Write an Interview Report

As an interviewer, it is your task to document and present adequate information about each candidate to other deciding parties who were not in the interview. This will help you remember the important things about each candidate and allow only the most qualified candidates to go further through the interview process. In general, there are two methods for preparing interview reports: the free essay and the prepared template. Depending on how your company prefers to complete the interview process, follow the steps of the appropriate method below to ensure you have a useful interview report.

Steps

Using Free Essay Form

1. Write down the interview questions asked and the answers given during the interview in detail. Whether you have predetermined questions for all candidates or choose to ask questions based strictly on their specific experience, it is very important to take down notes of what was asked and the candidate’s responses to these questions. This is the bare bones of the interview report and will determine how well the candidate does.
   • When writing down the candidate's responses, it is extremely important to write a detailed account of what was said, even if you end up quoting them. Work in shorthand as much as possible.
     • For example, you say to the candidate, “Explain your greatest career accomplishment." While they are speaking it is not enough to just jot down a response of “leader of excellence award winner." You must probe and record details such as “obtained this for leading a cross functional team to set up a successful new business unit in France within budget and anticipated timeframe."
2. Note the candidate's verbal and nonverbal communication skills. Since everyone who makes the hiring decision may not be present in the interview, it is important to write down not only what is exactly said but how the candidate says it and other mannerisms of theirs. Nonverbal communication should be taken just as seriously as verbal communication because you can get a better understanding of how the candidate truly feels versus what they are saying.
   • For example, a candidate may say what they think you want to hear, even if it is not entirely the truth. If a candidate says they are a very outgoing individual to try and get the job but in fact they do not hold eye contact with you, look down a lot and have a low tone of voice, their nonverbal communication may tell you otherwise.
3. Take note of any special skills and key attributes they have to do the job. In addition to specific questions asked to the candidate, note any special skills and key attributes that are required to do the job successfully. These will most likely be listed in the qualifications section of the position’s job description.
   • Be sure to include in your notes not only hard skills (skills that can be taught to a person to do the job successfully such as data analysis or creating reports) but also soft skills – personal traits or attributes that powers their ability to perform tasks well such as communication and problem solving skills.
4. Start structuring a basic interview report with candidate information and interview questions. This is best to start immediately after the interview so everything is fresh in your mind. To begin, start with the very basics:
   • The candidate's general information. Provide the person’s name, position title and date interviewed. For example, “This interview report is prepared in response to interviewing John Smith for the IT Director position on June 14, 2014."
   • Interview questions and responses. List and provide a detailed account of all questions asked and the candidate’s responses. It is very important to revisit your notes and make additional comments as soon as possible because you do not want to confuse candidates or miss out on providing important information if it is not fresh in your mind.
5. Write the candidate's specific interview report in summary form. This will tell their story and provide your observations as soon as possible. When creating an interview report, include facts and clarification on the following (as discussed above):
   • Summary of their strengths. This is based on their qualifications to do the job successfully. List each of the candidate’s strengths and provide details and examples to prove they are true strengths. It is not enough to say, “Able to motivate a team." You must explain how they can motivate a team and what they did in the past to prove this.
   • Concerns or challenges. Even the best candidates have some weaknesses. It is important to recognize this to weigh whether or not these weaknesses can be overcome.
   • Key attributes. As mentioned previously, provide your account on the person’s hard and soft skills required to do the job successfully. Also add a section of any attributes they are lacking.
6. Include any special notes, too. Use a special notes section to include any miscellaneous information you would like to add. It's not uncommon to get a candidate that displays a very specific set of knowledge or skills that you would like to address separately.
   • An example of this could be, “This person shows great potential, interest and motivation in advancing their career” or “This person tends to be easily distracted and may not have the attention to detail required."
7. Prepare a final assessment. Add your opinion on their characteristics, potential and fit. This includes a summary and your recommendations on whether to pursue the person’s candidacy or to pass on them.
   • Go over your report once more to ensure it thoroughly covers the candidate and accurately represents how well they would fit the position. Make sure every comment is unbiased and honest. Once it's complete, send it off to the other deciding parties.

