Professional Documents
Culture Documents
AT
IC
PL
DU
T
NO
DO
st
ru
ct
or
Ed
iti
on
INSTRUCTOR GUIDE
In
In
E
AT
IC
PL
DU
T
NO
DO
st
ru
ct
or
Ed
iti
on
iti
on
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Project Team
Content Developer: Daniel Bowman and Evelyn Townsend Content Manager: Bethany Snyder Graphic Designer: Dee
Guevara-Kaszuba, Jeff Turof and Alex Tong Project Manager: Julie Stratton Content Editor: Peter Bauer and Carrie Marino
Materials Editor: Lance Anderson Business Matter Expert: Libby Bakken Project Technical Support: Mike Toscano
NOTICES
Ed
DISCLAIMER: While Element K Content LLC takes care to ensure the accuracy and quality of these materials, we cannot guarantee their accuracy, and all materials are provided without any warranty
whatsoever, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or tness for a particular purpose. The name used in the data les for this course is that of a ctitious company. Any
resemblance to current or future companies is purely coincidental. We do not believe we have used anyones name in creating this course, but if we have, please notify us and we will change the name in
the next revision of the course. Element K is an independent provider of integrated training solutions for individuals, businesses, educational institutions, and government agencies. Use of screenshots,
photographs of another entitys products, or another entitys product name or service in this book is for editorial purposes only. No such use should be construed to imply sponsorship or endorsement of
the book by, nor any afliation of such entity with Element K. This courseware may contain links to sites on the Internet that are owned and operated by third parties (the External Sites). Element K is
not responsible for the availability of, or the content located on or through, any External Site. Please contact Element K if you have any concerns regarding such links or External Sites.
TRADEMARK NOTICES: Element K and the Element K logo are trademarks of Element K LLC and its afliates.
AT
or
Copyright 2007 2007 Element K Content LLC. All rights reserved. Screenshots used for illustrative purposes are the property of the software proprietor. This publication, or any part thereof, may
not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without express
written permission of Element K, 500 Canal View Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14623, (585) 240-7500, (800) 478-7788. Element K Coursewares World Wide Web site is located at
www.elementkcourseware.com.
IC
PL
DU
T
NO
DO
In
st
ru
ct
This book conveys no rights in the software or other products about which it was written; all use or licensing of such software or other products is the responsibility of the user according to terms and
conditions of the owner. Do not make illegal copies of books or software. If you believe that this book, related materials, or any other Element K materials are being reproduced or transmitted without
permission, please call (800) 478-7788.
ii
CONTENTS
iti
on
Position Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Corporate Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Management Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ed
B. Select a Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Interview Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
AT
or
Interview Participants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Behavioral Interviewing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
IC
PL
ct
Situational Interviewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
How Job Requirements Relate to Interview Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
DU
Types of Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
ru
Multi-layered Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Follow-up Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
NO
Interview Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Outline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
DO
st
In
Contents
iii
CONTENTS
LESSON 2 - INTERVIEWING A CANDIDATE AND COMPLETING THE INTERVIEW
PROCESS
A. Begin the Interview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
iti
on
Rapport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Communicate Hiring Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
B. Interview the Candidate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Job Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Advantages and Disadvantages of Note Taking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Basics of Nonverbal Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Negative Nonverbal Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Ed
AT
or
IC
PL
51
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
DU
GLOSSARY
ct
LESSON LABS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DO
NO
55
In
st
ru
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
iv
iti
on
INTRODUCTION
Ed
Every manager knows that to be successful, a company needs to build teams of employees
who are the top in their eld, work well together, and are happy in the company. However, it
is often difficult for managers to nd and hire the best people. In this course, you will practice
techniques that will empower you to do just thatto hire the best candidate every time
through strategies that will improve your success in interviewing. This can reduce or even
eliminate signicant turnover and allow your company to focus instead on achieving production goals.
AT
IC
or
We have all seen them, those employees who have been with the company for a long time but
do not seem to contribute anything positive. One type is the clock watcher, biding each
minute until the end of each day; another is the incessant complainer, quick to point out aws
in the daily operations, but never acting to make things better. As a manager, have you ever
asked, How can I spot those type of employees and avoid bringing them on board?
