In a small company, an interview often means a pleasant chat with the owner. The candidate who is easy to talk to gets the job, and three months later it turns out that the work they were hired for is the part they do least well. A short, repeatable structure does not make hiring cold. It makes sure you hear the same things from everyone and that the decision does not depend on who happened to be in a good mood.
This article is a routine you can run with two people and one page of paper. For the advert that brings the candidates in, see writing a job ad for a small company. For what happens after the offer is accepted, see the first week of a new employee.
Step 1: Write down what the person must achieve
Before you meet anyone, write three sentences: what this person should have achieved after three months, which two or three skills that depends on, and what would be a reason to say no. If you cannot write them, you are not ready to interview; you would only be judging likeability.
Use these sentences as your criteria. Everything else you notice, such as a firm handshake or a polished CV, is secondary.
Step 2: Choose two interviewers and split the roles
Two people are enough. One leads the conversation and asks the questions. The other takes notes and watches the time. Both score alone afterwards. If the owner is one of the two, ask the second person to speak first when you compare scores, so the owner's opinion does not set the tone.
Keep the interview to 45 minutes. Longer meetings tire everyone and rarely add information.
Step 3: Ask the same five questions
Use the same five questions for every candidate, in the same order. Adapt them to your role; this set works for many office and service jobs:
- Recent work. "Tell me about a piece of work from the last year that you are proud of. What was your part in it?"
- A problem. "Describe a time when something went wrong. What did you do first, and what would you do differently?"
- The core skill. One practical question about the main skill from Step 1, for example "How would you handle three customer requests that arrive on the same morning?"
- Working with others. "How do you like to receive feedback, and how do you give it when you disagree?"
- Their questions. "What would you like to know about us, the role or the first three months?"
Follow up with "What exactly did you do?" and "What happened next?" when an answer stays general. Do not ask about age, family plans, health, religion or other personal matters; the rules on fair recruitment are set out in the guidance for employers, listed in the sources below.
For a practical role, a short task of 20 to 30 minutes, such as writing a reply to a difficult email or sorting a small spreadsheet, often tells you more than another question. Tell candidates in advance and keep it paid or short enough to be reasonable.
Step 4: Score on one page
Make a table with the five questions and the criteria from Step 1. Score each answer from 1 to 4:
| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | No relevant example or a clear concern |
| 2 | General answer, little detail |
| 3 | Specific example with a clear personal role |
| 4 | Specific example, good reasoning and learning from it |
Write the score and one line of evidence, such as "gave an example of fixing a late delivery; named the steps". Fill it in straight after the interview, alone, before you speak to your colleague. Then compare. A large gap between two scores is worth a conversation; it usually means one of you heard something the other missed.
Step 5: Decide within a week
Tell every candidate at the end of the interview when you will answer, and keep to it. A week is realistic for a small company. Good candidates usually have other offers, and silence reads as a lack of interest.
At the decision meeting, add up the scores, look at the evidence lines and ask one question: "Would this person achieve the three-month goal from Step 1?" If two candidates are close, a second short conversation or reference calls can settle it. Write down the decision and the main reason in two lines. If you reject someone, send a short, polite message promptly; candidates remember it.
Before an offer, check that the person has the right to work in your country and keep only the candidate data you need. Delete the notes of unsuccessful candidates after the period you have told them about.
Where AI tools fit in
An assistant can help you prepare: turn your three sentences from Step 1 into a draft list of questions, suggest follow-up questions or tidy your notes into the scorecard. It should not decide who gets the job, and you should not paste CVs or personal details into a tool that you have not checked for data protection. Read every suggestion before you use it.
What to do this month
- Write the three sentences from Step 1 for the role you will hire next.
- Pick your five questions and print one scorecard.
- Agree who leads, who takes notes and the date by which you will answer.
- After the hire, look at the scorecard again at three months. Did the scores predict how the person is doing? Adjust the questions.
This is general guidance for small businesses, not legal advice.
Sources
- Acas, Recruitment: guidance for employers on advertising, interviewing and selecting fairly.
- GOV.UK, Check if someone can work in the UK: employer checks on job applicants before they start.