Top Interview Planning Tips for Employers

Posted April 28, 2022 in Learn by Abby Woodard

Congratulations – you’ve identified a hiring need, written a job description, and posted your role. The next step is to create an interview plan.  Here are a few tips for a successful hiring process.

Align your hiring team before interviews begin.

Include anyone in a hiring kickoff who will interact with the candidate. This preparation will ensure a positive candidate experience, swift and thorough decision-making, and a scalable, repeatable process. Take additional time to discuss your hiring practices and ensure they are inclusive. Your hiring kick-off should establish that interviewers:

• Understand the job description and hiring requirements.
• Have an outline of the hiring process, including who will own each stage, from the initial interview to the offer.
• Know what competencies each person is covering and have questions prepared, including behavioral and situational questions.
• Ask the same questions of every candidate and avoid personal questions, such as “do you have kids?”, “where are you originally from?” and “when did you graduate?”. 

Make an excellent first impression.

Conducting a solid first interview or phone screen can make a big difference in the outcome of whether or not someone is hired later in the process. The phone screen is the first opportunity to sell the company’s product and values and day-to-day life at the company.

• Candidates also want to imagine their potential new team. If you are the hiring manager, talk about your vision and strategy for the team and how this role fits into it.
• Discuss compensation. You cannot ask about someone’s current salary; however, you should share your compensation range to confirm alignment. 
• Beyond compensation, learn what will motivate this candidate to accept an offer. Is it work-life balance, excitement about a company mission, or overall love of a role?

Have a communication plan.

Your timely communication with the candidate impacts their experience and impression of your company. Have a plan for how you’ll communicate the next steps and the candidate’s point of contact for additional questions. Here are more tips for clear communication throughout the interviewing process.

• At the end of an interview, allow the candidate to ask questions to ensure they have the information they need about the role, company, and team. 
• Be transparent with candidates about the timeline and when you expect to make a decision. Follow-up if your timeline changes.
• Ask if the candidate is interested in the role based on the information provided during the interview. 
• Ask about their availability to ensure it matches your needs. Be transparent about whether it aligns with the company timeline. 

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