one of the most common among interviewers. When preparing questions, they usually use the same points as in the questionnaire. It is carried out to determine whether the data specified by the applicant in the resume corresponds to reality. For this purpose, it may be necessary to provide documents (usually originals, in rare cases copies) confirming education, qualifications and work experience.
Situational or case interview.
Allows you to assess the applicant’s abilities in solving specific problems in accordance with the situation. The interviewer's questions are based on how the candidate would act in the given circumstances. The received answers are compared with the standard ones. Depending on this, an opinion is formed about the degree of preparedness of the applicant and the availability of professional experience.
Projective interview.
The candidate is assessed based on his comments on the actions of fictitious people in different situations. For each interview, a suitable model is selected that will help characterize the applicant in accordance with the employer’s requirements. It has been scientifically proven that when analyzing the actions of other people, a person evaluates their actions based on his own experience. This type The interview reveals the psychological makeup of the applicant and shows what his actions would be if he found himself in a similar situation.
Behavioral interview.
Reveals the candidate's ability to make responsible decisions to eliminate emerging problems in the process of performing the tasks assigned to him. The main function of this is to identify the applicant’s ability to adequately respond to work issues. Suitable for assessing the professional qualities of applicants.
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It is carried out to determine the candidate’s stress tolerance and conflict tolerance. During the interview, questions are asked that are aimed at removing a person from a comfortable state and inducing conflict. Most often used tricky questions, for which it is difficult to prepare in advance. IN in this case attention is drawn not to the correctness of the answer, but to the psycho-emotional state of the applicant. The calmer the applicant, the better.
Group interview.
Allows you to quickly evaluate a large number of candidates for a position whose main criteria are sociability and friendliness. Conducted in the presence of several candidates. Several HR managers may participate in it.

Methods of conducting interviews

Each type of interview can be conducted different ways. The choice depends on the goals of the interview and the recruiter's experience. The interview is usually divided into the following categories:

strict (structured) is carried out in accordance with a pre-prepared plan. Each point in such an interview is developed according to the specified parameters of the psychological and professional portrait of the candidate;
free (unstructured) resembles a friendly conversation. Each participant finds out the information they need (without template questions). The interview structure resembles a round table format;
combined - two methods are used simultaneously. This makes it possible to reveal the candidate more fully. In this case, it is better to determine the professional characteristics according to a strict plan that will cover all aspects of the requirements for the applicant. A psychological portrait can be drawn up during a casual conversation on abstract topics.

How to conduct an interview correctly

What stages can the interview be divided into?

Having a clear understanding of the stages of the interview will help you plan it successfully. They divide the interview into several parts. Each of them has logical completeness. The main stages of the interview are presented below. There are three in total:

Acquaintance. The interviewer needs to assess the applicant's ability to present himself. Remember that first impressions are important. And the candidate also evaluates the hiring manager. The opinion about the interviewer (and, accordingly, about the hiring company) consists of many factors: the level of organization of the interview, the appearance and professionalism of the recruiter;
Testing. For a successful interview, this stage is the most important; the professional competence of the selected candidate depends on it. An inaccurate description of the applicant can delay the search for the right employee for a long time. And time is money, so you should prepare the necessary questions and questions in advance;
Information about the company and vacancies. The story should be told in such a way as to present it as advantageously as possible. positive points work in the company, provide more information specific to the vacant position. Must be mentioned general information what projects are being carried out in this moment, organizational structure, as well as working conditions. For the candidate it is important point, he decides whether this organization is suitable for him.

There is no universal template for how to conduct an interview correctly. It is difficult to prepare a general plan for all cases. It is developed according to specific requirements and situation. Each interview should begin with preparing the room. You cannot demand that a candidate be interested in getting a job with you if it takes place in a hastily prepared office.

Try to relieve possible tension at the beginning of the conversation. You should ask the candidate whether he got there easily or whether he encountered any difficulties finding an office. Punctuality is not only a requirement for the candidate, but also the responsibility of the interviewer. It is important to start the meeting on time unless the delay is part of the applicant's assessment. Once communication has been established between the candidate and the interviewer, you can begin the main part and move on to questions.

