If your friend is not getting interviews, what two things would you advise them to do?

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Keep your friendship and integrity intact when interviewing someone you know.

Interviewing a friend for a job comes with particular risks. You could end up being biased against them in a bid to seem fair, for instance. Or, if they do get the job, how will you handle people assuming the new team member was only appointed because of your friendship?

However, while there are many difficulties, the potential "wins" of interviewing a friend make it a challenge worth tackling.

In this article, we explore the benefits and pitfalls of interviewing a friend, and look at seven tips for doing so in a way that protects your relationship and your integrity.

The Pros and Cons of Interviewing a Friend

Interviewing someone who you know well – a friend, an old colleague or a family member, for instance – brings with it a unique set of challenges. For example, their behavior and comments during the interview could reflect well or badly on you.

You also need to interview objectively, but the pressure of "doing the right thing" could lead you to overcompensate for your friend's weaknesses or to downplay their strengths. And that could unfairly disadvantage or boost their chances of success.

If you do hire a friend, this could lead to other potential problems. For example, your team members may feel they were hired simply because of their association with you. Also, there may be speculation or rumors that you offered them a higher salary – as research shows can happen when friends hire friends. [1]

Interview your friend in the right way, however, and it could be a fantastic win-win situation. For example, the interview itself will likely be a more relaxed experience, allowing you and your friend to perform at their best.

If you then hire your friend after a process that was transparent and fair, you'll have a supportive, competent new team member who fits the role and your organization.

7 Tips for Interviewing a Friend

Let's look at seven tips for interviewing a friend fairly and successfully.

Remember, your focus must be on giving every candidate a fair and equal chance. Always act ethically and legally in your recruitment process.

1. Declare the Nature of Your Relationship

When you discover that you'll be interviewing someone who you know, speak up. Tell your human resources department, and seek legal advice if appropriate.

In some situations, interviewing a friend could be seen as a significant conflict of interest, or may not even be permitted by your organization.

Be honest about how you know them, how long you've been friends, and how close your relationship is.

2. Decide Whether to Participate

The demands of work and friendship can be contradictory (consider the possible awkwardness of having to manage – and perhaps discipline – your friend). So, it may be wise to step aside if you have any doubt about your ability to remain balanced and impartial during the interviewing process.

If you do choose to be involved in the interview, don't conduct it alone. Ask a colleague to attend, as well as a representative from HR (if one is available), to ensure an impartial viewpoint.

If you walk into the interview room and realize that you know the interviewee, take a moment to think about the situation, and decide how you want to proceed. If possible, remove yourself from the interview for a few minutes and discuss the situation with a member of HR or a colleague.

3. Establish Boundaries

At the start of the interview, explain what will happen during the recruitment process, what your role will be, how interviewees will be scored and assessed, and who will make the final decision.

Stating this information upfront makes everyone aware of the work-place boundaries and their respective responsibilities. This will help keep the interview process objective and fair.

4. Examine Your Biases

It's crucial to avoid bias in interviews, so evaluate your own beliefs, and keep a critical watch on your comments and decisions during the interview. If in doubt, always seek a second opinion.

For example, you might "just know" that your friend would be perfect for the role, even though they have never worked in your industry before. Hence, you overlook their weaknesses and hire them.

Or, your friend may have great potential but you focus on their poor timekeeping outside of work and dismiss their chances before the interview even begins.

Openly acknowledge the unusual circumstances at the start of the interview, as it's likely to be an unfamiliar (and perhaps uncomfortable) situation for everyone involved. Doing so will likely reduce tension and avoid a possible unfair evaluation of your friend.

5. Consider the Ethical Dilemmas

Interviewing someone you already have a relationship with can present some ethical dilemmas. For instance, your friend could say something that you know is untrue – do you speak up? Or, if they fail to mention something positive about their work history, should you say something on their behalf?

So, consider in advance how you would act if an ethical dilemma were to arise. Our article, How to Be Ethical at Work can help.

6. Remember the Long-Term Objectives

Just as you would for any other interview, remember what tasks the interviewee will need to fulfill, and why you're hiring for the role in the first place. What do you want that person to achieve?

