INTERVIEWING

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Basic Features of Interviews

Selection Interviews

Interview Structure

Interview Content

Interview Administration

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Types of Interviews
Selection Interview

Types of Interviews

Appraisal Interview

Exit Interview

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Interview Formats

Interview Formats

Unstructured or Nondirective Interview

Structured or Directive Interview

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Interview Content
Types of Questions

Situational Interview

Behavioral Interview

Job-Related Interview

Stress Interview

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Administering the Interview

Unstructured Sequential Interview

Web-Assisted Interviews

Structured Sequential Interview

Computerized Interviews

Ways in Which Interviews Can Be Conducted

Panel Interview

Phone and Video Interviews

Mass Interview

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What Can Undermine An Interviews Usefulness?

First Impressions (Snap Judgments) Nonverbal Behavior and Impression Management

Interviewers Misunderstanding of the Job

Factors Affecting Interviews

Applicants Personal Characteristics

Candidate-Order (Contrast) Error and Pressure to Hire

Interviewer Behavior

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Designing and Conducting An Effective Interview

The

Structured Situational Interview

Use either situational questions or behavioral questions that yield high criteria-related validities.

Step 1: Step 2:

Job Analysis Rate the Jobs Main Duties

Step 3:
Step 4: Step 5:
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Create Interview Questions

Create Benchmark Answers Appoint the Interview Panel and

Step 6:

Conduct Interviews
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How to Conduct a More Effective Interview

Suggestions :
1 2 3

Structure Your Interview

Prepare for the Interview Establish Rapport Ask Questions Close the Interview Review the Interview
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5 6

Effective Interviews

Structure the Interview:

1. Use job knowledge, situational or behavioral questions, and objective criteria to evaluate interviewees responses. 2. Base questions on actual job duties. 3. Train interviewers.

4. Use the same questions with all candidates. 5. Use descriptive rating scales (excellent, fair, poor) to rate
answers. 6. Use multiple interviewers or panel interviews. 7. If possible, use a standardized interview form.

8. Take control of the interview. 9. Take brief, unobtrusive notes during the interview.
10.Close the interview positively and review it soon.
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Examples of Questions That Provide Structure Situational Questions

1. Suppose a co-worker was not following standard work procedures. The co-worker was more experienced than you and claimed the new procedure was better. Would you use the new procedure? 2. Suppose you were giving a sales presentation and a difficult technical question arose that you could not answer. What would you do?

Past Behavior Questions

3. Based on your past work experience, what is the most significant action you have ever taken to help out a co-worker? 4. Can you provide an example of a specific instance where you developed a sales presentation that was highly effective?

Background Questions
5. What work experiences, training, or other qualifications do you have for working in a teamwork environment? 6. What experience have you had with direct point-of-purchase sales?

Job Knowledge Questions

7. What steps would you follow to conduct a brainstorming session with a group of employees on safety? 8. What factors should you consider when developing a television advertising campaign?

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Suggested Supplementary Questions for Interviewing Applicants

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. How and why did you choose this line of work? What did you enjoy most about your last job? What did you like least about your last job? What has been your greatest frustration or disappointment on your present job? Why? What are some of the pluses and minuses of your last job? What were the circumstances surrounding your leaving your last job? Did you give notice? Why should we be hiring you? What do you expect from this employer? What are three things you will not do in your next job? What would your last supervisor say your three weaknesses are? What are your major strengths? How can your supervisor best help you obtain your goals? How did your supervisor rate your job performance? In what ways would you change your last supervisor? What are your career goals during the next 13 years? 510 years? How will working for this company help you reach those goals? What did you do the last time you received instructions with which you disagreed? What are some things about which you and your supervisor disagreed? What did you do? Which do you prefer, working alone or working with groups? What motivated you to do better at your last job? Do you consider your progress in that job representative of your ability? Why? Do you have any questions about the duties of the job for which you have applied? Can you perform the essential functions of the job for which you have applied?
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Interview Questions to Ask

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PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW

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JOB ANALYSIS
Recruitment specialists from within HR must understand
Duties & Responsibilities Education & Prior Experience Reporting relationships including matrix reporting Salary, Benefits, Location etc. Growth Opportunities Work Environment

Education & Prior Experience

Skills & Knowledge primarily required & why? Can someone without these skills & knowledge be trained and be useful in this role? Is the background of the last incumbent influencing us? Are we compromising because we are in a hurry? Are we violating any equal opportunity or other legal issues while creating the Job Description?

