How to conduct a final interview?

A fruitful recruitment decision includes a few stages: resume screening, three or more interview rounds and in some cases, skills-based assessments. Call shortlisted candidates for a final interview to find an ideal candidate for your organization before you make a job offer.

For the final interview round, shortlisted two or three candidates will generally meet with the CEO. To take an unprejudiced decision, consider having a group of interviewers, including the Team Leader, Hiring Manager, and the CEO. When you are scheduling the final round, tell the candidates that this is the final round and give a brief of what to expect during the interview.

Final interviews help in identifying long-term partners: People who share and understand your company values. In the final round, look for candidates who will be great team players, won’t only “get the work done”, but will bring new ideas to the table and ultimately contribute to your company’s success.

Final interview questions to ask candidates

• When can you join our team?
• Why would you leave a company?
• Share your candidate experience so far. Would you apply for the job role again? Why or why not?
• What do you like to do in your free time?
• What are your expectations from the company and how do you plan to grow in the company?
• Now that you know about your future work responsibilities, what are your salary expectations?
• Do you have any questions?

How to assess candidates’ answers in the final round interview?

• During the final interview ask questions like salary expectations, notice period etc.
• Look for candidates whose long-term career objectives match your company’s goals?
• When having a tough time choosing between two or three qualified candidates, try to visualize each candidate working for you. Who would be able to adjust to your work environment? Who would be a great team player?
• Learn if candidates know your company’s objectives and needs. Such people are more likely to adapt easily and perform better in their own roles.
• Combine all the information to reach a hiring decision. For example, if you hiring for a senior-role, you might want to choose a candidate who gave perfect answers but has slightly higher salary expectations.

Red Flags

• They lack interest: Candidates coming for the final round know that they are almost hired. A lack of energy and passive attitude about the job is a red flag. Try to check how enthusiastic they are.
• They share requests/limitations last-minute: If candidates choose their final interview to share some limitations they never mentioned before or change their salary expectations, these are red flags and show how irresponsible the candidate is.
• They show fickle behavior: If you notice tremendous differences in a candidate’s behavior from their first to their final round of interview that is a red flag that they might be hiding their actual personality.
• They are unprofessional: A candidate who looks too arrogant or casual in the final interview round might not be a great fit for your company.
• They don’t have any questions: No matter how clearly a candidate knows the position only when they ask additional questions about the company, team and the next steps of the process, they are keen to join your company and want to know as many details as possible.