The Interviewers Playbook

Master the art of professional interviewing - from preparation and questioning to fair evaluation and confident hiring.

What you'll learn
- Design and conduct interviews that are well-prepared, consistent, and aligned with organisational goals.
- Understand how to craft behavioural, situational, and technical questions that reveal a candidate’s skills, experience, and cultural fit.
- Learn to assess candidate responses, use scoring systems, and compare applicants systematically while minimising unconscious bias.
- Manage the full interview process professionally, from preparation and conducting interviews to post-interview evaluation, feedback, and final decision-making.

Requirements
- No formal qualifications required: This course is suitable for anyone involved in recruitment or interviewing, regardless of experience level. No prior HR or management training is necessary.
- Basic understanding of workplace roles: Learners should have a general awareness of organisational structures and job functions to better relate interview techniques to real-world hiring scenarios.
- Access to a professional or learning environment: To apply the concepts effectively, learners should have access to — or an interest in — participating in hiring or performance evaluation processes within a business or team context.
- Interest in people and communication: A willingness to engage with others, develop interpersonal skills, and improve professional communication will enhance the learning experience.

Description
The Interviewer’s Playbookby Hains Academy is a comprehensive guide to mastering the art of effective interviewing. Designed for anyone involved in recruitment, this course equips you with the structure, skills, and confidence needed to make fair, objective, and informed hiring decisions.

You’ll learn how to plan and conduct interviews that go beyond surface-level conversations - uncovering genuine insight into each candidate’s abilities, mindset, and cultural fit. From preparation to post-interview evaluation, this course provides a complete framework for success.

Here’s what you’ll explore throughout the course:

Section 1: Understanding the Interview Process– Discover the purpose, types, and legal foundations of interviews to ensure every conversation is compliant and fair.

Section 2: Preparing for the Interview– Learn how to define job requirements, craft clear job descriptions, and develop targeted interview questions.

Section 3: Conducting the Interview– Build rapport, ask the right questions, and apply active listening techniques to gather meaningful insights.

Section 4: Evaluating Candidates– Use scoring systems, reduce bias, and compare candidates objectively to make confident hiring decisions.

Section 5: The Post-Interview Process– Master the final steps: providing feedback, conducting reference checks, and making the offer professionally.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to conduct interviews that are structured, fair, and impactful - helping you identify top talent and strengthen your organisation with every hire.

Who this course is for:
- Hiring managers and team leaders: Those responsible for interviewing and selecting candidates who want to refine their technique and ensure fair, consistent, and effective hiring decisions.
- HR professionals and recruiters: Individuals seeking to strengthen their interview design, questioning, and evaluation skills to enhance the overall recruitment process.
- New or aspiring managers: Professionals stepping into leadership roles who will soon participate in hiring decisions and need the confidence and structure to conduct successful interviews.
- Anyone involved in talent selection: Anyone who contributes to the hiring process and wants to learn how to conduct interviews that are objective, professional, and aligned with best practice.
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