What Do Interviewers Need To Know?

There are very few (if any) natural interviewers who can make accurate predictions of a candidate’s potential without the benefit of additional guidance and training.  While approaches to the preparation of interviewers may take different forms, the learning objectives for professional interviewers have a consistent framework.  The following four basic skills are critical for becoming a professional interviewer.

1.     How to Use Structured Interview Guides

Structured interview guides are the start for interviewing success.  Structured interview guides provide a roadmap for ensuring all critical requirements are covered and relevant aspects of a candidate’s background are thoroughly explored.  Professional interviewers need to know:

• How to use common competencies to define job requirements.
• How to use effective pre-planned behavioral questions that link to those competency requirements

2.     How to Obtain Good Interview Data

After planning and structuring the interview, professional interviewers need to be able to help candidates provide good information that reflects their true potential.  Professional interviewers need to know:

• How to listen for information that is critical in properly evaluating candidate responses
• How to ask effective follow up questions to gather useful data

3.     How to Manage the Interview Process

In addition to obtaining quality information, a professional interview needs to maintain control over the interview to ensure that both the interviewer’s and the candidate’s objectives are met.  Professional interviewers need to know:

• How to organize interview time to meet your objectives

• How to manage the pace of an interview to ensure full and proper coverage of each assigned competency

4.     How to Evaluate Candidate Responses Accurately

After obtaining good interview data, the interviewer’s task is to make an objective evaluation of the quality of the responses and make an accurate prediction about the candidate’s likelihood of being successful in the job.  Different interviewers reviewing the same data should come to the same conclusions.  Professional interviewers need to know:

• How to recognize and avoid common rating errors
• How to evaluate the three critical components of a behavioral response (circumstances, approach and results)

If you are interested in learning how OMNIview can assist you in effectively implementing professional interview practices, please call us at 877.426.6222.