What questions should a candidate ask during an interview?

An interview is an important part of the process of checking a specialist for compliance with the selection criteria. Correctly posed questions and analysis of the answers will make it possible not only to assess the professional potential of the applicant, but also to characterize him as a person. Intelligence, literacy, ability to generalize and structure information - all this will be demonstrated by the interview. Below are the main questions to ask the candidate in the order in which it is advisable to ask them.

"Please tell us about yourself"

“What interested you in our vacancy?”

The answer to this question will make it possible to understand how interested the candidate is in the job. Most respond with standard phrases, talking about excellent conditions and great prospects. The more experienced the specialist, the more specific his answers will be. He knows exactly what he wants to achieve by working in this company.

“What advantages do you have?”

An ideal question to assess intelligence and entrepreneurship. The candidate is given the chance to tell the best about himself. You need to pay attention to what characteristics and arguments he voices. Is his answer replete with cliched phrases, or does he give specific examples and confirms the words with numbers? People who know how to give reasons for their answers show high level development both intellectual and professional.

“Please mark your weaknesses”

In the answers of competent specialists, you can see weaknesses that are not such. They will be a plus when considering a candidate for employment. For example, these include being excessively demanding of yourself and your colleagues.

"Reasons for dismissal from previous job” or “Why are you changing your job?”

The first question reveals possible or actual reasons for dismissal. In the second, personal ambitions and factors influencing decision-making. It is necessary to take into account the manner in which the reasons are revealed. If the statements are negative towards a former or current employer, you need to think about whether such an employee is needed.

“Do you have any offers from other employers?”

“Who do you imagine yourself to be in 5-10 years?”

Most people are not inclined to plan their lives for such long periods. For this reason, responses that communicate the candidate's precise goals or accomplishments will be interesting. Distribution of forces and directed development are the traits of a professional who knows the value of his time and labor. He will be able not only to improve himself, but also to lead the company towards its goals.

“Is it possible to get a reference from a previous place of work?”

The question is very complex and delicate for the candidate. Everyone quits for their own reasons. For many, the question can also be painful. The ideal option is to provide several ways to contact your previous employer. This demonstrates openness and self-confidence. Such specialists are willingly chosen if they meet other parameters.

“What salary would you like?”

In advertisements, the employer indicates the minimum wage, and the maximum depends on a number of factors. When answering this question, the applicant can name both an approximate and an exact amount. It is worth paying attention to how well he understands the market value of specialists of his level. An adequate price characterizes the candidate as an experienced professional.

“What do you do in your free time?”

Having a hobby allows you to judge the applicant as a versatile person. You should be wary of those whose hobbies involve extreme sports. Although love for extreme sports is not always directly related to the desire to constantly take risks. Needs to be considered specific situation and the applicant.

Sometimes during interviews, non-standard questions are used. For example, if you ask a candidate, “Who would you be if you could be any superhero?” The answer will show what qualities the applicant values above all else. Once all questions have been answered, the presentation of the campaign should begin.

The applicant may have a number of questions and suggestions about the company. The recruiter should always have enough information to answer. The choice the candidate will make depends on the literacy of the presentation. The decision to accept or reject the proposed conditions always remains with him. At the end of the interview, you should inform the candidate how he will be notified of the results of the meeting.

Refusal rules

As an example of a refusal to a candidate after an interview, one can cite the classic phrase: “You are not suitable for us because...”. It will clearly and competently explain to the applicant that he is no longer interesting for this company. An applicant can be rejected at any stage. In most cases, a decision on a candidate's suitability for a position is made without his presence. It is possible to involve specialists for a more accurate assessment of written tests and assignments.

