Giving The Finest Interview

Everybody knows what an interview is, it's unlikely to get to the end of school without one, and knowing how to deal with them is imperative to their success rates. Arguably the biggest part in the job selection process, it is difficult from either side but how should the interviewer approach it?

The first thing to do is decide how best to approach the situation, and there tends to be four main ways of interviewing:

- Relaxed - Some interviewers like to put the interviewees in a relaxed mood during an interview. To do this you need to make the room inviting, and start with an informal conversation or a drink. Round tables are recommended because this makes for an informal and comforting setting. Remove florescent lighting from the room and try to remain calm from start to finish. Younger candidates tend to find this approach used on them.

- Intimidating - On the flip side to a relaxed style of interview, is intimidating a candidate. This is what people do to find out how a potential employee handles stress and hostility in a confined area. By sitting across a large desk, make sure that you look far more powerful than the candidate. Don't forget to take charge from the beginning, and be sure to ask unnerving questions.

- Friendly - Not a very popular approach among the recruitment agency circles, friendly interviews are used to put a potential employee at ease and see how they work when not stressed. By using a different employee first, you remove the idea that interviews are full of stress and help to make a natural conversation.

- Panel - Becoming increasingly popular today, using more people than just yourself in an interview. This is good for making sure that all bases are covered. By talking to different personalities at separate times during an interview, you can witness many sides. The main plus is that there will be alternative opinions on people and this helps to give a more rounded view on who to use.

These are four of the best ways for separating the wheat from the chaff in terms of candidates for the job that your agency is recruiting for. A couple of things to remember are: make notes of questions during an interview and always ask open-ended questions that lend themselves to descriptive discussions between.