Everyone benefits from a good interview. An effective interview gives you the data you need to make the right hiring decision and promotes your company’s good brand to the prospective employee and his network. However, from years of recruiting and interviewing experience, we have observed that job candidates and hiring managers alike may be nervous about a job interview. By learning the secrets to conducting an effective interview, interviewers will be less scared and more prepared.

We have also found that many hiring managers do not plan the interview. They go in cold and wing it. Instead, if interviewers determine ahead of time what competencies are needed for the open position, choose interview questions based on those competencies, and ask each job candidate the same series of questions, they are much better able to compare apples to apples and pick the best candidate for the job.

For example, if you are hiring for a customer service position, ask the job applicant to tell you about a time that he handled difficult customers in the past, what steps he took, why he took those steps, and what the end result was. Research shows that past performance is the best indicator of future performance.

At The Lindenberger Group, an award-winning human resources consulting company in New Jersey, we have delivered countless training sessions to hiring managers. We cover the do’s and don’ts of conducting an effective interview, illegal questions you cannot ask, interview questions that will get to specific competencies, and tips on how to discuss and negotiate compensation. We receive excellent feedback regarding our training sessions and are happy to guide individual interviewers through specific concerns.

To learn more, contact The Lindenberger Group at info@lindenbergergroup.com or 609-730-1049.