Depending on the results obtained, a decision is made on the suitability of the candidate for the vacant position. Within a few days, the applicant is informed of the results of the interview. Prompt decision-making regarding candidates will allow you to quickly and efficiently select the most suitable ones. The search process is significantly reduced in time, and productivity increases.

Check out our website on how to successfully pass an interview:

Selecting a suitable employee is a difficult and responsible step for a company. Considerable effort should be made to find an employee who will be ideal in all respects. There is always a great demand for highly qualified specialists. Some of them are actively being bought from each other by companies. Such actions are justified, since a valuable employee will bring great profit to the organization and will contribute to its development and promotion.

Recruitment agencies constantly monitor vacant positions and available specialists. They are modernizing selection systems and coming up with new evaluation criteria. Their work brings tangible results - many professionals occupy lucrative positions in large companies. And to understand the principle of their functioning and how to conduct interviews, you need to spend more than one day.

Constantly looking for new personnel, and applicants, in turn, are looking for suitable employers. Therefore, people often have a question: how to conduct a job interview?

Hiring an employee is a responsible undertaking for both the employer and the employee. The beginning of this difficult process is an interview with an applicant for a vacant position. The effectiveness of its implementation largely determines which candidate will take a place on the team. Therefore, both parties need to carefully prepare for the interview.

How can an employer effectively interview a candidate?

Many employers wonder how to conduct an interview when hiring a new employee. We will try to answer this question in as much detail as possible.

Be on an equal footing with the applicant

It is necessary to keep the conversation with the candidate simple and natural. Try to be an interesting conversationalist, open and attentive. These recommendations will help to reveal a person completely, as he will be as relaxed as possible when communicating. During a confidential conversation, it is easy to see the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate.

Establish contact with the candidate

To defuse the situation, you should talk with the applicant about general topics. This will help relieve the stress that a person experiences when going for a job interview. It is necessary to wait until the moment when he begins to feel comfortable and can relax.

Story about the company's activities

Next, you need to talk a little about the company’s activities, about the specifics of the work for the position for which the candidate is applying. This approach is necessary in order to bring the interlocutor to an important conversation about his professional and personal qualities. In addition, you can immediately understand whether the person understood that you expected him to tell a story about himself. If he understood, then this speaks of his attentiveness. Accordingly, it becomes immediately clear that the candidate has the ability to learn.

Observation of the candidate

You should carefully consider the personal qualities of the applicant for the position. It is important to understand whether you can work well with this person. To do this, the employer needs to create a portrait of the person with whom he would like to work in advance. To get the full picture, you need to find out what qualities the applicant has. Perhaps, for you as an employer, these should be fundamentally experience, organization, the ability to work in a team, a certain education, etc. To specifically identify such desired qualities, it is necessary to draw up a list of them.

The head of the organization does not always conduct interviews independently. Most likely, this is done by professional interviewers who work in recruitment agencies, or by recruiting managers. It should be understood that the requirements for how to conduct an interview effectively are the same for everyone.

How should an employer prepare questions for an applicant?

After meeting the employer and the candidate, you need to move on to the main part of the interview - the questions. The employer should prepare them in advance. All the interviewee’s answers must be recorded on paper so that in the future it will be easy to remember the dialogue and analyze it. Interview questions are asked by the employer following stories about the company.

First of all, you need to ask the person to tell about themselves. This step will prove to the applicant that you are interested in him. Next, you should ask what exactly attracts him to the company and the vacant position. Then you need to find out whether the applicant is satisfied with his career and the pace of its development. Finally, find out his opinion about his previous place of work and why he was not satisfied with it.

You should ask leading questions during the interview. Offer to analyze this or that situation, while listening carefully and writing down. Let the candidate describe in detail how he can get out of trouble with honor and dignity.

Sample questions

What are your strengths?

What are the weaknesses?

What difficult situation do you remember at your last job and how did you overcome it?

Reason for leaving your previous job?

Why should you work for us?

Do you think it's okay to lie sometimes? If so, in what situations?

What are the methods of stimulating employees necessary to increase productivity?

