Set up the interview: one on one or panel

One-on-one interviews suit casual or entry-level roles and help create a relaxed setting to build rapport. Panel interviews are better for senior positions and support balanced decision-making. Keep notes and use a consistent, fair process for all applicants to meet equal employment obligations and identify the best candidate.

Goals of an interview

The purpose of the interview is to help both you and the candidate decide if the role is the right fit.

Key things to assess include:

• whether the candidate has the skills and knowledge to do the job
• how well they will fit with the farm’s culture and team
• their work ethic, attitude and management needs
• whether they are likely to add long-term value to the business

 

Preparing interview questions

Prepare interview questions in advance to help assess each candidate fairly and consistently. Questions should be directly linked to the role and designed to gather relevant information.

Effective interview questions are:

• clearly purposeful
• based on the position description and person specification
• clear and easy to understand
• asked consistently across all candidates
• logically ordered
• mostly open-ended
• focused on past job-related behaviour

 

Open-ended questions

Interviews may require gentle probing to gain useful detail, without intimidating the candidate. Open questions starting with who, what, when, where, why and how encourage discussion, as do prompts like “Tell me what you think is the most…”, which invite candidates to explain what they see as most important.

Where possible, reframe closed questions into open-ended ones to encourage more detailed responses. For example:

Behavioural interviewing

Behavioural interviewing is based on the idea that past behaviour is the best indicator of future performance. It involves asking structured, non-threatening questions that encourage candidates to describe what they did in real situations.

Look for answers that clearly explain:

• the situation or task
• the action the candidate took
• the result or outcome

If candidates speak in terms of “we” rather than “I”, ask follow-up questions to clarify their personal role.

Example behavioural questions:

• Tell me about a time you introduced a change or improvement in your role.
• Describe a situation where you identified and addressed a problem others had missed.
• Tell me about a stressful situation you have managed.
• Describe a time you disagreed with someone at work and how you handled it.
• Give an example of when you needed to influence someone who was resistant.

 

Some additional interview questions that can provide useful insight include:

• Describe the farms or workplaces you’ve worked in, including your duties and level of responsibility
• Which parts of your previous roles did you enjoy most, and least?
• What type of people do you work best with, and what do you find challenging?
• What strengths would you bring to this role?
• What are your longer-term work or career goals?
• What interests or hobbies do you have outside of work?

You may also consider asking:

• What motivates you at work?
• How do you like to receive feedback or direction?
• What would success look like for you in this role after six months?

Conducting interviews

An interview has three key stages:

1. Opening – welcome the candidate and explain the purpose and format of the interview.
2. Discussion – ask prepared questions and allow the candidate time to respond.
3. Closing – explain next steps, confirm referees, thank the candidate and invite questions.

Good interview practice includes:

• arrive on time and allow enough time for each interview and debrief
• choose a comfortable, interruption-free space
• have the application, position description and person specification ready
• ensure all interviewers have the same questions
• ask each candidate the same core questions
• use open-ended questions and probe where clarification is needed
• agree on who asks questions and who takes notes
• avoid judging based on first impressions
• listen more than you talk, while providing clear and honest information
• avoid unplanned questions to reduce the risk of discrimination
• close the interview clearly and professionally
• advise interviewee when they will be notified

Where possible, include a farm tour so candidates can better understand the operation. Plan interviews carefully to avoid time clashes and keep focused on the skills and attitudes required for the role.