If you are looking to hire people to work for your company then you may well have to conduct interviews. Usually the process for acquiring new staff follows a general pattern. The initial stage is to advertise the job, this may be done through an agency, on a jobs board, in local papers or on your own website or a combination of all of them.

In the job advertisement you will need to let people know how to apply. This may be by calling to request an application form or by asking candidates to send you a copy of their CV and covering letter.

Once the closing date for applications has passed, this is usually the time the initial interviews are conducted. Carrying out an interview can be as nervous as attending one, but planning is key. Make sure you have a set of generic questions you will ask all candidates and then highlight parts of their application or CV that you want to discuss in more detail. This will give you a good structure to follow with all applicants and make it easier to compare at the end.