It is important to be able and know how to interview a candidate. This will greatly help identify the qualities of an applicant desired by the employer.

Testing

After successful interviews with applicants, as a rule, the employer prepares testing. They can be roughly divided into three categories.

Personality test. Necessary for assessing the qualities and character traits that contribute to the effective performance of work. Shows whether the candidate has the ability for official and professional growth.

Intelligence test. This source of information reveals the skills and professional abilities of the employee. Helps the employer find out in which area the candidate has work experience.

Interpersonal test. Reveals the employee’s communication style in a team, his ability to make compromises, come to the aid of other employees in difficult situation. Tests a person for conflict. The employer will carefully analyze this character trait, because conflicts in the team affect performance. If such a trait is present, he will probably refuse to accept such an employee. This test also reveals whether the candidate is a leader.

Tests during a job interview further help the employer form an opinion about the characteristics of the employee’s individual style of activity and the specifics of his motivation. After testing, the most suitable candidate for the vacant position is selected.

All of the above will help the employer find a worthy candidate for a vacant position in the company. Now let's look at the question from the applicant's point of view. After all, they are also interested, for their part, in the question of how to successfully pass a job interview. Let's take the banking sector as an example.

How to successfully pass an interview for a job at a bank?

The stage of preparing and distributing resumes to various banks is over. The long-awaited call comes with an invitation to an interview. This means that they are interested in your candidacy. At this stage, the applicant’s goal is to attract the employer’s attention, so you need to carefully prepare for the upcoming interview. Below we will describe in detail how to conduct a job interview effectively.

Neat appearance

To feel confident and look respectable in the eyes of others, you need to think about your outfit in which you will go to an interview. This should definitely be a business suit. For men: shirt, tie, suit consisting of a jacket and trousers. For women: a shirt or blouse, a skirt is required, it must be below the knee, beige tights only, a jacket or vest. Accessories should not overload the image. You can take a watch with you and wear no more than one ring. You need to hide all your gold chains and stuff. Hair should be washed and combed. Women need to put them in their hair. It is not acceptable to show up to an interview with your hair down. It is not recommended to wear too much makeup, wear provocative jewelry, or splash a lot of cologne.

Tell us about yourself at an interview, example - a credit specialist

After a short exchange of greetings that usually begin an interview, such as “How did you get there?”, “Was it easy to find our company?”, “What’s the weather like outside?” and so on, you need to start a story about yourself: about your professional activity, about the strong and weaknesses character and so on. You should try to tell everything to the point, briefly and clearly, focusing more attention on those facts of your work history that may be most interesting to the employer.

Let's consider the option of telling about yourself at an interview, an example is a credit specialist.

You need to bring your best self to the fore. important achievement, which was throughout your career as a loan officer. You need a vivid story about yourself that is best able to remain in the memory of the employer. The purpose of telling about yourself is to fulfill the employer's request to stand out from the crowd of candidates.

For example, tell us what the maximum loan amount you issued, what low percentage of defaulters was in your loan portfolio, how you can work in a team to achieve general plan bank office, what Additional services you offer the most successfully to your clients and so on.

Remember that the employer does not need your biography, but information containing a couple of interesting facts about your career. Answers during a job interview should be brief, so your story about yourself should not exceed one minute.

Question answer

After telling me about myself main role the employer will undoubtedly take over in the further conversation. You need to listen carefully to his questions. They are usually standard and have been described above. Your interview answers should be truthful and thought out in advance. If you do not have enough experience or had a slightly different specificity of work, then say that you will need time to get up to speed on the new business.

One of the employer's favorite questions is to talk about strengths and weaknesses. You should carefully choose the words of what to say at the interview. Strengths include responsibility, willingness to help (this is important when working in a team), punctuality, efficiency, etc. Weaknesses must be interpreted in positive traits. For example, you don't know how to say “no.” IN Everyday life, of course, this hinders you, but professionally it makes you an indispensable worker who is always ready to help and perform important tasks. urgent work. This quality is valuable for a loan officer because he is a performer and works under management. These recommendations will help answer the question of how to conduct a job interview correctly from the employer’s point of view.

