Stop Turning Candidate Interviews Into Interrogations

The way you approach candidate interviews can make or break your success in finding the right talent.

Many recruiters fall into the trap of turning these conversations into interrogations, which can be counterproductive. Instead, it’s time to shift your approach and create a more engaging, trust-building experience for your candidates.

The reality is that no one is their best self when being held under a microscope — and candidates are tired of bait-and-switch tactics that may have been used on them in the past.

With advanced platforms like the Talent Intelligence Platform at your disposal now, the amount of automation you can build into your workflow is truly mind-blowing.

‍But this — true 1:1 candidate communication — is not the place to cut corners. We recommend freeing up manual time at other points in your workflow to give yourself the time to have truly enlightening, empathetic, and engaging conversations when you've actually got a candidate face-to-face (or phone-to-phone).

Throughout our experience chatting with hundreds of recruiters and candidates, we've compiled some strategies that will make your interviews infinitely more human AND productive. Let's dive in! 

Build trust from the start

The foundation of a successful interview lies in establishing trust. Instead of jumping straight into business, take a moment to connect on a human level.

Share a brief personal anecdote or ask about something specific to their profile, your previous conversations, or anything beyond the typical “How are you?” Even swapping this question for "How is your day so far?" or "Anything fun happening for you this week?" can open the door to a bit more of a natural flow to the conversation, which will help candidates feel more at ease. It also makes it clear that it's a question you actually want to know the answer to — rather than a throwaway one where you're expecting to hear an obligatory "I'm good, you?" and then move on.

Paint a picture of the role

Rather than rattling off a list of requirements, help candidates visualize themselves in the role. Provide context about the company and the specific challenges they’ll face. Let them in on the existing team and how they work together — and how this role would interplay with those already in place. This approach not only helps candidates understand the position better but also allows you to gauge their genuine interest and enthusiasm.

Make it a dialogue, not an interrogation

Avoid rapid-fire questions that make candidates feel like they’re under scrutiny. Instead, create a conversational flow where you provide information about the role and company, then ask for their relevant experiences. This back-and-forth creates a more comfortable atmosphere for sharing. By asking too direct of questions, you may actually miss out on insights lying just under the surface — because you're backing candidates into a corner and forcing them to answer in a very specific way. Leaving the door a bit more open for them to share what they think is relevant can actually reveal a ton about the way they problem-solve, seek clarity, and work collaboratively.

Pay attention to non-verbal cues

If your interview is in person or over video call, while you're listening to candidates’ responses, also pay attention to their surroundings, body language, and tone.

Do they light up when discussing certain aspects of the job? Do they seem confident, nervous, or distracted? Do they have any fun artwork on the walls behind them, or a cat in their lap? These kinds of observations can open the door to deeper conversation. — and can provide valuable insights into a candidate's interests and motivations.

Use indirect questions strategically

Instead of bluntly asking why a candidate is looking for a new job, try more subtle approaches:

• “What do you love about your current job?”
• "What kinds of growth are you looking for?" 
• “What are your must-haves in your next role?”
• “If you had a magic wand to fix one thing in your current job, what would it be?”

These questions can reveal a candidate’s motivations and desires without putting them on the spot or making them feel like they need to disparage their current situation.

Be a trusted advisor

Position yourself as someone who wants to help the candidate make the right career move, not just fill this specific position. Be honest about whether you think the role is a good fit based on what you’ve learned about their goals and preferences.

More information is always better — even if it leads you to discover that this role isn't the right fit for the candidate.

Remember that every conversation has the potential to be a "long-game" one. When you take the time to truly get to know a candidate — their strengths, their goals, their must-haves, and beyond — you're able to think more strategically about where they could be a good fit. And when that role comes along, a quick dig through your database will bring you right back to this candidate.

Be transparent

Building trust is a two-way street. It takes two to tango. Two's a party. And so on. What we mean is: 

Be willing to share your own experiences or insights when relevant. The power dynamics of an interview can be weird when you think about it through the lens of "This candidate wants this role, and I am the one deciding if they get it or not." When you shift your focus to thinking "The candidate and I are both trying to discover whether this role could be a good fit — and just get to know each other in general," you open the door to more open, honest, and human conversations.

Wrapping up

We believe that, if you implement these strategies, you’ll create a more positive and productive interview experience — and have more fruitful conversations. Not only will you gain better insights into your candidates, but you’ll also increase the likelihood of making successful placements that benefit both the candidate and the hiring company in the long run.

What do you think — are you ready to give these tips a shot?