T
NO
ru
Course Description
Target Student
PL
DU
ct
The fact is that managers sometimes make poor hiring decisions because they reduce interviewing to simply determining if a candidate is able to do the job, or, worse yet, they rely
mostly on a gut feeling. By using the comprehensive interviewing strategies in this course, you
will spot and hire the best available candidates who will strengthen your company, while
avoiding the high costs associated with poor hiring decisions.
Course Prerequisites
DO
st
In
It is extremely important that you check with your Human Resources department to become
aware of both your companys hiring policies and procedures as well as the legalities involved
in the interviewing process.
Introduction
INTRODUCTION
iti
on
Each lesson covers one broad topic or set of related topics. Lessons are arranged in order of
increasing prociency with interviewing skills; skills you acquire in one lesson are used and
developed in subsequent lessons. For this reason, you should work through the lessons in
sequence.
We organized each lesson into results-oriented topics. Topics include all the relevant and supporting information you need to master interviewing skills, and activities allow you to apply
this information to practical hands-on examples.
As a Review Tool
Ed
All New Horizons soft skills courses offer business simulations. These business simulations
immerse you in a comfortable environment where you are presented with situations that
require you to make real-world decisions based on the principles you have learned in the
course. Within these simulations, you will meet characters, have access to clear and timely
feedback, and have the ability to review and change previous decisions. These business simulations are available on the course CD-ROM and can be accessed from any computer having the
software and hardware requirements specied in the Course Requirements section of your
manual.
AT
IC
DU
As a Reference
PL
ct
or
Any method of instruction is only as effective as the time and effort you are willing to invest
in it. In addition, some of the information that you learn in class may not be important to you
immediately, but it may become important later on. For this reason, we encourage you to
spend some time reviewing the topics and activities after the course. For an additional challenge when reviewing activities, try the What You Do column before looking at the How
You Do It column.
T
NO
ru
The organization and layout of the book make it easy to use as a learning tool and as an afterclass reference. You can use this book as a rst source for denitions of terms, background
information on given topics, and summaries of procedures.
st
Course Objectives
You will:
prepare to interview.
In
DO
In this course, you will examine guidelines and strategies for making effective hiring decisions.
vi
INTRODUCTION
Course Requirements
Hardware
Pentium 90 MHz or higher processor, or Macintosh PowerPC.
iti
on
Software
Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows NT 4.0, Windows XP
Home Edition, or Windows XP Professional.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0x, 5.5, or 6.0; or Netscape Navigator (excluding 6.0 and
6.1).
Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0 or higher; Apple QuickTime 5.0 or higher; Macromedia Flash
Player 6.0.79 or higher; or Macromedia Shockwave 7.0.2, 8.0, 8.5, 8.5.1 or higher.
Turn off pop-up blocking (Windows XP with Service Pack 2 Internet Explorer users
only).
Ed
Class Setup
2.
If you plan to have students key the lesson-level business simulations, set up a computer
for each student participating in the class.
IC
PL
In
DO
NO
DU
ct
ru
AT
If you plan to use the overheads provided on the CD-ROM, set up an instructor computer.
or
1.
st
Introduction
vii
E
AT
IC
PL
DU
T
NO
DO
In
st
ru
ct
or
Ed
iti
on
NOTES
viii
iti
on
LESSON 1
LESSON 1
Lesson Time
2 hour(s)
DO
NO
DU
ct
ru
In
st
AT
Select a strategy.
or
IC
You will:
PL
Ed
Preparing to Interview
LESSON 1
Introduction
iti
on
As in many endeavors, success in interviewing is directly related to the amount and quality of
preparation. This lack of preparation is perhaps the number one reason that interviews do not
result in the hiring of the best possible candidate. In this lesson, you will learn how to prepare
effectively for interviews, allowing you to get that new hire who will contribute to the success
of your department and your company.
When you prepare comprehensively for interviews, you can make fully informed decisions
about your applicants. Preparation will give you a clear set of criteria by which you can judge
the candidates. This is the rst step to nding the new hire you are truly looking for.
TOPIC A
Ed
Before you can begin looking at candidates for a job opening, you must be sure that the
requirements of the position are clear to you and to the applicants. In this topic, you will
dene those requirements.
AT
or
Dening the requirements of the position will enable you to gain a better understanding of
exactly who and what you are looking for as you begin the process of selecting candidates to
interview. Clearly dened position requirements will also help you determine the best questions to ask candidates in order to nd the optimum t.
