Interviewing and selection

At the beginning of the interview, you should provide a brief introduction;

• Try to place the candidate at ease, they are not likely to perform to their best if they are tense.
• Explain who you are – your name and role, the roles of each person involved in the interview.

Explain the structure and format of the interview

• Introduce Epwin, the divisions and the different sites and discuss the role.
• Explain the duration of the interview process
• Take them through their experience from CV.
• Competency questions.
• Inform them they will have an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the interview.
• Explain that you will be taking notes to ensure an accurate record of the interview.
• Make sure that you end the interview on time.
• It is advised that 2 interviewers need to be in the room at all times.

Setting out the interview process

It is important to determine what will be involved at the interview stage and to plan out the process before you make arrangements to interview candidates.

We always recommend at least two people involved in the interview process

To ensure you make use of the best interview process for the role consider the following points.

Decide whether there will be a one or two stage interview process. We would recommend for a leadership role a two-stage interview as it provides the opportunity to involve more people in the interview process, to meet potential appointees again, and to delve deeper in order to make a more considered decision.

It can also work well for candidates as it gives them the opportunity to reflect and relax for the second interview, by which point both parties should be clear whether an appointment is possible. However, it does add to the timescales which is why it is very important to be clear about this up front and to have the dates planned in.

Determine who will be involved in the interviews

It’s important the line manager (or the person the new recruit will work for) should always be involved in the interview and if the role is a very technical one, you may want to involve a technical expert or specialist as well.

Presentations and other aspects of the interview

Asking candidates to do a presentation as part of the interview process is usual for senior roles, but it does need to be relevant to the role.

If you do include presentations be clear on the topic of the presentation and ensure it is relevant to the role. Be clear on what you are assessing for example subject knowledge, skills in developing slides or using presentation software, communication, or the ability to deliver a well-reasoned argument.

Remember to confirm any other aspects that will form part of the interview

The important point is to ensure you have the opportunity to consider candidates against the essential criteria for the role and that what you ask them to do as part of the process is relevant to the role.

Plan your interview timetable

Within your recruitment plan you will have determined when interviews will take place and whether there will be a one or two stage interview process. Second interviews should be scheduled into the plan at the outset.

It may be that you plan to carry out all interviews on the same day or across a number of dates. Set out your schedule or timetable for interviews determining how long you will leave for each interview to be carried out.  Note, this will depend on the nature and seniority of the role, how many questions you plan to ask, whether there are other parts to the interview, i.e. presentation, and how many panel members there are.

Ensure you leave enough time for the panel to have a meeting prior to each interview and to catch up between each interview, always leaving at least a 10 minute gap between each scheduled interview. They will need time to write up their notes and reflect and this will also mean you have contingency time if the interviews overrun.

Contacting Candidates

The Resourcing Team will call and email the candidates to invite them for interview.

Where candidates have been put forward by recruitment agencies it is usual for the recruitment agency to contact candidates informing them that they have been invited for interview, but the Resourcing Team will liaise with the agency.

Remember some candidates may be working and you need to provide advance notice and be flexible with interview times, dates, location, method (Interview over Microsoft Teams etc.)

Information to include when inviting candidates to interview

• Confirmation of the role for which they are being interviewed.
• Date and time of interview.
• How long the interview is likely to last.
• Who the interview panel will be, names and job titles.
• The format of the interview and whether there will be a presentation or any other activities which they will be required to take part in.
• Where to report when they arrive and who to ask for.
• Any arrangements for parking and details of public transport options.
• If the location of your organisation is difficult to find or a candidate is from out of area it is often a good idea to provide a map or a link to a map.
• Inform them if they have any special requirements we will accommodate if practical, for example access requirements or arrangements to bring an interpreter. Remember we must take steps to make reasonable adjustments to enable them to attend the interview and ensure they are not put at a disadvantage due to their disability (physical or mental impairment) under the Equality Act 2010 and failure to do so could lead to a discrimination claim.
• Where to find information about the organisation.
• What they need to bring with them – proof of identification, examination certificates.
• Who to contact to confirm attendance.
• If you haven’t already provided the job description, information about the company and about salary and other benefits it is good practice to do so now.

Developing questions

Questions should be developed jointly by the interviewers in advance of the interviews and if required the Resourcing Team can help you with forming your questions

When developing questions, you should ensure that you are not asking any questions which could be discriminatory in any way.

