A job interview is one of the essential elements when it comes to vetting job candidates trying to join your company. The hiring process is not easy, but you can make it more efficient if you choose the right tools and templates.

In this article, we will review some of the critical elements that can help you get the suitable candidates for your company. The hiring manager always looks for candidates with relevant skills and a good attitude. To find the best one, you must evaluate candidates fairly and honestly. You can find the right person for the job description with our guide.

We will guide you through all the benefits, steps to writing, and elements to include in the job interview templates. Of course, every interview is different, and the content of the questions will depend on your particular job. Still, if you are looking for general tips, we have got you covered.

Additionally, you will be able to utilize our templates entirely for free! So, without further ado, let’s get started!

The interview template is a framework for hiring managers who want to find the best job candidate for the vacant position. It includes all the guidelines that managers use to conduct job interviews. A well-drafted job interview can help ensure consistency, documentation, and fairness in the interview process.

Additionally, it’s a structured plan, so you can use it time and time again for different purposes with some slight modifications to each one. Additionally, it helps you to remember all the essential elements that you need to ask the potential employee and create a set of criteria that needs to be followed to find the best candidate. Of course, as it is a roadmap rather than a detailed plan, it’s important to emphasize that it should be adapted to the specific situation with an employee. 

Let’s now go over the specific software we will be using for this particular task. In this case, we can recommend getting the Microsoft Office package. It’s the single best suite for all of your office-related needs. From Word editor, arguably – the best on the market, through PowerPoint presentations, up to Excel spreadsheets – it’s just an incredible package of possibilities. You can even expand its potential of it by utilizing free templates that you can find on the internet or using those we have provided for you.

And it’s not that expensive these days. You can get a Microsoft Office Key for just a few dollars at Royal CD Keys. Additionally, it’s a lifetime subscription, so if you want to use it for some other purposes than creating an interview template, you can certainly do it as well.

It’s definitely worth checking out, and it will prove to be helpful time and time again. In the end, the whole world uses it, so when it comes to sending information, editing those documents, or just simply reviewing an interview template, it’s just money well spent. So, without further ado, let’s get into some templates, shall we?

Interview Template #1

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First up, we have the brief interview form. It’s great if you have an understandable situation between you and the potential candidate, especially when you only need to gather specific examples regarding their previous employment, such as their former employer, the last position they held, and their leadership skills, among other relevant factors.

Additionally, you can put some behavioral interview questions there to test not only the core competencies, as most interviewers do, but also make your hiring decision based on other factors, like personality. It’s a great way of finding candidate information for a specific position but is not too overwhelming at the same time.

Interview Template #2

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Here we have something much more descriptive. With this template, you will be able to find out more about the candidate with the pre-planned questions you and your team members have produced for this following interview. It’s a helpful tool when it comes to most interviews, as you do not only have brackets to fill in but also – sample questions you can keep if they align with your needs.

If you are looking for finding someone’s most significant strengths or even greatest weaknesses, these general interview questions can make this difficult decision that much more straightforward.

It will also help the potential new hire to answer more openly. Additionally, they could also find out more about the position, as those general questions have a lot of information within them already. It’s a great template if you need to fill a position in design, fashion, writing, editorial, or others.

Interview Template #3

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And finally, we have something for the more computerized individuals. It’s an interview template with a scoring system. It can be dehumanizing at first glance, but that could not be further from the truth. If you are looking for a specific kind of individual for a new position in your company, being underprepared is the wrong answer.

If you are interviewing people at mass, you can use the template to weed out the most promising candidates and then go ahead and ask them some open-ended questions. This kind of evaluation can help to find the best applicants with the best qualities. In the end, you will be responsible for their progress and failures, so be sure to be thorough in your evaluation.

So, now that we’ve got acquainted with the idea itself, let’s find out the benefits of using an interview template. Of course, it will all depend on the usage, drafting, and how good are the personal skills of the interviewer. But there are still some things that are commonly pointed out regarding the benefits of an interview template, so let’s go over those.

Fair and Square

First, a well-drafted interview template can ensure a fair and standardized framework for evaluation. If you have an open position, you can check for the same answers from multiple sources. Predefined criteria also can help you when it comes to vetting the best employees on the market.

Efficiency

Speaking of predefined criteria, it can benefit you greatly if you have a prepared structure for the people with a predefined set of questions. That way, you will be able to go through more candidates and get the information for the open positions quicker and without unnecessary discussions.

Consistency

Another big benefit of interview templates is the consistency elements. It can create a framework for interviewers and give them the ability to evaluate candidates based on the same criteria.

Comprehensive Interview Process

Additionally, if you have a well-drafted interview template, you will be able to get to all the elements you wanted to discover about the potential candidate. That will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the person and ensure the quality of the overview.

Documentation

Additionally, filling out an interview template for multiple potential candidates can create a great data set that you can then use in future interviews. You will also gain interesting data that you can later utilize for your benefit, such as the salary expectations for this position and the most challenging elements when it comes to the work of this particular recruiter. In all cases, the more data you gather, the more you will accomplish.

