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Friday 29 July 2016

Un- riddle the Interview Puzzle – To get the best out of the candidate

Internet is flooded with host of articles which guides the candidates on how to get through an interview but there are very few articles for the interviewer.  As a certified Interviewer, I thought of sharing my views in this article on how to get the best out of the candidate during an interview process. The pointers listed below helps in making the Jigsaw Puzzle called “Interview” a seamless one for the candidate.

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Perfect Ambience:  Any candidate who walks in for the interview comes with a jumbled mind. Ensure the ambience in the reception, waiting hall and the interview room are good enough. This can be achieved by maintaining the surroundings neat and clean. The colors of the room should be pleasing to eyes. Good lighting should be made available. Furniture to be uncluttered and it is preferred to have a couple of news papers or magazines in the waiting hall. All of these set a right tone in the mind of the candidate for the interview.

Warm Reception: The candidate to be warmly welcomed either by the Receptionist or by the Talent Management staff. Offer the candidate water or beverages, else direct them to the pantry. Allow few minutes for them to settle down before handing over any forms to take in their details. Give a briefing about the interview process. This helps the candidate to get prepared mentally for the interview.

Do your home work: "These days even high school kids don’t skip home work, can Interviewer’s afford to?" The profile of the candidate should be browsed through, before stepping into the interview room. It is a wrong practice to stare at the profile of the candidate while they talk. It is a signal of unpreparedness. A proper home work will help the interviewer pick the key points. It will be easier to frame up the questions for the interview

Respect Time: Ensure that you be on time for the interview. Don’t pretend to be busy during the time slot allotted. As matured professionals we need to better manage our time before expecting the same from the candidate. A good interviewer is one who knows to respect and value the time of the candidate. State your apologies to the candidate, even if you are late by few minutes. Any unprecedented delays foreseen ensure that it is duly informed to the candidate well in advance. Making the candidate wait for long will only add up to their anxiety and it creates “brain drain”.

Self introduction: Greet the candidate and offer them a comfortable seat. Sit in a position wherein you have a direct eye contact with the candidate. Exchange pleasantries to initiate the conversation. "Don’t jump into your first question, as if there is no tomorrow". Even before getting started make a self introduction. It is good to say the name and the capacity at which you work for the company. Also give a quick brief about the role for which the interview is being conducted. This introduction not only helps the candidate to get familiarized with you but it also provides the candidate to gather some breath and allow their heart beats to calm down.

Eye contact: Throughout the meeting ensure you share a good eye contact with the candidate. This helps to gauge the candidate easily. Do not keep flipping through the resume papers which resembles either you are unprepared or disinterested. Don’t be keen in taking notes, “Remember, you are not writing an exam”. Note making also distracts and you may lose on any important point as the candidate speaks.

Last but not the least:


You are not Hitler out there to hire forces for WWII; a pleasing face does the interviewee a world of good” – SMILE  J J J !!!!!! ……
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