You should develop two types of questions:

1. Questions relating to the individual candidate’s application and CV

Review each candidate’s CV to look for gaps or areas which are unclear and which you need to explore at interview. This is the opportunity to check out anything that doesn’t sound right or is an unsubstantiated claim.

2. Questions specific to the role and the person specification

Standard questions for each candidate should be developed based on the person specification for the role – the aim of the interview is to determine the best candidate for the role against the criteria outlined in your person specification.

• Types of questions

You can use many different types of questions in interviews; some work better than others.

• Open questions

An open question is one which allows the candidate to give the information they want to give and to develop their answer. E.g. “What experience have you had of…?”. These are preferable to closed questions that lead to yes or no answers which are not helpful in finding out more about the candidates.

• Probing questions

A probing or follow up question is one to use to find out more or check what the candidate has said. The aim is to get the information you need and ensure you understand what they meant or to fill in any gaps. An example would be, “so you said you enjoyed the detailed work, can you give an example of a piece of detailed work that you did particularly well?”. Probing questions are useful for finding out the part an individual actually played in an example they have given.

• Questions which ask for examples

Ask candidates to give examples to demonstrate their skill, knowledge or experience or to illustrate their point. For example can you give an example of a situation where you have had to use your initiative in responding to a customer question.

• Leading questions

A leading question is when you indicate the answer you are looking for, which is not helpful as you want to know what the candidate thinks about a particular subject or would do in a particular situation. Examples of leading questions would be “It is good to have skills in presentation isn’t it?” or “I always think people with this type of interest get on better in this area, what do you think?”. In both these examples you have provided the answer you are looking for. Instead you could ask the following: “Please explain whether presentation skills would be important in the role” or “How do you think having an interest in this area would help?”.

• Hypothetical questions

These are good for finding out what an individual would do in a particular situation but they do give candidates the opportunity to answer in the way they think you would want them to answer rather than what they actually did/would do. Use hypothetical questions with caution – try to stick to questions which lead to real examples of what candidates have actually done. For example rather than asking what a candidate would do if faced with an unhappy customer, ask what they have done in the past when a customer has been unhappy.

Preparing to interview

It is important to make sure each interviewer has:

• A copy of the interview schedule
• A copy of the advert, person specification and job description
• A copy of the CV or application form provided by the candidate
• Any other information provided by the candidate
• The interview questions and assessment form.

The interview room

Make sure the interview room is organised in advance of the first candidate’s arrival. You should ensure that the room is private and that there will be no interruptions during the interview. How you lay out the room will depend on what is available –you should make it as professional and comfortable as possible.

Decide how formal you want the room arranged and where everyone will sit. The aim is to put candidates at ease so that they will talk to you openly. Make sure the interviewee can see everyone from where they are sitting.

A table makes it seem more formal and can be seen as a barrier but it is easier to work on and however informal you try to make the interview setting, it is still a formal process.

Greeting candidates

On the day of the interview make sure someone is available to greet candidates as they arrive. Ensure reception know who is coming and at what time and that there is somewhere for candidates to wait if they arrive early.

You should have asked candidates to bring proof of eligibility to work in the UK with them to the interview along with any other documentation required, such as qualifications. Try to arrange for this to be viewed and copied outside of the interview room

Chairing the interview

This is an important role at the interview and needs to be done professionally. It would normally be done by the employing manager who should set the scene and give candidates an opportunity to get settled and put them at ease.

Make the introductions. Ideally candidates should know from their invite who they are meeting but it is worth making sure clear introductions at the start of the interview.

Outline the format of the interview and explain the role played by each interviewer. If the candidate is required to give a presentation as part of the interview, explain when they will be asked to do it.

Explain the nature of the questioning, for example competency based and/or based on their CV or application. Give the interviewee some idea of what to expect and what you expect from their answers. Encourage them to take their time to answer questions to the best of their ability.

Let candidates know whether you are happy for them to ask questions as they go through their interview or whether they should save these until the end.

Mention that notes will be taken.

Give an idea how long the interview is planned to last.

Give a brief introduction to the company and/or the role they have applied for.

Candidate presentations/reports

If the candidate is required to make a presentation or outline research findings as part of the interview process it is usually best to do this first as candidates will have come prepared to do this and may not be able to focus on the rest of the interview until this part has been completed.

