You've sifted through mounds of resumes - You've spoken with the candidates on the phone, done your preparation, and put on your best suit. Now it's time for the first in-person interviews. How do you make the best use of your time and get the very best person for the job? Read on. I'm about to share some of my best-kept secrets.
 
The first thing to keep in mind is that the first interview should be a two-way conversation. It's not an interrogation and it's not only about the company's needs. That 30-45 minute time slot belongs to the candidate just as much as it does to you. Let the candidates talk and ask questions. Be polite and use phrases such as, "may I ask you…?" Such courtesies facilitate communication between interviewer and interviewee.

What you don't need to worry about in a first interview is skill verification. Skills can be identified on a resume and then checked with references. If you are conducting the process properly, you are going to thoroughly interview all references before extending an offer. You will ask the references if the person is fit for the new role, if she can deal with the tough parts of the job, and if she truly does possess the skills listed on the resume. So don't waste time on skills during the first interview, unless you see that one of the most important skills you seek is not listed. In that case, it's useful to ask the candidate if he can give an example of the use of a similar skill in another context.

Although I risk sounding overly simplistic, I am going to reveal my true purpose in the first interview: it's really just getting to know the candidate and providing the opportunity for him to get to know me and my company. I am looking for the key personality characteristics of the successful candidate (which I have already established by speaking with the appropriate managers), but I am also careful not to judge too quickly. Even if I am 100% sure that the candidate does possess the necessary characteristics, I'll verify these with references as well.

I am also looking for a culture fit. Does the person share the values of my company? What evidence do I see of this? Is she an honest and open person or am I getting the sense that she is holding something back? Has he been on time and consistent during the process so far?

It is also important to gain a good understanding of the candidate's conversation skills during the first interview. Is she an elegant speaker? Can he build a full, succinct story in a short amount of time? If not, he may have trouble communicating with co-workers and the company's officers.

So what does a first interview really determine about an employment candidate? One thing: whether she has the communication skills, cultural fit, and necessary characteristics to proceed to the next stage of the process. My most powerful piece of advice is this: you don't know anything in half an hour. So if the candidate gets an A in interview number one, don't make any quick decisions. Just proceed to the next level.

Dan Kutis is the Corporate Recruiter of The Hamister Group, Inc., a growing hotel and health care management company. Feedback can be sent to him at news@hamistergroup.com . For more information on The Hamister Group, Inc., see www.hamistergroup.com