Another question that will definitely not be ignored is why you are leaving your previous place of work. Do not under any circumstances mention during the interview that you did not have a good relationship with your superiors, problems communicating with colleagues, or that you did not cope with your job responsibilities. The answer to the question should be something like this: there were no prospects for growth, low salaries, lack of opportunities for advanced training. These are quite compelling and objective reasons for a person to start looking for a job.

An important issue for a future employee is wages. The employer may ask what size wages you are applying. So that this question does not take you by surprise, you should familiarize yourself with the approximate salary in this vacant position, and also consider the income from your previous place of work, how adequately you were paid there because of your extensive experience in this field, and so on.

There are many options for questions. You should answer them sincerely and not be overconfident.

Final stage of the interview

At the end of the interview, the applicant must thank the employer for his time and agree on a time frame for making a decision. An active candidate must independently take the initiative to obtain a final decision on hiring, and not languish in anticipation.

At the end of the interview, the employer needs to summarize what issues mutual understanding was reached between the parties. He must clearly indicate what the candidate can expect and when the final decision will be made. If it is said that he will be notified by phone, then if the decision is positive, as well as negative, you should call and be sure to tell the result, because the person will wait.

At the end of each interview, the employer must conduct deep Scan, based on your records for each candidate separately. How can an employer conduct a job interview effectively so that the candidate ultimately gets the job he wants? The answer to this question is revealed as much as possible in this article.

Constantly looking for new personnel, and applicants, in turn, are looking for suitable employers. Therefore, people often have a question: how to conduct a job interview?

How can an employer effectively interview a candidate?

Many employers wonder how to conduct an interview when hiring a new employee. We will try to answer this question in as much detail as possible.

Be on an equal footing with the applicant

Establish contact with the candidate

Story about the company's activities

Observation of the candidate

How should an employer prepare questions for an applicant?

Sample questions

What are your strengths?

What are the weaknesses?

What difficult situation do you remember at your last job and how did you overcome it?

Reason for leaving your previous job?

Why should you work for us?

Do you think it's okay to lie sometimes? If so, in what situations?

What are the methods of stimulating employees necessary to increase productivity?

It is important to be able and know how to interview a candidate. This will greatly help identify the qualities of an applicant desired by the employer.

Testing

After successful interviews with applicants, as a rule, the employer prepares testing. They can be roughly divided into three categories.

Intelligence test. This source of information reveals the skills and professional abilities of the employee. Helps the employer find out in which area the candidate has work experience.

Interpersonal test. Reveals the employee’s communication style in a team, his ability to make compromises, and come to the aid of other employees in a difficult situation. Tests a person for conflict. The employer will carefully analyze this character trait, because conflicts in the team affect performance. If such a trait is present, he will probably refuse to accept such an employee. This test also reveals whether the candidate is a leader.

How to successfully pass an interview for a job at a bank?

Neat appearance

Tell us about yourself at an interview, example - a credit specialist

After a short exchange of greetings that usually begin an interview, such as “How did you get there?”, “Was it easy to find our company?”, “What’s the weather like outside?” and so on, you need to start telling a story about yourself: about your professional activities, strengths and weaknesses of character, and so on. You should try to tell everything to the point, briefly and clearly, focusing more attention on those facts of your work history that may be most interesting to the employer.

Let's consider the option of telling about yourself at an interview, an example is a credit specialist.

You need to highlight your most important accomplishment in your entire career as a loan officer. You need a vivid story about yourself that is best able to remain in the memory of the employer. The purpose of telling about yourself is to fulfill the employer's request to stand out from the crowd of candidates.

For example, tell us what the maximum loan amount you issued, what low percentage of defaulters was in your loan portfolio, how you can work as a team to achieve the overall plan of the bank office, what additional services you offer most successfully to your clients, etc.