Administratively it means a computer and screen should be set up in advance and then moved out of the way. The interview panel should be prepared to ask questions specific to the presentation – usually three or four questions maximum to draw out any points not fully covered.

If candidates have been asked to bring along pre-prepared pieces of work or a portfolio of their work it is best to deal with this at the start of the interview. If the pre-prepared work will be looked at after the interview, it is still best to ask for it at this stage to prevent the candidate worrying about when you will raise it.

Questioning

Ask questions relating to the CV to gain an understanding of the candidate’s experience and any clarification you need. A good way of doing this is to ask the candidate to give a brief summary of their career and then follow up with questions based on this.

Ask standard questions relating to the person specification. One interviewer should be identified to take the lead on each question area, for example questions around leadership may be dealt with by one member of the panel, while questions around budget management may be dealt with by another. Interviewers should either take it in turns to ask a block of questions or ask questions in turn until questions are completed.

Questions should be clear and easy for candidates to understand and should allow scope to follow up and probe further depending on the answer given.

If a candidate asks a question in response to your question then it is good to answer it there and then unless there is a reason not to – i.e. another interviewer is about to cover this as part of the next question.

Give candidates the opportunity to ask questions

Usually this is left to the end of the interview, by which time the candidate will be feeling more confident and will know more about the role and how it operates. You may have answered some questions as you have gone along and you may have prompted further questions.

If a candidate doesn’t have any questions at the end of the interview, it may be that you have provided all the information they need or that they have done their homework in advance. Don’t force candidates to ask questions for the sake of it.

Taking notes and recording information

It is important that notes are taken throughout the interview as you won’t remember everything a candidate says, even if they are only seeing one candidate. Note taking at interviews is the responsibility of all interview panel.

The notes will help you to review candidates at the end of the interviews before coming to a decision. You need to able to give meaningful feedback to all candidates and you may have to justify your decision if you receive a complaint so it is important to ensure that notes are taken to accurately reflect the interview.

Panel members should be instructed to write notes against each interview question and to ensure they are clear and factual – they should record what the candidate said, not their personal opinion about the candidate. Panel members should not make personal comments about the candidate, whether positive or negative – the aim of the interview process is to be as objective as possible and candidates can ask to see notes taken at interview if they raise a complaint in relation to the process.

Closing the interview

Just prior to closing the interview – it is good practice to ask: “Is there anything else you would like to tell us?”. This gives the candidate a final chance to say anything that is on their mind or that they haven’t felt they have had the opportunity to cover. You don’t want the candidate to go away thinking they weren’t given the opportunity to tell you something which they felt was really important to their application.

It is good to end on a positive note, thanking the candidate for their time and explaining the next steps. The close should be the same for all candidates whether you have a sense they are potentially the successful candidate or not. Make sure you inform all candidates:

• If there is a further stage what that is and when it will take place
• When you will let them know the outcome of the interview
• How you will let them know
• Any dependencies/anything outstanding or anything the candidate needs to do/send in e.g. references or paperwork that they didn’t bring with them.

Evaluating candidates

Ensure you build in time at the end of the interviews for the panel to thoroughly discuss the candidates and make the right decision. At the end of the interview, interviewers should review their notes individually, and come to a view on each candidate’s performance in each area of the person specification. If you use a scoring or rating system, make sure you are clear on your criteria at this stage. You can make use of the scoring sheet included here.

The panel should discuss each candidate and come to an overall view. Where there is disagreement about a candidate’s performance you should discuss everything until you gain consensus.

Refer back to your requirements and match the candidate against them, do not be swayed by other factors such as how charming they were or the hobbies and interests they talked about. If a candidate has done lots of research on the organisation it shows they are interested and you would expect a certain level of research – but they still need to have the skills and experience to do the role.

Personality and being able to fit in is important but ensure you are not considering this over and above ability to do the role. Just because you like someone doesn’t mean they will be good at the job. If you have desirable as well as essential criteria, make sure you tick off the essential criteria first.

Before making the offer, make sure you have checked eligibility to work in the UK, qualifications and that you are in a position to take up references. HR Team will send the medical questionnaires and requests for information about medical conditions should only be requested after a job offer has been made.

Making the decision

Integrating other parts of the process with the interview

You should ensure you consider the overall performance, ability and skills, but also the fit to the business of the candidate in making your decision.