Have you had candidates turn your offer down after what you thought was a great interview? Or have you hired someone you thought was a perfect candidate for the position…only to find out they’re not the right fit?

If so, the problem might be that you need to improve your interview skills.

Everyone knows it's important for job candidates to interview well. But in this employee-driven market, it’s just as important that companies have a thoughtful hiring process and hiring managers have strong interviewing skills.

Read on to learn our top interview must-do’s and don’ts, as well as how to make a good impression on your job candidates.

4 Interview Must-Do’s for Managers

1. Prepare Open-Ended Interview Questions

Before you start interviewing candidates, come up with a list of questions to ask.

First review the position and the core skills and behaviors you're seeking. Then prepare open-ended questions to learn how each candidate might fit the role. Collaborate with other managers or team members to agree on the type and format of questions. Concentrate on ‘a time when’ questions that ask the candidate to recount a past experience that relates to the topic you are interviewing for.

Use a rating system to help your team evaluate each candidate for the specific skills and behaviors you’re looking for.

2. Review the Candidate's Resume

Take the time to look over each candidate’s resume before their interview. Familiarize yourself with their qualifications and employment history so you can speak knowledgeably about them.

Make note of any clarifying questions you want to ask in the interview.

3. Review What the Interview Will Entail

When you first meet a candidate, don’t dive directly into your interview questions. First, take a moment to review what the interview will look like from start to finish. It may sound something like this:

"Over the next hour, I’ll spend a few minutes reviewing the company and the position. Then I’ll ask you several questions to determine how your background fits the position. We’ll close out the interview with any questions you have. How does that sound?"

This sets up the structure of the interview and ensures that you take the lead in the conversation.

4. Stick to the Interview Plan

Your time is valuable, and so is the candidate’s. Once you’ve laid out the plan for the interview, stick to it.

If you have a chattier-than-expected candidate, communicate to them that you have more information to get through and you'd like to make sure you have time to ask all your questions.

If the candidate cannot stay on track, you should still end the interview at the appointed time.

4 Common Mistakes Managers Make

1. Talking Too Much

The point of an interview is to get the candidate talking so you can determine if they are a good fit for the role. As the interviewer, your job is to review the company and the job, and answer questions.

Not sure if you’re talking too much? Stick to the 80/20 rule: make sure you only take up 20% of the time, and the candidate speaks 80% of the time.

2. Forgetting To Prepare

Job candidates aren’t the only ones who need to prepare for an interview. When we get negative feedback from candidates it is typically when the hiring company ‘wings it’ in an interview. Take to prepare for the interview, not only to make the best use of your time, but also to show candidates that you are taking the process seriously.

If you want to hire top candidates, take the initiative to prepare well in advance of an interview.

3. Relying on Gut Instinct

Hiring a great candidate is most successful when a hiring decision is based on qualifications, not instinct. Relying solely on gut instinct is often a mistake. Gut instinct can take on many forms from liking someone that is similar to you, to dismissing a candidate based on bad feelings. While gut instinct will be a part of decision making it is important to evaluate your impressions and utilize strong interview questions, reference checking and even assessments to confirm or dispel your impressions for qualified applicants. The most common ‘gut hire’ mistake we see our clients make is hiring the most likable applicant. While building a cohesive team is important, the most likable person may not be the most qualified or the best fit for the job.

For more information on gut instinct, see Here’s Why Your Gut Instinct Is Wrong at Work – And How to Know When It Isn’t

Don’t gamble on your company’s future by hiring based on gut instinct.

4. Asking Illegal Questions

There are certain questions that, when asked in an interview, could be considered employment discrimination. Asking them could lead to legal troubles for your business. For example, employers should never ask questions related to:

Age
Disabilities or medical conditions
Race or national origin
Religion
Pregnancy, familial status, or marital status
Gender identity
Sexual orientation

These characteristics are all protected by federal employment discrimination laws. Employers should also refrain from asking about a candidate's National Guard or Reserve status or their military discharge date. (Note that there may be additional questions prohibited by your state. Always double check with state law to make sure the questions you’re asking are permissible.)

Generally speaking, it’s best to stay away from personal questions in your interviews. Stick to talking about job-related details.

How To Make a Good Impression on Your Job Candidates

Interviewing job candidates is a two-way street. It isn’t only about finding the right fit for the job. It’s also about showing the candidate why they should consider working with you.

To attract top candidates, you need to make a good impression on them in the interview.

Confirm Interview Details Ahead of Time

Before the interview, provide the candidate with written confirmation of the meeting. Include the time and location of the meeting and the names of the people the candidate will be meeting with. Keep your process streamlined by assigning a team member to confirm interviews ahead of time.

This applies to second interviews as well. We find that candidates often miss second interviews scheduled during the first meeting if they aren’t confirmed by email or text.

Be Prepared To Focus on the Interview

When your interviewee arrives, you should be ready to focus on them.

Make sure to set aside a few minutes before each interview to prepare. Clean and organize the space you’ll be using for the interview. If you’ll offer water or coffee to the candidate, make sure it’s ready.

Stick to the schedule you’ve set, and make sure you are on time for the interview. And put your phone away: if you expect the candidate to stay off of their phone during the interview, you should do the same. Remove any distractions that will keep you from focusing on your conversation with the candidate.

Talk About Company Culture and Values

More than ever, today’s job candidates want to work for companies who share their values and offer great work environments. In this competitive market, you can get an edge over the competition by showing that everyone in the company is rowing in the same direction.

Your company culture and values drive your work environment. They shape the way you do business every day. So it’s important to share that during the hiring process.

To do this in the interview, tell a story or give a specific example showing how your company lives up to its values or employment brand. For example, ask the interviewing team to choose the company value that's most important to them and share an example of that value in action.

Consider Giving the Candidate a Gift of Appreciation

Consider putting something together to give to the candidate as a token of your appreciation for their time. It doesn’t have to be a big gift—it can be something as simple as a pen and pad of paper or some other promotional item.

Giving the candidate a small gift helps you stand out from the competition, keeping you top-of-mind as they decide which job to take.

We hope you find these interview must-do’s and don’ts helpful. As you plan for your next interview, incorporate these tips to improve your interview process and help secure top candidates for your open position.

Want help finding great candidates for your open positions? Red Seat can help! Contact us to discuss your hiring needs.

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Top 8 Interview Must-Do’s (and Don'ts) for Managers