The most crucial part of the recruitment process is the interview stage. You've advertised and made the most of the tools at your disposal and assuming you have a great list of potential employees how do you proceed?

Once you have planned the process, worked through your recruiting strategy, advertised the vacancies and planned some more you are ready for the actual interviewing part of the process. If you're at the stage now where you need to conduct interviews, it's now that you need to be prepared. This stage is a crucial part of the recruiting process and we have put together some interviewing techniques to help you in finding your new recruit.

Preparation

Ensure that you are well prepared with:

a diary of dates and times of interviews
interviewees resume for referring to at your appointment
questions you may be asking your potential recruit - think of what strengths and weaknesses you may be looking out for
answers you might give to questions your are asked about the company, a breakdown of the role and remuneration

Questions to Respond To

You may be asked questions referring to:

how the role will progress
how the job may develop in the future
where the company is placed within the industry
the companies current performance within it's sector
ho the company competes with / direct competition

Questions to Ask

Good basic questions should cover:

your interviewees strengths and weaknesses
the reasons behind them leaving their current role
what attracted them to apply for this job
their aims should they be offered the job
how they can perform should they decide to take the job

It is hard at this stage to advise on what to look out for, this is your opportunity to select the right candidate that can already do the job or can learn to do it - your way.

You will most likely know immediately whether the interviewee is the right person by their appearance, by the way they carry themselves and of course being positive through the interview and showing their character and personality really helps.

Bear in mind this interview will be easier for you and your interviewee most likely nervous. There is usually no need to be abrupt or unwelcoming, but the requirement to be professional and be a good representative of your company is important. Sitting in a relaxed environment is a good idea, perhaps sitting next to the person not directly in front of them!

Focusing on good interview techniques with basic questions is our best suggestion, with technical or more involved questions being asked at the second interview stage.

In summary, prepare your questions and make notes. Select the things you find are more essential to the job and create some of your questioning around that.

When finding your new recruit, preparation and good communications are key to a successful interview where you can seek your top recruit.

Lisette Howlett is an HR consultant who runs a successful HR Consultancy and a recruitment website www.HireScores.com.

www.HireScores.com is a unique online community, recruitment agency information source and directory for all things to do with recruitment and working bringing together job seekers, employers, recruiters and other specialists within the recruitment industry. It has recruiter scores, articles, a recruitment blog and a Recruitment and Careers Forum.