Five Tips for During and After the Interview

Selecting the best candidate requires not only careful preparation before the interview but also skilled managing of the conversation during and careful assessment after the interview.

Here are five proven tips for during the behavioral interview:

1. Significant Achievements: With your list of two or three topics to be covered based on the candidates resume, ask for a significant achievement in each area.
   
   
2. Third-Party Perspective: Follow up with a question to understand how this achievement was viewed by a third-party like their boss or peer.
   
   
3. Dominant Competencies: Ask the candidate to describe what s/he thinks are his/her dominant competencies and how these would fit the open position.
   
   
4. Specific Examples: List these as they are described and then ask for specific examples of how the competencies have been demonstrated in past job experience.
   
   
5. Sell the Job: Save time to answer any questions the candidate may have and, if needed, to describe the positive aspects of the job and the company.

Immediately after the interview, jot down notes of your impressions and rate the candidate against the competencies you feel are necessary for success in the job.