IC
PL
DU
T
NO
DO
In
st
ru
ct
The interviewing process is complicated, and can be frustrating for both the job seeker and the
company. The complexity is increased by the fact that corporations differ widely in their hiring
practices. It becomes useful, then, to review the basic phases of the interviewing process.
LESSON 1
Gathering information is the rst step in the interviewing process. You will want to know
everything you can about your candidates in order to make the best hire. At the same time, the
best candidates will be gathering information about your organization. Research is the key to
success at this phase; the most up-to-date information must be obtained in order to analyze and
make hiring decisions.
iti
on
After all your information has been gathered, you will need to evaluate what you know. This
phase includes processing a potentially large number of applications. The actual interviewing is
also a part of this second phase. The manager and the applicants remain central, but several
other key players participate in the evaluation, including the Human Resources department,
members of your own department who may take part in the interviews, and other members of
management who will have important contributions to offer.
When the relevant information has been collected and analyzed from all sides, good hiring
decisions can be made. Perhaps the evaluation phase will point to the need to adjust the job
requirements, or maybe it will highlight the fact that the department could really use two new
people. It is also possible that an applicant may evaluate the company and the job and decide
that it may not be a good t after all.
Ed
While the process can be complex, it will enable you to secure the best new employees. When
everyone involved has completed a careful evaluation, they can avoid costly misjudgments
and, instead, make informed, long-term decisions.
AT
IC
or
Companies utilize their HR departments in a variety of ways throughout the hiring process.
Regardless of your companys specic relationship with HR, it is absolutely necessary to consult with them in order to become familiar with the legalities of the hiring process. These
include both the laws and the policies and procedures of your company. Compliance with these
laws and policies will need to be a priority as you seek to bring new team members on board.
PL
DU
ru
ct
It is especially important to be aware of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Signed
into law in 1990, the ADA is legislation intended to protect the rights of millions of disabled
Americans from being unfairly discriminated against in the hiring process. On a very basic
level, ADA has direct consequences on the kinds of questions you can and cannot ask in an
interview. Your Human Resources department should be able to prepare you with a basic
knowledge of ADA so that you can successfully engage in the interviewing process. Take the
initiative to do some research on the latest developments.
NO
DO
st
Position Requirements
Also, each Human Resources department has its own set of policies and procedures that govern the hiring of new employees. It is best to reacquaint yourself with your organizations
policies and procedures to ensure that you comply with them at each point in the interview
process.
Position Requirements
In
Denition:
Position requirements are a job description that includes every major component of the
open position. The position requirements should be clearly understood by both the
organization and the applicants. Normally, the components include the job title, training, level of education, and necessary experience; an outline of all the major
responsibilities of the job role; and pertinent information regarding the functional or
technical activities performed. The position requirements can also convey any key personal qualities that the company is looking for in a candidate; for example, good
communication skills.
LESSON 1
In addition, any specialized or unusual components should be introduced in the position requirements.
iti
on
Example:
Harold has an opening for a oor manager in his store. After carefully considering the
position and his goals, he writes the position requirements. Harold knows the job well
and is sure to include all the pertinent information about the oor managers responsibilities.
He also considers that management experience is very important to him; in addition,
he reects on key personal qualities that he would like to see in a candidate. Lastly,
Harold believes that the manager should be versed in the fundamentals of business;
therefore, he thinks that requiring some formal education would be best.
Ed
Keep in mind that this topic is not about how to write an advertisement for a job opening, but rather
how to dene position requirements for your own and the candidates understanding.
AT
IC
PL
DU
ct
or
Taking Stock
Articulating the job requirements offers a manager the opportunity to take stock of the
current trends in his or her department, or even in the organization as a whole. It is a
chance to reect on what the team really needs. While you may nd that you do
indeed need that extra team member, the facts may also point you in another direction.
For example, it is possible that a small-scale reorganization would actually address the
department needs better than just bringing a new member on board. Or, a combination
of these solutions might be best. Either way, experienced business leaders always recommend an honest and thorough assessment of a departments needs before deciding
to hire.
ru
Method
In
Narrative
NO
DO
st
There are several ways you can develop a good description of the position requirements. You
might choose to focus on one of these methods or combine them.
