Tips for Conducting Job Interviews

Without preparation, any job interview you conduct has all the downsides of a blind date and none of the potential upsides. Too often, this is how it happens. On interview day, you bounce out of bed with a smile on your face and a song in your heart. You whistle through your shower and sing in the car. Why not? There's a neat stack of resumes to review. You pour yourself a hot jolt of java and sit down to prepare for your quality time with eager job prospects.

Then the phone rings. Someone rushes in with a question that must be answered now. Your boss calls an unexpected meeting. Soon, you've lost control of the morning. When the first candidate arrives, you realize you haven't really studied her resume. You have her wait, and sit down to read. The phone rings again. You decide it'll be better to just get on with it. You start the interview, glancing at the resume to prompt questions.

The candidate across the table looks at you warily. She's taken time from another job to be there, and because she's brighter than the average third grader, she's figured out that you haven't read her resume. Two things happen: She decides you're unprepared and therefore not the boss of her dreams, and she seizes control of the interview. She makes it her mission to be sure you understand what's on the resume and spends most of her time reiterating what you already know or should know. Interviewing is an art, and you're doing a paint-by-numbers portrait.

Below are tips to remember the next time you interview job applicants:

1. Interview fewer people. Most managers interview too many people and then let disastrous interviews drag on too long. Spend the time up front narrowing the field, and then give your two or three top candidates their full due.

2. Limit interruptions. Preparing for an interview takes your full concentration. Do what you need to do to get some quiet time. Close your door, let voicemail answer the phone, and focus. If you absolutely can't limit interruptions at work then prepare offsite.

3. Ask the candidate to reconfirm your appointment. Unless you schedule an interview only a day ahead, ask the candidate to confirm the appointment. Doing so makes it less likely you'll face a no-show. You'll also find out whether the candidate can follow directions.

4. Prepare questions. You've already carefully read the resume and made notes. Review them now, and write some sample questions. Be sure that your questions should answer any questions you may have. Check the accuracy of any conclusions you may have reached. Ask the candidate to relate her experience to the open job and explore behavioral issues. For example, if punctuality is a hot button for you, ask about it.

5. Reserve a room to meet in. Neutral places are better than your office. Be sure that the room has paper and a pen. If there's something you plan to show the candidate, have it ready. And have water for both of you.

6. Plan your schedule. If you've done your homework, the interview should be time well spent. Allow about an hour for your meeting. Pace yourself. If you're meeting with several candidates in a single day, allow at least a half-hour between meetings in which to make notes and catch your breath. Also work hard to be prompt. Keeping people waiting is rude and makes it harder to establish rapport.