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JOB ANALYSIS
Education & Prior Experience
What demonstrated abilities/ Subject Matter expertise are we looking for? In depth knowledge in _________ required Extensive experience in _________ required Knowledge of _______ would be an advantage Proven track record of ______ needed Educational Qualification? Can we do with less? Trade off between educational qualifications/ work experience Intangible Requirements like: Appearance, Assertiveness, Attitude, Creativity & Imagination, Initiative, Management style, Maturity, Personality, Responsiveness

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JOB ANALYSIS
Reporting Relationships
What position will this job report to? Direct & Indirect (Matrix)? What positions report directly and indirectly to this job? Where does the job appear on the organization chart? What is the relationship between this job and other jobs in the department & organization? These help in determining the personality traits desired

Salary, Benefits, Location

What is the salary range for the job? What is the applicants current salary?
Is it close to the maximum? Higher than the maximum? Lower than the minimum?

Companys policy regarding salary increases? Salary break-up? Fixed/Variable/Monthly components/Annual components? Taxable/Non-taxable? Monthly take-home? Sign-on or Joining Bonus?
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JOB ANALYSIS

Salary, Benefits, Location

Explain the benefits in detail
Medical Insurance/Life Insurance Vacation days Hard Furnishing/Soft Furnishing Superannuation, ALSA Flexi Package Car, Petrol, Drivers Salary, Maintenance etc. Leave Travel Allowance ESOP Legal benefits like PF, FPS, Gratuity etc. Geographic Location including location within a city Transferability between locations Relocation Expenses reimbursements Travel Policies and Frequency of Travel Reimbursement of Travel Expenses Use of Own transport and Company Transport for local travel Schedules
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JOB ANALYSIS
Growth Opportunities
Frequency of performance Appraisals Salary Reviews and increases Policies regarding Promotions Growth within the department and within the organization IJP Policies Training for new roles Physical Working Conditions Safety regulations & Policies Do not hide unpleasant aspects of working conditions If possible show the applicant the location Dress Code

Work Environment

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JOB DESCRIPTION

While preparing for an interview the job description has to be conveyed to the interviewee clearly and unambiguously
Arrange the duties & responsibilities in a logical sequential order Avoid generalizations or ambiguous words List the main tasks Use Non-technical language Use specific examples of duties Indicate the frequency of occurrence of each duty Do not refer to specific people even if the applicant knows them Indicate equipment, machinery to be used Working Conditions and Environment

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THE RIGHT FIT

Right fit evaluation:

Identifying what the candidate has accomplished either at past jobs or through performance of relevant non-job-specific tasks What the person is willing to do the tangible skills and abilities he has
Ask questions as to how he would use his skills in the job he is being considered for

The intangibles
Willingness to accept criticism Ability to function in a different job environment Disposition toward working with others whose approach to problem solving may differ from their own Interest in learning from such colleagues/ seniors Ability to work as part of a diverse team Degree of Flexibility and ability to adjust to sudden changes Knack for multitasking
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THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

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The Interview Process

Pre Interview
The preparation checklist step by step instructions for preparing for the interview Selecting a venue Informing Reception In case of an unanticipated delay the reception should take care of the candidate and offer him tea, coffee, water etc. Prepare a Competency grid indicating which interviewer to cover which competency

