When an organisation needs to fill a vacancy, it puts into motion a series of mechanisms that are designed to find the person who best meets the job’s requirements.

Accordingly, the recruitment process consists of the actions that will enable the organisation to ascertain, compare and decide from among all of the people applying for the job, which one is most suitable. The process’s success depends on getting the best possible fit between the prospective employer’s needs and expectations and those of the candidates.

A job interview is a formal, detailed conversation which seeks to fulfil a two-fold purpose:

• For the person who needs to fill the vacancy, assess to what extent the candidate’s profile matches the job’s requirements.
• For the person who is applying for the vacancy, assess to what extent the job’s features and conditions match his/her professional needs and expectations.

Thus, both the interviewer and the interviewee need to satisfy certain information needs during this conversation.

The job interview can take very different forms as regards the style of questions and the type of information that these questions seek to obtain.

Regarding the first point, the style of questions, the interview technique can be direct, mixed or free:

• Direct interview. The interviewer asks the questions from the very beginning and does so in a very specific manner, delimiting considerably the type of answer that he/she hopes to obtain. In this type of interview, the interviewee is expected to answer as specifically as possible, for example, recounting a particular case, supporting a decision made during his/her career, mentioning products, giving figures, etc.
• Mixed interview. This is the most common type of interview, where, in addition to asking specific questions, the interviewer also asks other more open questions that enable the interviewee to explain more about himself/herself and highlight his/her skills.
• Free interview. The interviewer asks one or two completely open questions and puts most of the burden of the interview on the interviewee. For example, a typical question in this type of interview could be “why are you interested in this job, what can you contribute?”. This question forces the interviewee to articulate a clear line of argument with a thread that is easy to follow. His/her answer must be measured, neither too long - this would indicate self - contemplation - nor too short - this would indicate lack of awareness of one’s own potential, or lack of communication skills - , and must be highly focussed on providing useful information for subsequent decision-making.

As regards the type of information on which the interview focuses, this depends on whether it is a classic interview or a skill interview.

• The classic interview focuses on ascertaining the candidate’s professional profile, his/her competencies and technical skills, and the experience he/she has acquired in the performance of certain functions. Consequently, the questions are aimed at exploring the candidates’ educational background and work experience.
• The skill interview, on the other hand, ascertains behaviour patterns. The interviewer focuses on identifying the candidate’s skills (know how to do it) and attitudes (want to do it) as well as his/her knowledge, to assess the fit with the skill profile required by the job vacancy.

In additions to the personal interview (between the interviewer and the interviewee), which is the one that is used most commonly, other techniques are also used.

• Group dynamics. This type of interview involves a group of candidates and one or more recruiters (some who lead the session and others who observe the candidates’ behaviour). Usually, it takes the form of role-playing in a situation or solving an issue which provides an excuse for making the candidates interact. Within this dynamic, each candidate acts in accordance with his/her own behaviour patterns and, therefore, shows his/her own knowledge, skills and attitudes with respect to the dynamic’s subject, other people and himself/herself. In this type of interview, the recruiter pays particular attention to:
  • the way in which the candidates relate with each other (therefore, it is necessary to avoid confrontation with the group);
  • their ability to focus effectively and efficiently on results;
  • and the skills (in influencing, adapting, working as a team, negotiating, etc.) that are needed to reach a solution that all are in agreement with.


• Multiple interview. This interview type involves more than one interviewer simultaneously (they are usually members of the management team of the organisation offering the job) and a single candidate. It is used particularly when recruiting for specialist technical jobs or management positions. Here, each interviewer approaches the interview from the position of his/her own responsibilities, which enables the candidate’s fit to be assessed from different viewpoints.

A person is considered to be competent in a job insofar as he/she has the ability to do that which the job requires from him/her at any given time and to do it satisfactorily. Consequently, it is not enough to have the necessary knowledge to do a job (know) but it is also necessary to have the ability to apply this knowledge (know how to do it) and have the right attitude to do it (want to do it).

