Why interview training for hiring managers builds better interviews, brands, and teams

Interviews are one of the most decisive steps in hiring — yet they’re also one of the most neglected. Too often, companies don’t check whether hiring managers have the skills to interview effectively, or if interviews are being run consistently. 

To dig deeper into this issue, we got together with Toggl, a SaaS company known for its suite of productivity tool, to talk about interview training for hiring managers, employer branding, AI in recruitment, and why, even in an age of automation, hiring is still (above all) a people game.

TLDR

• Below you’ll find a 40 minute video interview between Elizabeth from Toggl and Laura from Taleron on why interview training is so important 

• Or keep scrolling for the highlights: great hires start with a great interview, consistency is key, AI helps, but recruitment is still a people game

• Need a hand with interview training or hiring? Click on the ultramarine button, top-right, to speak to one of our hiring experts

When tools meet talent: Bringing two perspectives on hiring together

When Elizabeth Thorn, Head of Marketing at Toggl, launched a video series on hiring best practices, she invited Laura Beekwilder, Commercial Lead at Taleron, to share her perspective. 

With over a decade of experience across SaaS sales and recruitment, Laura has worked both agency-side and in-house, and now leads Taleron’s commercial strategy helping scaleups and tech companies hire top talent in everything from sales and marketing to data science and engineering.

What followed was a lively 40-minute conversation on the realities of hiring today. From how interviews make or break candidate experience, to the role of AI in recruitment, to why, at its core, hiring is still a people game.

🎥 Watch the full video below — or read on for the biggest takeaways.

Key insights from the conversation

Recruitment has changed dramatically over the past decade. Remote and hybrid work, the rise of AI, and the shift towards skills-based hiring have all reshaped how employers and candidates engage with each other. But one thing hasn’t changed: people remain at the heart of great hiring.

1. Interviews are still the gateway to great hires

Interviews do more than assess skills — they set the tone for a candidate’s entire experience. A well-run interview not only confirms skills and culture fit, but also communicates your brand and values. With the right training, hiring managers can run conversations that lead to stronger decisions and better hires. Done badly, interviews risk pushing top talent away before an offer is even made.

“An interview isn’t just for you to assess the candidate,” Laura said. “It’s also for the candidate to decide if they want to join your company. It’s a two-way street.”

Elizabeth agreed, adding that hiring managers often underestimate how much candidates are evaluating them too: the interview is as much a live test of your employer brand as it is of a candidate’s skills.

2. A great candidate experience protects your employer brand

A slick website or careers page won’t undo the damage of a bad candidate experience. Laura noted that everyone has heard stories of candidates leaving an interview thinking, I’d never work for that company. Those stories spread quickly — through word of mouth, Glassdoor, or social media — and they shape employer reputation for years.

Elizabeth added that in today’s tough job market, candidates are already under pressure, so a poor experience “stings twice as much.” A structured, respectful process, on the other hand, can build goodwill even with candidates who don’t get the role.

Untrained interviews often frustrate candidates and damage reputation. With training, hiring managers learn how to create consistent, respectful processes that strengthen employer branding.

3. Skills-based hiring is essential — but not enough

Structured assessments, case studies, and skills-based interviews are powerful, but they can’t stand alone. Laura emphasised that at least one stage of a great hiring process should be skills-based, but this should be balanced with understanding a candidate’s ambitions and cultural contribution.

She also pointed to an encouraging trend: companies relying less on degree requirements and more on demonstrated skills. “That’s an exciting shift,” she said. “People can prove themselves through skills, not just diplomas.”

Training helps managers look beyond checklists. They learn to combine skills assessments with deeper conversations about motivation, ambition, and cultural contribution — leading to better long-term hires.

4. Consistency starts with interview training for hiring managers

Every manager interviews differently without guidance, while most have never been properly trained to interview. They may be experts in their own function, but not in assessing candidates. Training provides structure, clear agendas, and repeatable frameworks so candidates have a consistent, fair experience across roles and teams.

Laura explained how Taleron supports clients: “we start by auditing how interviews are being run, introduce structure and agendas, and follow up with coaching.” One of her practical tips was to reframe the dynamic:

"Imagine the candidate in front of you is your new colleague at the lunch table. How would you talk to them? That mindset shifts the whole tone of the conversation."

5. Technology and AI work best when people know how to use them

AI is already shaping recruitment, from note-taking tools that free interviewers to focus on the conversation, to platforms that suggest deeper follow-up questions. Laura noted that when used well, AI can make interviews sharper and more consistent.

But she also cautioned that interviews should remain fundamentally human: “We should always speak to the people we’re going to work with — not an AI script.” At Taleron, one senior recruiter tests new tools and introduces them gradually to the team, ensuring technology supports rather than overwhelms the process.

6. Recruitment is still a people game

For all the technology now in play, the fundamentals remain unchanged. Interviews are not transactions, they’re relationships, and they set the tone for how both sides perceive each other.

Laura’s closing point brought it back to basics: “From the very first conversation, candidates are deciding if they’d like to work with you. Employers need to remember: the process is a two-way street, and recruitment is still a people game.”

Turning interview training into better hiring outcomes

Interview training for hiring managers has multiple benefits, from helping to run smoother interviews to driving better hiring results.

Well-trained managers create consistent processes, deliver stronger candidate experiences, and protect employer brands. They know how to balance skills with culture, how to use technology without losing the human touch, and how to recognise that interviews are a two-way conversation.

As Laura Beekwilder put it, “From the very first conversation, candidates are already deciding if they want to work with you. Training hiring managers to understand that makes all the difference.”

At Taleron, we help companies go beyond filling roles. We fine-tune recruitment engines, upskill internal teams, run workshops, and partner with leaders to create interview processes that not only secure top talent but also strengthen the organisation for the long term.

Ready to level up? We’ve pulled together 9 best practices to help sharpen your interview process.