Setting The Stage For A Successful Interview

The interview is only part of the choreography of the hiring process.  Planning, training and preparation are the keys to successful interviewing, just like most other business projects.  This part of the process is intended to set the stage for all candidates, so the interviews themselves can take place in the best possible light.

Planning
Planning for an interview includes taking such steps as deciding what are the targeted selection criteria for the open position.  This process includes employees and managers from inside the department and maybe managers from other interlocking departments who share work product.  Planning also includes deciding on an office visit schedule:  who and what are the candidates going to see.  Try to make the most of the candidates time, to share and elicit as much information as possible.

Strategic planning for an interview will target the end goals for the interview process.  Now that you have reviewed and filtered the resumes, what information do you expect to get from each candidate?  And what information do you intend to deliver?

Training
One of the key problems with in-house interviews is the lack of preparation and interviewing skill on the part of some internal interviewers.  Except for subordinate or same-level interviewers, try to ensure that your managers receive some type of interview training.  There are many good training seminars given each year in practically any city in the U.S.  Identify the ones that are near you by getting recommendations from your industry colleagues, your business advisors or even a well-regarded recruiting firm.  If your business advisors include service providers from major law or accounting and tax firms, you should get their input into the process.  Few industries have as well developed human resource and recruiting functions as do these professional service firms.  After all, their very livelihood depends on how well they interview and how well they train their staff.  And they are masters at it. 

Preparation
Each interviewer should prepare a list of preliminary questions they expect to ask during the interview, starting with a thorough reading of the candidate's resume.  That reading should highlight the technical expertise and job experience of the prospect.

Make copies of each candidate's resume and make notes of the questions you expect to ask and items you would like to expand upon.  Because you have already examined the resumes in detail, besides confirming technical expertise and job experience, interview questions are geared toward establishing personality fit and confirming the candidate's understanding of the position and its requirements.

Formal training will teach the art of interviewing, but setting the stage for the interview requires an executable plan that puts your company in the best light at the same time you are gathering the information you require to hire the best candidate.