Yes, working with a friend could be great (for example, you'll have things in common and an established rapport). But can that person really help you to meet your team's and organization's longer-term objectives?

Writing a robust job description – with clear competency and objectives criteria for the role – will help you to focus on what matters most in the interview.

Familiarizing yourself with your organization's mission and goals, too, will also help you to interview objectively, and fully focus on what any potential employee needs to offer.

7. Plan for the Outcome

If your friend is successful, you need to ensure that they are treated fairly by you and other team members upon appointment. It may help to create a positive narrative about your incoming friend, to counter any suspicions of favoritism.

Explain that you will assess your friend using the same measures and means employed to review everyone else's performance. Team dynamics can be affected by sensitive situations like this, so watch out for danger signs of disengagement, or even bullying or harassment.

Actively address any concerns that your existing team members may have by discussing the issue one-on-one. You could also establish a team charter so that everyone knows where they stand.

Interviewing a friend for a job has its pitfalls. But for the right person and the right role, it's a challenge worth tackling.

When interviewing a friend, declare the nature of your relationship immediately. Decide whether to even participate in the process. It may be wise to step aside if you have any doubt about your ability to remain impartial.

Establish boundaries, and explain what will happen during the recruitment process and who will make the final decision.

Examine your biases and if in doubt, always seek a second opinion. Consider in advance how you would act if an ethical dilemma were to arise.

Remember your long-term objectives and keep in mind what tasks the interviewee will need to perform. If your friend is successful, create a positive narrative about them, to counter any suspicions of favoritism.

1. Finding a job
2. 14 Reasons Why You're Not Getting Interviews

By Indeed Editorial Team

Updated February 22, 2021 | Published April 17, 2020

Updated February 22, 2021

Published April 17, 2020

Not being selected for a job interview is a chance for you to reflect on your qualifications and approach to job applications. You may need to adjust your job search strategy to apply for jobs that match your experience. When applying for your next job, take some time and assess your next steps to get an interview for the next job you apply for. In this article, we highlight why interviews are important, go over possible reasons you might not be getting interviews and provide some tips on how to get invited for one.

Read more: How to Get an Interview and Secure a Job Offer

Why are interviews important?

A job interview is important because it allows the interviewer to gain a more in-depth understanding of your professional skills. They also assist employers in finding out whether you're the right fit for their company's culture. When reviewing your resume, hiring managers look at your current work experience and skills to determine whether you might be a good fit for the role.

Interviews help employers understand your career aspirations and if you plan on having a long-term career with them. If you don't receive an offer from the company, you can use this experience to adjust your approach to your next interview.

Read more: The Essential Job Search Guide

14 reasons why you may not be getting interviews

Here are some common reasons why you may not be getting interviews:

1. There's been a change in the company's needs.

2. The job is beyond your qualifications.

3. You're overqualified for the position.

4. Your achievements don't match with the employer's preferences.

5. Your resume has typos and grammatical errors.

6. Something's missing in your cover letter.

7. You've listed too many jobs on your resume.

8. You don't have enough experience.

9. You haven't met the educational requirements.

10. You haven't provided referrals.

11. There are unexplained gaps in your work history.

12. The employer saw your social media profiles.

13. The employer's location is too far from you.

14. There's a large talent pool competing for the same role.

1. There's been a change in the company's needs

A job rejection may have nothing to do with your qualifications. A company might have gone through unexpected changes that lead them to halt their hiring process. If you haven't heard back from the hiring manager after a few days, follow up with them to ask about the official status of the position. If they've had to pause their recruiting process for any reason, they may let you know.

2. The job is beyond your qualifications

Sometimes, the skills and experience you've listed on your resume don't align with what a company is looking for. Many companies use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to help them quickly select a pool of qualified job applicants. If your resume or cover letter didn't include enough of the keywords listed in the job description, the ATS may have filtered your application out.

When applying for jobs, carefully review each job description and the requirements the employer lists. Make sure to only apply for those that you're confident you're qualified for and list as many applicable skills on your resume as possible. If you still want to work for the company but do not match all the criteria, you can always contact the company directly to inquire if they have any positions that you would be qualified for.