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The Interview Process

Opening the Interview

Greet the candidate & put him at ease
Introduce yourself by giving your name & position State that you appreciate the candidates interest in the position & organization and thank him for sparing his time

Explain the Interviews purpose

Both of you a chance to get acquainted Help you learn more about the candidates background & experience Help the candidate understand the position & organization

Describe the interview plan by explaining that

Review the candidates qualifications & experience Provide information on and answer questions about the position and organisation

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The Interview Process

Key background Review

Application Materials Review Educational Background
Check for Gaps

Jobs/experience
Review the information provided and seek clarity on any area where you need more information Check for Gaps If any period is listed as Consultant or self employed seek details

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The Interview Process

Planned Behavioural Questions

Validation of Competencies using the STAR technique STAR
The Situation or Task the candidate faced The Action the candidate took The Result of the Candidates actions

Here we are looking for past performance/experience data only

Do not ask futuristic questions Ask questions that will yield behavioral information under each target competence Ask follow up questions to pin down STARs The competencies being looked for have to be derived from the Job Description

Follow it up with Motivational Fit Questions

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The Interview Process

Closing the Interview

Review to check if you have left out anything
Ask additional questions if necessary

Provide information on the position, organization, location and answers to any questions the candidate may have End the interview by explaining the next steps and thanking the candidate for his time

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The Interview Process

After

the Interview

Check the notes you have made and compile them properly Rate the candidate in the competencies that you have verified Decide on the next step whether someone else has to interview If some STARs need to be validated in the follow up ref check, make a note of them

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Behavioral Questions the STAR

Situation or Task

It is the background or context in which the candidate took the action Situations are tasks are created by occurrences such as :
Changes in the candidates job responsibilities or work processes Demands made by a Manager or Customer Challenges in meeting a deadline Challenges in getting along or getting work done by a colleague Etc.

Examples
The Customer wanted a change in the packaging and we had just lost our packaging design guy and his replacement had not joined For two months after the earthquake, calls to our Insurance Office tripled

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Behavioral Questions the STAR

Actions

What the candidate said or did and how he said or did. Actions are at the heart of the STAR because they show us the Candidates behavior Actions may include:
The steps taken in completing a work assignment How he planned out the work for a particular project What he did to meet a tough deadline or avoid costly delays What a person said to cause a colleague to become angry

Examples
Suddenly everyone wanted to buy extra homeowners insurance. With no time to hire and train extra representatives, I intiated a special bonus program for all employees to help in selling this included admin. people, receptionists, and everyone in the sales force
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Behavioral Questions the STAR

Results

Results are the effects of the candidates actions. They tell us what changes or differences the persons actions made and whether the actions were effective and appropriate Example:
Even though everyone worked lots of nights and weekends, no one ever got burned out. Everyone felt appreciated and no one seemed to mind making some extra money. And we really celebrated when our office topped the sales for the quarter

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Behavioral Questions the STAR

The behavioral questions have to be pre-planned to bring out STARs in each competency area If the questions do not yield a STAR, then use follow up question

At times you will get STA but not R. You should then ask what results came out of his action. Even if the result was negative it is a complete STAR. On receiving a negative R, you can ask a question on how he would handle it differently if faced with a similar S or T

Do not allow futuristic answers to start with.

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Behavioral Questions the STAR

FALSE STARs

Statements with lots of glitter but no substance Three Basic Types of false STARs
Vague Statements that might sound good but provide no specifics on what he actually did Opinions these are his personal beliefs, judgments, or views which tell us how he feels but provide no information on what he did no behavior Theoretical or future-oriented statements what he would do or like to do or would have done but not what he has actually done

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Behavioral Questions the STAR

FALSE STARs
Vague
I usually had no problems with the doctors. Some of my colleagues did but I

Opinion

got along well with them When it looked like we wouldnt make our deadline, we all pitched in and got it done I always take time to find out what the customer wants and I have made a lot of customers happy that way
I think coaching is the most important skill a leader can have. It seperates

great leaders from average ones I think if you ask any of my colleagues, they would say that I am a team player I have to say : my enthusiasm helped to keep the people working with me motivated

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Behavioral Questions the STAR

FALSE STARs

Future oriented
If it had been my decision, I wouldnt have started the work until I

had approval on the design specifications I would take all the support staff and assign them to project teams I plan to get started on an advanced degree next year

Partial STARs

Not all of S/T, A and R covered, e.g.

