An interview is something that is not only important to the person who wants the job but also to the interviewer who wants to close a particular position as the organization needs people for smooth operation of the business. Interviewing is a skill that grows with time and experience. You can’t see someone’s CV and decide that he or she is the person for the role. You need to take time to prepare the right questions to ask, see who could be the correct fit and evaluate the kind of traits that a prospective employee would require.

Here are 5 pointers on how to interview someone:

1.) Representation:

If you sound aloof, act rude or do not subscribe to standards of basic decorum, the applicant will think the same of the company. Remember that people who have a strong work history will get a lot of opportunities and it is your duty as the interviewer to make sure that the applicant sees your company as a place that interests him/her. As much as the interviewee will be selling themselves, you should also sell the company as a good place to work.

2.) Ask Questions:

Get to know the kind of skill-sets they possess and see if it matches with what you are looking for. If the job that you offer requires a college degree, check if they have it. Do they have the discipline to stick with this job? Can they work under pressure when the situation asks so? Their decision making ability and accountability is something that you need to gauge as well. Ask behavioral and situational questions to understand this.

3. Does the Interviewee Possess EQ?

Emotional quotient has been associated with success after tons of research in this area. A person with a higher level of emotional quotient would be able to work well with teams, would be able to take split decisions with maturity, will think of the greater good and not individual glory and most importantly, would be someone who is willing to learn at all levels of the job.

4. Listen!

The best interviews are the ones where you let the interviewee talk more so that you can understand their conversational skills as well as their ability to present themselves apart from the obvious; which is their answers to your questions.

5. Talk About the Job in Detail:

Now that you have exhausted your list of questions that you prepared for the interview, it is time for you to educate the candidate in detail about the work. Although you would have given them a brief introduction about the job, if you think this is the right candidate you are looking for, then you might want to explain about the nitty gritty of the job in its entirety.

Finding that ‘perfect person’ maybe a search in futility as it is only a myth, but you can always find someone who is closest to what you call perfect and sometimes you never know if the right person is the one you just interviewed, this is why you need to be an excellent interviewer.

Written by Meredith Johnson/ CEO