In the career college setting, we place considerable focus, and rightly so, on helping to prepare our graduates for the professional job interview. On the other side of the coin though, as employers, we must also address how we can best prepare ourselves for conducting our own interviews. What needs to be in place to help ensure that we select the best applicant for the position?

Here is a checklist that can help when an employer prepares for a job interview:

• Before each interview, in addition to listing the technical skills needed for the job, determine which critical skills are most crucial to performance and design questions to bring out those characteristics. In addition to asking questions that allow candidates to express opinions about themselves (I’m creative, I have excellent interpersonal skills, I can prioritize tasks and handle multiple responsibilities, I’m a real leader, etc.) ask them for examples of when they have used their skills and characteristics in the past and what the outcomes or consequences were? For example, an interviewer might ask a candidate, “Can you think of a time when your creativity solved a problem, generated a new idea or facilitated a project? What happened?” This calls for specifics and really requires candidates to provide relevant examples from past work, school or life experiences
• Ask “What if” questions to evaluate how well candidates rationally think on their feet and how well they draw upon their problem-solving ability 
• If asking a general question such as, “Could you tell me about yourself?” make sure that job candidates answer the question concisely and keep their responses within the parameters of job responsibilities
• Ask questions to get a complete picture of candidates’ skills, both strengths and areas for improvement
• Assess the questions that candidates ask you. Are they thought provoking? Do they demonstrate a career focus, a background knowledge of the job, a foundation of critical skills, a desire for growth and a professional mentality?

With our busy administrative and managerial schedules, sometimes we end up "flying by the seat of our pants" when involved in the employer interview process, but a little preparation and reflection before the interview is worth its weight in gold!