How to Conduct Your Most Successful Interviews

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Just like a candidate preparing for an interview for a new role, preparing to interview as a hiring manager is a skill that gets better with practice. 

A good interviewer will put candidates at ease, treat them all fairly and essentially get the most out of each candidate. 

To ensure your recruitment works and you make the ‘right’ hire, it is essential that you have a process in place to conduct the perfect interview, every time. 

Preparation is key when it comes to conducting an interview, so save this guide to refer to the next time you are preparing to interview finance candidates. 

Let’s start with your pre-interview preparation.  

 

1. Pre-Interview Preparation  

 

 

Before your next round of interviews, take the time to revisit some essential points. 

Your company mission and vision should be one of them – especially now, in our post-Covid world. 

A good interviewer will be able to accurately demonstrate to each candidate the core values of their organisation; if the fundamentals of your business have changed since Covid, are you able to portray an accurate picture of what working in the business is like now? 

In some organisations, the culture has changed, for the most part, to remote way of working. How will the new employee fit into this?  

Integrating a new team member can be difficult when individuals are working remotely. So make sure you do everything you can to assure candidates they will be received warmly and given the tools and the support they will need to do their jobs. 

Before the interview, you should also get familiar with the job description – has the nature of this role changed recently? Do you know exactly the skills and attributes you are looking for? 

If there is going to be more than one of you interviewing the candidates, always make sure you de-brief before the interview to ensure you have a defined process or methodology and that this is aligned to the job description for the role. 

 

2. Video Interviews 

It is increasingly common in our post-pandemic world that employers are using video interviews in some of their recruitment processes 

If you are going to be conducting your interviews over video conferencing software such as Zoom or Skype, ensure that everything is in the correct working order and that you know how to operate these tools. 

 

If you are conducting multiple interviews, always leave at least 15 minutes between candidates in case interviews run over and use different links for each candidate. Using the same link runs the risk of one candidate trying to join the meeting while the previous interview is still happening. 

Video interviews are great during the early stages of your recruitment process, but to make a fully informed decision, nothing can replicate a face-to-face (socially distanced) meeting.  

 

3. Be Methodical  

 

 

A successful round of interviews is one where every candidate is given the same fair screening, and you achieve this by being methodical. 

Interviews can be highly-charged for both the interviewee and the employer. It is not uncommon for interviewers to get carried away with a ‘gut feeling’ about a candidate, which can sway the interview either positively or negatively. 

To overcome this, devise a method to use each time.  

Always plan the questions before the interview, and use the same set for each candidate. You can set aside some time for any additional questions you want to ask or be asked at the end. 

Practice your note-taking and take ample notes for each candidate – interviewers can assume that they will remember key details. Still, when you are interviewing many candidates, it can be difficult to remember specifics. 

 

4. Questioning  

Certain questions must be asked in an interview for you to get a rounded picture of each candidate, such as their understanding and experience of the skills needed for the role. 

But there are additional questions you can ask to get the most out of your interviews. 

Ask the candidates to explain a passion of theirs to you – this can break the ice and will help them feel at ease. 

Aim to create an environment where the interview is conversational rather than an interrogation; relaxed candidates are more receptive, and you will get to see the real them. 

Be compassionate and friendly as well as professional – even for unsuccessful candidates; you want them to come out of the interview process with a positive impression of your business.  

 

5. Psychometric Testing 

You may want to use psychometric testing after the initial round of interviews to narrow your search further. 

This involves a more specific set of questions to ascertain detailed information about candidates. 

They can involve numerical reasoning, verbal ability, data checking, logic testing and personality profiling. There are many different providers of psychometric tests, such as the DiSC profile, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Sixteen Personality Questionnaire plus many others.  

Think about what specific details you would like to know about your candidates as this will allow you to pick a suitable psychometric test. In accounting and finance, you may want to test candidates’ numerical reasoning in-depth, or you may be more focused on what type of personality you are looking for to fit in with your organisation.  

 

6. Candidate Aftercare 

 

 

Treating candidates as you would a client or a customer is away to ensure you maintain a positive employer brand. 

Respond to candidates promptly, and encourage unsuccessful candidates to apply again in future and keep in touch with them on social media channels.  

Provide successful candidates with a foolproof guide to their new role and keep in touch regularly during their notice period before you officially welcome them on board.  

 

Finally 

Are you about to enter the recruitment process to find a new finance or accountancy hire? 

If so, we can help. Get in touch with me on 01282 930930 or contact me here to discuss your financial recruitment needs and how we can help you find the best talent for your vacancy. 

 

Thanks, 

Rachel   

 

About Rebus Financial Recruitment   

Rebus Financial Recruitment provides a specialist and focused recruitment service to its customers, which historically range from a wide variety of organisations including SME’s to large PLCs.   

We strive to offer both the client and candidate a seamless recruitment experience. Using our expertise, we get to the heart of employer and employee needs; and, in doing so, we match the two perfectly. To find out more, get in contact with one of our team today, or you can call us on 01282 930930. 

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