Building the Perfect Interview Script to Hire the Right Candidates!

10/25/2023

Table Of Contents

How can you recruit high-quality talent? The answer is to prepare a perfect interview script to "sift through the sand to find the gold" in this competitive talent market.

1. What is an Interview Script?

An interview script is a document or set of questions prepared in advance for the candidate recruitment interview process. The interview script will define the questions, topics, and logically arrange the detailed stages of the interview.

2. Some Principles to Follow When Developing an Interview Script

To create an effective candidate recruitment interview script, employers need to consider the following:

You should:

Create a comfortable atmosphere for candidates by sharing with them the questions that will be asked in advance.
Ask situational and problem-solving questions.
Persuade potential candidates to join the company.

You should not:

Create a hasty interview process.
Fail to understand the candidate's specific characteristics to ask relevant questions.
Arrange too many interviewers for the candidate.
Focus solely on the company's cultural fit while overlooking the candidate's adaptability.

Explore the concept of interview transcript

3. How to Build a Successful High-Potential Candidate Interview Script

To develop an appropriate interview script, you can follow the steps below:

Research the Position and Job Requirements

This step helps the recruiter understand the job's responsibilities, required qualifications, and the essential elements needed for the position being recruited. Through this, you can also create relevant interview questions to evaluate the candidate's suitability for the job.

As the recruiter, start by listing the requirements for the job, including qualifications, experience, skills, qualities, etc. Also, outline the main tasks and responsibilities of the position to understand what the job will demand from the candidates.

Next, research the work environment and related industries by reading information, understanding the culture, values, and development goals of the company. Study the trends and changes in that industry for a comprehensive overview of the recruitment position.

To gather this information, you can explore the company's website, research documents, and engage in discussions with industry experts to compile reliable information.

Group Interview Questions

Grouping interview questions in the interview script is essential to ensure all important aspects of the recruitment position are addressed and comprehensively evaluated. By grouping questions, you can also create main topic groups that correspond to the aspects of the recruitment position.

Some common groups of interview questions that you can use to build the perfect interview script are:

Questions about training and work experience.
Questions about professional skills.
Questions about communication skills and teamwork.
Questions about time management and task prioritization.
Questions about personal goals and career orientation.
Questions about adaptability and a learning mindset.

Building an interview script

When constructing an interview script, there are several factors to consider:

Determine the interview stages and order

This involves defining the necessary stages and the order in which they will appear during the interview. These stages can include:

Employer introduction: Introducing yourself, the company, and the working environment.
Experience and education assessment: Asking questions related to the candidate's work experience and educational background.
Professional skills assessment: Posing interview questions about the candidate's professional knowledge and skills.
Communication and teamwork skills assessment: Asking questions related to communication skills, teamwork, and problem-solving.
Adaptability and learning mindset assessment: Questions that evaluate the candidate's ability to adapt to a new environment and their learning abilities.
Contributions and personal goals: Questions about the candidate's career goals and aspirations.

Arrange questions logically and cover all aspects

Determining a logical order for the questions within each stage helps the recruiter gather comprehensive information about the candidate and better understand their responses. The interview script must ensure that all important aspects of the job requirements and qualifications are explored thoroughly and specifically.

Design open-ended and specialized questions

Designing questions appropriate for the interview script is a crucial aspect of collecting detailed information and assessing the candidate's skills, experience, and opinions. Consider using the following types of questions:

Open-ended questions: These require candidates to provide detailed responses and explore their experiences, thoughts, and opinions in depth. Open-ended questions often yield specific information that allows candidates to demonstrate their abilities effectively.
Closed-ended questions: These have concise, simple answers, such as "yes" or "no," or involve choosing from predefined options. Closed-ended questions are typically used to gather basic information or confirm specific details.
Creative questions: These encourage candidates to think creatively and offer new ideas, evaluating their problem-solving skills, flexibility, and ability to think outside the box.

The steps to make interview script effectively

4. Interview script templates for each stage.

Here are 2 common interview script templates for each stage:

Phone Interview Script Template:

Introduction: Introduce yourself and state the purpose of the call. "Hello, I am [Your Name] from [Company Name]. We have received your resume for the [Job Position] and are interested in your qualifications. Can I talk to you for a moment to gather more information?"

