Interview Best Practices: Training Hiring Managers

At the end of 2024, there were 7.7 million job openings in the USA. To fill these positions with the right candidates, it is crucial to use time and resources efficiently. Applying proven interview practices can help you achieve this.

Recruiting is a complex process. It involves understanding legal requirements, using effective interview techniques, and creating a positive candidate experience. Interview training for managers can help your company attract more qualified candidates more quickly.

Below, we cover all aspects—from legal requirements to proven interview practices and hiring methods, all the way to designing a positive candidate experience. Simplify your HR processes with IceHrm tools and prioritize hiring the right employees for your team.

Observe legal regulations

You should not ask applicants about personal characteristics that are protected by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) law. This is not only a matter of decency but also legally required. Protected characteristics include:

• Race, color, and national origin
• Sex and gender identity
• Sexual orientation
• Pregnancy
• Disability
• Age

Most HR managers know that they shouldn’t ask questions that could seem too personal or inappropriate. But what does that mean in practice?

While most people know that it’s better not to ask a candidate, 'What religion do you belong to?', questions like 'Do you have children?' might be seen as harmless small talk. If a candidate wants to talk about their family and personal life, of course they should be allowed to do so. Let them bring up the topic themselves if they wish, but avoid probing questions.

What are legal interview questions?

HR managers should definitely take professional qualifications into account when developing interview questions. Other important aspects include, for example, soft skills and cultural fit. The ideal candidate possesses all the necessary skills and qualifications for the position but also aligns with the company's values and contributes to a positive corporate culture.

The goal of a job interview is not to trick candidates, test their knowledge spontaneously (unless a skills test has been announced in advance!), or rely solely on gut feeling. Instead, HR managers should be trained in proven interview techniques to select the best candidates.

You could provide a list of approved legal interview questions. Alternatively, you could train hiring managers in a few key areas that they should assess in interviews, rather than working with a rigid script. Whatever approach you take, be specific and use meaningful examples. Relying on "common sense" is not enough.

Prioritize the Candidate Experience

A consistently positive candidate experience is crucial for a strong employer brand. Hiring managers play a central role in this. To ensure consistency, it is important to establish the focus areas in interview training:

Steps in the Application Process

The hiring process can vary significantly depending on the position. For roles with many applicants, initial video interviews have now become standard and serve as an effective screening tool to shortlist candidates. Higher-level or technically demanding positions may require additional assessments such as skills tests, case studies, or multiple interview rounds. However, it is important to ensure a standardized process for all applicants for the same position.

While in-person office visits are not strictly necessary for remote positions, virtual tours or detailed videos about the company culture can provide valuable insights and enhance the candidate experience.

Interview Schedules  

In today's competitive job market, the hiring timeline is a crucial factor. In fact, the average time to hire (the period from posting a job to a candidate accepting an offer) is 44 days. Delays in the hiring process can lead top candidates to lose interest or accept offers from other companies.  

To counter this, work closely with HR professionals to create clear and realistic interview schedules. These schedules should be communicated transparently to applicants, and the process should be as efficient as possible. Regular updates and timely feedback are essential to keep candidates motivated and informed.

Candidate-Centered Approach

A candidate-centered approach not only ensures that applicants feel comfortable, but it is also a strategic necessity for building a positive employer brand. A positive experience can lead to referrals and a stronger talent pipeline in the future. We recommend training your HR personnel in the following areas:

• Building Personal Relationships. Encourage HR personnel to build authentic, personal relationships with candidates. This can be achieved through thoughtful communication, active listening, and genuine interest in the candidate's background and career goals.
• Maintain transparent communication. Ensure that all points of contact are clear and traceable. Keep applicants regularly informed about the status of their application and be honest about the next steps. This builds trust and keeps candidates motivated.
• Provide constructive feedback. Ideally, this should apply to all candidates, including those who are not selected. This not only supports applicants in their professional development but also leaves a positive impression of your company.
• Recognize and address unconscious biases. Promote an inclusive application process that values diversity and ensures all candidates are treated fairly and respectfully.
• Engage with candidates. For remote or hybrid positions, offer virtual alternatives to traditional in-person events. These can include virtual office tours, video introductions of the team, and online Q&A sessions.  

By focusing on these areas, HR professionals can create a positive candidate experience that not only attracts top talent but also enhances the company’s reputation in the job market.

Take Advantage of Online Interviews

COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the working world. According to a study by McKinsey, hybrid work is here to stay—and office attendance is still around 30% below pre-pandemic levels.

Whether you are looking for employees for the office or for remote work from home, you can take advantage of online interviews. Be sure to integrate best practices for online interviews into your training for HR professionals.

