Interview Techniques

Interview tips for candidates
  1. Find out as much as possible about the organisation - their role, their clients. Try to get an overview of their structure and current major projects. Their website is often a useful source for this information.
  2. Prepare answers to questions you think they may ask.
  3. Be sure to bring evidence of prior accomplishments. These may include university degrees or trade certificates.
  4. Update your resume and make sure that it follows our resume tips.
  5. Be sure to collect information about the organisation, such as associated industry magazines, brochures from the organisation and competitor's brochures.
  6. Mention your career objectives to the employer and how you think you will achieve them.
  7. Include a list of two or three appropriate referees and ensure you inform each person that they may be contacted as your referee.
  8. First impressions count. Walk into the interview room with a good attitude and be sure to give a positive greeting.
  9. Find out more about your personality type prior to the interview and attempt to improve any weaknesses. For example, use a Myers-Briggs typology to assess your personality.
  10. If you have time, practice the interview with a friend or family member beforehand.

Interview tips for employers
  1. Think ahead - Prepare for the meeting with a list of relevant questions you want to ask the candidate about their skills, experience and background. Think of the essential things you need to learn from the interview and create questions related to this.
  2. Ensure you have thoroughly read the candidate's resume so that you can drill down on areas of interest for further clarification.
  3. When setting up the interview(s) ensure you allocate enough time to the meeting and, particularly if you have more than one candidate to interview, ensure you have a break between meetings.
  4. Ensure there are no interruptions, and that the candidate gains a favourable impression of your business and that you have a good working environment. Is there someone to greet the candidate and put them at ease before and after the interview?
  5. Prepare the interview room and tidy up any paperwork so that the candidate is confident you are giving them your undivided attention.
  6. Ease into the interview as the candidate may be a little stressed and nervous. Start by describing your organisation and the tasks associated with the job.
  7. Ask open-ended questions. This stimulates discussion and draws longer responses from the candidate. Aim to let the candidate do 80% of the talking.
  8. Ask follow up questions to clarify any unclear points from the discussion, or their resume, to ensure you have a full understanding of their reasoning as well as their goals and objectives.