In the current climate the competition for vacancies can be fierce; the challenge for employers is to try to identify the best candidate for the job from the large number of prospective applicants. As the candidates are trying very hard to convince you that they are the best person for the job you need to take extra care to make sure that you can identify what they can really bring to a role.

Use a job description and person specification to define what the job is about and the type of person you think you need to carry out that role. Make sure your specification is focused solely on the role and the skills.

The purpose of the interview is to identify the best person for the job; so design questions in advance of the interview to test for the particular skills and experiences that you have set out in the job description and person specification. This means that the candidates can be compared on issues relevant to the position. Open questioning allows candidates flexibility to show how they meet the issue being tested. Be careful of unrelated discussion as it can be misinterpreted; so avoid issues like children, child care, retirement and health. Don't set tasks such as presentations if they are not a relevant skill for the role under consideration.

Scoring records should record notes of the answers given and if the interviewer thinks that the candidate meets, partially meets, or does not meet the criteria being tested. This helps interviewers to ensure that their selection process is fair and consistent.

It is reasonable to expect a candidate has reviewed what the job is about as well as attempted to find out something about the company and therefore you can ask candidates about what attracted them to the position or the company.

Look for clear, detailed answers to the questions showing that the candidate has listened to the question and understood how it relates to the role. Ideally, you want someone who can learn something useful from an experience, good or bad, and react positively in difficult situations. The length of the interview should take into account the number of questions being asked so that the process is not rushed and allows the candidate to ask any questions of their own.

Here are our top 5 Do's and Don'ts to remember.

Do:

1. Plan questions in advance to identify the skills you are looking for
2. Ask each candidate the same question
3. Read the application before the interview
4. Keep a clear record of the scoring
5. Ask open questions

Don't:

1. Go into the interview unprepared
2. Ask potentially discriminatory questions
3. Ask closed questions
4. Have an overly large interview panel
5. Set unnecessary tasks