Interview advice for employers - 10 steps to success in today's job market

At Copeland Automotive Recruitment part of our service is to provide interview advice for employers. Over recent years our interview advice has changed as technology improves, market conditions fluctuate and candidate expectations change. In a candidate driven job market with very low unemployment there is fierce competition for the best employees.

In this article I will share my top 10 tips for employers to ensure successful interviews. These will help you secure the best candidates and fill key vacancies.

Interview Advice in 10 Easy Steps

1. Review applications daily

Whether you’re using a recruiter or advertising directly for your job vacancy, rule No.1 is to review applications quickly. I recommend a regular (ideally daily) review of new applications. You need to act fast to secure the best candidates. Delay and they will probably have found another job. 

2. Arrange first interviews quickly

Contact your selected candidates as soon as possible. Ideally this should be within a week of their application. This will engage them in your vacancy. If you delay candidates may assume you are not interested in them. You then risk loosing them to other employers. …

3. Explain the interview process

Inform your candidates of the stages of the interview process. Let them know the timescale and what will be expected of them. Tell them if they be expected to prepare a presentation at stage 2.

4. Use video for first interviews

The majority of Copeland’s automotive industry clients now hold first interviews over video. Video technology platforms to consider are: Microsoft Teams, Zoom & Google Meet. Video interviews give you much more flexibility. You can quickly ‘meet’ your selected candidates and move forward with your interview process.

5. Select the right interview panel

Deciding who should (and should not) be part of your interview panel is very important. It can effect the outcome of an interview process. Including too many people can cause delays. It may also be intimidating and off-putting to candidates. I’d recommend up to 3 key stakeholders for first interviews and up to 4 for the second stage. A good practice is to include a colleague or peer (not a manager) in interviews. A word of warning – if you have a senior manager who will have the final say in selecting candidates I’d recommend bringing them into the process asap. I have seen interview processes fail at the final hurdle when the chosen candidate is not to the MD’s liking. 

6. Use well structured interview questions

I recommend using structured competency based interview questions based on your candidate requirements. Use an interview scorecard to fairly mark each candidate against the required competencies and attributes. Read our advice on recruiting for Sales Jobs and Marketing Jobs.

7. Always include tests or tasks

For the second stage interview it’s vital to properly test your candidate. This will verify what they claim they are able to do. The best way to do this is by including tests or tasks in the second interview. Further advice: How to use Behavioral Testing and Set a Great Interview Task.

8. Don’t have too many stages

Two interview stages should be sufficient for most roles – if planned well. Long, drawn-out interview processes may put off candidates or simply be too slow. If candidates are actively job hunting they may be snapped up by other employers before you have finished your process.

9. Sell your opportunity

The phrase ‘an interview is a 2-way process’ has never been truer. It’s vital that you ‘sell’ your organisation and job opportunity to your interviewees. This should start at the first touch point and continue throughout the process. Some organisations use a pre-prepared presentation about their business, it’s culture, benefits and onward career opportunities. At the very least you want to fully explain the job opportunity, why it’s important to your business, where they will fit in and how success will be measured. 

10. Provide feedback

Failing to follow up with a candidate after interview can reflect poorly on your business. Giving constructive feedback to unsuccessful candidates is good practice. If you have used a scorecard system during your interviews it will be much easier to give good feedback.

This article on Interview Processes was originally posted on Copeland Automotive Recruitment where you will also find several useful resources to build a team for your Automotive Business

About Julia Pennington

Julia is Managing Director of Copeland Automotive Recruitment - UK automotive industry recruiters who help enhance your business performance. Finding you industry expert candidates and reducing your hiring times - focusing on quality over quantity.

We recruit mid to senior level sales, marketing and operations roles covering 5 employer sectors: Vehicle Manufacturers, Automotive Fleet & Financial Services, Marketing Agencies, Automotive Suppliers and Dealers.

We have over 20 years' experience in automotive recruitment allowing us to give expert advice on jobs, salaries and market trends. Learn more by downloading your complimentary copy of our Automotive Industry Salary Guide

Ready to Talk? Get in touch: julia@copelandselect.co.uk or 07973 286342