Employment interview - Guide for Employers to: The good job interview

Employment interview

The employment interview plays a central role in the recruitment process. In this article, we therefore give you a number of good tips on how you can prepare before the employment interview and how to conduct the interview in the best possible way.

How do you hold a good job interview?

The employment interview is typically the first meeting between the employer and the applicant. A good job interview requires that you have established a good framework for the interview.

It is, among other things, important that you find your own style that can make you relaxed, present and observant during the job interview. You can advantageously select a number of questions in advance that you think are relevant to the position in question and the workplace. It is also a good idea to read the candidate's CV or motivated application closely before the interview, which can also help you ask qualified questions.

The purpose of the job interview is that both you and the candidate get the most informed and fair decision making basis.

You can divide the job interview into 3 phases, namely:

• Preparation
• The conversation
• References

In the following sections, we will go in depth with each of the 3 phases.

Preparation

As previously mentioned, it is an advantage to read the candidate's CV and application closely, which can give you a better basis for the job interview  and helps you ask relevant questions.

Before the interview, it is also recommended to book a room where you will not be disturbed. In addition, you should contact the candidate in good time and inform them if documents must be brought to the interview, e.g. exam and course certificates, statements from previous employers, driving licence or a criminal record.  

The conversation

Try to keep the conversation relaxed and in a friendly tone. Remember that the candidate may be nervous, which is why it is good to be approachable. Therefore, it may be sensible to start the employment interview with a small talk, so that the candidate can loosen up. You can then welcome the candidate and present the agenda for the job interview, including your expectation of the duration of the interview.

Before you start asking the candidate questions, you can introduce the workplace briefly and leave room for any questions. You can then let the candidate introduce themselves and review their CV. Here you can for example ask the candidate to emphasise their work experience or competences they considers particularly relevant for the position.

Make sure you are thorough and realistic when you talk about the position, including tasks and expectations. In addition, you should coordinate expectations for salary, working hours and when the employment begins. Also, it is a good idea that you inform the candidate about when they can expect to receive feedback.

References

You can advantageously obtain references from the candidate's previous employers before making the final decision. For this, it is important that you get permission from your candidates to source references on them.

When you are in contact with the referee, you can, for example, ask about the areas where you are unsure whether the candidate is suitable for the position. It is worth mentioning that you must not acquire information about the candidate's private circumstances, for example health.

You can make use of 2-3 references, for example you can ask questions to both managers and former colleagues to form a solid impression of whether the candidate is suitable for the position.

Below you will find a series of questions that you can use when you need to talk to the applicant's referee:

• In which work situations is the candidate at their best?  
• Can you think of any situations where the candidate could have done better?
• In which situations is the candidate particularly good at collaborating?
• Are there any situations where the candidate could have been better at cooperating?
• What is the candidate's greatest strength/area of opportunity?
• Would you hire the candidate again?

It can also be sensible to ask the referees to give you concrete examples of situations where the candidate excelled, or could have done better.

If the referee is less than positive, you should consider whether it is the chemistry between your candidate and their previous employer that has been bad, which is why it is important that you talk to several referees . A number of negative references are needed before the picture can be truthful.

What should you ask at a job interview?

What are the characteristics of a good employment interview? We have collected 11 questions that you can ask your candidate at your next job interview:

• Tell me about yourself
• Why are you applying for this position?
• Why should we hire you?
• What are your most important qualifications for this position? (Here you can, among other things, ask for an example from the candidate's current position and where they have made use of this qualification)
• What is your biggest weakness in relation to this position?
• What are you looking for in a new job?
• What tasks do you like to work on the most?
• Can you give examples of what you have experienced as a healthy working environment?
• How does a leader bring out the best in you?
• What motivates you?
• Do you have any questions for us?

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