3. You're overqualified for the position

You might have applied for a role that you're overqualified for. Having more experience than the role requires, unfortunately, can make an employer

While you might think that more experience is always better, sometimes it makes a potential employer second guess your motives for applying as temporary until you can get a job that matches your qualifications and pay grade.

If this is the case, the employer may have chosen someone whose qualifications more closely match the job's responsibilities. For example, a project manager is overqualified if they apply for a project coordinator position since they currently work in a managerial role.

4. Your achievements don't match with the employer's preferences

Hiring managers like to see your professional achievements, as they detail how you've improved past organizations. Write quantifiable achievements that you've reached throughout your career to increase your likelihood of getting an interview. For instance, if you're applying to become a sales representative, you could mention that you increased sales by 25% and leads by 20% over two years at your previous company.

5. Your resume has typos and grammatical errors

An employer might have found typos or spelling errors in your resume and cover letter. Proofread and read your resume and cover letter out loud a couple of times to make sure they're free of mistakes. You can also have a mentor, friend or family member proofread your resume twice before you send it to an employer.

6. Something's missing in your cover letter

Write a cover letter that expands on the skills and qualifications you listed in your resume. The goal is to sell yourself to an employer by showcasing the actions you've taken to benefit previous organizations you've worked for. Describing what you can bring to your potential employer heightens your chances of getting an interview.

Read more: How to Sell Yourself in an Interview

7. You've listed too many jobs on your resume

List the most important and relevant jobs you've held during your career. You can take off jobs that don't correspond with the job you're applying for as long as it doesn't leave a sizable gap in your resume.

8. You don't have enough experience

Only apply for jobs that fit within your current experience level. For example, make sure you're applying for internships if you're a college student. Apply for managerial positions if you've gained a few years of experience as a coordinator.

9. You haven't met educational requirements

An employer considers educational and certification credentials when they review applicants' resumes. Give yourself room to expand on your education, especially if you have a master's or a doctoral degree. Make sure to also review the education requirements on the job posting, as some positions require specific degrees or levels of education.

10. You haven't provided referrals

A referral is a professional contact who advocates for your candidacy. Maintain good relationships with your former coworkers and supervisors, and contact your referral so they can recommend you to the hiring manager. It's key to keep building professional contacts in different industries in case you want to switch careers in the future.

11. There are gaps in your work history

If your resume shows a considerable amount of time between your last job and your current one, be prepared to explain this gap to the hiring manager. Your cover letter is a good place to explain any gaps in your work history.

12. The employer saw your social media profiles

Your social media presence can indicate to an employer how you might represent their company. To prevent a hiring manager from seeing anything they might interpret as unprofessional, examine every social media account you have to ensure you've only posted appropriate photos or statuses. Another option is to set all your social media profiles to private so only your followers have access to your account.

13. The employer's location is too far from you

An employer may pass on your application if you're outside of the company's area. Check the job description to see if they're only hiring local candidates. If they are, you can use your cover letter to explain your plans to move or propose occasional remote days.

14. There's a large talent pool

A strong talent pool outlines the competition you face when applying for a job. Companies might need to hire quickly, so they'll post a job and hire someone through a referral. Get alerts from job posting websites so you can quickly apply to relevant jobs as soon as you see them.

Tips to help you get interviews

Here are some additional tips to help you get an interview:

Conduct informational interviews

Grow your network by conducting Informational interviews and learning more about the position you're interested in. Speak with professionals in the industry about the career path you've chosen, and ask for feedback on whether they think you're taking the right steps to achieve your goals. Remember that these interviews focus on improving your knowledge of the job and using it efficiently, so apply the advice you're given if you get invited to interview.

Highlight your selling points

Your selling points differentiate you from other applicants applying for the same position. Describe your main achievements at the top of your resume and cover letter, and explain the positive impacts they've had at your previous organizations.

Note your motivations to apply for a job

Your cover letter should detail your reasoning for why you want to apply for a position. Research the company's website to explain what factors influenced you, such as their industry or company culture.

Follow up

Follow up with the hiring manager a few days after you apply for the job. The hiring manager can reply and explain why they decided not to move forward with your application, or they may reveal that they haven't yet started interviews. Either response gives you more insight into your candidacy for the job.