A Quick Guide To Interview Skills Training For Hiring Managers

Hiring has always been an industry where there is no perfect recipe for success. In fact, success through recruitment can vary from company to company. In addition, what is currently working for a company in the hiring department might become totally redundant in a few months or years. This is why it is very important for companies to invest in their recruiters.

And this new trend is backed up by data. A report found that companies that greatly invested in improving the candidate experience found a 70 per cent increase in the quality of recruitment.  There is also the increased use of automated tools, which has transformed the hiring industry. According to another report, the Application Tracker System (ATS) market is growing at a Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over nine per cent and is expected to grow over $3 billion by 2026.

So, a good recruiter uses a perfect balance of technology and human factors to increase the efficiency of the interview process. The aim of a good recruiter is simple: decrease the time of the hiring while at the same time increasing the quality of hiring.

A good interviewer is adept at screening applicants and ensuring the most able candidate is hired. In this guide, we will discuss what interview training for hiring managers is and provide you with some essential tips on training hiring managers for a productive recruitment process.

In this guide, we will discuss what interview training for hiring managers is and provide you with some essential tips on training hiring managers for a productive recruitment process.

In this guide, we will discuss what interview training for hiring managers is and provide you with some essential tips on training hiring managers for a productive recruitment process.

Interview training for recruiters

• Interview training for hiring managers is a structured process wherein individuals learn to conduct interviews successfully using leadership techniques and communication skills.
• Interview training can be helpful for any individual with the responsibility of conducting interviews, such as managers, recruiters, etc. Developing correct interview techniques is a must. With interview techniques training, individuals can learn how to structure discussions, ask relevant questions, actively listen, and assess candidate responses effectively.
• Interview training can provide less-experienced interviewers with essential information, tips, and techniques to build a strong bond with the interviewee and assess if they are the right fit.

Also Read: How Interview Data Analysis Is Reducing Interview Bias?

What is an interviewing training program?

Interview training for hiring managers teaches individuals how to efficiently interview candidates, offering a clear path to understanding and mastering interviewing techniques. It facilitates the training to understand efficient interviewing techniques. An interview skills training for hiring managers would typically include:

• Tips for effective questioning 
• Educating about avoiding biases
• Interview checklists
• Strategies on how to conduct engaging interviews.
• Questions and topics to avoid

Also Read: How to Pick an Online Interview Scheduling Tool?

Essential Tips on Interview Training for Hiring Managers

Here are the essential tips on interview training for hiring managers to ensure the hiring process is efficient and effective:

1. Learn to mitigate biases 

One of the greatest challenges that interviewers face during an interview is being biased. Countering biases is difficult because they exist on conscious, subconscious, and unconscious levels. This means that, in some cases, even the interviewers are not aware that they are being biased. 

So, the first thing a recruiter should do is to acknowledge that they can be susceptible to biases. This will allow them to be more rational and open to criticism from their peers. There are also other things that a recruiter can do, like using Blind Resumes. Research has proved that biases can be introduced in the hiring process if the recruiters know the physical information of the candidates. So, having a resume that does not have any characteristics of an individual (name, religion, photograph) is the best way to solve this problem. In the hiring industry, these are called Blind Resumes. 

Recruiters should also learn the art of structured interviews, which are created in a format where every candidate is asked the same questions. Thus, structured interviews with predetermined questions create a level playing field for all candidates. Another advantage of using structured interviews is that the hiring manager has a data set where they can analyze how different candidates deal with the same problem.

Also Read: 5 Most Common Interview Questions And How To Answer Them

2. Use the correct technology

Utilizing the correct technology to support the hiring manager during an interview is an excellent technique for interviewers. Hiring managers can be empowered to increase the quality of their interviews even further. When the interviewers get caught up in the back and forth of scheduling interviews manually, it gives them less of a window to focus on other essential aspects of the interviewing process. However, when interviewing/recruiting technology takes care of these tasks, interviewers have more space for valuable work, such as building a rapport with the candidates. Moreover, the right tech can increase candidate engagement and boost candidate satisfaction even more.

3. Focus on candidate experience and relationship-building

The concept of candidate experience has evolved over the years. Candidate experience building is a necessary component. Focussing on this will attract top candidates. Some of the critical focuses of recruitment training for hiring managers are:

• How authentic connections are precious while developing a lasting candidate relationship
• The importance of effective, open communication and transparency with the interviewees
• Keeping DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) should be the top priority, as having employees from ass backgrounds is essential. 

