When conducting interviews, we all have our routine questions and steps taken in order to find the perfect fit for the position. Along with the qualifying questions, there is some crucial information that you need to communicate during the interview in order to keep from any confusion or extra work on your part. Below are 3 Things Hiring Managers Should Communicate in an Interview.

Required Skill Set

The job description should have a list of skills needed in order to complete the tasks necessary for the job. However, out of the skills listed, there are always a few that are MOST important. During the interview, you want to be sure to communicate exactly what these skills are and ask some leading questions to determine how confident the candidate is performing said skills. For example, they may have 3 years of experience at the front desk, but little to no experience scheduling appointments. If this is something that is important to the position they are interviewing for, you will want to know during the interview if they feel as though scheduling appointments will be a challenge or second nature.

Overall Expectations

Each office has a certain level of expectation of their employees that needs to be communicated to each candidate during the interview. Let them know the pace of the office and the overall temperament. For example, if your team is full of extroverted, social butterflies that love to have a good time while working hard – communicate this to the candidate so they can determine if they would be a good fit on your team. If you are interviewing a quiet, introverted person they may not feel comfortable in that environment. It is good to find out during the interview before any decisions have been made. Also, your policies on tardiness, absences and how your employees conduct themselves overall to customers are great things to discuss during the interview so each candidate is fully aware of the expectation you will have of them if they are to get the job.

Next Steps

In order to save yourself time and unnecessary follow-up calls, it is a good idea to give candidates a timeline of when to expect to hear back about the position before they leave the interview. If you do not have a timeline, communicate when is an appropriate time for them to reach out. We all know the interview process takes time. If you know you will not be making a final decision for at least a week, communicate this to each candidate so they do not get anxious and call to check in over and over before you get a chance to finish your interviews. This will allow you to do your job while eliminating any unnecessary confusion.

Interviews can be daunting, especially in todays job climate. Communicating must have skills, overall expectations and next steps during the interview will keep you from spinning your wheels and allow you to choose the perfect candidate to fill the position on your team.