1.      Put Candidates At Ease
The interview process is stressful, and a cup of tea or glass of water can make all the difference in easing a candidate’s nerves. It’s a kind gesture and makes a good first impression. If a candidate is struggling to give an answer or going down the wrong route, imagine yourself in their shoes and guide them back on track.

2.      Never Make Assumptions
They say that you decide whether or not you’re going to hire the candidate within the first 30 seconds of the interview. This is folklore. Don’t ignore your gut reaction but do explore it and make sure that you give the candidate a chance to prove themselves to you.

3.      Sell Progression Opportunities
Your candidate doesn’t want to leave one dead end job for another, so prove to them that if they join your company, there are opportunities for them to progress and grow their career.

4.      Be A Detective
It’s easy for someone to lie on their CV, but not quite so easy for them to get away with it in person. I’m not saying you should be shining a light in their eyes and slamming the table, but do be sure to ask for the candidate to go more in depth about their achievements and examples of when they have demonstrated their skills. Don’t ask what they would do, ask what they have done.

5.      Allow Time For Questions
Whether this is throughout the interview or 10 minutes at the end, always make sure you’re giving the candidate a chance to voice any questions they have about the role and company. Not only does it allow the candidate to get all of the information they need, it gives you another opportunity to sell the company to them. They might want to know what your favourite thing about working for the company is – would you have told them if they didn’t ask?

6.      Have A Copy Of The Job Spec To Hand
Along with the candidate’s CV, you should always have a copy of the job spec with you in the interview. This ensures that you’re establishing the correct skills and experience for the role and don’t end up interviewing the candidate for a completely different job. Trust us, it does happen!

Do you have any interview rules that you live by? Let us know! Comment below 

Enigma People Solutions is an award-winning technology recruitment consultancy. We find technical leaders for the emerging and enabling technology industries. Visit our services page for more information. Visit our job search page for the latest vacancies in photonics, electronics, semiconductor, software and IoT in Scotland and the UK. Check out our blog page for the latest in the technology industry. You can get in touch with us hello@enigmapeople.com or call us on + 44 131 510 8150