Conducting a Job Interview: The Most Important Tips & Questions You Should Ask

1. What is the aim of a job interview?
2. How can a job interview be well prepared by employers?
3. What phases are there in the job interview and what should be considered?
4. How long should a job interview last?
5. What is important in the follow-up of a job interview?
6. Helpful tools for preparing, following up and evaluating a job interview
7. Conclusion

For both employers and applicants, the first job interview is a crucial point in the recruitment process. This interview serves not only to check the qualifications of the applicants, but also to get a personal impression and identify the right candidates for the company.

Whether you're conducting the interview or appearing as an applicant: in this article we guide you from preparation to follow-up step by step through the process, providing valuable tips, important questions and proven methods for both sides.

What is the aim of a job interview?

The goal of a job interview is for employers and applicants to get to know each other and find out together if they are a good match. This allows employers to not only get a good overview of the applicants' technical skills and professional experiences, but also get a glimpse into their personality. After all, it's not just about suitability for a posted position, but also about whether the candidates fit the company and its culture. This mutual 'sniffing out' also gives applicants the opportunity to get a better picture of the company and the advertised position.

How can a job interview be well prepared by employers?

Preparing for a job interview is essential - also on the part of employers. Therefore, we provide you with a few tips below that should not only help you as an employer, but also give applicants a feel for how well-prepared your counterpart is:

• Understanding job descriptions: Clear knowledge of the position and requirements is essential - and this requires clear exchange between HR and the respective teams. In this way, recruiters can better understand which requirements candidates need to meet and what is expected of them.
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• Defining criteria: Define in advance the criteria against which the candidates should be evaluated for an objective assessment. These can range from a friendly and interested demeanor to motivation for the job to certain skills.
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• Establish a clear guideline: Also determine the structure of the conversation in advance to ensure that all relevant questions are asked.
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• Inform yourself about the applicants: Thoroughly review the resume and application documents of the candidates to be able to ask targeted questions and also signal that you have prepared well.
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• Prepare questions: Prepare a list of questions that cover both technical and personal aspects to get a comprehensive picture.
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• Clarify expectations: Make sure that expectations for the position and the company are clearly communicated. This includes not only the future area of responsibility, but also conditions such as salary, vacation days, home office options or further training opportunities.
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• Create a pleasant interview atmosphere: Create a relaxed environment in which the applicants feel comfortable and can express themselves openly.
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• Active listening: Listen carefully to better understand the applicants' answers and be able to ask follow-up questions if necessary. This also means that you should avoid looking at your phone or checking emails during the interview. The potential new colleagues should receive your full attention and leave with a positive impression.
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• Create a space for questions at the end: Give the applicants the opportunity to ask questions and clarify open points.
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• Bonus - involve team members: If direct team members participate in the conversation, the conversation atmosphere is usually perceived by the applicants as more relaxed than if, for example, only recruiters and executives are present. In addition, job-specific questions can be clarified directly and it can be better assessed whether the person fits into the respective team.

What phases are there in the job interview and what should be considered?

A job interview consists of several phases, each of which plays an important role. However, a successful job interview is not characterised by rigidly going through these phases and ticking off all open questions, but also by a pleasant atmosphere and a meeting at eye level. Therefore, we not only provide an overview of the individual steps, but also give employers tips to help them create a positive conversation atmosphere.

Hold on! The phase before the job interview also plays an essential part in the application process and should not be neglected. Since communication before the first personal meeting is usually limited to the exchange of emails, we would like to give some tips on this as well:

• Timely response: If you want to attract good talent, you should be fast. Therefore, it is advisable to always respond promptly to the messages of the applicants and to address all the questions asked. This not only makes a good impression, but also testifies to professionalism and gives a first indication of the working methods and internal organization of the company. Especially with regard to the War for talents it is more important than ever today that the application process is not unnecessarily prolonged.
• Be transparent: To prevent the applicants from being thrown completely into cold water, you should ideally inform them in advance who will be participating in the interview and what position they hold in the company.

So far everything clear? Then let's now get to the different phases of the job interview as promised.

1. Greeting and introduction

Begin the conversation with a warm greeting to reduce nervousness and tension and to facilitate the entrance. In addition, a personal introduction of all participants loosens up the round, opens the door for open communication and allows the applicants to first 'arrive' and get an overview.
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⁠⁠Tonality: Choose a respectful and relaxed tonality. This helps the applicants to relax and give authentic answers.
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2. Questions about CV

After the applicants have presented their career path, you can ask specific questions about it.

