A successful interview doesn't happen by accident. Interviews should be planned and understood as a critical part of the hiring process in assessing whether or not a candidate is suited for a role.

Prior to interviewing candidates it is important that you have developed a criteria for evaluating each interviewee based on the needs of the position, the personal and technical attributes of the ideal candidate and the company values.

Start with ice breaker questions that ease the employee into the interview and get them to relax a little bit more such as questions about themselves, for example: Where did you grow up? This will help get the conversation going and settle the candidate into the interview. You will then want to ask about several general areas, such as related experience, skills, educational training and background, and unrelated jobs.

Pre-Interview
Preparing for the interview is crucial. Ensure you have read the candidates cover letter and/or resume thoroughly, making notes as you go and drafting questions to clarify any aspect of the application. The questions you ask will assist you to discover more about the candidate’s personal and technical attributes, both of which should be assessed against your selection criteria and cultural fit to the business. Choose a comfortable location to hold the interview that is free from interruptions. If you have others attending the interview ensure they are given a copy of the candidate’s application allowing them time to review the application at hand and prepare their questions. Share your questions with your colleague and decide whether the questions each of you will ask is genuinely assessing the candidate’s suitability.

Interview Questions
When conducting interviews, behavioural–based questions work best. These type of questions will seek to determine how a candidate handled a situation in the past, instead of what the candidate might do in the future. Some examples of these behaviours (competencies) and questions are focused around:

• Time Management / Planning & Organising
• Attention to Detail
• Initiative
• Creativity
• Communication
• Customer-service orientation

Prepare questions around the competencies in the job description that will extract information from the candidate that will describe their personality, knowledge, behaviours and abilities in handling past situations that include real life examples. This information will demonstrate to you if the candidate is able to perform the job on offer competently.

Discrimination
Caution is needed when asking candidates certain questions in a job interview that may disadvantage the candidate and could amount to discrimination. It is illegal for employers to ask any discriminatory question when recruiting staff. Avoid asking unnecessary and potentially discriminatory questions and using this information in deciding not to offer a candidate a job. For example, you can’t ask a candidate if they have ever made a workers compensation claim, how much sick leave they took in their last job, if they intend to start a family in the near future, or any other question that does not specifically relate to their ability to do the job. Questions around a person’s health, marital or relationship status, disability, race including colour, national or ethnic origin or immigrant status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, family responsibilities, breastfeeding or intersex status etc. can be against the law. Employers have a legal responsibility to take all reasonable steps to prevent discrimination on these grounds.

Example: An employer asks the candidate if they have children. If they say they do and the employer relies on this information in deciding not to offer the job, the applicant could make a complaint of discrimination based on family responsibilities.

Employers can also be liable for the discriminatory acts of their employees. This is called ‘vicarious liability’.
As an employer, if you believe the job on offer is demanding, you are best to ask questions in a way that asks the candidate if they can complete the inherent requirements of the job rather than personal questions – such as:

• Are you able to travel interstate?
• Do you have any problem standing for long periods of time?
• Will you be able to work longer hours on some days?
• Do you have any problem wearing a uniform that covers your arms and legs? Employers may need to ask a candidate with a disability for information about the disability to determine whether they will be able to perform the inherent requirements of the job, to assess any health and safety risks or to identify any adjustments to the workplace that may be required.
• Employers may need to ask a pregnant candidate for information about her pregnancy to determine whether she will be able to perform the requirements of the job and assess any health and safety risks.

The Interview
Prepare an agenda for the interview that consists of the following:

• Introducing yourself and any other attendees.
• Welcome and thank candidate for their time.
• Outline the interview purpose and proposed format of the interview, explaining that you will also be taking notes throughout the interview.
• Provide a brief overview of your specific business, including plans for the future and its culture.
• Provide an attractive overview of the role on offer and the responsibilities of the role, both of which should describe the job description. This will give the candidate a good understanding of the role at hand.
• Ensure you include any career progression opportunities.
• Transition to your interview questions. Listening skills are paramount when interviewing candidates as their responses will reveal if they are a good match for the job and the business or they are not a preferred candidate. Watch out for candidates who evade answering questions as this could be a sign they have no experience in this area. If this happens, you may need to probe a little by asking a few more questions around the same area. Pay particular attention to the candidate’s personal style, attitude and values when they are responding to your questions ask this will help you to form an overall assessment of their suitability.

Closing the Interview
Before concluding the interview ask the candidate if they have any questions about the role or company. This will give the candidate a chance to express what they think of the job and if they listened during the interview process and clarify any point. Don’t forget to thank the candidate for attending the interview and finally explain the decision making process and the date they can expect a decision on the preferred candidate.

After the candidate leaves the interview spend a little time summarising your notes and debriefing with other attendees while it’s still fresh in your mind. This will ensure your overall thoughts of the candidate’s personality, skills and abilities are captured and can be used to make your decision easier. You can even give your candidates a rating from 1 to 10, with 10 being a top candidate.


Sample Questions

• How long have you worked for <insert candidate's place of work>?
• What work were you responsible for?
• What qualifications do you hold that are suitable for this position?
• How would you describe your attitude to work?
• How would you rate the quality of your own work and advice?
• How well do you get along with co-workers and management? How about interacting with customers/clients?
• Describe a time when you have had to show initiative and independence in the workplace while undertaking a specific task?
• What has been your biggest accomplishment while working for <insert candidate's place of work>? Or; What would you say is your biggest achievement (if candidate has never been employed before.
• Do you work better in a team or do you excel when working alone? Describe a time when you have had to work on a project in a team setting to meet a deadline.
• What would you describe as your strengths?
• What would you say are your areas for development (weaknesses)?
• What do you find motivates you at work?
• What do you find demotivates you in the work place?
• Describe to me a time when you have had to handle conflict. How about pressure? Stress? How did you respond to that situation and cope with it?
• What are your future career goals? What do you expect to be doing in 5 years?
• Is there anything else I should take into consideration in considering you for this role?
• Is there anything that would restrict you from doing the job as I have described it to you?
• Would you need any accommodations/adjustments in order for you to do this job?
• Are you awaiting an outcome of any other position you have applied for?
• <insert own criterion>
• <insert own criterion>

Back to Recruitment