Remember that the employer does not need your biography, but information containing a couple of interesting facts about your career is a good place to start. Answers during a job interview should be brief, so your story about yourself should not exceed one minute.

Question answer

After telling about yourself, the employer will undoubtedly take the main role in the further conversation. You need to listen carefully to his questions. They are usually standard and have been described above. Your interview answers should be truthful and thought out in advance. If you do not have enough experience or had a slightly different specificity of work, then say that you will need time to get up to speed on the new business.

One of the employer's favorite questions is to talk about strengths and weaknesses. You should carefully choose the words of what to say at the interview. Strengths include responsibility, willingness to help (this is important when working in a team), punctuality, efficiency, etc. Weaknesses must be interpreted into positive qualities. For example, you don't know how to say “no.” In everyday life, of course, this interferes with you, but professionally it makes you an indispensable worker who is always ready to help and perform important urgent work. This quality is valuable for a loan officer because he is a performer and works under management. These recommendations will help answer the question of how to conduct a job interview correctly from the employer’s point of view.

An important issue for a future employee is wages. The employer may ask what salary you are applying for. So that this question does not take you by surprise, you should familiarize yourself with the approximate salary in this vacant position, and also consider the income from your previous place of work, how adequately you were paid there because of your extensive experience in this field, and so on.

There are many options for questions. You should answer them sincerely and not be overconfident.

Final stage of the interview

As a result of each interview, the employer must conduct an in-depth analysis based on his notes on each candidate individually. How can an employer conduct a job interview effectively so that the candidate ultimately gets the job he wants? The answer to this question is revealed as much as possible in this article.

Job applicants, as a rule, are nervous before an interview and carefully prepare for it. But for the employer this event is no less responsible. In order not to miss a valuable specialist, the recruiter must thoroughly know the rules

Main types of interviews

First of all, the employer must decide how exactly the meeting with the applicant for the position will take place. This largely determines the procedure and rules for conducting the interview. The methods are as follows:

Biographical interview. During such an interview, the recruiter tries to find out as much as possible about the candidate’s previous work experience. In this way, we can draw a conclusion about his abilities and predict what benefit such an employee will bring to the organization.
Situational interview. The recruiter sets a practical task (hypothetical or real) for the candidate. This makes it possible to assess the real skills of the applicant for the position, his train of thoughts, as well as his ability to find a way out of difficult situations.
Structured interview. The employer prepares in advance a list of questions divided into groups. Thus, the recruiter receives exactly the information that is essential for him.
Competency interview. During the conversation, the employer finds out whether the potential employee has the characteristics and skills necessary to perform the job well.
To assess the candidate’s resistance to emotional stress, as well as the speed of reaction to unforeseen situations, the employer tries to make him angry. To do this, provocative questions or unexpected techniques can be used.

Stages of the interview

To get the best employees for your organization, an employer must be familiar with interviewing techniques and rules. The stages are as follows:

Preparation. The employer determines the time frame and content of the interview. Candidates' resumes are reviewed and compiled sample list questions. High-quality preparation is the key to a successful interview.
Preliminary communication. This is the welcome part, during which participants introduce themselves and the recruiter explains the purpose and procedure of the meeting. This stage accounts for a quarter of the total interview duration.
Main part. During this stage, the employer finds out essential points such as the competencies and personal qualities of the applicant.
The final stage. The employer ends the conversation and sums up interim results.
Decision-making. After meeting with all applicants for the vacant position, the employer analyzes the information received and makes a final decision.

Objectives of the interview

An effective interview is only possible when the employer clearly understands what he wants to know. When communicating with an applicant, you should receive answers to the following questions:

The real reason for looking for a new job. If a person violated the terms employment contract or discipline, it is possible that this will happen again.
Is the candidate hardworking or lazy? The quality of work depends on this.
How quickly does the interlocutor react? This will determine how quickly he can adapt to changing working conditions.
How proactive is your interlocutor? This way you will understand whether he will do the work independently or will constantly wait for clear orders.
How tactful is a person? This will determine his relationship with potential colleagues.

