• Collecting and reviewing a fair amount of applications and resumes and then selecting the most qualified candidates for further consideration.

• Interviewing the most qualified candidates for the position, based on the job's description and specification.

• Checking references.

• Hiring the best person for the job.

Hopefully, after reviewing all of the resumes, you will be able to pick and choose a select number of qualified applicants to be interviewed. (If not, you may want to expand your time frame and re-write any ad copy and/or look at another recruitment technique)

Now that you know where the interview process fits into the hiring process, let's take a look at the "do's" and "don'ts" of conducting a Successful interview.

Conducting the Successful Interview - What to DO

1.  Prepare in Advance for the Interview

• Know what you want in a candidate before you begin the interview. Review the job specifications and requirements that have been prepared.

• Know the job and its responsibilities. Review the job description.

• Prepare a list of standard questions concerning the candidate's skills, abilities and past work performance that you want him/her to answer.

• Prepare a list of prioritized and measurable criteria, either in the form of a worksheet or other method, for analyzing and comparing the candidates.

• Review the candidate's resume prior to the interview.

• Set specific appointment times and reasonable time limits.

• Be prepared to justify the use of any required employment test. Typically, the most legally defensible tests are those that involve a "piece of the job."

2.  Collect Pertinent Information During the Interview

• Since past behavior predicts future behavior, look for the candidate's behavior "patterns" as you collect information. For example, has the candidate enjoyed "big picture" work or detailed analysis more? Is he/she more of a generalist or more of a specialist? Oftentimes, by listening to how the candidate responds to your questions about previous jobs, you will be able to get a very good idea of what their behavior will be like in the future.