What to Consider When Interviewing Job Applicants

Kathleen B. Kong

More often than not, job applicants always feel nervous during interviews. They prepare for all possible questions and think about the best answers, so they can get hired. However, unknown to many, the job of the interviewer is not that easy, as well.

It does happen that some interviewers do not have the right interview questions, even followup questions to job applicants which could might result to hiring the wrong person. It is during the interview where the company representative should find the best candidate for the job. The stakes are high in building a team for the company’s success.

Thus, an interviewer should be armed with the right questions. The right questions would produce the right people for the company. In my research, I found some useful tips for interviewers that could help them conduct efficient interviews.

First, an interviewer should look for a candidate’s ability to present his/herself and how he/ she could contribute to the company. Second, the interviewer should look for compatible communication and work styles for the applicant. Lastly, assess if the applicant has the eagerness to be part of your company.

To find out how an applicant present his/herself, an interviewer should prepare questions that can gauge the candidate’s level of self-awareness. For example, ask him/her about the progress of his/her career up to his/her current role. Of course, it’s best to ask an applicant about his/ her strengths and areas for improvement.

Interviewers immediately hire applicants who can do the job. That’s well and good. However, it would be better to consider an applicant’s compatibility with you and your team, as well. In the long run, it might be difficult to work with someone who can do the job but is totally out of sync with the rest of your team.

Finally, it is crucial for an applicant to have that “desire factor” in being part of your company. You can easily see this in a candidate who goes beyond knowing your company’s basic information, but one who will go out of his/her way to articulate their understanding of who you are and why they’re so excited about joining your firm.

I believe these tips can help an interviewer find the best candidate for the job—that one person that could greatly contribute to their company’s success.

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