Preparing for the interview

The more preparation you do for the interview, the easier it will be for both you and the candidate.Plan the questions Use information from the candidate's application form or CV to prepare a set of questions. Look for any gaps in education or employment, or things that don't seem to add up. Beware of possible discrimination in the questions you ask, which could mean you miss the best candidate and may be unlawful. See our guide on how to prevent discrimination and value diversity.

Know the job description and person specification really well so that your questions help you compare candidates. If two or more people are interviewing, decide who will deal with what topics. Think about what information candidates may want about the job and your organisation.

Prepare some open-ended questions - ones which need more than a "yes" or "no" to answer - to ask all candidates, for example:What were/are your main responsibilities in your previous/current job? Why did/do you want to leave your previous/current job? Where do you see yourself in five years' time? Looking back at your career, what would you have done differently

Making arrangements for the interview:Make sure that the interview room is properly prepared, with drinks and stationery available. It's best not to hold the interview sitting behind a desk, or use a higher chair than the person being interviewed - sit at a round table if possible. Find out if a candidate has any special needs before they arrive. Make sure there will be no interruptions, for example, switch off mobile phones