The Quick Way To Mastering Face-to-Face Interview: A Guide for Recruiters

The face-to-face interview is an essential part of the recruitment process and a crucial stage in which you can and should obtain all the necessary and missing information about the applicant. It is a conversation in which the recruiter and the candidate communicate face-to-face. There are three types of such interviews:

• One-on-one: The recruiter and the candidate communicate face-to-face.
• Group interview: Several candidates are interviewed at the same time.
• Panel interview: Several company representatives interview the candidate.

The most common method is one-on-one, and beginners usually start there. A face-to-face interview helps to check the candidate’s communication skills, whether the applicant confirms/does not confirm the information provided in the resume, whether he/she can better define his/her competencies, etc. As part of such an interview, you can also evaluate the candidate’s knowledge—for example, ask them to complete a test task or solve a problem to find out how they think.

Also Read: How to Conduct Structured Interviews for Consistent and Fair Hiring Decisions

A face-to-face interview helps to optimize the search and selection of talent. First, it allows recruiters to evaluate personal qualities, enables them to try out different interview techniques, and gives them some room for ingenuity. Observing how candidates react to certain situations makes it possible to filter out obviously unsuitable applicants. In this way, recruiters can check the candidate’s theoretical and practical knowledge, as well as their reactions to specific situations, and see if the candidate really has the necessary skills.

Features of Conducting a Personal Interview

A face-to-face interview is not an interrogation or casting. It is a two-way street. You and the candidate will ask questions, so you need to consider that when preparing. Prepare answers in advance to essential questions that the applicant may ask. You should not go into the interview as if the applicant needs it more. Candidates may go on to work for another company. Therefore, all applicants should be treated with respect and consideration. Simple rules can help a novice recruiter choose the right conversational tone. Let’s take a quick look at them:

Also Read: How AI-Driven Interview Co-Pilot is Next Big Thing For Job Interviews

• Pay close attention to detail: A face-to-face interview is not an interrogation. Paying too much attention to every question or detail may not be understood by the applicant. However, do not confuse close attention with healthy interest. You should clarify any points that are open to discussion with the candidate, but if everything is clear, there is no need to dwell on the issue.
• Start with simple questions: It is good to start with simple questions. It is often difficult to get candidates to unite and commit quickly from the beginning. It is better to ask the most straightforward questions so the applicant can get into the rhythm and feel relaxed and cheerful, ready for more complex questions.
• Be careful with personal questions: This is especially true in stress interviews, where some questions may make it uncomfortable for the candidate to end the interview. However, this also applies to regular interviews.
• Be clear and precise: Let the candidate talk. Talking too much without giving the candidate a chance to say a word seems odd. Follow the 80:20 rule during the interview, where the applicant should speak 80% of the time, and the recruiter should speak 20% of the time. When speaking, use simple, short sentences.
• Be friendly: Being friendly encourages applicants to speak and feel comfortable and helps them express themselves. Also, remember that the recruiter is the face of the company. A friendly attitude towards candidates during the hiring process also indicates that they have chosen your company.
• Be honest: Answer questions honestly. Suppose it turns out that you have been deceiving applicants. In that case, they will most likely not want to work for your company, which will damage not only your company’s reputation but also your reputation.

How to Know if a Candidate is “Not Yours”

Face-to-face interviews have a massive advantage over other personnel selection methods. Here, you meet the applicants face-to-face and can evaluate them according to the required criteria. There are several ways to determine if a candidate needs to be more suitable or ambiguous. Of course, a quality review involves experience from the first minutes. However, even a beginner can analyze the “totality” of critical characteristics, such as appearance, manner of communication, and body language.

During the interview, it is also essential to evaluate professional qualities. These will show whether the applicant is suitable for the job. It is also necessary to clarify the information on the resume. A candidate is more likely to be suspicious if:

• He cannot reveal details from his resume, and he does not provide details.
• He is wrong and lies about the facts he states.
• Not being able to answer questions about motivation or giving abstract answers.
• Not being able to complete test tasks or simulated situations.

Over time, these things will become intuitive in face-to-face interviews. If you’re just starting in your recruiting journey, create your own checklist and evaluate candidates based on it. And remember that the perfect candidate doesn’t exist.

Also Read: What is Interview Analytics and How Can it Help Your Hiring Process?

How Does an ATS System Help in Recruiting?

Conducting a face-to-face interview is a reasonably extensive task and requires recruiters to perform many tasks. Many of these are routine but time-consuming. To optimize and streamline operations, I recommend using a personnel management system. Such services will solve many problems and increase work productivity. For example, using BarRaiser allows you to achieve many benefits, such as:

• Creation of a database with vacancies for various positions.
• Compare the resumes of several candidates.
• Make plans and receive notifications.
• Organize information and conveniently create reports.

Also Read: How to Measure Interview Quality?

Conclusion

The recruitment process still relies on face-to-face interviews. Although resumes provide a starting point, a well-conducted face-to-face interview helps you dive deeper, evaluate a candidate’s soft skills, and gain some essential insights that may not be written down. By dedicating yourself to the tips above about conducting such interviews, you can improve your face-to-face techniques and ensure that you only pick the most suitable future team members for your company.

BarRaiser is the best AI interview platform that features structured interviews, AI-generated interview notes, interviewer training, and tools to ensure quality hiring while eliminating biases from the recruitment process. With BarRaiser’s support, you’ll be well-equipped to build a strong team of sales associates who will drive sales and deliver exceptional customer service.