Interviewing for new staff can seem like a daunting and time consuming process, but by taking a little time to prepare and plan what you wish to achieve from an interview situation will save issues at a later date. Most employers find that when they interview ‘casually’ or ‘ad hoc’ they end up with a worse calibre of staff.
Lawgistics have put together a few hints and tips to keep in mind when you are next looking to interview:
1. Always be sure as to what role you want the new employee to fulfil. This will help you to ask the right questions to be sure they are up to the task and have the right skill base for the job.
2. When using an application form, ask yourself what details are relevant that will help you to make an informed decision. You don’t want to waste your time reading through unless and irrelevant information when the form is sent back to you.
3. Think about the questions that you want to ask, do you want to know about the candidates skill base and knowledge or do you also need to know how they are as a person, to know if they will fit within the organisation? Be sure you know what you want to obtain from each question; otherwise you are wasting time asking pointless questions.
4. Be sure not to ask anything that could jeopardise the interview process, you could be considered discriminatory if you ask specific questions about:-
- Race
- Age
- Sexual Orientation
- Pregnancy, Maternity or Family Life (present or future), unless specifically mentioned by the candidate, i.e. if they are looking for flexible working to incorporate childcare arrangements.
- Gender
- Marital Status
- Disability – including general health issues, unless they are specific to the position being applied for.
- Religious Beliefs
- Nationality
5. Remember that verbal offers made during the interview stage are legally binding to be careful not to say too much.
6. Be sure not to interview alone where possible, as two peoples opinions will always be better than one, it is usually best to involve the member of staff who will be directly overseeing them or mentoring them, as they will have to work with them day in day out.
7. Be sure to verify any information that you are unsure of. People are known to exaggerate achievements etc in their application forms, so may always be best to verify such information and where necessary question further.
8. Affirm everything in writing, whether it’s a rejection of a job offer.
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9. Be sure that any decision made is based upon a criteria, set out at the start and upon which each candidate was fairly assessed. This will save any allegations at a later date that the interviews were not fairly conducted.
10. Don’t make a spur of the moment decision, see all the candidate you plan to before making a clear and calculated decision, you may regret it at a later date.