4. Make an interview checklist and check in 

Provide the hiring managers with the list/reference sheet of the main points you covered in training. Short and brief reminders, such as repeating the candidate’s name, asking follow-up questions, etc, are good techniques for interviewers. Reach out to the managers after they have been interviewed to discuss how they incorporated what they learned in the interview.

Also Read: Explained: What Is Full Cycle Recruitment? 

People also asked

How to prepare for an interview with the hiring manager’s manager?

Before the interview, compile a list of questions tailored to the role’s requirements. Prioritize key skills and abilities, and add any additional inquiries that help assess fit for the position. This preparation ensures you’re ready to engage effectively with the manager and demonstrate your suitability for the role.

What should be included in interview training?

Interview training covers essential skills, psychological principles, and common biases. It often includes mock interviews to simulate real scenarios. Training equips interviewers with tools like interview checklists, fostering rapport with candidates while ensuring a thorough and objective evaluation process.

Why is interviewer training important?

Proper training is crucial for fair and effective candidate evaluation. It equips employees with skills to ask relevant questions and assess candidates objectively, reducing the impact of unconscious biases. Structured training ensures informed hiring decisions that align with organizational needs.

What is the role of a hiring manager in an interview?

The hiring manager is central to the hiring process, initiating job requisitions, conducting interviews, and making final decisions. As leaders in their teams or departments, they ensure candidates align with organizational objectives.

What is the most important thing for an interviewer?

Beyond credentials, your demeanor, attitude, and communication skills matter greatly. Effective interviewing involves meaningful dialogue with the interviewer, facilitating mutual exchange of information and ideas.

What is interviewer skill training for hiring managers?

Interviewer skill training for hiring managers is a structured process where individuals, including managers and recruiters, learn to conduct effective and unbiased interviews using leadership techniques and communication skills. The training covers essential aspects such as questioning techniques, avoiding biases, interview checklists, and strategies for engaging interviews.

Why is mitigating biases crucial in interviewer skill training for hiring managers?

Mitigating biases is crucial in interviewer skill training for hiring managers to ensure a fair and objective recruitment process. Even well-prepared interviewers may unintentionally display biases. Training emphasizes the importance of avoiding assumptions, staying updated on hiring laws, creating a list of questions and topics to avoid, and fostering sensitivity to candidates’ diverse backgrounds.

How does technology play a role in interviewer skill training for hiring managers?

Utilizing the correct technology is an excellent technique for interviewers. Interviewing/recruiting technology streamlines manual tasks like scheduling, allowing hiring managers to focus on building rapport with candidates. The right technology can enhance candidate engagement, boost satisfaction, and contribute to the overall quality of interviews.

What are the key focuses in interviewer skill training for hiring managers to improve candidate experience?

Key focuses in interview training include building authentic connections, emphasizing open communication and transparency with candidates, and prioritizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). These aspects contribute to a positive candidate experience, attract top candidates, and align with evolving recruitment practices.

While companies spend a large amount on improving their recruitment process, they usually forget the most important stakeholder: the interviewer. At the end of the day, the recruiter decides which candidate gets the job offer; thus, having a quality human resources team is a must for companies in today’s age.

This is why we present BarRaiser, a state-of-the-art interview assistant platform that will elevate the hiring quality of the company. With BarRaiser, recruiters can now delegate boring and monotonous tasks to our AI bot, which allows the recruiter to focus on more important things such as interviews and policy making.

The first step where BarRaiser is of massive help to the recruiters in the questionnaire. Earlier, recruiters had to spend a considerable part of their time researching to get suitable questions for the interview. However, with our AI Interview, Copilot interviewers can generate a questionnaire within seconds by just entering the details of the questions they need for the interview.

So, our tool has already saved the interviewer a lot of time. However, it only gets better from here. During the interview, our tool also assists the interviewer by giving him constant updates to ensure a smooth process. For example, if the interview is long, the recruiter will send an alert to speed up the process.

We also provide interviewer training as a service to companies who are looking to get their recruiters upskilled to our tool. We also provide Interviewer quality reports to show companies how their recruiter’s performance has gone up since using our tool. We also believe in the system of checks and balances which is why our tool records and transcribes each interview and immediately sends an alert to the hiring manager if the recruiter uses discriminatory language.

Using BarRaiser, we guarantee quality hiring that will bolster diversity and inclusion. BarRaiser is the best AI interview platform that features structured interviews and tools to ensure quality hiring while eliminating recruitment bias. 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.