How to Be a Good Interviewer: 12 Practical Tips
TL;DR
- A good interviewer collects evidence about whether a candidate can do the job. Everything else is secondary.
- Decide what you are assessing before the interview, and ask every candidate the same core questions.
- Ask about what the candidate has actually done, then follow up until you have specifics.
- Listen more than you talk, and take notes on what was said, not on your impression.
- Score each answer straight after the interview, before you compare notes with anyone.
Interviewing is a skill, and most people learn it by doing it badly for a while. A poor interview costs twice: a strong candidate may be turned away, and a weak one may be hired.
This guide sets out what a good interviewer does before, during and after an interview. None of it needs special training. It needs preparation and a little discipline.
What makes a good interviewer?
A good interviewer does three things. They find out whether the candidate can do the job, they treat every candidate the same way, and they leave the candidate with a fair picture of the role and the company.
Being friendly or tough is not the measure. An interviewer who is pleasant and learns nothing has failed. So has one who is rigorous and leaves a strong candidate wanting to work elsewhere.
Before the interview
1. Know what you are assessing
Write down the four or five skills the role needs. If you cannot name them, you are not ready to interview for it. Our job description templates list the requirements for common roles.
2. Prepare your questions in advance
Write one or two questions for each skill. Prepared questions are what separate a structured interview from a chat. The interview question library has questions by skill and by role.
3. Read the resume beforehand
Reading it during the interview wastes the candidate's time and shows. Note two or three things you want to ask about.
4. Agree the plan with other interviewers
If several people are interviewing, decide who covers what. Otherwise the candidate answers the same question three times and nobody covers the gaps.
During the interview
5. Put the candidate at ease
Introduce yourself, explain the format and say how long it will take. A nervous candidate gives you less information, not more.
6. Ask about real experience
"Tell me about a time you had to deal with an unhappy customer" tells you more than "How would you handle an unhappy customer?" Past behavior is evidence. A hypothetical answer is a guess.
7. Follow up until you have specifics
The first answer is usually a summary. Ask what they did personally, what the result was and what they would do differently. Detail is what separates real experience from a rehearsed story. Our guide to the best interview questions to ask candidates includes follow-ups to use.
8. Listen more than you talk
The candidate should be speaking for most of the interview. If you are doing most of the talking, you are selling the job, not assessing the person.
9. Allow silence
When a candidate pauses, wait. People often give their most considered answer after a few seconds of thought. Filling the gap for them loses it.
10. Take notes on what was said
Write down the facts of the answer, not your reaction to it. "Led a team of four, cut delivery time from six weeks to four" is useful a week later. "Seemed confident" is not.
After the interview
11. Score straight away
Score each skill against the same scale for every candidate, within minutes of finishing. Memory fades quickly and the most recent candidate always seems clearest.
12. Score before you discuss
Record your scores before you hear anyone else's view. Once a colleague says "I loved her", it is hard to hold your own assessment.
Mistakes to avoid
- Deciding in the first few minutes. A first impression is formed fast and then defended for the rest of the hour.
- Hiring people like yourself. Shared background feels like fit. It is not evidence of ability.
- Asking leading questions. "You are comfortable with deadlines, right?" has only one answer.
- Asking illegal or personal questions. Age, family plans, religion, health and similar topics have no place in an interview.
- Using different questions for each candidate. You cannot compare answers to different questions.
- Leaving no time for the candidate's questions. It is their decision too.
A simple interview structure
| Stage | Time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | 5 minutes | Introductions, format, timing |
| Core questions | 30 to 35 minutes | One or two questions per skill, with follow-ups |
| Candidate's questions | 10 minutes | They ask, you answer honestly |
| Close | 5 minutes | Next steps and when they will hear |
How AI helps interviewers
Much of what makes an interview good is consistency: the same questions, the same follow-ups, the same scoring, notes taken every time. That is hard for busy people to keep up across dozens of candidates.
Cloutra's interview agent runs the first round that way. Every candidate for a role is asked the same role-specific questions with follow-ups, the interview is recorded, and the evaluation quotes what the candidate said. Interviewers in later rounds start with that record and can spend their time on judgment. For the types of tool available, see our comparison of AI interview software.
Frequently asked questions
What are the qualities of a good interviewer?
Preparation, consistency, careful listening and fairness. A good interviewer knows what they are assessing, asks every candidate the same core questions and scores on evidence.
How do you start an interview as the interviewer?
Introduce yourself and your role, explain how the interview will run and how long it will take, then begin with an easy question about the candidate's current work.
How many questions should an interviewer ask?
For a 45 to 60 minute interview, six to ten prepared questions with follow-ups is usually enough. Depth on a few questions tells you more than a long list.
What should an interviewer not ask?
Avoid questions about age, marital status, children, religion, health, national origin and other personal characteristics. They are unrelated to the job and can be unlawful.
How do you stay unbiased when interviewing?
Use the same questions and scoring scale for every candidate, take notes on facts, and score on your own before discussing the candidate with others.
See how Cloutra runs consistent first-round interviews for one of your open roles.