Confirm personal information:

Full name: “Could you please tell me your full name?”
Address: “Where do you live?”

Confirm work experience information

Current company and job position: "Which company are you currently working for, and what is your role there?"
Relevant work experience: "Have you had any prior experience in this role?"

Confirm educational background: University and major: "Which university did you graduate from, and what was your major?"

Confirm skills information:

Key skills: "Please tell me about the key skills you possess."
Languages and technologies: "Are you proficient in any specific languages or technologies related to this position?"

Confirm availability for work hours and location:

Work hours: "Are you available for full-time (Specify the specific hours) work?"
Work location: "Can you work at our company's office directly?"

End the call: "Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. We will review your resume and get back to you as soon as possible. Have a great day!"

In-Person Interview Script Template:

Introduction and Icebreaker: "Hello, I am [Your Name], representing [Company Name]. It's a pleasure to meet and talk with you. As previously mentioned, today's interview is for the [Job Position] you are applying for. The interview is expected to last 30 - 45 minutes. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask now. First, please introduce yourself and let me know why you're interested in this position."

Explore Work Experience and Achievements: “Tell me about your work history and experience relevant to the role you're applying for. Have you had any notable achievements in your past roles?"

Assess Professional Competencies and Skills: “I'd like to learn about your professional competencies and skills. Provide examples of how you've applied these skills in your work."

Evaluate Alignment with Company Culture: "Our company has unique core values and culture. How do you think you would fit into our company's culture? Share your experiences working in a similar environment."

Identify Fit and Future Commitment: "Why do you want to work at our company and in this role? Do you have any long-term plans or commitments with our company?"

Candidate's Questions: "Do you have any questions or concerns for us?"

Conclude the Interview: "Thank you for your time and for sharing your information. We'll carefully review your application and get back to you with the next steps in the hiring process as soon as possible. Have a great day!"

Common Interview Script Template

Recruitment services at Navigos Search - Vietnam's Leading Headhunting Brand

At Navigos Search, the top provider of mid-to-senior level human resource recruitment services in Vietnam, we currently have over 375,000+ high-caliber candidates and 85,000+ senior management candidates. This enables us to quickly recruit high-quality candidates.

Our consulting team consists of recruitment experts with a profound understanding of human resource value, a deep knowledge of each industry, and professional recruitment interview skills that accurately capture your company's recruitment needs. All our recruitment experts here are well-trained and have experience in the field of human resource recruitment.

Based on a strict recruitment process, candidate competencies, experience, and the labor market situation, Navigos Search will conduct the search for the most suitable candidates and commit to a very high job vacancy fulfillment rate within your company.

Our recruitment process is as follows:

Step 1 → Candidate Search and Screening: Navigos Search identifies and screens candidates with the competencies that match your company's recruitment requirements.
Step 2 → Face-to-Face Interview: Navigos Search conducts interviews to assess competencies and to listen to candidates' needs and expectations.
Step 3 → Interview Support for Companies: Navigos Search provides a list of potential candidates to your company after thorough evaluation. We will accompany your company and candidates to provide additional support throughout the interview process.
Step 4 → Reference Checks: Formal and informal reference checks will be conducted.
Step 5 → Negotiation Support and Job Offer: Navigos Search acts as an intermediary to negotiate and advise on salary and benefits. Once candidates receive an invitation and confirm their participation, the recruitment position is closed.
Step 6 → Recruitment Follow-up: Monitoring candidates towards post-employment success.

Navigos Search - Vietnam's Top Mid and Senior-Level Talent Acquisition Company

With over 20 years of experience in mid-to-senior level human resource recruitment, Navigos Search takes great pride in having provided successful recruitment solutions to numerous businesses and multinational corporations throughout Vietnam, enabling them to acquire the highest-quality human resources.

Every month, we receive a large number of potential CVs. Therefore, if your company has any requirements for recruiting mid or senior-level personnel, please contact Navigos Search to receive top-quality services!

Navigos Search - Vietnam's Mid and high-Level Talent Acquisition Company