3. Technical questions

And since you're on the subject of career, it's a perfect time to take a closer look at the technical competences and professional experiences of the candidates and ask situational questions. This way you can find out which requirements the candidates already fulfill and how they would approach professional challenges.

4. Personal questions and fit for the company

To what extent do the applicants fit the team and the corporate culture? In a needs-oriented conversation, you can clarify this question together and find out if your expectations and desires match.

Some common questions employers ask in job interviews about both technical and personal aspects include:

• Motivation and interests: Why did the applicants apply for the position and what attracts them?
• Skills: What skills do the applicants bring and how do they deal with professional challenges?
• Experiences and projects: What are/were the main tasks in their current/previous job? What projects have they implemented so far? What professional successes are they particularly proud of?
• Creativity and innovation: What special ideas have they implemented in their previous job?
• Teamwork and conflicts: How do the applicants handle teamwork and conflicts? How do they organise their workday?
• Future plans: Where do the applicants see themselves in the future and how would they like to develop?
  

5. Questions from applicants

Encourage applicants to ask questions! This way you can ensure that nothing remains unclear. In addition, the candidates can use this opportunity to ask further company or position-specific questions, thus demonstrating their interest in the company. Some examples include:

• What does the onboarding process look like?
• How is success defined for this position?
• How are individual strengths promoted?
• How often are feedback conversations held?

6. Farewell and outlook

End the conversation with a positive outlook and explain the next steps in the selection process. Most companies conduct more than just one job interview with the right candidates and send them often also a trial task in the next step. So let your conversation partners know what (at best) is still to come.

It is important to be attentive during each of these phases and ask targeted questions, in order to get a comprehensive picture of the potential new colleagues. However, avoid sticking strictly to prepared questions and be flexible in designing the conversation to meet individual needs.

How long should a job interview last?

The duration of a job interview varies depending on the position and complexity. In general, however, a conversation should not last longer than 60-90 minutes in order to maintain the concentration of all participants.

What is important in the follow-up of a job interview?

Follow-up of a job interview is as important as preparation. Here are some points employers should consider after the conversation:

• Evaluation: Take time immediately afterwards to note your impressions and evaluations of the applicants. This way, it will be easier for you to remember the individual situations later on and make a decision.
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• Feedback: Get the assessment of the other participants in the conversation and give the applicants constructive feedback, even if they were not selected. This shows professionalism and appreciation.
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• Make decision: Make a sound decision about the selection of candidates based on the evaluations and conversations. The person should not only have convinced on a professional level, but also fit into the team.
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• Communication: Inform the selected candidates about the decision and the further process.

Helpful tools for preparing, following up and evaluating a job interview

For the preparation, follow-up, and evaluation of job interviews, tools from the OMR reviews platform offer valuable support. Here are some recommended tools:

1. Personio
   ⁠Personio is an all-in-one software that can be used to manage the entire HR lifecycle - including applicant management, of course. With this tool, you can not only create job ads and plan job interviews, but also track the application process and manage the data of the applicants and their evaluation. And once you have hired the right candidates, you can use the tool very well for further HR management due to its wide scope and clear layout.
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2. HR Puls
   ⁠The cloud-based software HR Puls offers different suites, among them the Recruiting Suite. The modules are freely selectable and range from applicant management to active sourcing and diagnostics to personnel planning and applicant surveys. Handy: HR Puls can be connected to various job portals and also a integration of social media platforms like Instagram & Co. is possible. However, it takes some time to familiarize yourself with the tool and often also the help of the support, which is easy to reach and offers individual support.
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3. Sage HR
   ⁠Sage HR also offers different solutions, including „Sage People“. This cloud-based HR management system is especially suited for larger and multinational companies and not only has a multilingual system with information and communication platform, but also offers analytics and controlling possibilities, comprehensive recruiting and onboarding as well as performance and talent management. In addition, you can also integrate third-party systems via this software.

Conclusion

A successful first job interview requires thorough preparation, clear communication and a positive conversation atmosphere - both on the part of the applicants and the employers. With this comprehensive article on the topic of job interviews, you get a solid guide to selecting the best talent for your company and successfully mastering the application process.If you are looking for more valuable information on the topics of HR management and applicant management