First Impressions count, and we mean you, not the interviewee. Preparation is your best friend when it comes to an interview. You’d expect them to be prepared and give a good impression, so you need to do the same. Don’t wait till the interview to go through a candidate CV. Take key points and ask candidates to elaborate rather than talking you through their whole career. You want to investigate a candidate beyond their CV, this alone won’t tell you how successful they could be in the role they have applied for or how well they will get on with the existing team. Check previous companies they have worked for, are there synergies or clashes?