Key Traits of a Great Interviewer

Carrying out an interview can be a real challenge for many and with interview questions regularly encouraging disingenuity, as an interviewer you may struggle to truly get an idea of how compatible an applicant may be with a role. While you’re never going to quite get an eclectic idea of the quality of the candidate just by speaking to them, by having a set of traits as an interviewer you’re far more likely to get an accurate representation of the person sitting across the table from you.

Humanity 

Regardless of the role you’re hiring for, it never hurts to be polite and respectful. Companies that tend to treat applicants well usually have a much more positive brand image; its good to never forget that even if a candidate is unsuccessful, they can still apply for other roles at your company at some point in the future. There’s also always the chance that if they are treated poorly, they may decide to leave the business a negative review or even dissuade someone else from applying for a role.

Preparation 

Every interview is different and you’re seldom going to be able to apply a general template. However, a general idea of the things you want to ask can go a long way in ensuring the conversation stays on topic and you gain the information required to make the best decision. You may also wish to practice taking notes so that you can best review an applicant’s answers even after an interview – this can be especially useful when conducting multiple stage interviews or when interviewing a large number of candidates.

Judgement 

In a perfect world, an interviewer would be completely judgement-free. Unfortunately, whether we’re aware of it or not, everyone has their own prejudices and this is something that can unfairly affect the interview process. The best way to deal with prejudice is to actively be aware of it and there are tests available online that help you identify subconscious biases. A great way to help fight bias is to team up with another interviewer and carry out the meeting together, this can be especially effective if you team up with someone from a different background or with unique perspectives.

Adaptability 

Different applicants will react to certain questions differently and even the most innocuous statement could trigger a reaction in the interviewee. There are naturally going to be people who are more comfortable in an interview environment and may better respond to your own personality, but it’s important that you put a conscious effort into communicating effectively regardless of the type of person you may be interviewing. This is something that may take some experience to learn, but as you conduct more interviews you may start to become more accustomed to the types of people you may meet.

Contact Eploy for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) 

At Eploy, we offer highly adaptable Applicant Tracking Systems designed to help you find the best candidates for each and every job opening. Get in touch with our specialist team at Eploy to find out how we can help you meet your recruitment goals.