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3 Keys to Be a Better Interviewer

Conducting successful interviews is a crucial element to recruitment. From scheduling all involved parties to selecting the right questions to ask, there’s a lot of ground to cover to adequately prepare. But there are a few fundamentals we sometimes forget when interviews begin. Kirsten Renner, Senior Director of Recruiting at Novetta, recently shared a video on Twitter with her three tips to make you a better interviewer and improve the candidate experience.

If you want to hire a particular candidate, the odds are another company wants to bring them on board as well. Your goal is to find the perfect hire, but you’re also working to form an impression that will incline the candidate to accept your offer if you extend one. This is especially important, as 83% of candidates polled in a survey felt a poorly conducted interview can change their opinion of a role. So use Kirsten’s three tips to improve your interview game and help your top choice choose you too:

1. You can be the smartest person in the room, but don’t be a jerk about it. We’ve often told job seekers to be kind to recruiters, but the same goes for you. Kirsten urges, “You’ve got nothing to prove to the candidate. It is their moment to shine, let them do that.” So be compassionate and remain professional even if you realize the person you’re interviewing is not right for the job.

2. There are only two factors that every candidate needs that make them qualified for every job. A willingness and an ability to do the job makes a candidate qualified. Not every professional has the same skillset or experience. Think to what is teachable. “Can they learn it, can they do it?” asks Kirsten. “Will you invest in them?” If they have a willingness to learn you may take the time to get them there.

3. Tell your own story. It’s easy to solely focus on what the interviewee has to say when trying to identify the right fit. But it’s beneficial to share a story about your own experience at the company as well. When you joined the organization did you have a concern or challenge? How did it resolve itself? Kirsten shared an example in which her manager offered her flexibility to take her kids to soccer practice. By sharing your own personal testimony, “Now they can picture themselves here, because you made yourself into a real person,” says Kirsten.

By employing these tips you stand to improve the candidate experience and produce better hiring outcomes. For more tips to create an effective interview read here about roles and responsibilities, planning and preparation, interview questions, and communicating with candidates.