How to Conduct an Effective Employee Interview

Hiring and retaining good employees begins with the job interview. If you ask the right questions upfront, you're more likely to select a candidate who's right for the job. Without strong interviewing skills, however, you could extend an offer to someone who's ultimately not the right fit for your company.

There will always be competition for skilled and talented workers. Hiring qualified employees is an art, but it also requires certain skills. You have to be a good listener, you need to know how to redirect a conversation, and you must be able to make a distinction between those who simply want the job and the perfect candidate who can get the job done.

Even with the ups and downs of the current market, knowing how to conduct a successful interview can help you land the best employees. Here are some tips to help you with the screening process:

7 tips to conducting an effective employee interview

1. Prepare for the interview

This may seem obvious, but many hiring managers neglect to review a candidate's paperwork prior to the interview. Reviewing a resume in front of the interviewee is not only rude but smacks of disorganization and poor preparation.

2. Set the right tone with the interviewee

Let your candidates know that you're glad to meet them. Also, express your appreciation for the time they've taken to come in. Explain how the interview will proceed and then try to follow that format as closely as possible.

3. Prepare a script for the meeting

Don't underestimate the value of preparing several questions beforehand. Your human resources department may even have a set of prepared questions to use as a guide. Too often, busy managers (is there any other kind?) forget until it's too late what they wanted to ask. Ask both pointed questions as well as more open-ended questions to see how the candidate thinks on their feet. For example, you may say, "Tell me what led you to apply for this position." Later, you could ask, "We're very deadline-oriented here; could you tell me about experiences during which a deadline might have been difficult to meet?" And then listen carefully to the responses.

More articles from AllBusiness.com:

Try to ask a good mix of questions—those that give insight into behavior, elicit opinion, demonstrate experience, and reveal background. When the interview is over you should have a fairly good sense of the person's likes and dislikes, along with their strengths and weaknesses.

4. Listen to your instincts about job candidates

If a candidate seems too good to be true or seems to lack the skills you need, be honest with yourself as you assess the meeting. In some cases, you may need to pose more pointed questions. On the other hand, no amount of questioning can change a person's ability to do a job.

5. Know what you want in your ideal job candidate

If you don't know the skill set required for the open position, chances are you might not ask the right questions, which may confuse the candidate. Make a list of what you're looking for and then ask specific questions so that when the candidate walks out the door you know whether or not they are a viable choice.

6. Manage your time during the meeting

If you've set aside an hour for an interview, do your best to stick with that schedule. But be prepared, too, to cut the meeting short and jump to the more concluding questions. Don't waste your time or the candidate's by stretching the meeting out. If it's not a good match, no amount of conversation is going to change that.

7. Write down important points during the interview

Forget about remembering everything that transpires during an interview. Take notes so that you can review the meeting at a later time. This will be especially important if you're interviewing many people for the same position.

Remember the candidate is also interviewing you

Don't forget that the candidate is also interviewing you. In addition to being skilled at asking appropriate questions, ones that will elicit a candidate's strengths and talents, you must be conscious of the impressions you are making as well. Just as the interviewee is selling themselves to you and your company, you are basically trying to achieve the same result. Make sure, for example, that you know as much as possible about your company and the position you're hiring for; the interviewee will be looking to you to provide that information.