23+ SAMPLE Interview Summary Sheet

What Is an Interview Summary Sheet?

An interview summary Sheet is a document that tallies the main points during an interview session. Making a summary of an interview might help you make better-recruiting selections. Before deciding which applicants should be short-listed, go over your notes. Alternatively, if you discuss the applicant selections with another member of HR or a hiring manager, your summary will help you remember the candidate’s credentials and interview replies. Positions and employment with well-known industry leaders or preferred companies frequently draw a large number of competent candidates. When it comes to recruiting personnel, summarizing your interviews allows you to make informed decisions.

Why Make Summaries?

A summary’s purpose is to gather important fundamental information about the interview’s conditions and provide a succinct guide to its contents. A summary should contain the people, locations, events, and subjects mentioned in each interview, as well as an indication of how significant the reference is. You should provide a timecode to identify where the reference appears during the interview. Rather than describing specific viewpoints or stories, focus on presenting a concise description of what was discussed in the interview. The summary should be a guide to what may be learned from the interview, not a paraphrase of what was stated.

How to Write an Interview Summary Sheet

Now that the interview summary sheet has been elaborated and its importance is given, it is time to proceed to the guide in writing your own document. There are available downloadable interview evaluation forms that you can also use alongside an interview summary sheet as well as a Summary Report. All of which will come in handy in creating your interview summary sheet. Without further ado, it is finally time to show you the steps in writing the sheet. Remember, there are available templates and references that can guide you through.

Step 1: Write an introduction

In the Introduction, give your readers, whether they are your supervisor or the HR department, the important facts regarding the interview in the beginning. The name and position of the subject should be stated. Explain why you chose to interview the candidate or individual, and what you plan to do with the results.

Step 2: Provide a relevant overview

Write a summary of the interview in one or two paragraphs. Include subjects you addressed with the interview subject, as well as a quick summary of their responses. Instead of going into extensive depth, provide Summary remarks that give the reader a sense of what the material is about.

Step 3: Discuss the most important results

Write a paragraph or two on what was stated throughout the interview. Only provide facts or stories that are related to the interview’s aim. If you found something unusual, talk about it in this area.

Step 4: Discuss the situation

Write about the interview’s conditions. Discuss the subject’s behavior or a series of odd mannerisms. Explain how the interview was affected by the surroundings. Write about the responses of the topic to your inquiries. You can include here whether or not the interview process was well adapted by the interviewee or how they reacted upon hearing the set of questions.

Step 5: Conclude the interview summary

Summarize the Interview and your main results in three to five sentences. Reiterate how you intend to use the information obtained during the interview. Remain objective, this is not an essay that you can add in your notes or thoughts over the matter, instead, you may use an interview rating sheet for that. Don’t bring up new points as well, the conclusion needs to wrap up all the points that were stated.

Necessary Items for an Interview Summary Sheet

An interview summary sheet is not enough to be a stand-alone document, instead, it would need the presence of other types of documents or items that will provide additional support to it. Supplementary items will act as proof of the instances surrounding the particular interview that took place. Other than that, it merely acts as additional evidence on the contents of the interview summary sheet. You can check out the sample interview feedback report as a reference and comparison.

Application Materials: You will almost certainly have the candidate’s employment application, cover letter, and resume with you during the interview. Regardless of whether you extend a job offer, these records become part of a permanent record. As a result, don’t jot down any notes or sum up any aspect of your interview on your official job paperwork. That is, do not write on the application, cover letter, or CV of the candidate. Remembering this crucial guideline will save you a lot of trouble if you ever have to defend your company’s hiring procedures.Phone Presence: Many companies perform preliminary phone interviews, which are critical for reducing the application pool to a reasonable number of suitable individuals. Although telephone interviews are generally quick, you may gather a significant amount of information from them. Note the applicant’s phone presence, which includes phone etiquette and the quality of the speaking voice, while summarizing a phone interview. Also, request brief work history from candidates and note if they meet or surpass the job’s fundamental criteria.Appearance: You will get the most information through a face-to-face interview. You’ll probably judge if applicants have a professional look when reporting the first in-person interview, but don’t spend too much of your description describing appearances. Consider giving applicants the benefit of the doubt if they fall short in this area, especially if their qualifications surpass your expectations. If you believe it is acceptable, you may be allowed to provide comments to an applicant on how to improve their look for a second interview.Communication Skills: The way a candidate replies to your questions during a face-to-face interview is simply one aspect of the verbal communication assessment. Take notice of the candidate’s ability to listen as well as any other nonverbal clues. Candidates’ ability to explain their job history, experience, and credentials should always be addressed in summaries. Summarize the candidate’s answers to your behavioral and situational questions in the interview, highlighting the sorts of questions to which they respond best. Documenting interview notes on whether the candidate demonstrated strong listening skills should be included in the summary. Mention in your summary whether the candidate’s follow-up replies indicated that he or she is a good listener.Professional Traits: Even if you don’t specifically ask about qualities like honesty, work ethic, or Business principles, you’re likely to detect the candidate’s professional traits from the kind of replies provided over the course of an hour or so. Carefully outline the qualities you’re looking for in your future employee; but, if you spot any red flags, don’t leave them out of your synopsis. For example, if a prospect expresses a willingness to work more than 40 hours per week for the company, you may conclude that the applicant is a trustworthy, diligent worker who prioritizes job obligations above the clock.

