But there are a few basic strategies that will help you discover the best candidate and help you avoid the legal problems of bad interview technique.
Preparation
It may sound obvious, but ensure that you are clear about the role you are trying to fill. Before interviewing, fix in your mind the attributes for which you are looking. You may be looking for an electrician, for example, but will this be for installation work or will there be some plant repair as well? Will the electrician be working alone, or will there a chargehand be available? Does the job involve supervising an apprentice? Does it require a driving licence, and if so, what class?
List clearly those factors that are essential to a candidate being able to do the job effectively and then those which are desirable but not essential. Prepare a checklist to use as you go through the interview to make sure that you cover all the points.
Prior to meeting candidates, be sure you read through their application forms together with any additional information they have sent you. It can be very embarrassing to arrive at an interview and not be sure what a candidate's name is or where a candidate has come from; and this kind of failure will not impress prospective employees!
Find a private area in which to conduct the interview. It doesn't need to be a plush office, but it does need to be free from interruptions and distractions. Make sure you put candidates at their ease – it is in your interest to give them an opportunity to demonstrate their best effort.
The interview is not the place for trick questions. Instead, have a pre-prepared list of questions that relate to the job on offer. For example, ask candidates to describe their activities in previous jobs and to explain their reasons for leaving. Check how candidates would get to work at your location and be sure that the money you are offering corresponds with candidates' expectations.
The interview is not the place for trick questions. Instead, have a pre-prepared list of questions that relate to the job in question
Use open as opposed to closed questions. Open questions are those that enable the candidate to give a full answer rather than just one word. An example of a closed question would be: "Did you enjoy working for Smith & Sons?" to which the candidate will answer either "yes" or "no". Replies like this do not make the interview flow like a conversation. A better approach would be to say: "Tell me what it was like working at Smith & Sons."
During the interview make sure you not only cover the areas you are concerned with, but also fully inform candidates as to what is expected in the job. Also explain to them how you expect your search to proceed; tell them the next stages of the selection process. If it is your company policy, get details of candidates' travel expenses. As soon as possible after the interview, jot down all your notes and observations. After interviewing half a dozen people, it can be very difficult to remember who said what and who had which qualifications.
Act fairly
Thanks to the European Union, there is much more legislation surrounding employment than ever before. Do not be daunted by this; just act fairly and consistently in your assessments and do not rely on stereotypes – about what type of person can and cannot succeed in a particular task, for example. The law prescribes high penalties for those who unfairly discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability; and age will soon be added to this list.
Don't forget that anything you say in an interview may be played back to you at some stage in the future. This can include offers of work, which don't have to be in writing to be binding.
Remember that you and the candidates will be equally nervous. The key to overcoming this is being prepared and treating each candidate fairly.
Source
Construction Manager