Using a Template

1. Review your company's report template prior to the interview, if applicable. Your company may already have a set interview template for the position you are interviewing. If this template already exists, it is important to review it very carefully so you can ask the specified questions, rank the individual based on given characteristics and skills and note your opinions based on designated factors.
   • For example, let's say you are interviewing a benefits specialist. While asking the candidate about their experience at their current company, you can easily fill out areas in the template about their competency in 401K plans and workers compensation. You can also fill out the areas for nonverbal and verbal communication by noting the use of eye contact and the ability to clearly express their thoughts.
2. If a template does not exist, create your own. If you do not have a template already written and you or your company prefers a ranking type of template, you can create your own. In order for the template to be effective you must include the following:
   • Review the job description for the specific qualifications needed
   • Formulate questions to solicit examples of competencies and experience required
   • Create a check list and ranking system for certain skills and personality traits that will aid success in the role (a ranking system of 1-5 for team building, problem solving, stress tolerance, communication, etc.)
   • Add an area to write recommendations and overall thoughts
3. Take notes while asking specific questions. During the interview, have your template with you along with a note pad for additional notes to be added to the report later on. All interviews go slightly different depending on the candidate’s responses to your questions and level of their expertise.
   • It is acceptable to jump around your template during the interview and sometimes you may miss writing a response in the appropriate place. In order to avoid shuffling pages, have a note pad ready to jot down important information, your impressions, thoughts and insights during the interview.
     • For example, you started the interview with the general request “tell me about yourself." While the candidate is speaking, they may have answered several of your predetermined questions. This is good because you do not need to specifically ask them again if the information you wanted to know was already given in detail. However, during this time you may decide to take notes off of the template to review and add in the formal report. That is fine as long as you are familiar with your template and do not miss out on obtaining any important information.
4. Record both verbal and nonverbal communication. While the candidate is speaking, it is important to write down not only what they are saying, but how they are saying it. Sometimes the way in which words are expressed can help in determining if the person is telling the truth and is confident, overconfident, arrogant, etc. Nonverbal communication is also very important to record because it provides significant insight to the person’s personality.
   • For example, if the candidate is using his or her hands to talk, wearing a big smile and holding eye contact throughout the interview, you can gather that this candidate is very interested in the position and is confident in their abilities.
   • Remember, sometimes it is not what you say but how you say it. It is important to record these nonverbal cues so those decision makers who were not in the interview can have a clear understanding of how the interview went.
5. Note the candidate's characteristics and personality. As mentioned previously, each position will have specific characteristics and personality traits that an ideal candidate will possess. Each of these characteristics and traits may be laid out in a ranking or check box area in the template. As you proceed through the interview, fill out this section accordingly.
   • For example, you have a list of characteristics and personality traits with the ranking of 1-5, with 5 being outstanding. As you speak with this person you will have a greater understanding of how they rank in these areas and you can then record your evaluation.
6. After the interview, fill out the report as soon as possible. It is important to fill out the remaining sections of the interview report as soon as possible. This will insure the most accuracy in your evaluation. Sometimes if you have interviews back to back it can be difficult to keep your details straight. You do not want to confuse candidates and sometimes interviews can blend together in your mind.
   • Scheduling some time apart so you can properly fill out the report is ideal. If spacing your interviews is not an option, be as detailed as possible in your notes and be extra careful to keep each candidate’s information separate.
   • Before the day is over, finish up your reports. The longer you wait the more difficult it will be to complete an accurate and valuable interview report.
7. Tally up scores and rankings and add final comments. If your template has a ranking system that requires a total number, it is important to complete this section before documenting your final thoughts.
   • For example, let's say you are interviewing sales representatives and using a ranking system that uses a total number to determine what type of sales person they will be. After this is completed, you can add your final comments and recommendations such as whether you feel this person is a strong candidate for the job.
   • End your final comments with your recommendation to either pursue this person’s candidacy, present a job offer or move on to other candidates.

Sample Interview Report

Doc:Interview Report

See also

• Interview a Nanny
• Interview a Client for an Engineering Project
• Conduct an Unbiased Interview
• Set Up a Meeting Space for Interviews
• Conduct a Detailed Interview
• Hire the Best Talent
• Avoid Asking Bad Interview Questions
• Conduct a Group Interview
• Set Up a Phone Interview
• Conduct a Phone Interview

Read more ...