How can you use candidate research to prepare for unexpected interview responses?

I personally feel it's okay to go off “script”. A conversational interview is always a better way to really get to know a candidate. And that's the real point of an interview after all. Interviewers should feel okay going off-script”. They can drill down on the candidate's stories. Getting to really know the job seeker. Letting the interview flow at a comfortable pace. It is about building rapport, branding your company, and finding the right person after all. Make it enjoyable for you and the candidate.

Research on the candidate's background (online presence, past roles, and experience) can help navigate interview answers. Checking their references and recommendations also plays a major role.

You're almost always going to get unexpected responses in interviews. You're dealing with people! You have to be willing to go off script, and not just follow a rote set of questions. You may have prepared a set of questions, but mentally prepare yourself to ask follow up questions, based on the responses the candidate might make. Making sure you've carefully reviewed the candidate resume, LinkedIn profile, and any other supporting documents will help. You also should really know the job description for which you are hiring, and the important skills and attributes you care about.

Candidate research is invaluable for anticipating unexpected interview responses. By studying candidates' backgrounds, work history, and online presence, you gain insights into their experiences and viewpoints. Understanding their skills, achievements, and challenges enables you to formulate relevant questions, assess cultural fit, and predict potential responses. This preparation helps you steer the conversation effectively, adapt to surprises, and evaluate candidates more comprehensively, ensuring a thorough and insightful interview process.

In my experience, understanding your candidate's background is like having a roadmap in an unfamiliar city. It guides you through the conversation, helping you ask more personalized and engaging questions. Remember, every candidate is a unique story waiting to be heard. By researching their past achievements and interests, you're not just preparing for an interview; you're preparing to meet a person with a distinct narrative. This approach not only prevents generic conversations but also signals to the candidate that they are valued as an individual, fostering a deeper connection.

When asking questions, advice listening is needed to what the candidate is saying rather than listening for the answers you may want to hear. Probing deeper will reveal so much more and gives the opportunity to the candidate to qualify their answers. Follow on questions create a conversational interview which allows the candidate to relax a little. Plus it also reveals more of their personality, passions and interests.

Anticipating responses isn’t just about being prepared; it’s about respecting the interview as a two-way street. When you think ahead about how a candidate might respond, you're showing that you value their input as much as your own questions. This preparation also allows you to maintain the flow of the interview, making it a dynamic conversation rather than a rigid Q&A session. It’s like chess – foreseeing your candidate’s moves helps you to lead the game strategically, ensuring a meaningful and insightful exchange.

Always ask open questions and even better STAR questions, to get very specific answers. That way, we won't expect unexpected answers from the candidate. If necessary, ask "why" or "can you be more specific " or "can you share a time when you..." is a very powerful tool to get a precise answer

Anticipating possible responses is a key strategy in using candidate research to prepare for unexpected interview responses. By researching the company and the role, you can gain insights into the types of questions and scenarios that might come up. For example, if you're interviewing for a customer service role, you might anticipate questions about handling difficult customers and prepare anecdotes or strategies to demonstrate your skills in that area. By thinking ahead and considering various scenarios, you can better prepare yourself to respond confidently and effectively during the interview, even when faced with unexpected questions or situations.

- Many times candidates use 'We' instead of 'I' - using probing questions to understand the candidates contribution vis-a-vis the team's contributions can help unpack the role and seniority of the candidate. - Asking candidate's to use STAR technique to answer the questions ensures responses are not fabricated to a large extent. When in doubt, ask probing questions.

Having faced unexpected interview responses, I've learned the importance of digging deeper. - Start by making sure candidates know about your company. If their answers show a lack of company knowledge, it's a sign to check their preparation and interest. - Look out for red flags like inconsistent or evasive answers—early detection can prevent future issues. - Craft behavioural questions to understand how they tackle challenges, giving you valuable insights into their problem-solving and collaboration skills. These tactics go beyond the basics, creating a more effective interview process.

If the recruiter is using a structured interview approach, they should prep the CV, questions and expected answers 5 min before the start of the interview. If the candidate replies with an unexpected answer, I think it's important to show our flexibility to understand their reasoning and accept their "out of the box" answer.

I always encourage candidates to ask difficult questions of the opportunity arises. This shows how a company reacts to the unexpected. Be prepared to understand what questions maybe asked as often they will come from the viewpoint of the candidates interests.

If you spend any length of time interviewing candidates, "unexpected responses" are to be expected. The big question to ponder following the response is, "WHY was that an unexpected response?" Some things to consider are: 1. Did we miss something on the resume? 2. Does something on the resume contradict? 3. Did we fail to "do our homework?" 4. Is the candidate a true fit for the company culture? Additional questions may need to be asked to clarify their response. Keep in mind that an interview goes both ways. The candidate is also checking to see if your company is a fit as well. A few of the "unexpected responses" I received were intended in humor, and the individual was interested to know if humor was well received.

An interview should be a conversation, not an interrogation. The objective is to understand the candidate - their experiences, skills, and fit for the organization while also letting them know the company and the role. When an interviewer adopts an attitude of curiosity, it becomes less about judging or assessing and more about understanding and discovery. Techniques like asking open-ended questions, active listening, and allowing pauses can yield unexpected insights. Demonstrating enthusiasm makes the interaction enjoyable and leads to better hiring choices as it allows for a deeper understanding of the candidate, which can help you determine if they're truly a good fit for the role and the organization.

No matter what response a candidate offers, if your overriding attitude throughout the interview is curiosity, you can't go wrong. Your follow up questions won't feel judgmental. Your approach will be perceived as enthusiastic. You'll also help put the candidate at ease so there's less chance of them getting anxious and offering an unclear follow up response. The best interviews are like conversations. Just like in "real life," the unexpected turn can lead to more interesting story pathways and better informed decisions for both sides of the table. Use the unexpected as a way to create a more relaxed atmosphere - like two people talking about something you're both interested in. That's exactly what an interview is.

I think this is a stupid question…(sorry AI). As an interviewer, we should prepare for the interview, but unexpected answers is the whole point! We want each candidate to provide their unique story, and it’s our job to listen , probe, and challenge. Then we determine if that person matches our assigned competency, the needs of the job, and culture of the company. I get the point of the article, but if we are only looking for expected answers, we aren’t listening to the candidate, and could potentially miss an amazing match.

Create a question bank from all of the interviews conducted by the organization and break it down by department. Make this available to all hiring managers and continue to add new questions with each new process. Also, include a question bank derived from questions candidates have asked with appropriate responses. Include this in interview training and crowdsource with staff by asking them what they would've wanted to know in the interview process that was not discussed. You can also create a short script where you pitch the organization to candidates at the end of each interview. This pitch should include all of the reasons someone would want to work there and should be guided by the questions candidates have asked in the past.

Analyze your past experiences, achievements, and challenges to extract relevant examples that showcase your skills. Practice these examples concisely and adapt them to different questions. This way, you'll be better equipped to handle unexpected inquiries during the interview.