How to Conduct a Successful and Effective Casual Job Interview

Hired someone only to realise later that they’re not the right fit? Learning how to conduct a casual interview can save you from wasting time with a mundane interview

Interviews can be just as hard for the hirer as they can be for the candidate. Along with the pressure of finding the right person to fill your job vacancy, it can be stressful trying to learn as much as you can about a potential employee in a short period of time. Conducting a causal interview instead of a traditional, more formal interview is an effective way to minimise the stress involved for both parties.

Casual interviews are becoming increasingly popular in a market where candidate experience is the top priority. It’s no wonder more people are asking us how to conduct a casual interview.

Most interviewees feel more comfortable during an informal discussion, and as a result, they are able to present themselves to their best ability and offer you more valuable information about themselves. Furthermore, getting to know the candidate in a casual interview setting allows the interviewer to get a better understanding of their personality, which is critical when deciding whether they are the right cultural fit for your organisation or not.

Informal interviews also present an excellent opportunity to sell your business as a potential workplace to the candidate. You can introduce elements of your organisation’s culture to the candidate more naturally and showcase a more relaxed approach to work. They also allow you to spend more time discussing the benefits of the role. This is a significant advantage to have in a candidate short market!

Here’s how to conduct a casual interview:

Give the candidate what they need to prepare

Remind the candidate that although this is an informal interview, they will still need to prepare for it. This will ensure that they put their best foot forward, making it more likely that you will hire them in the end!

Help them to prepare by providing them with all the relevant information. Let them know who they will be meeting with, how they should dress and if they need to bring anything with them. It also helps to give a broad overview of topics you plan to discuss. This will help to reduce the candidate’s anxiety and set their expectations for the interview. Depending on where you are meeting, it may also be helpful to let them know where the closest train station or car parking is.

Choose a casual but fitting location

You might be wondering where to conduct an interview. Casual interviews can be held in a wide range of locations, but cafés, restaurants and informal meeting rooms in the office or workplace are all common examples. The location you decide should depend on your business. You may have a fun and vibrant office matching the interview’s casual feel that you’d like to exhibit.

Our head office is based in Melbourne, so we love our local coffee shop. When choosing where to conduct an interview the sky is the limit, but try to choose a location that suits your interview needs.

Try to avoid meeting in a location where you would typically hold more formal interviews and meetings, such as a board room, as this can take away from the casual feel of the interview. Most importantly, be sure to arrive on time! This probably sounds obvious, but you don’t want to give the candidate the wrong impression.

Prepare questions ahead of time

Whilst this is a casual interview, it is still important to prepare effectively to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Avoid using the standard interview questions we have all heard before, as these will make the interview feel more formal than it is.

If you need some help coming up with interesting and unique interview questions, have a look at our guide of interview questions to ask employees . Another option is to create questions that are tailored to the candidate. Use the information that you already know about them, such as what is included in their resume, to make these questions.

Start the interview with a friendly chat

Ease into the interview by asking them something conversational and non-interview related, such as how their weekend was. This will help the candidate settle in and relieve any nerves. It’s also a good idea to offer them a tea or coffee at the start to make them feel more comfortable and highlight that it is a casual interview.

Get to know the candidate’s personality

Don’t limit yourself to asking the candidate questions that relate to the role and their work experience; an informal interview is a perfect opportunity to gain insight into the candidate’s personality.

Ask them questions that allow them to talk about themself, and their answer will help you determine whether they will be a good culture fit for your company or not. For example, ask the candidate what their hobbies are, and use their answer to see if they have similar interests to their potential future colleagues.

Ensure that the interview feels like a conversation

Don’t just stick to a script of questions you’ve crafted for the interview; this will make it feel much more like a traditional, formal interview than a casual one. Instead, listen carefully to the candidate’s answers to your questions and bounce off these to create a more natural progression in the conversation.

For example, when a candidate explains a situation at work, you could ask them what they learned from this. It’s also a good idea to let the candidate know at the start of the interview that they can ask you questions throughout the discussion as they come up and that they don’t need to wait until the end, which will also feel more natural.

Save the tricky questions for the end

Despite being a casual interview, there will still be some tough questions you need to ask. It’s best to save these for the end when the candidate is most relaxed and will be more receptive to complex questions. They will also be more confident at this point and able to provide their best answer!

Inform the candidate of the next steps

Finish the interview by telling the candidate the next part of the process. Will there be another interview to follow if they are successful? Make sure that they are aware of this so that the candidate can reflect on this interview and consider what they would like to say next time.

If this is the final interview, give the interviewee a timeframe of when they can expect to hear from you. We are in a candidate short market, and your candidate is likely to be interviewing elsewhere. Not setting clear expectations could leave the candidate confused and they may accept another role in this time.

How to conduct a casual phone interview

Do you prefer to hold casual interviews over the phone? Candidates often feel less stressed when they are not required to be physically present, and they are an easy way to fit a quick interview into your busy work day!

Here’s some additional advice on how to conduct a phone interview, whilst keeping it casual and relaxed.

• Remember that you still need to prepare for the interview, even if it is just a quick phone discussion.
• Find a quiet place to talk, you want to make sure you can understand what the candidate is saying and that they can understand you!
• Don’t wait for the candidate to call, it is your responsibility to ring them!
• Leave a voicemail or text message if the interviewee does not answer.
• Don’t rush it – it can be tempting over the phone to quickly get to the point and have the candidate answer your questions. Remember to ask them other things as well to keep it informal and make them feel relaxed.
• You can even do a quick video call instead!

Ready to conduct a casual interview? Fill in the form on this page and a friendly Fuse consultant will be in contact to discuss your talent needs.