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How to Start an
Interview as the
Interviewer: 5 Tips
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Aug 31, 2022 • 3 min read

Knowing how to start an interview as the

interviewer is an essential skill when trying to hire
the right candidate. Learn interview techniques
for beginning an interview.

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SAVE Brief Overview of Conducting Interviews

How to Prepare for an Interview as an Interviewer

How to Start an Interview as the Interviewer

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5 Tips for Interviewers

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Elaine Welteroth Teaches Designing Your Career

Brief Overview of
Conducting Interviews
Hiring managers, human resource
representatives, department heads, and team
members will conduct interviews throughout their
careers. You might interview candidates for a job
opening as part of a hiring process or interview
employees as part of performance evaluations.
To be a good interviewer, you must have various
soft skills, such as active listening and clear
communication skills.

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How to Prepare for an

Interview as an Interviewer
Before you begin an interview, prepare for the
interview to ease the process. Consider the
OUR BUSINESS
following preparations: COURSES

Daniel
Create a structure. A structure can help ease Pink
Teaches
the interviewee into the conversation. For Sales And
Persuasion
example, in a job interview, start by asking the
candidate about their most recent job and David
Axelrod
what they liked about it before going deeper And Karl
Rove
into the specifics of the projects they led and Teach
Campaign
their impact. Strategy And
Messaging
 Messaging
Do your research. Read the candidate’s
Paul
resume, cover letter, and application to help Krugman
Teaches
you craft interview questions. Be sure to Economics
And Society
familiarize yourself with the job description
and the necessary skills and responsibilities Howard
Schultz
for the role. Business
Leadership
Formulate questions ahead of time.
Prepare a list of questions for the interview.
For job interview questions, ask the
interviewee about their skills, experience, and
any details in their résumé that stand out. Ask
the candidate a mix of situational and
behavioral questions and fun questions so
you can ascertain their personality. In general,
open-ended questions instead of yes-or-no
questions yield answers with more detail.
Go in with an objective. You must have a
goal with the interview, so think about the
ideal job candidate you want for the position.
A clear plan of what you want the discussion
to achieve and what you are looking for will
help you know what answers you need for a
successful interview.

How to Start an Interview as

the Interviewer
As an interviewer, you must make a positive first
impression and set the tone of an interview
before asking questions. Follow these steps for
starting an interview as the interviewer:
 1. Welcome the candidate. If the interview
takes place in person, shake the job
candidate’s hand, make eye contact, and say
how happy you are that they came. Over the
phone or virtually, you can tell the interviewee
how excited you are to get to know them
better. Also, make sure you thank them for
taking the time to interview for the position.

2. Make small talk. Be friendly, make small

talk, and ask the candidate about their day. If
the interview is in person, you can offer them
a beverage.

3. Introduce yourself. Kick off the interview

by introducing yourself and talking about the
POPULAR ARTICLES
company and company culture. Describe the
interview process, if there will be a following What Is A
Chief
interview after the current one, and when the Marketing
Officer? A
company can expect to make a hiring Look At
The Role
decision. Of A CMO

4. Ask general questions. Avoid detailed Internship

Guide:
questions at the start. Instead, ask general How To
Find An
questions, such as “Why do you want to work Internship
here?” and about their career aspirations.
How To
Build A
Memorable
Brand In 6
5 Tips for Interviewers Steps

Consider the following interview tips and How To

Use A
techniques for starting an interview as the Mind Map
To
interviewer: Organize
Your
Ideas
 1. Be aware of your biases. Everyone has Market
Penetration
biases and assumptions. You must know what Explained:
What Is
your personal biases are, so you are not Market
Penetration?
unfairly judging the job candidate.

2. Engage in active listening. An

interviewer must actively listen throughout an
interview to help steer the conversation.
Ensure your body language reflects your
attentiveness. Lean forward, nod your head,
and verbally affirm the interviewee. This will
put the candidate at ease and ensure they are
comfortable talking to you.

3. Follow the flow. Build a template for the

interview, but leave time for follow-up
questions and allow the discussion to flow in
a different direction.

4. Practice makes perfect. Being nervous

during an interview can make the person you
are interviewing nervous. To build your
interviewing skills, practice giving interviews
so you can get used to the format. The more
you practice interviewing, the better you will
become at conducting interviews.

5. Take notes. As the interviewee is talking,

take notes and note any follow-up questions
you may have. Also, note the interviewee’s
behavior and your first impressions: Are they
excited, engaged, personable, or disengaged
and distant? Do they answer the questions
clearly, or do they have issues communicating
 their thought processes? Notes will help you
remember the interviewee later, especially if
you are interviewing multiple candidates.

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Former Teen Vogue editor in chief and multimedia icon Elaine Welteroth
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