August 4, 2025

Am I An Effective Interviewer?

by Catriona MacLeod
reviewed by Simon Bell
fizkes / Shutterstock

Evaluate the effectiveness of your candidate interviewing technique with this interactive self-assessment. It will help you to identify your strengths and weaknesses as an interviewer and identify actions to help you improve your interviewing skills.

Key Takeaways: Plan to Improve Your Job Interviewing Technique

  • Prepare thoroughly to set yourself up for success. Effective managers invest significant time in pre-interview preparation when recruiting new team members. So do your homework, and ensure you take interviewee needs into account.
  • Create a professional but comfortable setting. Put interviewees at ease by choosing a quiet setting for each interview, minimizing distractions and testing any technology you need.
  • Ask strategic questions and listen actively. Ask open-ended questions and check for evidence of required skills and behaviors. Use active listening to check your understanding of what the interviewee has said.
  • Maintain consistency and fairness throughout. Apply the same criteria and evaluation standards to each interview. Give candidates an equal chance to demonstrate their abilities, and to ask any questions they may have.
  • Complete the interview process professionally and courteously. Write clear, comprehensive interview notes after each session. Share these with hiring colleagues as appropriate. And communicate next steps to all candidates in a timely and thoughtful manner.

Task

Consider the following statements and rate yourself as honestly as possible.

The responses are as follows:

  • Excellent - where you always carry out the activity.
  • Good - where you frequently carry out the activity.
  • Average - where you mainly carry out the activity.
  • Poor - where you occasionally carry out the activity.
  • Very poor - where you never carry out the activity.
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Once you have worked through all 24 statements, press the Calculate My Total button and read the relevant interpretation of your effectiveness as an interviewer.

1. I read all candidate and vacancy information thoroughly before commencing interviews.
2. I prepare questions and/or areas to be covered in advance, using both candidate and vacancy details.
3. I make sure that candidates receive any relevant information about the position and organization in advance of the interview.
4. I tailor interviews to individual candidate needs, including making reasonable adjustments
5. I fully prepare the structure of the interview and, where applicable, agree this with other interviewers.
6. I make sure that I have booked an appropriate room or have an online setting that is both quiet and well laid out for an interview.
7. I check and test the technology I need, in advance of the interviews.
8. I take steps to make sure that I will not be disturbed during interviews.
9. I listen actively and attentively to each candidate.
10. I take sufficient notes without distracting the candidate or omitting any relevant information.
11. I ask open questions and use follow-up questions when it is necessary to probe further.
12. I ask behavioral questions to explore how candidates have reacted in the past.
13. I guide the interview to keep the discussion relevant and on topic.
14. I keep to the point with my questions: they are precise and concise.
15.I focus on helping candidates feel as comfortable as possible during the interview.
16. I keep to time with a planned interview schedule.
17. I present a positive, accurate image of both the position and the organization.
18. I gather sufficient information to make a full assessment of each candidate.
19. I apply the same criteria to each candidate.
20. I make sure that the candidate does most of the talking during the interview.
21. I give candidates adequate opportunity to ask questions about the position and the organization.
22. I let candidates know what will happen after the interview and the timescales involved.
23. I write up clear notes about each candidate after the interview.
24. I am satisfied with the new employees I decide to appoint.

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