Methods of Interviewing Job Candidates

An interview is one of the most crucial points for a company to learn about a potential candidate for an open job position. Not only does it potentially understand the skills of an applicant, but also their personality, on how they approach problems, and how they carry themselves to name a few. Being an interviewer is an arduous task, not only will they be asking and explaining repeatedly, but they are the ones to scrutinize each and every applicant to be able to find the right person for the right job. Preparing for an interview is the next step to take after screening your job applicants. Numerous ways of holding an interview are now available for recruiters to choose from. Aside from personal interviews, there’s phone, video, or group interviews that you could use. Incorporating different methods of interviewing in your hiring stage is ideal. This helps the interviewers in selecting the right person to fill the position.

In this segment, we will discuss the different types of interviewing methods so you could choose which option is suitable for your company and your hiring stage. Choosing your interviewing method at the right stage is not a drawing straw game. Read on to further understand the significance of each interviewing method.

5 Interviewing Methods

1. Telephone Interview

This is usually the first stage of the interview process; why? Because this interviewing method can be set up for as short as 15 minutes – saves both the candidate and the recruiter’s time in the hiring process. The recruiter can prepare a questionnaire to better know the candidate and decide whether the applicant can move to the next stage of the hiring process.

At this stage, you can assess the candidate’s communication skills, confidence, work ethics, motivation and critical thinking ability. You may also check here if the applicant is a high-risk for attrition when hired. Questions such as what skills they are great at, how their day-to-day looks like, why they seek for a job change and what do they expect from you as a company.

2. Video Interview

Video interviews can be done live or by recording. You choose this interviewing method when you are not available to personally interview the candidate or you would like to review the applicant’s body language. This method is reliable when you want to read a candidate’s facial expression and determine their sincerity.

A pre-recorded video interview is very handy if you are not available to chat live or have other things attend to at the same time. Live video interviews are very useful on the other hand if you would like to assess a candidate for a managerial or executive position. Here, you can see their facial expressions, body language, and charisma.

Live video interviews are the same with the traditional personal interviews, the only difference is that you are doing it remotely through some online apps. There are several apps that employers use to hold video interviews. We have Skype, Zoom, Slack, Google Meet, Google Hangouts, FB Messenger, and FaceTime to name a few. It would be beneficial for both parties in terms of time of preparation, and travel time (for the applicant)

For pre-recorded video, also known as a one-way interview, the candidate answers the questions the interviewer has set for them to answer and reviews them afterwards. This video recording will then be sent through a link to the company email or a copy of the video can be forwarded as an attachment.

3. Group Interview

If you have few positions to fill and have received a massive number of applicants, it is recommended to use the group interview method. It is where the interviewer sets an interview between 2 or more candidates to fill one position only. This is normally used by employers who are looking for the right one with people skills, public speaking skills, collaborative approach, and a team player.

As the interviewer, it is suggested to prepare group questions and individual questions. This will help you gauge whether a candidate can articulate his thoughts, respect others while they talk, and their soft skills when expressing disagreement towards another’s opinion. Group interviews also save time and lessens turn over which results in saving money for employers thus, this method is included as the step two of their hiring process.

4. Panel Interview

In contrast to the group interview where the interviewer hosts an interview among more than 2 applicants, a panel interview is where an interviewee answers the questions from a group of executives. This type of interviewing method is commonly used for filling managerial or executive positions. This is used when there are several opinions to consider and the position to fill is critical for the success of the company. One of the executives of the C-suite will act as the chairperson and the others will throw in their questions.

Panel interviews also assess the candidate on how they handle pressure and stress and their level of confidence and communication skills. Although this type of interview would affect more time out of work from various key positions of the company, this is a sure way to find the right one to fill in a position that is beneficial for all.

5. Individual Interview

This interviewing method is commonly done by the HR Manager or the Hiring Manager as the last step of the hiring process. This face-to-face interview allows the Hiring Manager to gauge whether this candidate profile fits in the culture and for some, check if there is a chemistry between them and the potential employee.

This stage is also where the candidate showcases and sells himself. It is therefore advised that the interviewer be more prepared in hosting this interview to spot whether the candidate deserves to set his foot in the company or not. Although this type of method is time-consuming, there is no other approach that is better than having a personal touch during an interview.

Knowing the different types of interview methods and your company needs is important when you are establishing a recruiting process for your company. Deciding the number of stages in your recruiting process is also tantamount to considering who should conduct the interview in each step. Your set of questions will also play an important role in screening who among the sea of applicants is deserving to fill the position.