Tips to make Interview comfortable for Interviewee

Tips to make Interview comfortable for Interviewee

Job interviews can be intimidating and uncomfortable for applicants. People enter an interview unsure of what is expected and nervous about their performance. The more you, as the employer, can do to make the experience less stressful, the more accurate your impression will be of the person you're interviewing.

Some HR personnel may make candidates feel nervous, unintentionally. However, most HR staff want prospects to feel welcome and at home. It’s important to remember that your company is being interviewed too. People are becoming more and more selective about the jobs they’ll accept these days as a result. Therefore, here are a few simple things you can do that will help job candidates feel much more comfortable before, during and after the interview process. 

1. Have someone to greet the candidate personally

No matter how busy things are, you need to make a point of having someone ready to make the candidate feel welcomed by the company. You do have a position that needs to be filled and the only way that’s really going to happen for any significant amount of time is if you find someone that really wants to be there. Welcoming a candidate is a simple gesture that will help the candidate decide whether or not this is the right job for his or her needs.

2. Make introductions 

Don’t leave the candidate wondering who everyone in the room is while everyone in the room knows who he or she is. It makes for an uncomfortable situation for the job seeker and one that may ultimately be a turn-off to the candidate and his or her interest in your company.

3. Give the candidate a chance to warm up to you and the situation rather than diving right into the heart of the interview process

There are benefits to small talk that go far beyond ascertaining a little bit about how the other person thinks. It helps put people at ease and makes the interview much more productive on all sides. It also lets the candidate see that there are real, genuine people on the other side of the hiring equation. Don’t skip this important part of the process. 

4. Explain the interview process so the candidate knows what to expect

This will make your candidate feel much more at ease and help you feel more comfortable as well. But it also gives the candidate a moment or two to map out how he or she is going to approach the interview questions, and how to follow up.

5. Allow the candidate time to fully articulate his ideas and thoughts, and invite follow-up questions

If the candidate feels rushed through the interview he may feel as though the job is already lost. More importantly, he may feel that the powers that be within the company aren’t really interested in listening to what he has to say. Give the candidate your business card and invite him to contact you with any additional questions or concerns.

6. Treat it Seriously

When you arrive late to an interview, the interviewee may take it as a sign that she is not that important to you. When you make sure to arrive on time and with a welcoming demeanor, she will feel significant and respected. Instead of getting straight to business when the interview begins, attempt to break the ice with small talk about something you think may appeal to the applicant. By taking the first step toward getting to know your interviewee, you take the pressure off someone who is probably already stressed to the limit with anticipation. Once an easy rapport has been developed, she may perform better once you do get down to more serious topics.

7. Line of Questioning

When asking interview questions, use a positive and supportive tone. The idea is to draw the best response as possible from your subject and not to make her uncomfortable or defensive in any way. For example, ask simpler questions at the start of the interview so the subject has a chance to establish herself and become more confident before moving on to more complex or difficult questions. Avoid long and confusing hypothetical situations, accusatory questions or questions with a negative slant. To elicit strong and honest answers, try to keep things positive and allow sufficient time for the interviewee to develop her thoughts, even if the answers you're getting are not what you want to hear.

8. Personal Touches

Have an employee meet and greet each candidate who arrives for an interview. Introduce them to the people they will be working with and anyone they run into while at the office. A basic tour of the office and a walk around the premises is another way to show each person that they are being seriously considered as a potential hire. Walking into a strange place filled with strange people can be intimidating, especially when you will soon have to answer a barrage of questions that determine your future. A simple and warm introduction can take the edge off and make the rest of the process much easier to handle.

9. Before and After

Tell the candidate what to expect before beginning. There's no need to keep the interviewee wondering what to expect. Instead, tell her the basic idea of the interview process, what the questions will focus on and what you hope to learn. Once the interview is concluded, explain to her what she should do next and where she stands. Honesty can remove much of the mystery that often surrounds job interviews while erasing the nervousness that comes along with uncertainty. Try not to dismiss candidates from behind your desk. Instead, walk out with them so they leave with a positive feeling.