Office Managers have to develop a wide range of skills in order to progress to the next level of their careers. There are so many things to get used to when you move into an Office Manager role. You are responsible for so much and for managing other people. Office Managers managerial responsibilities mean that you will have to look after and coach your staff.
This means that you will have to hold job interviews when you have to get new administration employees to work for you. Job interviews are nerve-racking for both the interviewer and interviewee, especially if it is the first time you have ever interviewed.
What is difficult about it?
This is because you don’t really learn how to interview people in a course or at University and many new managers can feel overwhelmed by the task. It is also highly pressured as you will be judged on the quality of the staff you hire, so you need to make some good judgements. There are also guidelines that must be followed to ensure that you give each candidate a chance to answer the questions they have correctly and can have a chance to shine.
Here are some pointers:
- Greet the person warmly and try to relax them, ensure that you have offered them water. It is essential to relax people so that you can see the real person and give them a chance to show their good points.
- Ensure that you plan and prepare for the interview. It is unprofessional to not study the CV and other details fully. It will be rude if the person suspects you haven’t read their CV. It will also enable you to prepare effective questions that will ensure that you get more out of the person.
- Brief yourself with legislation and Human Resources if necessary. You need to ensure that you never break the law in an interview.
- Do not speak too much, but make sure you speak enough to guide the interview.
Find out more about Interviewing candidates on Office Manager Courses