GP Practice Managers – Interviewing Tips

You will find a whole host of typical interview questions out there on the internet, and it’s possible that your practice follows a set list of questions anyway when it comes to interviewing new team members. Our guide will take you through a few of the ‘softer’ interview skills you could employ in order to get the best out of every candidate and every interview.

Offer Refreshments

This will immediately set a more convivial tone to the interview, and even just a jug of water and glasses will help allay those nervous dry mouth moments many interviewees suffer from when talking lots under pressure. Otherwise, making them a coffee or cup of tea will give them a sense of comfort and safety before you get down to business.

Start Slow

Be prepared with your proper interview questions of course, but ease yourself and them into the interview with some chit chat before graduating to more exploratory topics. Even enquiring as to their journey in, the weather, or something interesting in the news (though avoid controversy) will break the ice a little. Move on to more targeted questions now – perhaps pick an item on their CV that attracted your attention, and work from there. Allowing the interview to begin seamlessly will feel more natural for everyone involved.

Ditch the Script

Ok, not entirely – but many interviewers will ask a question halfway through the interview which has already been answered as part of another question. Candidates will rarely want to point this out and may become flustered and try to find an alternative way of saying something they’ve already said, which is often where an interview can unravel and lose clarity for both sides. It also suggests that you as an interviewer haven’t been listening as intently as you might, so be brave enough to move away from the script and improvise if need be.

Follow Through

Finish the interview on a positive note, and let the candidate know what happens next – timings and decision processes. There is nothing worse than walking out of an interview not knowing what the protocol is regarding second interviews, job offers and modes of decline. Also allow at least ten minutes for their own questions, which will allow your candidates to interview you as well as giving you an extra insight into their employability.

Do you have any smart interview tips, or recruitment horror stories? We’d love to hear them, so drop us a comment below! 

If you are looking for Practice Managers Jobs or wanting to advertise a jobs for FREE please check out our PM Jobs Board.

Practice Index offers a Practice Manager Recruitment Service that can help with all the above.