Or at least that’s the view of our CEO, Kate Ravi. Here’s her take on interviews….

I remember my first job interview like it was yesterday; I was 16 and the job was perfect – it was 10 hours a week, fitted around my studies and the pay was good. I really wanted the job. My plan was to earn enough money to fund driving lessons when I turned 17 later in the year. I lived in a rural area and like most people my age, I wanted my freedom, and that freedom came in the form of a driving licence. The stakes were high, and I was nervous. 

I can remember stumbling over a couple of questions and having very sweaty palms but overall, I put in a fairly good performance and importantly, I got the job. Since then, I’ve lost count of the number of interviews I’ve taken part in, but I can remember being nervous for all of them.   

The use of ‘taking part’ is very intentional on my part – I haven’t just been nervous when I’ve been interviewed, I’ve also been nervous when I’ve interviewed others. Why? Because I’ve never forgotten my first job interview and what it meant to me. That memory comes back to me whenever I interview a candidate. I remind myself that every candidate has their own needs, goals and ambitions and as an interviewer, I have an incredible influence over these.

Furthermore, in a job market where talent is in short supply, ‘interviewing’ is not a no-pressure game – the stakes are high. Gone are the days when organisations had all the power, the balance has shifted. Candidates are interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them – interviews are much more two-way than they have ever been before so interviewers should be nervous.

So, what can you do to overcome your nerves and deliver a successful interview? Here’s our top tips:

• Understand the application process: Familiarise yourself with the steps the candidate has taken to reach this stage and what follows the interview.
• Review the job description: Ensure the candidate’s qualifications and experience align with the role.
• Prepare relevant questions: Develop questions directly related to the responsibilities and requirements of the position.
• Optimise the interview space: Ensure the environment is suitable for interviewing and check that all necessary equipment is functioning.
• Punctuality: Arrive on time or early to set a professional tone.
• Ease the candidate’s nerves: Explain the interview structure to the candidate.
• Introduce interviewers: If there are multiple interviewers, introduce them to the candidate.
• Be ready to answer questions: Anticipate and prepare for questions the candidate might have.
• Active listening: Focus on listening more than speaking to understand the candidate better.

If you’d like to talk to us about conducting successful interviews whether that is ensuring job descriptions fit the actual role, preparing the right questions, conducting fair and unbiased interviews or even training people managers to interview then do get in touch. And in the meantime, good luck with your interviews!