Interview planning

Take time to look at the candidates CV and details thoroughly to establish an overall view of their experience and type of person they are.

Plan your questions.  Highlight any areas you wish to probe.  For example reasons for leaving, gaps in employment.

Set your objectives before your interviews.  Define the skill set, key tasks, personal qualities and competencies you require for the person to do the job.

Ensure that you allocate sufficient time for each candidate.  You can always terminate it early rather than having to rush because you are looking at the clock.  Make sure your room is free of disturbances and interruptions. 

If you are doing block interviews your concentration is paramount so It is important to do no more  than 3-4 interviews in a day.

Remember to allow yourself breathing time between interviews.  This gives you time to write up notes from the previous interview, relax and prepare for the next candidate.

Ensure the person on reception is aware of the candidate's arrival time and is available for a warm greeting.  They should be offered a refreshment and put at ease.

If your candidate is well-known or works for a competitor, be sensitive as to where they are asked to wait.

You will also want to make a good first impression to the candidates, thus creating a desire for them to want to work for you and your company, irrespective if they are offered a position or not.  Let them leave with the feel good factor.

Feedback and an opinion from the person who greeted them can prove invaluable to you as well.  They have had an opportunity to speak to the candidate and see their behaviour before the interview started.

Think about whether you want to incorporate some sort of testing in your interview process, be it psychometric testing or testing their skill set for more junior level positions.  It is usually more cost efficient to perform expensive tests at the final short list stage. 

Remember to leave time at the end of the interview for them to ask you questions.