Key rules

An interview with a potential employee is a complex and responsible undertaking. It requires a lot of effort from the employer. In particular, you need to follow the following basic rules for conducting an interview:

Prepare your documents. You should have at hand a list of candidates and a resume of each of them, an approximate list of questions, job descriptions. Each applicant must have a separate answer form, and there must also be several clean sheets for notes.
Make sure you have a comfortable environment. The room must be clean and well ventilated. There should be no foreign objects in the workplace.
Be careful in the first minutes. As a rule, the first impression of the interlocutor is formed three to four minutes after the start of the conversation.
Take breaks. There should be at least half an hour between interviews with different applicants for a position. Otherwise, you may transfer the residual impression of the previous one to the new interlocutor, which may cause an erroneous decision.
Remember discipline. You are required to arrive for the interview on time or notify the applicant in advance about the postponement of the meeting.
Record the progress of the interview. It seems to you that you remember everything, but within a few minutes after the end of the conversation you may forget important points. And written notes will help you quickly recall information about the applicant.

What to ask the applicant

The rules for conducting an interview with a candidate for a vacant position also determine the basic list of questions. Here's what to ask the applicant:

"Tell me about your previous job." The answer will help you understand the person's attitude towards the previous manager and the organization. He may speak approximately the same way about your organization in the future.
"Why are you interested in this vacancy?" If a person answers in a non-standard way, it means that he really understands the work and wants to grow in this direction.
"Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses." It is important to understand how honestly and objectively the applicant evaluates himself.
"Why did you leave your previous job?" You will be able to understand what exactly motivates the applicant - conflict, quarrelsomeness or the desire to grow and change their life for the better.
"How can you contribute to achieving the organization's goals?" The answer will let you understand how much a person understands his role in the enterprise, how much he understands the specifics of the work.
“What successes did you have in your previous job?” The answer will give you an idea of whether the person is targeting personal or overall result. It is important whether he gives abstract or concrete answers, supported by numbers.
“Why should we hire you?” Assess the job applicant's ability to present himself.
“What would a previous employer say about you?” It’s good if your resume contains contacts of people who can give you recommendations.

Non-standard questions

It is not always worth relying on standard rules for preparing and conducting interviews. Sometimes you need to get a little creative. Here are some creative questions you can ask a job seeker:

"Which superhero would you compare yourself to?" This will help you recognize the other person's true character and values.
“Describe your ideal job.” This way you can understand how well the conditions you offer correspond to the applicant’s ideas.
“How do you plan to join the new team?” The answer will give you an idea of how friendly the applicant is, and whether he will corrupt the established discipline.
“Explain the essence (term) to the student.” This way you will understand whether the interlocutor really understands the issue or is simply using memorized terms.
"Are you willing to interrupt your family vacation to work?" This will give you an idea of how honest your potential employee is.

Foreign experience

The rules for conducting a job interview are slightly different. different countries peace. The following established methods can be distinguished:

British method. It is not much different from the usual domestic method. Recruiters ask job applicants questions about work experience and education. Without fail, a person is asked about his family and social status.
American method. The rules for conducting job interviews in America involve creating an informal atmosphere. As a rule, interviews with valuable personnel are conducted during dinner or out of town. It is believed that it is in such a situation personal qualities people are revealed in the best possible way.
German method. The Germans are meticulous in recruiting personnel. Recommendations from previous places of work are important for a recruiter. The voluminous package of documents submitted by the applicant is analyzed by the commission. Only after passing this “qualifying stage” is a personal meeting scheduled.
Chinese method. The rules for interviewing candidates for a position are more like a university exam. Applicants complete a variety of written and oral tasks for which they receive certain points. Based on the results of the exam, “leaders” are selected who will be admitted to the interview. The Chinese believe that erudition comes first, because an educated person can easily be taught any job.

