Conducting a post interview evaluation using 3 simple steps

Many jobseekers undertake rigorous due diligence ahead of an interview. They research the role, company, culture and interviewing panel. However, only a small percentage take time to reflect on their interview and evaluate their performance.

Conducting a self-evaluation will not only improve your interview performance moving forward, but can help you to prepare for the next stages of the interview process.

This article will provide you with some simple tips to effectively conduct a post interview evaluation using 3 simple steps.

1. Schedule in a post interview evaluation

Firstly, it is essential to schedule in time to conduct a post interview and self-reflect. Add the time into your diary as soon as the interview is scheduled.  The ideal time is after the interview while your thoughts are fresh. Grab a drink, a note pad and find somewhere quiet to take the time to evaluate your interview performance. If you get caught up with other tasks you may forget certain aspects of the interview, including the questions you were asked and the responses you gave.

2. Make a list

Start off by listing questions you were asked and summarise the responses you gave. You may want to consider:

• What were your strongest answers?
• What responses would you have improved?
• What could have improved your performance?
• What questions didn’t they ask that you had prepared for?
• What questions did you ask?

Also consider other conversations that took place. Small talk or key facts about the organisation and their aims. If you are shortlisted for the second stage interview, you can quickly identify any areas aspects that weren’t covered and even pre-empt questions they may want to ask.

3. Use a scoring scale

The simplest way to evaluate your overall interview performance is to use a scoring scale to quickly pinpoint any areas requiring improvement. 1 is a low rating with 10 being the highest. For example, if you score yourself a 6, what would you do differently to make that score a 7 or 8.

You can score yourself on any aspects of the interview from how you prepared to your performance on the day.  For example:

On a scale of 1-10?

• How prepared were you for the interview?

To increase that number, what additional preparation would you have done?

• How confident did you feel before the interview?

If you scored low, what would make that number higher next time?

• How well did you perform during your interview?

What would make that number closer to a 10?

If you scored yourself a low number, take the time to understand what you can learn from the experience to make that number higher next time. Conducting a post interview evaluation not only will improve interview performance but can also help you to determine how this opportunity matches your career goals and priorities.

Renovo is the UK’s leading outplacement and career transition specialist. We work with both organisations and individuals to support all their career transition requirements. If you would like to understand how Renovo can help you please call 0800 612 2011 or email info@renovo.co.uk