Here are some points you should cover in your online interview training:

Use the appropriate software

Choose between a phone interview or a video call – for example, via Teams or Zoom. A video interview has the advantage that you can also see the candidate's body language, giving you a better insight into their personality and social skills. Regardless of your choice, the rule is: the simpler the operation, the lower the risk of technical problems.

Plan for an emergency plan

Inform your candidate right at the beginning about what to expect if something goes wrong. Note down their phone number so that you can continue the conversation by phone if the internet connection unexpectedly drops.

Follow the rules for online interviews

Just like with an in-person interview, there are certain etiquette rules for online interviews. Make sure all participants have their phones on silent, that you are in a quiet environment without distractions, and that your screen has a clear and tidy background.

Customize Your Interview Questions

If you want to fill a position for remote work, it’s best to ask about previous experience with remote work. Make sure to tailor your interview questions to the specific position. If you’re still looking for inspiration, we have compiled the 35 best interview questions for you.

Tips for Managers in Job Interviews:

1. Gain a comprehensive understanding of the company's needs. This helps your supervisor stay focused and ask the right questions. While the job description gives candidates a first impression of the position's requirements, the hiring manager should have a deeper understanding of which skills, experiences, and working methods will benefit the team.
2. Ask the right questions. While we do recommend having an informal conversation with the candidate, sometimes a list of questions can help structure the interview more purposefully. Advise your HR manager to ask open-ended questions to encourage the applicant to reveal more about themselves. Keep in mind that the questions will vary depending on the job role, seniority, and required qualifications: questions for interns should differ from those for executives. Likewise, some positions may require behavioral interview questions.
3. Listening is more important than speaking. In the interview training for managers, the aim was to convey how important it is that HR managers listen to candidates more than they speak. The goal of an interview is to learn as much as possible about the applicant. Therefore, he should be given sufficient space to deepen his explanations.
4. Treat all candidates fairly. It's imperative that recruiters treat all applicants fairly and promote inclusion. You need to be aware of breaking down unconscious biases and treating all candidates equally.

Choosing the Right Candidate: Tips for Successful Job Interviews

Selecting the right candidate is time-consuming but crucial. After completing the interviews and evaluating the candidates, your HR manager should consider the following points:

• Pay close attention to the candidates' performance during the interview. Observe understanding, communication skills, teamwork, empathy, passion, and willingness to learn in their responses to your questions.
• Adjust the evaluation criteria to the requirements of the position. Compare the candidates against the job description, not just with each other.
• Establish a concrete assessment process. Follow a consistent, tested procedure for all candidates and stick to it.  
• Avoid biases. Once you have developed a concrete assessment process, it is time to apply it consistently! A standardized set of questions, evaluation grids, and multiple interviewers can help minimize interviewer bias. Consider incorporating training on unconscious bias into your interview training.
• Pay attention to a balanced mix of professional competence and cultural fit. Make sure that candidates not only have the required expertise for the position but also fit your company culture. Focusing too much on one or the other can lead to dissatisfaction and turnover.  
• Pay attention to communication after the interview. Show gratitude, passion, and enthusiasm in follow-up conversations.
• Pay attention to candidates who might be better suited for a different position. A candidate doesn’t have to be a perfect fit for this job description, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be an excellent fit for your company. If you think they could contribute in another department, be sure to keep their resume and contact them as soon as an opportunity arises.

Consistent action is crucial.  

It is essential that all managers are aligned regarding the interview steps, the schedule, and creating a positive candidate experience. Consistent action increases the likelihood that candidates will develop a positive impression of your company. This can be decisive in whether they choose your company or a competitor. You want candidates to have a positive experience so that they recommend your company or reapply if needed.

By investing time in training on interview techniques for recruiting and hiring employees, recruiting teams can delegate parts of the recruitment process. This leaves more time for strategic initiatives, candidate search, and pre-selection.

Successfully navigating the competitive hiring landscape requires managers who are not only skilled interviewers but also legally compliant and intensely focused on the candidate experience. Comprehensive training is essential to ensure a standardized, unbiased, and efficient process that attracts top talent and builds a strong employer brand. IceHrm's Applicant Tracking System (ATS) directly supports the implementation of these best practices. It provides the necessary digital framework to manage standardized interview schedules and steps, ensuring the process is efficient and transparent (as advised in the training). Moreover, by centralizing candidate data and communication, IceHrm helps reduce the burden on recruiting teams, enabling them to focus more on strategic candidate sourcing and less on administrative tasks, thus ensuring that every candidate receives a professional and positive experience that encourages them to accept the final IceHrm-generated Offer Letter.