By Tayla Reilly, Tender Specialist, Brisbane

CVs are great additions to tenders as they highlight your most valuable resource: an amazing team. But interviewing people to write CVs can be awkward and getting details out of people can feel like a battle. So, how do you keep your head and get the most out of CV interviews?

Get yourself organised and prepare in advance. Having a solid understanding of the client and what the tender is asking for will help you craft targeted questions that highlight the right qualities in your team. Have your questions ready before you go into an interview and use them as a guide – you can always ask follow up questions. When conducting interviews, ensure that you take detailed notes or record the interview so you don’t miss a thing.

Now that you’re prepared, help the person you’re interviewing to prepare. The thought of being interviewed can feel intimidating. To ease their mind, contact the interviewee in advance letting them know the purpose of the interview and the kind of questions you will be asking. During the interview, take things easy and work on building rapport with the person. Create a welcoming environment by being friendly and offering anecdotes about yourself. Allowing the other person to get to know you will help reduce awkwardness and open the conversation to better responses. Get to know the person, not just the employee.

Even with preparation and a welcoming environment, it can still be difficult getting quality responses from people. They might assume that what they do is simple or obvious. They may also assume that evaluators will already understand their line of work. We don't want to make that assumption; we want evaluators at every level of expertise to understand the CV. Asking interviewees to elaborate on their answers may not be enough. If you’re not getting the response you’re looking for, try rewording the question. The way you frame your question can impact the answer you receive. Another technique is posing potential scenarios that could occur in the workplace. The context of a potential situation can help the interviewee explain what their role entails. Sometimes you just need to ask the question in the right way.

CV interviews can be challenging, but the effort is worthwhile. Showing off your team of experts can give you the winning edge and help you stand out among your competitors.