If you have chosen a neutral location such as a hotel as an interview venue, it is best to host your interviews in a comparatively formal setting, such as a suite or conference room instead of a lobby or restaurant where too many distractions await. Similarly, if you hold the interviews at your own premises, book a private room or office so that your meetings with candidates will be free from distractions such as phone calls and other interruptions. Check in advance that the setting is neat and does not have personal items such as inappropriate calendars or posters in view.

Make sure that your candidates know where they should go on arrival and who they will see for the interview—these basic details will help them begin the process with confidence. A further boost to the candidates’ confidence will come when their first contact welcomes them at the meeting point. Then a comfortable, pleasant place to wait for their interview will suggest that your organization is well organized and committed to seeing candidates begin interviews in the most relaxed state possible.

Bring with you the candidate’s resume and any other relevant material: the questions you will ask, the job and person specifications, organizational background, and a notepad and pen. When you meet them, offer a warm, professional greeting, using their name, and provide a glass of water. Some small talk about the weather or their trip to the premises is appropriate.

To select a candidate for a very senior, highly technical, or otherwise multifaceted position, interviewing by panel may be the most effective option. A clear structure, so that the interview flows and each panel member knows what they are responsible for, is essential to a successful panel interview. So is having a lead or primary interviewer to guide the interview’s direction. The secondary panelists can offer clarifying questions and provide additional thoughts later. But remember to limit the numbers—more than four panelists may overwhelm and confuse your candidates.

Most first-stage interviews involve one or two interviewers. Asking questions, listening to and recording answers, observing, and then deciding to either hire the candidate or move on to the next stage of selection is a lot for one person. During the interview, two interviewers can alternate between asking questions and taking notes. Later, two sets of observations and insights are likely to be more helpful toward building a complete picture of a candidate’s suitability for a role.

Distance may make a face-to-face interview impractical. If telephone manner and customer service are significant parts of the job, it would make sense to have a first interview by phone. If you can use a video linkup, the interview will be much the same to conduct as if it were in person. If interviewing by telephone, speak distinctly and keep in mind that it will be even more important to convey warmth and professionalism in your voice. Try smiling naturally as you speak, so that it can be heard in your voice and choose a quiet place away from distractions and interruptions.

The idea behind competency-based questions is to link past behavior and experiences with the skills needed for the job and future performance. These questions are also known as behavioral questions. Instead of asking what a person would do in a given situation, the interviewer asks candidates to describe how they have handled such a situation previously. This kind of questioning is seen by many professionals as the most reliable, because past performance is the best predictor of how a person will perform in the future.

The STAR method can guide you through the dual responsibilities of preparing competency questions, and then listening effectively to candidates’ responses. STAR is an acronym that stands for Situation, Task, Action, Response. First, outline the type of situation you want the candidates to refer back to in your questions. When a candidate responds, you are listening for a description of a situation that matches the requirements you outlined in the question, a logical approach to solving the problem, specific actions taken to address the challenge, as well as clear results.

Exploring the credentials and past experience that candidates have cited on their resumes is an important part of interviewing. Basic verification questions would cover factual aspects of their education and experience, such as “How long did you attend that school?”, and “Which courses did you take?” To obtain more value-based information about their education or experience, ask questions such as: “What motivated you to seek higher education?”, and “How did you juggle school work with working at a part-time job?” Verification questions allow you to check for gaps that could tip you off to an untruth or exaggeration in their list of credentials.

Open questions, such as “Tell me about yourself,” give your candidates a chance to list their skills and experiences to the requirements of the job. If you are seeking factual information, a closed question will be appropriate, for example, “How many staff did you manage?” Probing questions could also be described as follow-on questions because they are likely to follow a response and are intended to encourage the candidate to explain their answer in detail. Unorthodox or unusual questions may prompt intriguing answers, but be certain you know what you want to achieve by asking such a question that, on the surface, has little to do with the job at hand. Questions such as “What is your favorite film and why?” can inject a light moment into an interview, or they can offer some insight into a candidate’s passions and creativity. Stress questions, on the other hand, are designed to reveal how a candidate reacts to pressurized questions. However, introducing added stress into an already stressful interview may be counterproductive!

To attract the widest variety of employees possible, reflect the presence of diversity in your organization in all of your on-line and print recruitment materials. Improving interviewing skills is important to finding the right person—but it is also important to remember that the successful candidate can either be a man or a woman and come from varied backgrounds, ages, lifestyles, and life situations.

If your candidate pool is diverse, cultural awareness will be essential during your interviews—both to understand how candidates present themselves and how you respond. A smile and a pleasant manner go a long way toward bridging cultural gaps anywhere around the world. Insure that your interview protocol reflects a positive attitude toward diversity—from your welcome, to the questions you ask and your body language.

