Interview Process

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1) Setting Up

Ensure that all the relevant pre-interview steps have been taken including:

• Candidates aware of places, times etc and what is expected of them e.g. tests,
presentation etc.
• All specialist equipment or appropriate adjustments have been made available to
candidates. This may include presentation equipment or reasonable adjustments with
regards to a candidate’s disability.
• The interview room should be private and quiet with no distractions such as open
windows etc.
• The interview questions are prepared and the interview panel aware of how the
interview should proceed.

2) Who should be present?

The interview panel should be comprised of those that have an interest and/or expertise in the
post being advertised. Many organisations also ask that a member of HR is also present. It is
unusual for an interview panel to exceed 3 except when dealing with senior roles. Too many
people on the panel may make for a disjointed interview and will not reduce the anxiety of the
candidates.

Some organisations will create as diverse (in terms of gender, ethnic background etc) an
interview panel as possible in order to reduce the risk of discrimination.

Usually members of the interview panel will take their own notes in order that they form their
own opinion about a candidate.

3) The Interview Structure

There are 4 parts to a typical interview:

a) Greeting – introducing the candidate and setting him/her at ease. This is usually done
via conversation of little consequence such as asking how the employee’s journey
was etc.
b) Collecting information – this is the process of asking the candidate the interview
questions in order to collect evidence on which to base your selection decision. This
is likely to form the main part of the interview process.
c) Providing Information – you may have additional information you wish to give to the
candidate and you should also offer the interviewee the opportunity to ask questions
about the organisation or role. Many employers make the mistake of thinking of the
interview as a one-way process i.e. the employer chooses their preferred candidate.
However in reality the interviewees will also be forming opinions about the role, and
these opinions may affect their decision to accept or reject an offer of employment.
d) Ending the Interview – it is important to ensure that both parties are aware of the next
step in the process and can contact each other as necessary. You should also inform
candidates of when they are likely to hear from you.

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4) Questioning Techniques

Interviewers will tend to use 3 types of selection questions:

a) General Questions – these are generic questions asked of all candidates e.g. Can
you describe a time when you have had to work to a very tight deadline?
b) Specific Questions – these are used to focus in on the issues raised by the candidate
and will be based on the answer to the general question e.g. On that occasion what
would have been the outcome of not meeting the deadline?
c) Confirmation Questions – these are used to confirm information already received e.g.
So if the deadline had not been met the project would have been cancelled – is that
correct?

General questions will be the same for all candidates in order to provide a consistent measure
at each interview.

The questions themselves should be based on the needs of the role itself. Therefore if the
required candidate needs organisational skills, at least one of the questions should be based
on this requirement.

Try to focus questions on what the candidate has done rather than what he or she would do.
Hypothetical questions will often lead to hypothetical answers.

5) Avoiding Discrimination

Ensure all candidates are treated the same and asked the same general selection questions.

Should one of your interviewees have a disability then you have an obligation to make
reasonable adjustments to the interview process to accommodate the disability.

Avoid discriminatory comments and assumptions based on gender, marital status, disability,
ethnic background, race, nationality, gender re-assignment, sexuality, religion, belief or age.

6) Common Flaws

Listed below are just some of the common flaws that affect interviews. Being aware of these
flaws will help you avoid them.

• Devil/Angel – some interviewers will decide that an interviewee is either a very good
or a very bad candidate, and then fail to identify any evidence to the contrary. Always
use the interview to build a rounded picture of the candidate, not one that focuses
only on his/her positives or negatives.
• Like me – interviewers will tend to feel an affinity for candidates that remind them of
themselves. Try to avoid this by focusing on the requirements for the role.
• Primacy – the interviewer puts too much emphasis on the first few minutes of the
interview and makes his/her mind up then.

DISCLAIMER

The contents of this model document are intended to be informative but by their very nature
are general. You are strongly advised to seek independent advice before using the
document in specific circumstances as Business Link for London cannot accept responsibility
for any loss arising from reliance on anything set out, even errors or omissions.

© Business Link for London 2007

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