Even experienced hiring managers can benefit from interview skills training. The key to job success is a well-conducted and solid interview. Excellent interviewing techniques are critical to the hiring equation as it leads to the creation of an effective interview training program. Hiring managers are integral to the process of recruiting. It is crucial that they are aware of how to conduct an effective interview with minimal bias- therefore training hiring managers how to interview well is a must. This guide will give you a plethora of interview techniques that are needed for training hiring managers to ensure that they are impartial interviews and effective, as this will lead them to hire the best candidate for the job role.
Key tips for interviewers:
- Interview training is a process wherein individuals learn to successfully conduct interviews using leadership techniques and their communication skills.
- Interview training can be helpful for any individual with the responsibility of conducting interviews such as the managers, recruiters etc. Developing correct interview techniques is a must.
- Interview training can provide less-experienced interviewers with necessary information, tips and techniques that are needed to build a strong bond with the interviewee and determine if they are the right fit or not.
What exactly is an interview training program?
Interview training programmes are basically used to teach individuals how to efficiently interview the candidates successfully using the necessary communication skills and techniques. It basically facilitates the training to understand efficient interview techniques. Interview training includes-
- Tips for effective questioning
- Educating about avoiding biases
- Interview checklists
- Techniques on how to conduct engaging interviews.
- Questions and topics to avoid
Also: How to Pick an Online Interview Scheduling Tool?
Tips for training hiring managers to conduct successful interviews
1. Learn to mitigate biases
An interviewer could be extremely well-prepared for the interview but may still display inherent bias during the interview. The first mistake that hiring leaders make is the assumption that they already know which are the right interview questions to ask and which are the wrong questions to ask.
To prevent any form of discrimination during the interview practice, irrespective of it being intentional or not, is to educate them about the current hiring laws, and to be sensitive to all kinds of people.
This can be done by creating a consistently updated list of questions and topics to avoid during the course of the interview. This interview technique is very helpful to sensitize oneself to the candidate’s feelings. This includes but is not restricted to the candidate’s age, race, religion, relationship status, socio-economic status etc. Thus, with proper training on how to stick to only the appropriate topics, interviewers can be confident and communicate effectively.
2. Use the correct technology
By utilizing the correct technology to support the hiring manager during an interview is an excellent technique for interviewers. Hiring managers can be empowered to increase the quality of their interviews even further. When the interviewers get caught up in the back and forth of scheduling interviews manually, it gives them less of a window to focus on other important aspects of the interviewing process. However, when interviewing/recruiting technology takes care of these tasks, interviewers have more space for valuable work such as building a rapport with the candidates. Moreover, the right tech can also be used to increase candidate engagement and boost candidate satisfaction even more.
3. Focus on candidate experience and relationship-building
The concept of candidate experience has changed over the years. Candidate experience building is a necessary component. Focussing on this will attract top candidates. Interviewers/hiring managers need to focus on:
- How authentic connections are extremely valuable while developing a lasting candidate relationship
- The importance of effective, open communication and transparency with the interviewees
- Keeping DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) should be the top priority as having employees from ass backgrounds is essential
Related: What is the Importance of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace?
4. Make an interview checklist and check-in
Provide the hiring managers with the list/reference sheet of the main points which you covered in training. Short and brief reminders such as repeating the candidate’s name, asking follow-up questions etc are good techniques for interviewers. Reach out to the managers after they have conducted the interview to discuss how they incorporated what they learnt in the interview.
People also asked
1. Why is the hiring manager important?
A hiring manager is a crucial part of the hiring system. A well-trained manager will protect your company from unintentional discrimination and thus lead to better hires.
2. What should be included in the interview training?
It is always a good idea to ensure you cover the basics of interviewing. Hiring managers must know what to say in an interview, how to prevent bias, and the correct identification of cues- both verbal and nonverbal from the candidates during the interview process. Understanding the necessary techniques for interviewers will lead to a better hiring process overall.
