How to Screen Candidates and Conduct Great Interviews

Screening candidates and interviewing well is the difference between a hire that works and one that costs months of correction. In this guide: how to set criteria before opening a role, what signals to look for in a CV, what questions to ask in the interview, and which ones are prohibited by law in Mozambique.

It is written for HR, business owners, and anyone who conducts interviews. It is part of the Inademy Guide.

The short answer

Criteria before posting: set three or four elimination criteria before opening applications, and only eliminate candidates based on these.
On the CV, look for signals: role progression, concrete numbers, reasonable stability, and consistent dates.
In the interview, ask about the past: real past situations predict performance better than theoretical answers.
Prohibited questions: pregnancy, family plans, religion, ethnicity, marital status, and age as a criterion are illegal discrimination.
Document everything: a standardized score sheet and notes taken at the time protect both the decision and the company.

recruiter reading a printed resume at her office desk

Before opening the position: criteria set in advance

Screening starts before the first application. Write down, on paper or in a file, the disqualification and priority criteria for that specific role. "Disqualify for: missing driver's license, incompatible availability, clearly insufficient experience. Prioritize by: industry experience, location proximity, immediate availability."

This simple document changes the outcome because it takes screening out of daily moods. Without criteria, the same CV is rejected at 8h and approved at 16h, depending on the reviewer's fatigue. With criteria, two different people reach similar decisions, and the process survives vacations and staff turnover.

Criteria must measure ability for the role. Neighborhood of residence, name, photo, age, and gender measure nothing and can constitute discrimination, as well as eliminating good professionals for irrelevant reasons. If you need legitimate requirements, such as shift availability, state them as a requirement of the position, not as a preference regarding the person.

What signals to look for in a CV

A CV does not prove competence, but it gives signals worth verifying. The first are quality signals: role progression over time, concrete numbers, "managed a team of 6 people, reduced inventory errors from 12% to 4%", and consistent dates between jobs.

Red flags require context before eliminating: frequent job hopping may indicate instability or project-based contracts, common in NGOs and construction; gaps can be for study, illness, or family care. The rule is: red flags prompt an interview question, never automatic elimination.

Also beware of buzzwords with little substance: "born leader", "highly motivated", "proactive" without any concrete example say little. Those with real experience describe it with facts, and facts are verifiable through references. Our article on the mistakes that get a CV rejected shows both sides, because knowing what weak candidates do helps you recognize what good ones avoid.

panel of two interviewers listening to a candidate in a small meeting room

An interview structure that works

A structured interview is fairer and more predictive: the same questions in the same order for all candidates, a common score sheet with a simple scale, and notes taken during the conversation rather than from memory later.

Suggested structure in four blocks: role and company introduction, five minutes; questions about the candidate's experience, ten minutes; situational questions, "tell me about a time when...", fifteen minutes; candidate's turn, questions and conditions, five minutes. Thirty-five minutes are enough to decide whether to move forward.

Situational questions are the heart of it: they ask for a real example experienced by the candidate. "Tell me about a time you had an angry customer, what did you do?" "Have you ever missed a deadline, how did you handle it?" Concrete answers reveal behavior; theoretical answers reveal only talking skills. Note down the examples given, because they will inform the final decision and reference checks.

For technical roles, add a short practical test: an Excel exercise for accounting, a customer service simulation for the front desk, a guided diagnostic for technicians. Thirty minutes of practice are worth more than any rehearsed response.

Prohibited questions and how to replace them

The law protects candidates from questions about pregnancy, family planning, religion, ethnicity, marital status, and age when used as selection criteria. Beyond legal risks, these questions are poor predictors of performance and damage the employer's reputation.

The good news: almost all of them have a lawful alternative that addresses the real concern behind them. "Are you pregnant?" becomes "What is your availability to start and work the required schedule?", if working hours are a genuine requirement. "Do you have young children?" becomes "This role involves night shifts; how do you manage your availability?" when night shifts are an actual part of the job.

