Stress-free interviewing 7 tips to help you - and the job candidate - relax

by Erin Saunders, Leica Geosystems

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

conducting interviews can feel daunting. There aren’t many regular situations where it is socially acceptable to ask a complete stranger questions about their past, personality, and work history. But interviewing is a crucial part of the recruiting and selection process. There are things you can do to help make an interview that could feel daunting or awkward a much more pleasant experience for both There are things you can do to help you and the job make an interview that could feel candidate. daunting or awkward a much more pleasant experience for both you and 1. First think about the the job candidate. tactical and soft

be able to do the job. Review the position description and/or job posting. What are the technical and physical skills and abilities needed to do the job? Are there any special job-specific skills that you need them to have to be successful in the role?

Next consider the soft skills. What kind of communicator do you want on your team? Will this person be interacting with customers or team members and need strong verbal communication skills, or will they be working alone in a role where that isn’t as important? Two of the most important things all employees need is an openness to feedback, and an accurate sense of self-perception of their strengths and areas of opportunity.

set the stage for a good interview. This begins with a good setting. Many interviews have moved to being conducted remotely. If this is the case, make sure you’re in a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted. If you’re planning on a video interview, make sure the lighting and setting is appropriate for the conversation. If you’re meeting face to face, make sure you have a space where you and the candidate can sit where it doesn’t feel overly formal or processed.

Before you dive into the conversation, spend some time building rapport. Those first few minutes offer a chance to help the candidate feel at east by making natural small talk. Consider taking the time to build a personal connection before diving into the interview.

expect next. Let them know the format of the interview and check in with them. You could say something like, “I’d like to take a few minutes to give you some background on the company and the job, and then answer any questions you may have. Would that be okay?” This takes the pressure off of you to jump into asking unnatural questions and allows the candidate time to relax and compose themselves while learning things they need to know about the role. When you describe the role, try to anticipate questions they may have. What are the hours that are expected? Who will they be

working with? What will a typical day look like? Why is the position open? Will there be travel or complex equipment that they will need? You want to give them a good picture of the role, so they can decide if it sounds like a good fit. Don’t shy away from challenges the role or company is facing. It’s important the candidate have an accurate representation of the company. It’s much better to have someone who knows what they would be getting into both positive and negative, than to have an employee be surprised and leave soon after hire.

see what questions they have. This will give you a good feel for the things that are important to the candidate, and will give you a first glimpse into their communication style. It will also give you a sense of how much they prepared for the interview. As you enter this phase of the interview, now is a great time to turn the interview conversational. As they ask questions, use answering them as an opportunity to weave in questions of your own. The more natural the conversation can flow, the better it will feel for both you and the candidate. As you’re talking, make sure you ask openended questions that ask the candidate to give examples of times they demonstrated the skills they will need to be successful in the job at your company. Try to find out what is important to the candidate. What do they need in a job they take for it to be successful? Often their answers will give you insight into what’s important to them, as well as how much what they are looking for lines up with what your job provides.

role. One neutral way to ask about salary is to say, “Could you tell me where you would need to be salary-wise for the role to be a good fit for you?” Be transparent about how that lines up with what you were hoping to pay. If it’s in-line, great—let them know that. If it’s higher, you can say something like, “that’s a little higher than where we were hoping to be, but since we’re not very far off, I’d like to keep talking if that’s okay with you.” Then if you end up turning down the candidate because they are out of budget, you’ve already set the stage and they aren’t surprised.

expect next. Are there other people they will need to meet with? What is the timeframe in which you expect to get back to them? Make sure you give them an opportunity to ask any additional questions they have. Also, let them know how they can connect with you after the interview in case they have questions or feedback.

7. Finally, follow up in a timely manner. Interviewing for a job is stressful. Waiting to hear if you got the job can be worse. Don’t draw that process out for candidates. Be open and transparent about how the process is progressing. If they aren’t the right candidate, let them know that while they have great skills, you identified a candidate who was a better fit. If they ask for feedback, give it to them.

Interviewing is a key part of finding successful team members. It can be stressful for hiring managers and candidates alike. If you take the time to prepare, help the candidate feel at ease, give a realistic overview of the role, and test for their technical and soft skills, the experience can be better for everyone involved.

About the author

Erin Saunders is Regional Human Resources Business Partner with Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon.