[MUSIC PLAYING] - You only get to hold that first face-to-face interview once, and an employee could be with you for three, five, or even 10 years. So you really want to make the most of that opportunity. In this video, we give some tips to help you conduct a great first interview. 

First of all, make sure you're well prepared. A candidate is going to do a lot of research on your business and the role in preparation for their interview, so it's a really good idea that you do something similar. Do some research on their CV. Make some questions you want to ask or some notes on areas you want to address, and make sure you're ready so that you can turn up on time as well. 

At the start of the interview, explain the process for the interview to help put the candidate at ease. Let them know what sort of questions you're going to ask. Are you going to go through their CV? Are you going to give them the opportunity to ask questions at the end? Again, at the end of the interview, explain the rest of the process. When can they expect to hear from you, and what does the rest of the interview process look like? 

Use a variety of questioning techniques-- open or closed questions, scenario-based or competency-based questions, formal or informal questions to help the interview flow and to change it up a little bit during the interview. This will give you the opportunity to get the most out of the candidate, but make sure you probe because if there are areas for concern, you're going to want to know about it during that interview. 

Involve a colleague. There's three reasons why you should do this. The first one is it will give you a second set of eyes on the interview, and you can ask for their opinion at the end of the interview. It will also make your colleague feel valued that you really trust their opinion. And finally, it will also let the candidate know that there's someone on the inside if they are successful in getting a job offer. 

At the end of the interview, give the candidate the opportunity to ask questions. The questions they ask may be a good indicator of whether they're suitable for the role or not. If you're confident as well, give them some feedback, some positive or negative feedback, because you'll give them the opportunity to address any concerns you have in the interview, and that may help you make your final decision. 

So to summarize, prepare well for the interview. Explain the process at the start of the interview. Use a variety of questioning techniques to keep the interview flowing. Involve a colleague for a second opinion. And finally, close the interview well and give the candidate the opportunity to ask questions or appease any concerns about your feedback. 

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