Check your legal awareness with our article on workers' rights in Mozambique, and review contract logic with the article on types of employment contracts. Employers who understand these boundaries make better decisions and take fewer risks.

After the interview: decision and record-keeping

Once the interviews are completed, gather the evaluators and compare scorecards, not general impressions. The final decision must be tied to the criteria set at the beginning, and any tiebreaker should follow a predefined rule: direct experience in the role, availability, or verified references.

Check finalists' references with specific questions: "can you confirm the employment dates?", "would you rehire them?". The Mozambican sector is small, and references circulate fast. Document the decision and the reasons behind it, even in a simple file: if the process is ever questioned, this record is your proof of a fair process.

And communicate the decision to all interviewees, including those not selected. A brief, respectful message keeps the door open: a candidate who was not chosen today might be perfect for next quarter's vacancy, and people remember who treated them well.

How Inademy supports screening

For jobs published on Inademy, applications arrive organized in a staged pipeline, screening questions apply to everyone with consistent scoring, and profile matching prioritizes review order. Decisions remain human and informed, now with less time spent digging through inbox CVs.

Applicants track their status via their own link, reducing repetitive questions on your WhatsApp. To set up the complete process, from job posting to hiring, follow the guide on recruitment for companies, and for the job ad itself, read the article on how to post a job.

Where these numbers come from

Prohibited questions and discrimination: Labour Law 13/2023, in force since 21 February 2024, official text in the Boletim da República.
Structured interview practices: evidence-based selection principles widely documented in international human resource management literature, applied to the Mozambican context.

Interview best practices in Mozambique

Screening candidates well starts with clear criteria. Before the interview, define the three to five non-negotiable requirements for the role and use them as a benchmark to compare profiles.

In the interview, use situational and behavioral questions: ask for a real case, or what they would do in a given scenario. This tests what the person can actually do, not what they say they know.

Confirm what is practical: experience with similar platforms, tool mastery, and availability. A well-conducted interview quickly filters out profiles that do not fit.

At the end, close with a clear next step: timelines, stages, and what is still needed. The candidate stays oriented, and the brand gains respect. It is this conclusion that separates a good experience from a bad one.

Keep everything in writing so you can compare objectively. Transparency in the process, alongside criteria and time, is what makes an interview good for both sides.

If the role is technical, test with a short, practical task. Seeing the person solve a problem, rather than describe it, is the most honest metric in an interview.

Frequently asked questions

How many interviews per candidate?

One or two are enough for most roles. More than that wears down good candidates, who are usually employed, and delays the decision. Senior positions justify an additional panel; entry-level roles do not.

Can I conduct interviews via WhatsApp?

For initial screening, yes, and it works well: closed questions about availability, location, and requirements. The selection interview deserves a call or an in-person conversation, because richer communication reveals more. Many hiring processes combine screening by text message with interviews by call.

Can a candidate refuse personal questions?

Yes, and they should. Questions about pregnancy, religion, and family do not belong in the selection process, and refusing to answer must not harm the evaluation. Candidates also have rights during interviews, and the article on workers' rights details them.

How do I compare candidates with very different CVs?

By using a standardized evaluation sheet and the initial criteria: each candidate is scored on the same criteria, making comparison fair even between distinct profiles. Without a common sheet, comparison is just an impression, and impressions favor who speaks best, not who works best.

Does it make sense to hire without experience if the candidate has strong drive?

It depends on the role and the company's capacity to train. For positions with clear procedures and a team that teaches, attitude can be worth more than years of practice. For technical positions, qualifications are essential from day one. Decide with clear training costs in mind, not personal sympathy.

In summary, what to do today

Write the elimination and priority criteria for the next vacancy before opening it.
Prepare the standard evaluation sheet and situational questions for the role.
Review your current questions and remove any that touch on pregnancy, religion, ethnicity, and family.
Prepare a short practical test if the role is technical.
Decide using evaluation sheets, record reasons, and communicate with all interviewees.

Official source: Law No. 13/2023 (Labour Law) is available as a PDF on the website of Mozambique's Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo): official text (PDF).