Things to Avoid during an Interview

An interview isn’t just about spending an hour or two with a prospective employer. The amount of preparation you do for an interview determines how successful it is. Once you have booked an interview, whether it’ll be in person or over the phone, you should start preparing. Researching the company, reviewing your CV, choosing your finest clothing, and fulfilling any pre-interview procedures all take time and should not be left till the last minute. Check out the available Interview Checklist or interview sheet template to prepare yourself as both the interviewer or interviewee.

Checking Your Phone: We don’t always realize we’re doing it. Just checking to see if you’ve received a text message or if there’s anything new on social media in the previous 30 minutes. Checking our phones has become such an automatic behavior that it has been observed during job interviews. Even if some job interviews are relaxed and informal, checking your phone is not a smart idea. Checking your phone communicates that you are preoccupied. You may give the impression to the interviewer that you aren’t serious about the job or that you would rather be somewhere else. Even if the individual conducting the interview has their phone on the table, you should keep yours in your pocket or handbag on quiet mode or turned off.Sounding Rehearsed: While it’s a good idea to practice what you’ll say in response to interview questions, seeming overly prepared might be detrimental. A job interview is intended to allow you to get to know the people you’ll be working with and for them to get to know you. You run the danger of appearing robotic and concealing your true nature if you over-rehearse your responses. You might end up in a position that isn’t a good fit if you say something scripted that your interviewer loves, but later after you are hired, they discover the rehearsed didn’t line with your fundamental beliefs.Not Making the Most of Your Time: It’s plausible to say that an interview is just about answering questions; nevertheless, it’s also about asking them. You’re wasting your time in the interview if you don’t ask any questions, even if you answer every question properly. Prepare yourself by researching the firm ahead of time and writing down the questions you want to ask. Then, for part of the interview, act as though you’re having a discussion. If a question spontaneously arises, ask it. Making the most of your interview time helps you to learn as much as possible about the organization and the individuals you’ll be working with on a daily basis. It also gives the impression that you desire the job and are currently working on it. Forgetting Something: Ignoring a key job or detail, whether it’s failing to print out copies of your resume or forgetting to wear a tie, doesn’t make a good impression. True, everyone makes mistakes, but almost every boss wants an Employee who can be depended on to do the responsibilities that have been allocated to them. Allowing yourself plenty of time to prepare can help you avoid forgetting something important during your interview. Before your interview, hiring managers may request that you complete a questionnaire, exam, or assignment. Furthermore, there are several things that everyone should do before an interview, such as making copies of their resumes, rehearsing what they want to say, and picking appropriate interview clothes. Before your interview, double- and triple-check that you’ve accomplished all you need to do.Speaking Poorly About Past Jobs: Keep it to yourself if you’ve had a bad experience at a previous employer. Speaking negatively about former employers or employment may seem unpleasant. Most interviewers are aware that there are two sides to every story when they hear someone mention anything unfavorable about another employment. They may believe you were a part of the situation, which will not help you in a job interview. Focus on the good aspects of previous employment experiences if you’re questioned about them. Discuss the things you’ve achieved, the objectives you’ve met, and the connections you’ve formed. It’s preferable to talk about a learning experience if you’re questioned about an unpleasant encounter. Putting a positive spin on a negative event conveys the message that you can bounce back and learn from whatever situation you find yourself in.

FAQs

How do you summarize an interview result?

Transcribing and presenting a storyline is essential for summarizing Qualitative Data gathered from interviews. Transcribing is the process of translating what was said in an interview tape to text and then looking for patterns by labeling the utterances. In order to create a clear evaluation, you may need tools to properly review the interview. Headphones are without a doubt the most crucial piece of gear you’ll require. Some customer recordings will be of excellent quality, while others will be of poor quality. Having a decent pair of headphones to cut through background noise, accents, and slurred speech may greatly aid in the transcription process.

What are the different types of interviews?

The different types of interviews are namely; informational interview, screening or telephone interview, individual interview, small group or committee interview, the second or on-cite interview, behavioral-based interview, and task-oriented or testing interview. It is important to be aware of the various types of interviews in order to easily identify which interview evaluation form will be fitting for you to use. This goes hand in hand with knowing how to create an interview summary sheet as well.

There may be interviews that will ask permission for your participation, such as a research study. It is entirely up to you whether or not to participate. You are not obligated to participate if you do not choose to. Although if you do, some interviews may hand out a consent form for you to sign and legally acknowledge your participation and that the information you have given to them can be utilized for their usage. As the examiner, create an Interview Schedule and a set of interview questions as well to prepare beforehand.

Interviews without any paper trail is not acceptable in most cases, especially in a job interview or even in a research study. An interview is vital not only with the information the interviewee shares but also with how they carry themselves and answer the questions. Through the interview summary sheet, you are able to summarize all the relevant information and keep it stored for future references or when your supervisor would like to review it.