I was part of the negotiating team for my department when we

negotiated our last contract. Let me tell you, the bargaining on this one was tough; no one wanted to give us an inch. But in the end we got them to agree to most of our demands

- A Partial STAR that needs Action

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Behavioral Questions the STAR

Partial STARs

With the changes in technology, it looked as if our software package

was going to be obsolete in six months, so I started to look for a replacement. I read up all the available programs and tested most of them - A Partial STAR that needs Result When I took up the job, there was no system for recording customer complaints. So I made an easy-to-use form on the Computer and showed everyone how to use it
- A Partial STAR that needs Result When I got to work there were two busloads of senior citizens in the

lobby waiting to be registered, an half of the staff hadnt shown up. It took me almost two hours to straighten everything out, but finally I got everyone into his or her rooms

- A Partial STAR that needs Action

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Behavioral Questions the STAR

Tips for handling STARs
Actions also can be inactions what a person did say or do in a certain situation It does not matter in what order we get the STAR parts sometimes they come as RATS or ARTS. We have got to make sure we get them all Stay out of woulds future oriented False STAR When a candidate uses words like typically, generally or usually, he is probably giving a vague false STAR. We need to know what he did in a specific situation, e.g., how he handled a particular customer. Any action description which is group oriented like we, the team or our unit also might be vague. We need to know what the candidate did. The tense of the verb is normally a determinant of the type of STAR. A complete STAR will always be in the past tense The equipment malfunctioned, I did, I decided, Two people quit as a result. Present tense or future tense is normally a false STAR, e.g., This way it works out well, The way I handle that, I plan to, I will

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Interviewing for Motivational Fit

Motivational Fit is defined as the extent to which acivities and responsibilities, the organizations mode of operations and values, and the community in which the individual will live and work are consistent with the type of environment that provides personal satisfaction; the degree to which the work itself is personally satisfying

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Interviewing for Motivational Fit

Satisfaction & Overlap We need to know whether there is sufficient overlap between what a person likes and what is available in the job to keep him satisfied There are three sub competencies within motivational fit
Job Fit If people enjoy certain responsibilities and activities that are critical to successful performance, they are most likely to repeat them over time Organization Fit this focuses on the organizations values & operations. Location fit Both the City/Town as well as area within.

Workforce Diversity & Motivational Fit

In a diverse workforce situation people have more obvious differences which make each of them unique Good motivational fit does not mean looks and acts like me. Valuing the differences and making diverse people complement each other creates better groups
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Interviewing for Motivational Fit

Although interviewing for motivational fit seems complicated , it can be simplified by looking for two key pieces of information
When the candidate was most satisfied or dissatisfied with his work in the organization Specifically what was satisfying or dissatisfying

We should keep our eyes and ears open to a candidates responses in other questions/sections of the interview for possible motivational fit or the lack of it Rather than interviewing for STARs, we need to find when, what and why a candidate found a role, task or situation satisfying or dissatisfying
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Interviewing for Motivational Fit

When Begin by asking the candidate to identify a time when he was most or least satisfied with the work What Continue by asking the candidate to describe what he was doing or experiencing that made him feel satisfied or dissatisfied Why Complete the questioning by asking why the situation was satisfying or dissatisfying.

Sample Questions Describe an aspect of your job that you find especially motivating Tell me about a time when you found the environment highly motivating; please describe ithat environment in detail What have you done to improve the motivational level of your team members?
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