Interviews: A Crucial Element of the Recruitment Process

Interviews are essential in the recruitment process for both employers and job seekers. They provide employers with insights into candidates’ qualifications, skills, and personalities, and allow candidates to showcase their abilities, experience, and suitability for a desired job role. Additionally, candidates can evaluate the company, its values, and its people during the interview process.

In today’s fast-paced hiring world, CVs and references offer limited insights into a candidate. Interviews are crucial as they enable direct communication, allowing both parties to assess responses, body language, confidence, professionalism, and cultural fit.

To recruit the best-suited candidates, companies are introducing various interview techniques into their recruitment processes.

What Are the Most Common Interview Techniques Used in Recruitment Campaigns?

Understanding Interview Techniques

Purpose of Interview Techniques
Interview techniques provide structured approaches to evaluate candidates’ skills, qualifications, experiences, and overall fit for a role and company. These techniques delve deeper into the information shared in a CV to assess candidates’ capabilities, competencies, and cultural alignment with the organisation.

Enhancing Consistency and Fairness
Structured interview techniques aim to provide a fair and consistent recruitment evaluation process. Standardised methods reduce biases and subjective judgments, enhancing the validity and reliability of hiring decisions.

Variation and Suitability
The choice of interview techniques depends on the role, company culture, and industry norms. Employers must select techniques that align with their recruitment objectives and desired candidate attributes to ensure effectiveness.

Types of Interview Techniques

Traditional Interview
A classic question-and-answer format where candidates respond to interviewers’ questions.

Pros: Provides a straightforward method for assessing qualifications and personality. Reduces bias if all applicants are asked the same questions.
Cons: May not effectively evaluate problem-solving abilities or cultural fit.
Common Difficulties: Predetermined questions can lead to a lack of spontaneity and depth in responses.

Behavioural Interview
Focuses on past behaviour to predict future performance, typically using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method.

Pros: Provides concrete examples of competencies and real-world application.
Cons: Requires candidates to recall specific experiences, which may be challenging for some.
Tip: Use open-ended questions to encourage detailed responses and specific examples.

Situational Interview
Presents hypothetical scenarios relevant to the job to assess problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Pros: Assesses candidates’ ability to think on their feet and apply understanding to practical situations.
Cons: May not accurately reflect real-life performance or experiences.
Tip: Tailor scenarios to specific challenges candidates may face in the job.

Competency-Based Interview
Evaluates candidates based on specific competencies required for the position, such as communication, leadership, or teamwork.

Pros: Provides a structured framework for assessing skills and abilities, ensuring alignment with role requirements.
Cons: Requires careful choice and explanation of competencies to ensure relevance and accuracy.
Tip: Use the STAR method to explore experiences and behaviours related to key competencies.

Panel Interview
Involves several interviewers assessing a candidate simultaneously, providing diverse perspectives.

Pros: Offers thorough evaluation from different angles and reduces individual bias.
Cons: Requires pre-planning and coordination among panel members. Can be intimidating for candidates.
Tip: Candidates should address each panel member individually, maintain eye contact, and engage with all interviewers to demonstrate confidence and professionalism.

Hiring Managers: How do you choose which techniques to use when hiring for a role? Have you found some techniques to be more successful than others?

Job Seekers: Have you experienced any of the interview techniques mentioned above? We would love to hear your tips and advice on how to approach them. Contact us at contactus@jbrecruitment.co.uk.

Next week, we will delve deeper into each interview technique, exploring best practices for both employers and candidates to maximise interview effectiveness.

About Jackson Barnes Recruitment

Jackson Barnes Recruitment delivers international recruitment solutions within the events, media, and publishing sectors. We recruit from Graduate to MD level for positions such as:

• Researcher
• Conference Producer
• Event Marketing
• Sales – Delegate, Sponsorship & Business Development
• Event Manager
• Editor

We successfully recruit for organisations in the UK and overseas, with placements in London, Dubai, New York, Singapore, and Australia.