Interviewing a potential candidate is more difficult than one thinks – so why aren’t more recruiters trained in the art of really getting the best information from candidates?

Part of the problem is that most of us think we’re great interviewers, just like we think we’re all great drivers – we passed the relevant test years ago, so why take it again? But if we’re really going to find out what a candidate’s skills, personality and needs really are, the simple fact is that most of us need some new ideas about how to do it.

It’s no longer enough to rely on the same linear techniques that have served us well for decades. Many candidates now routinely form their own opinions about what they think employers value most highly – personality and attitude in the majority of cases, with career experience and skills and qualifications close behind. They anticipate the questions they’re going to be asked, and prepare for them – our research shows that nearly all candidates tell employers what they think they want to hear.

So how much good will your gut feel really do you in these circumstances?