Are there any interview best practices I should follow?

In “who should I interview”, we provided strategies to find candidates that

1) meet the minimum requirements (i.e. they do the job) and

2) are the right fit for the team.

You’ll continue evaluating candidates based on these criteria during the interviews using the WIL student interview template (.doc). The template helps you focus on the essential criteria of the job, ask questions based on the criteria, and identify positive or negative indicators.  

Using a system to standardize your interview process will save you time, as well as keep the process equitable for all candidates. Here are steps you can take to reduce bias in your interviews:

• Ask interview questions that are focused on the essential functions of the job and that relate to the criteria in the job description. 
• Use a structured interview format where you ask every candidate the same set of questions. Research shows that unstructured interviews are unreliable for predicting job success.
• Ensure that criteria involving the organization's cultural fit are measurable.

Ask questions that allow candidates to share the knowledge, skills, and experience they can bring to the position, rather than their areas for improvement. A WIL candidate may have limited experience to draw from, but they can still make a valuable contribution to your organization.

• Ask behaviour-based questions - “tell me about a time when…”, “give me an example of…” or “describe a situation in which…”. Behaviour-based questions allow you to understand how the candidate acted in a given situation which helps assess how they might act in the future. This also provides insight into the candidate’s personality and attitude.
• Ask a question about a candidate’s accomplishments or something they are proud of. This allows the candidate to highlight their strengths, and you’ll get a better response than asking “what are your strengths?” directly.
• Ask a question that allows the candidate to show how they’ve grown from a previous experience. WIL is an opportunity for the student to learn and develop, so it’s important to see a willingness in this area.

Tip: Behaviour-based questions are often answered using the STAR formula. The candidate should spend the most time on the ‘result’ part of their answer. If necessary, ask follow-up questions to learn more about what they learned or accomplished in the situation.

Part of your role as the interviewer is to sell your experience by sharing information about the organization and experience. Candidates use this information to determine if the organization and opportunity are right for them and their career goals. This is especially important if the experience operates within a Rank and Match process.

• At the beginning of the interview, take a moment to share an introduction to the organization, details about the role, and how the role relates to the organization’s current goals.
• Add details about the organization in your interview questions. For example, you might ask, “This is a really exciting time for our organization because we recently expanded into a new market. This role offers the challenge of balancing many projects in a fast-paced environment. Can you tell me about a time you had to manage multiple projects involving others, and how you managed that situation?”
• Sell your experience by referencing some workplace perks and talk about what the student might gain from the experience.

Tip: Learn what’s important to the next generation of talent in the University of Waterloo’s report, Are you ready to manage the workplace of the future? 

There’s a few reasons why it’s important to leave time at the end of the interview. If you’re conducting multiple interviews back-to-back, you can easily get off schedule. To keep the process fair and equitable, make sure you have enough time to get through all your questions. You want to end the interview on a positive note, rather than feeling rushed. Use the last few minutes of the interview for the following: 

• Ask the candidate if they have any questions. WIL experience preparation training often encourages students to come to the interview with a thoughtful question. This can give the student an opportunity to show they’ve researched the organization and are enthusiastic about the opportunity. 
• Give the candidate a chance to recap valuable information about themselves and why they are the right fit for the position.

• Describe next steps, if necessary.