As recruitment specialists, we know just how important it is to have the right interview process in place in order to secure great candidates and ensure you don't lose them to your competitors.

Having the right interview process in place can make all the difference. And because we've seen it ALL when it comes to what works (and what doesn't), we decided to write this blog detailing how to plan and execute a great interview process.

What to do

Before you even begin the process of hiring for your vacancy, sit down and decide who are the key stakeholders within your business whom you think it is really important for the candidates to meet. Try to narrow this down to the really key people who must be involved in the decision, and rule out including anyone else, as the more people involved, the more likely you are to have delays.

Once you know who needs to meet the candidates, give them a full brief of your vacancy and their role in the hiring process. Try to get a rough idea of their availability over the next few weeks and make a note of any holidays or commitments.

Make sure all interviewers, and most importantly you, the hiring manager, are completely clear on what are the must-have skills that the successful candidate should have BEFORE you carry out any interviews. This will help you identify the right people early in the process, and ensure unsuitable candidates don't go through to final stages.

Next, plan out how many interviews there will be, and which areas each interview will cover. It's important to do this to make sure you are happy that the right conversations will take place with potential new hires. It's also good to be able to outline this to the candidates once you start shortlisting, and will show them that you are well-organised, giving them a great first impression of your business.

When deciding on the amount of interviews needed, make sure you consider the following:

-The seniority of the role; for senior level roles with a large impact on the business, it's likely there will be more interviews as more stakeholders will be involved and seal of approval needed from members of the senior leadership team. For junior level roles, you shouldn't need more than 2 or 3 interviews to be able to make a decision; any more than this, and you risk putting the candidates off.

-Time; try to narrow the number of interviews down by having a few of the stakeholders in on the same day/meeting. If you have one interview per week for 6 weeks, then it is highly likely that the best candidates will no longer be available or have multiple offers on the table, and you'll have to start the process again. So ideally, try to have the process finished within 1-2 weeks.

-The number of candidates; if you shortlist a lot of candidates to interview, then it's a good idea to set aside half a day to do 30 minute video calls with them all, in order to shortlist further. You then only need to arrange further interviews for those who pass the initial screening.

-Video or face-to-face; the majority of first stage interviews happen via video call, which is great because it means more date and time options are available. But it's beneficial to meet candidates face to face for at least one of the interview stages. Video calls can change the dynamics, and whilst you can understand a person's skillset and experience, it's important to have a face-to-face meeting in order to truly get a sense of the team and personality fit with your business.

What not to do

DON'T leave any key decision-makers until the final stage interview. If you have a 5 stage process, and the key decision maker is only in on the final stage, then a lot of time has been wasted if they don't click!

DON'T delay giving feedback after interviews have been carried out; it will turn candidates off and they may lose interest if you are not keeping them engaged

DON'T take too long to set up final stages or make an offer. Being decisive and direct, and efficient with your process will help you obtain the best talent ahead of your competitors

DON'T underestimate the need to sell your company, role, progression and benefits in the interviews. It's not just an interview for the candidate; it's also their chance to understand whether your business is somewhere they want to work

DON'T move the goalposts, add in lots of extra interviews or deviate from the process you initially outlined to the candidate. This really has the potential to turn candidates off and cause doubt about your firm.

Use the above advice to nail down an efficient and successful interview process, and ensure you hire great talent for your vacancies.

Need support with your hiring and interviewing process? At Twenty84 we are able to manage the whole interview process if required, and are available to provide advice or assistance at every stage. Get in touch for more info!