Laws vary from country to country regarding which questions are illegal to ask job applicants, and who can or can’t work in a country. To avoid legal difficulties, consult your organization’s employment legal adviser. You might find it difficult to assess what is appropriate to ask candidates, but one rule of thumb is that if the question you want to ask refers to a candidate’s personal life and not specifically to a job requirement, it is probably inappropriate to ask.

Think about what you really want to know about when you consider asking personal questions such as “Which country are you from?”; “Are you planning to have children?”; “What religion are you?”; or “How old are you?” If you believe a candidate’s national origin is important, what you probably need to know is, “Do you have a legal right to work in this country?” Your interest in a candidate’s family plans may reflect your need to know if they are willing to travel, as the job requires. Instead of asking about a candidate’s religion, the relevant issue may be whether they are willing to work particular hours and days of the week. Rather than asking about a candidate’s age, pinpoint the issue at the root of the question: is the person physically capable of carrying a certain amount of weight necessary for the job?

Using the interview to develop a personal relationship with a candidate is out of bounds. In show business, the phrase “the casting couch” refers to the practice of turning auditions, or interviews, into opportunities to leverage relationships with performers or with authority figures. Business has also suffered from the occasional scandal when a gatekeeper^*, such as an interviewer, initiates or accepts inappropriate overtures. During the interview, you and the candidate may discover a common interest that both of you wish to pursue outside the business environment. However, pursuing a relationship—no matter how innocent—as a result of the interview could lead your organization’s management to question your judgment on candidate selection. It could also lead to legal and reputation difficulties for you and your organization. Avoid it at all costs.

Focus on what the candidate is saying, by both listening to the words and observing changing vocal tone, volume, and pace. If you are taking notes, listen for key ideas from the candidate’s answer—don’t try to write down every word they say. When the candidate has finished responding, ensure that you have understood by summarizing one or two of the key points back to them. Then gather more information by asking the candidate to clarify or elaborate their response.

Your nonverbal cues can either reinforce or contradict the interview’s stated purpose. For example, encouraging a candidate verbally to “Tell me about yourself” while fiddling with a paperclip sends conflicting messages. Sitting back in your chair with arms folded can be taken to mean that you are sceptical of what they are saying, and suggest a closed mind, even if that is not how you actually feel. Checking your watch can be interpreted as a desire for the meeting to be over. On the other hand, leaning forward as the candidate speaks, maintaining eye contact, smiling, and occasionally nodding to acknowledge that you are taking on board what they say, lets interviewees know that you are engaged.

When you observe the candidate during the interview, you too are looking for signs of engagement. The ability to listen and an interest in the job at hand are among the first requirements. Also look for nonverbal clues to character, ability to interact with others, confidence, and other traits that would affect a candidate’s future success in the job. Physical gestures such as head nods and hand movements can suggest interest in a conversation or a particular topic. Other body movements, such as finger or foot tapping or leg swinging can reflect discomfort, perhaps boredom, or tension. Inappropriate laughter can be a sign of nerves. Be sure to write down what you observe.

When you have finished asking the questions, ask the candidate to offer any additional information they have not covered that is relevant to the job. Also invite them to ask any questions they have. Be prepared to answer questions about the impact of current events on your organization. If your organization has been in the news recently, candidates may want to ask you about the issues involved. The candidate who has researched your organization before the interview should know what your organization does, but you should be ready to answer any questions that they may have about the organization’s plans for growth, diversification, or consolidation, and how the job on offer fits into a long-term strategy. This stage may well be too early to discuss salary and benefits, but come prepared to respond to such a question, even if it is only to say, “We will discuss those points at a later date.” After they have asked their questions, ask the candidates if the job still interests them and whether they would like to proceed to the next stage.

The candidate will also want to know what will happen next. Be as open and clear as possible about the process ahead. If you plan to hire someone based on the first round of interviews, say so. If you will be conducting second interviews, skills tests, or an assessment center, tell them. If you are basing your choice purely on the interviews, let them know the date by which you expect to have made a decision. Likewise, if you plan second-stage meetings, provide the candidate with as much information as possible about when they will be notified if their application is being taken forward and when the next round of selection will begin. You should also be as open as possible about when they will know if their application has not been successful.

Closing out a job interview should leave both parties feeling that the meeting fulfilled their goals; the candidates should feel they have successfully communicated to you their suitability for the role, or alternatively that the role is not right for them. As the interviewer, you should feel that you have obtained all the information needed at the current stage of the recruitment process. You should also feel that you have a good idea of whether the candidate matches the job and person specifications closely enough to progress further to the next selection round. Housekeeping details that require attending to at the end include ensuring that the address, email, and phone number you have on file for the candidate will remain current through the next stage of the selection process. Thank them for coming, and offer a smile and a handshake—if appropriate—to end the meeting.