When seen in this light, the most important thing is not so much one’s educational background and the posts one has held during one’s career but how one has taken on work responsibilities, the actions taken and the results obtained.

1.4.1. Generic skills.

The management by skills model defines different types of skills but those that play a particularly important role in recruitment processes are the so-called generic skills, i.e., abilities that can be applied in different areas of personal and work activity.

A person’s employability (that is, a person’s ability to find work and to do so efficiently) is dependent upon the degree to which he/she updates his/her professional skills (ongoing education) and develops to a high level the generic skills that are most valued in the job market.

The skills that are most appreciated in the current job market are:

1.4.2. Emotional skills.

Emotional skills are what explains a person’s ability to acknowledge his/her own feelings, other people’s feelings, be motivated and adequately manage relationships with other people and with himself/herself.

It is a widely held opinion that professional and personal success is directly related with emotional intelligence, that is, the level of development of the type of skills that are related with managing emotions and feelings.

Accordingly, success in a recruitment process requires a certain level of development of the skills required for handling emotions.

1.5.1. Dressing for the occasion.

One of the things that must be remembered for giving a good impression is how you dress. The guideline is to dress discreetly and appropriately for the job you are applying for (neither too smart, nor too extreme, nor too fashionable nor too casual).

1.5.2. Non-verbal communication.

Non-verbal language also plays a very important role in managing the impression you want to make on the interviewer.

The aim is to convey (practicing beforehand, if necessary) an attitude of active listening, cordiality, confidence and frankness.

The first step is a firm handshake (not squeezing), looking at the other person in the eyes. Once seated, maintain a balanced posture, leaning slightly forward, without crossing your arms or legs, looking at the other person in the eyes, showing your hands and talking in a relaxed, friendly manner.

It is also important to smile to convey personal wellbeing and optimism.

1.5.3. Social norms.

All cultures have their own idea of what is appropriate behaviour in a particular context. In the case of a job interview, it is important to remember that it is an exchange between people who are not peers: the interviewer has a dominant position and, therefore, the interviewee is expected to adapt to the rules of conduct established by the interviewer.

Thus, it is the interviewer who sets the register of the interaction. For example, the interviewee is expected to use the same terms of address as the interviewer (formal or informal) and the same language. In a formal conversation, people taking part in an interaction feel more comfortable if they use the same language. If this is not possible, because the interviewee has insufficient knowledge of the language used by the interviewer, the interviewee should raise the possibility of using the language he/she is able to express himself/herself in best, while respecting (insofar as this is possible) the language used by the interviewer.

Another social norm that it is very important to remember is punctuality; the interviewee is expected to arrive not too much before nor after the time set for the interview. To make sure, the candidate should arrive before the stipulated time (to avoid any delays caused by unexpected events) but wait until a few minutes before the appointment before reporting for the interview.

After a few questions to clear up any aspects related with the CV, the interviewer usually asks questions aimed at finding out how much trouble the interviewee has taken to learn about the company (why are you interested in this job, why do you want to work in this organisation, what added value can you contribute to the organisation, etc.).

It is also usual to ask questions related with one’s self-awareness (what job has made you feel most realised as a professional, what has been the biggest mistake you have made, what are your main virtues, what are your main weaknesses, etc.).

In a job interview, what causes most uneasiness is having to answer questions targeting one’s shortcomings or mistakes. The best way to deal with them is to give a positive explanation or one which plays down the shortcoming. Insofar as this is possible, you must avoid blaming mistakes and shortcomings on external factors. Here are some examples:

Although it is illegal, often personal questions are asked. You must be ready for this and design answers that do not endanger the atmosphere of cordiality and cooperation that has been created during the interview.

Some of the more frequent personal questions are about marital status, whether or not you have children, availability, your partner, religion and political preferences, among others.

One option is to stress professionalism, regardless of the personal aspects, without going so far as to disregard the interviewer’s concern.