Telephone interview

If an organization receives a large number of resumes, it is advisable to conduct the preliminary interview stage remotely. Briefly, the rules for conducting an interview in this mode can be formulated as follows:

Introduce yourself and find out if the other person is comfortable talking to you. If not, arrange a time to call again.
Tell us from which organization and about what vacancy you are calling. As a rule, applicants send resumes to several places at once.
Ask clarifying questions if, after studying the resume, not everything was clear to you.
If you immediately understand that the candidate is not suitable for you, politely apologize and say goodbye. Don't waste your time or anyone else's.
If you like the candidate, immediately set a place and time for the interview. Find out what documents the applicant must take with him.

In addition to strict interview rules, it is also worth following a few useful guidelines. Here are some tips from experienced recruiters:

Don't create barriers. The mistake many employers make is that they communicate with applicants through the desktop. It will be much better if the interlocutors sit in chairs on equal terms. You can also place a chair for the applicant on the side of the recruiter’s workstation.
Talk less. The employer should listen more during the interview. Control yourself so as not to ask leading questions or give hints.
Defuse the situation. Do not put pressure on your interlocutor or intimidate him. It's better to start the conversation with a joke. In such an atmosphere, a person will better reveal his personal and professional qualities.
Don't delay the meeting. If from the first minutes of the interview you realized that the person is not suitable for you, do not waste either your time or his. Apologize and end the conversation.
Avoid standard questions. If the employee is experienced, he has probably been to many interviews, knows an approximate list of questions and can prepare answers. Your task is to discourage your interlocutor.
Control the progress of the dialogue. One of the main rules of conducting an interview when selecting personnel is not to go off topic. If the applicant begins to deviate from the professional line, do not hesitate to bring him back on track.
Always end the conversation on a positive note. Even if the candidate is not right for you, say goodbye to him on good terms and wish him success.
Make a correspondence table. This convenient form to mark the presence or absence of the characteristics you need in the applicant. This form is especially useful if you need to compare several candidates.

What should you be wary of?

The concept of an interview and the rules for conducting it require special vigilance from the recruiter. When talking with a potential employee, you should be wary of the following points:

A short period of time at the previous place of work. As a rule, recruiters are skeptical of people who have not stayed in one organization for more than two years. The exception is objective reasons (relocation, liquidation of an enterprise, violation labor legislation).
The applicant’s description of his own merits and merits is too colorful. You must recognize whether this is a sign of pride or exaggeration?
Vague story about previous work experience. If the interlocutor cannot really describe his job responsibilities, this indicates a frivolous attitude towards work.
Too much great experience work. Oddly enough, sometimes it is better to prefer a person with no experience at all than someone who has worked in one place for many years. It is much easier to teach a beginner from scratch than to reshape an experienced worker to suit your own needs.

Recruiter mistakes

It is not enough to learn the basic rules of conducting an interview. Should also study typical mistakes recruiters to keep them out of the work process. Here's what we're talking about:

The criteria for applicants for the position are not clearly defined.
The same questions different stages interviews.
False interpretation of resume data by “thinking it through” rather than by clarifying and specifying it.
Evaluating an applicant under the influence of personal biases (for example, nationality, religious affiliation, political leanings, appearance).
Susceptibility to psychological attack from the interlocutor.
Hypersensitivity to the negative traits of the applicant.
There is a rush to find a candidate for a vacant position.
Lack of a clear decision-making system based on the interview results.
Talking down to the applicant.

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 it at any cost. workplace, higher salary or favorable working conditions. 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.

Most important question, which confronts an employer who is about to conduct a business interview - 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 a few open questions, which 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. It is imperative to 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 a future employee will behave in a new work environment and whether he will be able to navigate a 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 any weaknesses? 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 eliminating excess water and the tinsel that sometimes not very conscientious employees like to surround themselves with in order to throw dust in the eyes of the manager and get the desired position at any cost. This will allow us to determine the stress resistance of the future employee, his ability to control himself in a possible difficult situation, and 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 appropriate, 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 with more 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.