Getting to know the candidate before the interview

Agree. When interviewing candidates, it’s best to avoid asking for information they have already provided (e.g. with their application or during a screening call); you’ll lose valuable time and risk appearing indifferent or unprepared to the candidates’ eyes.

Instead, take some time to read candidate resumes, profiles or applications and make notes of key points concerning their skills and past experience. Then, you can use interview time to elaborate on these points or ask for the new information you need to help with your evaluation. When looking through candidate resumes, keep your interview questions in mind and ask yourself: