More than half of UK job interviewees rate female interviewers as more skilful than their male counterparts, according to research commissioned by HR consulting company Water for Fish.

The study suggests that women are better equipped to choose the best-suited candidates to fill vacancies.
The research, which surveyed 1,006 working adults across the UK, showed that regardless of the candidate’s gender, women interviewers had a more positive impact on the interviewee than men.

When asked about the impact interviewers had on candidates, 59% had a more positive experience with a female interviewer than a man (53%). Additionally, over two-thirds (67%) of those interviewed by women thought them well prepared, while only 58% thought male interviewers well prepared. When it came to putting candidates at ease, female interviewers (56%) again scored more highly than men (44%).

Nicola Mindell, director at Water for Fish, says: “The role of the interviewer is very important and much more than having to just ask questions! It involves being able to create an environment that enables candidates to showcase themselves effectively and in which the interviewer themselves can perform their role in the best way and elicit the most useful information from a candidate in order to find the right person for the job.”

Nearly a quarter of candidates felt their performance at interview suffered due to the interviewer’s lack of skills. This negativity was felt more strongly in the North and Scotland, compared with London and the South-East.