HR Guide: How to Set Up a Job Interview

One would think that setting up job interviews should be a simple task. Wrong. There is a lot to think of when you're setting up interviews.

You will need to think about the scheduling, the length of the interview, the right candidates, and personnel that are involved with it. 

Here are the things you must remember when setting up interviews:

Before you start blasting invitations to job candidates, you need to make sure everything's ready on your end.

Before you start, establish these interviewing scheduling goals.

The most important part of the interviewing process is scheduling. An effective interview scheduling system needs to adhere to your company's hiring process. Before sending out your first interview invitation, you should consider these factors first:

• How many interview rounds is your team looking to schedule throughout the entire process?

• How many candidates will move forward to next-round interviews? (if applicable)

• What types of interviews are needed to evaluate candidates for the position properly? 

• Who needs to be involved in the interviewing process? 

• What types of feedback do members of your hiring team need to make informed decisions?

• How will members of your hiring team communicate feedback internally?

The answers to these questions depend on:

• the size of the company,

• the nature of the job, and

• how many people are needed in the hiring process.

Scheduling the interviews

You will need to try to book all interviews in blocks of time. It all depends on how many candidates are being interviewed. Do note that it may be impossible to complete all interviews in one day, so get ready to be flexible.

Please consult with the interviewer(s) and make sure they are available for the interviews. The interviewer(s) on the other should let you know if they're busy during particular days or times. They should also provide you with a few convenient time slots in advance. 

This most effortless way to schedule interviews is through work calendars such as Gmail. That way, you can check their scheduled meetings to avoid overlaps with your interview invites. 

With proper scheduling, you will ensure that everyone is ready to conduct interviews at the right time.

Make sure the candidates have all the information they need.

First, make sure to notify the candidate about the date and time of the interview. Employers nowadays use emails, SMS and WhatsApp to communicate with candidates. What's important is that the candidate is notified about the interview and has confirmed the date and time. 

You should also include the following:

• The position the candidate is interviewing for.

• The person who will be interviewing them.

• The format of the interview.

• Let them know if there's any testing involved.

If you need a guide on writing the interview invitation email, you can refer to our guide here!

What interviewers should prepare ahead of the interviews

It's not just the candidates that need to prepare themselves; the interviewers should also be ready with all the right documents and tools to ensure the interview process goes smoothly. 

1. As an employer, you can ask the candidate to bring copies of their resume, or you can print them yourself. Some employers prefer to print the resume so they can study more about the candidate before the interview. Plus, the candidate can use their copy for reference during the interview.

2. A pen and a notepad. Yes, most interviewers would expect the candidate to bring their pen and pad. But let's keep one for an emergency, in case one of the candidates forget to bring their pen and notepad.

3. A room reserved for the interview. This is a no-brainer, but to err is human. There's nothing worse than a candidate showing up for the interview only to realise that all rooms are booked. Make sure you have a space reserved for the interviews.

4. Prepare your questions. Don't settle with the cliche questions, especially when you know the candidates have already rehearsed their answers. 

5. A bottle of water for the candidate. Please make sure the candidates are hydrated so they can answer your interview questions without feeling thirsty. 

Now that you've got everything ready, you are cleared to send out the interview invitations! 

Hello, we are AJobThing! Here's what we're all about!

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