When interviewing job candidates, interview notes are the secret to making the process smoother. This simple practice ensures that the interviewer can keep track of the most important parts of the conversation and use it to compare and evaluate candidates. Taking meeting minutes is a standard for capturing essential details of a meeting.
According to Indeed, the average job interview takes 45-90 minutes. That’s a long time to worry about capturing all the important details regarding a candidate’s experience and qualifications. This is where note-taking can be monumentally helpful.
If you’re already familiar with taking notes for interviews, you know that it can be tricky to stay present with your interviewee while jotting things down. This article will offer tips on taking better manual notes plus explore the benefits of using AI technology to generate comprehensive notes for you.
Why is it valuable to take interview notes?
Taking notes during an interview is a valuable asset for both the interviewer and the interviewee for several reasons. For one, it can be easy to forget key details about the discussion, especially if there are a number of candidate interviews.
For the interviewer, the benefits of keeping organized notes include the following:
- It’s easier to remember the details. Taking notes during an interview helps the interviewer remember important information about the interviewee's background, qualifications, and responses to questions.
- Notes provide a record of the interview. This makes it easy to compare candidates and make informed hiring decisions.
- Interview notes are useful for follow-up and clarification. They provide valuable insights and can identify areas that need more information.
- Having notes helps share feedback. Hiring managers can easily share feedback notes to come to a more strategic hiring decision.
- Notes can reduce hiring bias. Notes help the interviewer be more objective in assessing candidates, as they have a clear record of the interviewee's responses.
We don’t always think about the candidate as someone who would benefit from interview notes, but it can be helpful. By taking and receiving interview notes, candidates may:
- Get feedback. Notes can provide feedback to the interviewee on areas where they performed well or could improve.
- Demonstrate attention and interest. This goes both ways. Taking notes during an interview can demonstrate that the interviewer is interested in the interviewee and that the interviewee is eager to learn about the role.
- Be more prepared. Interview notes can help the interviewee prepare for future interviews or follow-up meetings.
Can you bring notes to an interview? Absolutely—and most agree, it is beneficial for all parties involved.
Learn to take better manual interview notes
Taking cohesive, organized interview notes can be the difference between remembering an important fact about the candidate and being unable to read your chicken scratch. You’ll take better manual interview notes in no time by employing a few easy strategies.
- Use shorthand: Let’s start with initiating some type of easy-to-read shorthand. This can be as simple as abbreviating large words, like abbreviation (abbr.)! Developing a reliable shorthand method can make your task quicker and easy to reference after the interview.
- Have an outline: Use an outline format and bullet points to pinpoint relevant discussion topics. Some interviewers prefer to create a manual note-taking template to save and print out for each interview.
- Note key phrases: Finally, record key phrases that pop out during the interview or indicate areas for follow-up questions. These are great reference points to have when it’s time to make a hiring decision.
How to use AI to take automated interview notes
What is the best way to take interview notes? It depends on the preference of the note-taker, the depth of information, and the number of interviews conducted. You may find using AI to take automated interview notes helpful. If you’re new to this technology, we’ll share some tips.
AI-generated note-taking has been around for several years, but its development and use have accelerated recently with the advancement of natural language processing (NLP) technologies.
The use of AI in note-taking has become quite common in many industries. It allows the interviewer to remain more present and active in the conversation and stay organized. The best part is that it makes in-person and online interviews more productive.
AI interview notes bring a lot to the table, including the ability to summarize a conversation, provide tone and sentiment analysis, and create skill mapping. In 2023, plenty of handy note-taking options are available for free or a low-cost investment.
Supernormal is a great example of an AI-powered tool that creates interview notes by analyzing the audio or video recording of an interview. Here's how it works:
- Audio or video recording: The first step is recording the interview using a tool like Zoom, Teams, or similar video conferencing software.
- AI transcription: Upload the audio or video file to Supernormal, where advanced speech recognition and natural language processing algorithms transcribe it.
- Analysis and extraction: Supernormal analyzes the transcribed text to identify key information, such as the interviewee's skills, experience, and feedback. It also identifies important details, such as action items or follow-up questions.
- Summarization: The tool then summarizes the extracted information into a structured and concise note format, which can be reviewed by the interviewer or shared with other stakeholders.
Supernormal is a time-saving tool that can benefit organizations in all industries and settings. It makes note-taking effortless for interviewers, improves objectivity and consistency, and helps streamline the hiring process.
Share your interview notes and keep everyone on the same page
Another benefit of using an AI-generated platform to take interview notes is how effortless it is to share information with others. Whether the interview stakeholders are members of your team or the candidates themselves, you can share interview notes with everyone who needs to see them.
Supernormal’s software includes a convenient note-sharing feature that makes collaboration and integration a cinch. After sharing, participants can add comments, share feedback, and more. This feature also works for connecting with outside parties like recruiters, agencies, or third-party HR organizations.
Using a platform like Supernormal simplifies your hiring process by automatically transferring candidate information and interview notes to your applicant tracking system (ATS). This integration centralizes all your information, making it easy to access and eliminating the need for manual data entry. It also works well with popular CRM tools like Pipedrive and Hubspot, streamlining the entire process.
Take your interview up a notch
There’s no wrong way to take excellent interview notes—it comes down to preference, ability to multitask, and time allotted to the interview process. Taking organized manual notes can be made easier by using abbreviations and neat shorthand while creating a reusable outline can keep your thoughts organized.
Implementing an AI-generated note-taking software like Supernormal is a hands-off alternative to manual interview notes. This software leverages new AI technology to generate comprehensive interview notes without lifting a finger. Learn more about how Supernormal can streamline your interview process.