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June 17, 2024
Interviews can be daunting processes for many candidates. One interview trend that aims to put candidates at ease and allow them to put their best foot forward is the practice of letting candidates know what you will be asking in advance of your meeting.
John Lewis and Waitrose recently made headlines by revealing that they will be sharing the interview questions candidates can expect to hear on their website. Their reasoning is that knowing the interview questions in advance will help candidates to relax, and therefore improve their performance. Another reason is that this is thought to be more inclusive for neurodivergent applicants.
There are a few reasons you might consider revealing your interview questions before the interview. Firms that share this practice believe that it improves performance in an interview setting by making it less nerve-wracking for the candidate.
A huge source of nerves for many candidates is simply the unknown. When you don’t know what questions will be asked, it can make the process of preparing for the interview more daunting.
In reality, the interview should be a time for the candidate to share why they are a good fit for the job. Instead, it can become a test of how well candidates are able to memorise and recall information. Unless this is a key part of the role, it makes little sense to test this in an interview setting and the expense of learning about the candidate.
If you’re not yet convinced that sharing the interview questions ahead of time, here are some common reasons you might consider it.
A relaxed candidate will be much more honest and candid about their experience and skills. If the candidate is excessively nervous in an interview setting but generally quite confident in the workplace, they might get passed over for roles they are more than qualified for.
An interview will still be high stakes – even if the candidate knows what questions to expect – so you don’t need to worry about not getting a feel for how candidates perform under pressure.
By letting them know the interview questions ahead of time, the candidate will be able to prepare their answers. This will result in more coherent answers that are based on the very best of their experience and abilities. If the candidate has to think of an answer on the spot, they might not share the best example, but will instead reach for the example available to them in the moment.
Many candidates leave an interview wishing they had shared specific information that might have helped them to secure the role. And interviewers might have some regrets that they weren’t able to coax the best answers out of candidates. If you want your candidates to share all relevant information, this is one way to achieve this.
There has been a lot more attention on the prevalence of neurodivergence in the general population and how this might impact individuals in an interview setting. Attracting a diverse workforce is something that all companies can benefit from, so this is one way to ensure that you aren’t ruling out neurodivergent candidates from the interview process.
An interview should be a conversation between two people. When the interview panel knows the interview questions and the candidate doesn’t, the power dynamic is skewed, and it places the candidate in a position of feeling like they are being interrogated.
When the candidate is properly able to prepare their answers and they know what to expect, they will relax into a conversation with the interview panel. This can result in more candid answers that reveal more about the candidate’s ability. It will also help the candidate to understand the role and requirements in more depth.
If you’re looking to improve transparency in the interview process, this approach can help. Candidates can already share interview questions they have faced on sites like GlassDoor. By making the interview questions public, you’re also demonstrating that all candidates will face the same questions, so you can avoid any risk of accusations related to discrimination.
If a key part of the role involves thinking on your feet, then it doesn’t make sense to provide the interview questions ahead of time. If the role requires a confident demeanour, then you might not want to attract candidates that will struggle in an interview setting.
There are still instances where it’s helpful to surprise the candidates with questions to see how they react. This could include high-pressured sales roles and top level C-suite executive roles.
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