This chapter's Interview Simulator has given you the closest experience to a real-life interview that I can create in a book.

We have worked through how the job skills required ultimately connect to the interview questions and the scoring.

We have examined examples of questions and answers, including follow up questions and answers, with a variety of score judgments.

Good interviewing is about being a good judge. It is also true that good managing is about good judgment. I know you appreciate how important this first managerial task is because you have read this book and made it to here!

You may have felt some pressure in the simulation from having to observe and think simultaneously. A real interview is demanding for the interviewer. Your preparation, practice, and simulator experience will increase your ability markedly.

You should now feel you have a lot of experience in the key elements of interviewing.

When you are looking to hire, HR will do much of the preparatory work, as we covered in Chapter 1, Before the Interview – Preparing and Practicing. HR or you may decide who to invite for an interview based on their applications. You will have their applications prior to the interview and you should familiarize yourself with them. This will lead you to focus your questions on relevant issues and is part of normal interview preparation.

You should be careful not to prejudge a candidate as first impressions, even those gained through a document, can be misleading and difficult to change.

We have one last point to cover in the next chapter. Interviewers may form different opinions of candidates. There is a process of adjudication and joint decision making that comes after the interview to ensure that you select the best candidate.

We will work through the decision making process next.