Job Interviews are a pivotal step in any hiring manager's evaluation of the candidate's skills, qualifications, and fit for the role and company culture. Conducting effective interviews requires careful preparation, strategic questioning, and active engagement. In this guide, we delve into best practices for conducting job interviews, providing 15 strategies to help you streamline the process and identify top talent.

1. Thorough Preparation:

‍Before you embark on the interview process, it's essential to arm yourself with a deep understanding of the candidate's background, the requirements of the role, and the goals of your organization. So, take the time to thoroughly review the candidate's resume (cross-reference with their LinkedIn profile) to gain insights into their skills, experiences, and accomplishments. Familiarize yourself with the job description, paying close attention to the responsibilities, qualifications, and desired attributes. This will help you prepare strategic questions to assess their suitability for the role and potential contributions to your team.

2. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion [DEI]:

Ensuring your interview process is inclusive and free from bias is essential for attracting and retaining diverse talent. Incorporate DEI initiatives into your interview process to demonstrate your commitment to creating a fair and equitable workplace environment. One way to promote DEI is to assemble interview panels representing different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. This ensures that candidates are evaluated by a diverse group of assessors and helps mitigate the impact of unconscious bias in the evaluation process.

3. Establishing a Comfortable Environment:

Creating a welcoming and relaxed environment will help to ease any pre-interview jitters that the candidate might be feeling upon arrival. Ensure the interview space is conducive to a productive conversation, with minimal distractions and ample privacy. Extend a warm greeting to make candidates feel valued and at ease. Offer refreshments and engage in casual small talk to break the ice and build a connection before diving into the formal interview process.

4. Structured Interview Format:

This format helps maintain consistency and fairness across all candidate interactions. Start the interview with an introduction to your company, providing an overview of its mission, values, and culture. Then, ask pre-prepared interview questions to elicit specific examples to demonstrate the candidate's competencies and experiences. Open-ended questions will encourage them to elaborate on their responses and provide further insights into their skills and accomplishments.

5. Emphasize Behavioral Questions:

Assessing the candidate’s past behaviour and performance can offer valuable insights into their potential fit for the role. Implement the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) technique to structure questions, prompting candidates to share concrete examples of how they have addressed challenges and succeeded in previous roles. When you focus on behavioural questions, you gain a deeper understanding of candidates' problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and decision-making prowess in real-world scenarios.

6. Assessing Technical Skills:

Besides evaluating candidates' behavioural competencies, it's crucial to assess their technical skills relevant to the real estate sector. Depending on the specific role you're hiring for, this may include proficiency in various systems, processes, and procedures used to develop, acquire, disposition, or manage a real estate portfolio.

7. Scenario-Based Questions:

Scenario-based questions are an effective way to assess candidates' problem-solving abilities, critical thinking skills, and decision-making capabilities in real-world situations. Presenting candidates with hypothetical scenarios or case studies relevant to the role allows you to evaluate how they would approach challenges or opportunities they may encounter when on board. You can gain valuable insights into candidates' thought processes, communication skills, and ability to think creatively and strategically.

8. Role-Specific Assessments:

Beyond the general interview questions and assessments, consider incorporating role-specific exercises or assessments into the interview process. These should focus on evaluating candidates' competency in key areas directly relevant to the specific role you are hiring. It could be a financial modelling exercise for a Real Estate Analyst position, or evaluating an industrial lease for an Asset Manager role.

9. Active Listening:

A cornerstone of effective interviewing, this demonstrates genuine interest and engagement in the conversation. Pay close attention to candidates' verbal and nonverbal cues, including tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions. Take comprehensive notes throughout the interview to capture key insights and observations, allowing you to evaluate candidates' responses and follow up on areas requiring further clarification or exploration.

10. Probing for Specific Details:

This enables you to validate their claims and assess their suitability for the role. Ask follow-up questions to gain insights into their decision-making processes, problem-solving approaches, and thought leadership. By seeking specific details and examples, you can evaluate candidates' critical thinking skills, adaptability, and potential contributions to your business.

11. Evaluating Cultural Fit:

Assessing candidates' cultural fit ensures alignment with your values, mission, and environment. Pose questions that delve into candidates' work styles, values, and preferences, allowing you to gauge their compatibility with your team and organizational culture. Consider their communication style, collaborative approach, and adaptability to diverse work environments. By evaluating cultural fit during the interview process, you can identify whether the interviewee will thrive and contribute positively to your team and company’s success.

12. Providing a Realistic Preview:

Share insights into the day-to-day responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities associated with the role. Describe the organizational structure, team dynamics, and expectations for performance. Provide examples of real-world scenarios and projects to illustrate the nature of the role and the skills required for success. This will allow candidates to make informed decisions about their fit for the position.

13. Allow Time for Candidate Questions:

Allocate sufficient time for candidates to ask questions and seek clarification. By demonstrating your commitment to transparent and open communication, you will encourage candidates to inquire about topics that matter to them; team dynamics, organizational culture, performance expectations and career advancement opportunities. By addressing their queries and concerns, you can encourage a sense of trust and engagement, enhance their interview experience and improve the likelihood of them accepting a potential offer.

14. Timely Follow-ups:

Follow up with candidates after the interview to express appreciation for their time and participation. Be prompt, and provide feedback on the interview process and timeline for the next steps, including any additional rounds of interviews or assessments. Strive to maintain open communication throughout the recruiting process, keeping candidates informed and engaged every step of the way. When you act professionally and transparently, you can leave a positive impression and enhance the candidate’s overall experience and impression of your company; no matter the outcome.

15. Post-Interview Evaluation:

Implementing a structured process allows you to assess candidates' performance objectively and make informed hiring decisions. Collecting feedback from all interviewers involved in the hiring process provides valuable insights into candidates' strengths, weaknesses, and overall fit with the role and culture. Ask all interviewers to complete a standardized evaluation form, or provide feedback based on predetermined criteria.  

Conclusion

The effectiveness of interviews relies heavily on thorough preparation, strategic questioning, and active engagement from hiring managers. In this guide, we've delved into the best practices for conducting job interviews and provided 15 strategies to streamline the process and help you identify top talent.

Each strategy, from thorough preparation to post-interview evaluation, will ensure the interview process is fair, comprehensive, and insightful. By following these best practices, hiring managers can make informed decisions that align with their organization's goals and values.

Remember, the journey doesn't end with the conclusion of the interview. You must maintain open communication with candidates, provide timely feedback, and uphold transparency through recruiting and hiring. By doing so, you not only enhance the candidate experience but also leave a lasting impression that reflects positively on your organization; no matter the outcome.

Next Steps

To put these best practices into action and elevate your interview process, start by incorporating one or two strategies into your next round of interviews. Evaluate the impact and adjust as needed; this will only help to enhance the candidate experience and improve the quality of your hires. By taking proactive steps to refine your interview process, you can position your organization for long-term success in attracting and retaining top talent in the real estate industry.

‍