Skip to content
MatcHR's Employee Handbook Published
Matchr's Employee Handbook
Untitled
More
Share
Explore
Candidate management

icon picker
IPMERC: The 6 steps to run an effective interview

# 1 Introduction
#2 IPMERC in detail
#3 Selling candidate to client
#4 Preparation of the candidate
#5 IV feedback and follow up
#6 Closing the deal
👉 Follow the trainings sessions in the subpages conducted by Maarten to watch IPMERC explained in detail on what you should take into account in each step.

IPMERC

1. Introduction
2. Probe
3. MatcH
4. Expand
5. Rules of Engagement
6. Close

1. Introduction:

Immediately grab the candidates’ attention so you can move to the next phase (probing).
Introduce yourself (establish trust!)
Explain your responsibilities
Establish a relationship
Profile: Mention something about their profile that you find interesting/relevant
Market: Mention something about the stack, company, industry they are working on
Connection: Mention a mutual connection

2. Probe (understand the needs)

This is the phase to see what the candidate wants and is one of the most critical phases in the entire recruitment process. If done properly you truly understand what the candidate is looking for and can use this to help him with his choice in the process. The key is to ask open questions. Start with: Why, How, What, Who to strike a conversation.
Great questions to start the conversation with:
What kind of role are your looking for?
Where do you see yourself in the next 2 years?
What are the reasons for leaving your current role?
What do you like about your current role?
What is the least favorite thing in your current role?
How many years of experience do you have in...?
What is your current salary? If they don’t want to share this explain that it is important to understand because it will help you in your mission to find them a role that meets their expectations.
What are your salary expectations for this role? Make sure you know whether they are talking in gross or net salary. If a candidates salary level doesn’t fit the criteria of the client make sure to ask the candidate if you would get a job offer with salary X but with benefits Y and Z would you still consider it?
What are your current secondary benefits (bonus, pension, car, mobile, laptop, insurance etc.).
If you would get several job offers on what criteria would you evaluate them? If you would have to chose between those criteria which ones are the most important for you?
Are you in active job search right now?
What is your timeline for making a decision?
Are you in the process at any other companies right now? If yes, which ones and how far are you in the process?
Is there anything else that is important for me to know that we haven’t discussed?

Ask follow up questions:
What do you mean by that?
Can you explain that a little bit more?

Understand the need of the candidate!
Is it salary, is it stack, is it relocation, is it leaving a bad manager, working less hours because he wants to be with his/her kids, is it more responsibility etc.?
If you know what the candidate wants you can actually see what is the most important reason for a candidate to leave his job and use this in convincing him to accept the job you have to offer and simultaneously to prepare the hiring manager (client) with this vital information.
Note: make sure to write this very clearly in Loxo so you or your colleagues can easily ‘sell’ a different role to a candidate as well or understand if a different role fits with the needs of the candidate

3. MatcH(R)

See if there is an actual match between what the client wants and what the candidate wants and whether the candidate matches the job criteria. Don’t send candidates to the client that are not a fit. You will only waste everybody’s time and the trust of the client of you providing good quality candidates will decrease.

4. Expand (flexibility)

Create flexibility in the wishes of both the candidate but also the client.
Example:
Candidate:
If I would have the perfect role for you based on your Need X,Y,Z but the salary is lower then X would you still consider this role? If not, what is the minimum you would accept considering these other criteria are met?
Client:
If I would find the perfect candidate for you based on your criteria X,Y,Z but that has a higher salary expectation of X would you still consider this candidate?

5. Rules of engagement (set these in your first IV with your candidate!)

At the end of the call you explain to the candidate your role in the process and you set ‘the rules of engagement’. You are the shepherd of your candidate and will guide him/her through the entire process (which is the case with most of our clients). Explain that your role in the process is to prepare the candidate as well as possible and to move him/her through the process as fast as possible. You agree that you will have a call with the candidate for each round to prepare him on the questions/assignments and what the client finds important.
What you expect from the candidate is the following:
If he/she is applying at different companies you immediately need to know and understand why he/she is attracted to these roles/companies and where he/she is in the process. Use this for your client to speed up the process.
After each round you expect the candidate to call you on how the IV/assignment went. Understand if the candidate has any doubts about the role/company. See the questions in the recruitment bible after each round.
You agree that the candidate prepares for each round as well as possible.
Agree on what moments are the best to contact a candidate.

6. Close

Give a brief summary on the key points.
Show your appreciation for the candidates’ time.
Explain that you will do everything in your power to push the candidate as quickly through the process as possible.
Ask for the candidates updated resume in the next 24 hours. You can also use “there are several good candidates in process at client X and I will have a call with the hiring manager in the next hour, can you send me your resume before this so I can mention you?”

👉 Follow the trainings sessions conducted by Maarten to watch IPMERC in action and explained
Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.
Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (
CtrlP
) instead.