Job Criteria Focused

Additionally, if you have an interview template with questions about the qualifications for the job, you will be able to weed out all the unsuitable candidates to find out those with the necessary skills and experience for that particular position.

Positive Experience

Of course, it’s not all about what you can do for the company; it’s also what the company can do for you. Creating a well-structured interview template can help you in presenting yourself as a professional and leave a positive impression on the candidates who are trying to get a job at your company.

Compliance

Additionally, you will be able to ensure that all your decisions concerning the potential candidate are within the company’s regulations and legal requirements. It will help you complete an interview that is not only great for employment but also takes some legal concerns into consideration. 

So, now that we have an understanding of the benefits that a template can bring, let’s now go over all the elements of the interview to include. Every interview template will differ regarding the scope of your goals regarding a potential hire, but here are some of the most common elements every template should have. Let’s dive in!

Essential Details

Well, that is pretty obvious, but things like date, time, and location are always the first thing you should include in an interview template. You really cannot go without those.

Introduction

Next is the introduction part. Here, you must introduce yourself and the company to the potential hire, explain your role, and create a cozy atmosphere. Everyone is stressed in this situation, so include a small talk.

Questions about the Job

Next, we have the “questions-about-the-job” section. It’s one of the most essential parts, as it will show you the qualifications of the candidate, their skills, experience, and overall suitability for this exact position. Those questions should focus on the essential requirements and responsibilities.

Soft Skills Questions

Soft skills, on the other hand, are the elements like problem-solving, organizational skills, how they interact with the management and previous employers, and what their career focuses on regarding people skills.

Hypothetical Scenarios

Next is the famous “what if you were stranded on a desert island” scenario. But, it’s essential to find out if the potential new hires can provide examples of their creative approach to some problem-solving scenarios.

Company Culture

Additionally, remember to add some elements about the company’s culture and the values you are trying to implement. It will help you to assess if the candidate fits this particular environment.

Skills Evaluation

If you need to find out if the candidate has some particular skills you want to test out, include that scenario in the interview template. It could be a quiz, it could be an open-ended question; whatever it may be, it needs to be addressed.

Hiring Criteria

Be sure to clearly define the criteria that you will be using to rate the potential candidates. A framework for that kind of interview is crucial, as it will help you to be efficient and fair.

Closing the Process

Be sure to conclude the interview by presenting the next steps in the process and some closing statements. It will create a clear and understandable path for the candidate and the company.

AMA

Finally, ask if the candidate has any questions about the work environment or industry as a whole; maybe they want to hear more about the teams they will be working with if they are hired. Create an atmosphere that makes the potential hire feel welcome to ask questions. 

So, let’s now get into some of the tips on how to write an interviewee template. If you can follow those, you will have a great experience regarding the hiring process.

Clear Job Requirements

Be sure to state all your job requirements clearly. The key is to create as much detail as it’s necessary to find out the people suitable for this particular job.

List of Questions

Next, create a list of questions you want to ask the candidate. Some can be more open-ended, but some need to be closed to get the strict information you wish to acquire.

Interview Structure

Think about the interview structure. What is your approach? Do you want to find only the person's technical details, or do you want actually to meet them? Be sure to create a comprehensive evaluation of the candidate based on the pre-requisite template you have created for this interview.

Categories of Questions

Divide the questions into categories as it will be easier to navigate between them when something comes up during the interview. You can do it as you please, but things like teamwork and technical skills are some of the more important.

Notes/Observations

Leave some space for notes and observations. You will never know what will come up during the interview, so this element is crucial for better understanding the candidate and their role in the company.

Each Interview Is Different

You may have a standardized template, but every interview is and will be different. So, to evaluate more efficiently, be sure to change it slightly according to the particular situation you will be dealing with. Whether it’s a person with more experience or skills, you can tailor the list of questions to the specific situation you were in, and if anything arises – you will be prepared. 

And here we are at the end of our guide! Thank you so much for checking out our article! As often stated during this interview template guide, a well-crafted document can do wonders regarding the hiring process. It can ensure consistency, process fairness, efficiency, and documentation for future reference.

That way, you can find the best person for the job quickly. The best thing about this is that you can not only cover all the necessary elements of the job but even some things like soft-skills evaluations, particular experiences, and other elements that you can point in the assessment part.

A well-drafted interview template can create good communication between the interviewer and interviewee, with a friendly atmosphere for both. And if done right, it can also foresee all the potential problematic situations with legal and regulatory compliance, as some jobs may require additional assessment in that department.

The critical element is that every interview will differ, so you should not focus on any particular aspect. Instead, be flexible and on the same page as your potential hire. Ask about their past experiences, and if something interesting arises, don’t stick to the script but ask specific questions about it. Stay organized but understand that it’s human interaction, so you must include that in your analysis!