Importance of Personal Interview for Employers

1. Information about job-seeking candidate: In an interview, the employer can collect complete information about the job-seeking candidate. Interview collects information about the candidate’s cultural and educational background, work experience, intelligence quotient, communication skills, personality type, interests, social behaviour, etc.
2. Supplements the application blank: Due to some limitations, the job-seeking candidate cannot give his full information or details in the Application Blank for employment. However, an interviewer can collect additional relevant information of the candidate by scheduling a personal meeting with him. During meeting, interview process helps an interviewer to collect that information which is currently not available in the Application Blank. Thus, an interview supplements the Application Blank by collecting and verifying some missing information of the candidate.
3. Interview helps to select a right person: In an interview, the interviewer can see and talk to the candidates. So he can make a correct decision, whether to select or reject the candidate. Personal interview is the best method of selecting the right person for the right post.
4. Interview collects useful information: In an interview, the candidates discuss about their past work experiences, achievements, research works, etc. Interview helps an employer to collect a lot of useful information from different candidates. The employer can use this collected information to solve problems of his firm and improve efficiency.
5. Good interview increases goodwill: An interview is a public-relation tool. So, it should be conducted properly in a friendly and fearless environment. The candidates being interviewed should be treated with dignity and respect. Whether the candidate is selected or rejected, he / she should feel happy about the employer. This will boost the image of the employer. So, a good interview session always increases the goodwill of the employer.
6. Helps in promotions and transfers: A personal interview also helps an employer to evaluate his staff for promotions, transfers, etc.

Importance of Personal Interview for Job Seekers

1. Provides employment opportunity: An interview provides an employment opportunity to the job-seeking candidate. It helps an applicant to present and communicate his views, opinions and ideas to the employer. If a candidate performs well at the interview and meets employer’s expectations, then he has a good chance of getting selected for a desired post.
2. Develop confidence in candidates: Fresh job-seeking candidates (young college graduates), generally get nervous during their first few job interviews. However, after attending (facing) multiple interviews, they automatically develop a confidence in themselves. As experience builds up, they subconsciously develop skills to tackle a variety of interviews. Thus, routine interviews develop a confidence in the job-seeking candidates and boost their morale.
3. Helps candidates to accept or reject the job: The job-seeking candidate is provided with information about the job and employer. He is well-informed about the compensation (salary), perks and allowances, working condition, job security, chances of promotions and transfers, other employment benefits, if any, etc. All the doubts of the candidate are cleared by the interviewer. This helps the candidate to make a wiser career decision, whether to accept or reject the job, if offered.
4. Helps job seekers to increase contacts: When a job-seeking candidate attends an interview, he develops contacts with the interviewer and the other candidates. So, if a candidate is not selected at first job searching attempt, then these contacts sometimes help him to succeed at next job hunting attempts.

The primary purpose of an interview is to transfer information from interviewee to interviewer. Interviews can be formal or informal, structured or unstructured. Interviews can be carried out one-to-one or in groups; they can be conducted over telephone or via video conferencing.