Description
Write a narrative describing how you see the new team member
spending a typical day on the job. Make it at least one paragraph
long. This can help you decipher what it is that you are truly
looking for, and may help you redene some of the goals of the
company and department. Are the current team members performing at the level you envision for the new hire? Maybe some
adjustments can be made before bringing someone new to the
team.
LESSON 1
Description
Department reections
If you are looking to ll an open position (as opposed to creating a new one), think carefully about the person who has left.
What were that persons strengths? Weaknesses? This can help
you decide the depth of experience and/or education you really
need in a candidate.
Ed
iti
on
Method
Corporate Culture
IC
AT
Corporate Culture
PL
ct
or
Denition:
Corporate culture is the shared values, goals, and attitudes that dene the personality
of an organization. It usually indicates a certain type of atmosphere you will pick up
on when entering the building. It often reects the core values of the organization,
which may be expressed in a number of ways, including the companys mission statement or slogan, the characteristics of the product the company sells, the way people
dress at work, the way management interacts with team members, and even the architecture or interior design of the building.
DU
NO
ru
Example:
Steven has an interview at Global Travel. When he walks in, no one seems to take
notice. People are shuffling through papers, talking on headsets, and narrowly avoiding
one another as they walk briskly through the rows of gray cubicles. He recognizes that
their attire comes from one of the better professional wear stores uptown. Lining the
walls are several panoramic pictures of famous European vacation spots, such as
Tuscany and Nice.
DO
In
st
LESSON 1
iti
on
Management Style
Ed
While it is important to consider the match between the candidate and your organizations corporate culture, a knowledge of your own managerial style can be just as signicant in making
hiring decisions. After all, the person you hire is the person you will have to manage. Can you
put aside major personality differences if a candidate is very talented? What are you willing to
live with, exactly? A mismatch can affect morale and productivity, so it is important that you
know your managerial style and hire someone who will enjoy working for you.
st
In
AT
IC
PL
NO
DO
ru
Well be productive.
ct
Details
DU
Management Style
or
There are several management styles into which most managers fall. Where do you see yourself in these types?
LESSON 1
iti
on
A comprehensive description of the position requirements will allow you to assess your organizations true needs, and then nd a candidate who can meet them.
Take stock of your departments workload and performance goals and, if necessary, your organizations current business goals.
Ed
Guidelines:
To dene the position requirements:
IC
AT
Dene the job title, then the training, experience, skill set, and education you feel
is best suited to the job role.
or
Learn from the past: What did the last person in the role do? Does the role
need to be modied?
PL
Reach out to your team members. Ask them to write their own job descriptions. This will help you dene the responsibilities of the job role.
ct
st
DO
This will allow the candidate to further understand the environment at your
organization.
NO
DU
Include any key personality traits that you are looking for in relation to the job
role, such as excellent verbal and written communication skills.
ru
How would you characterize your interaction with your team members?
In
Example:
Aubreys marketing department needs to hire a new copywriter. Aubrey takes stock of
the department and spots a trend: Most of his copywriters have technical backgrounds.
He decides that the department would benet from having a creative writer on the
team, so he indicates that in the job requirements.
LESSON 1
He feels that an MFA in Creative Writing would be the ideal level of education.
Because this position will serve as a mentor to less experienced writers, he indicates
that the ideal candidate should have a minimum of six years of experience. He conrms with HR and upper management that, given the level of experience and
education required for the position, the job title will be senior copywriter.
iti
on
Aubrey asks other copywriters on his team to provide him with a list of their daily
responsibilities, which he adds to his position requirements. He remembers that the
copywriters are required to attend two week-long conferences a year, and decides to
mention this special component.
In terms of personal traits, he needs someone who can work well as part of a team, but
who is, at the same time, comfortable taking on a leadership role within the department.
Ed
Aubrey considers the corporate culture at his organization: The atmosphere is both
very serious and extremely deadline-driven. There is little time for goong off, and all
employees are expected to work overtime. However, the company has a good history
of rewarding the employees for their dedication and hard work.
Lastly, Aubrey considers his own management style. He decides that he is the kind of
manager who likes to innovate, so it would be best to hire someone who is energized
by change.
AT
IC
or
ru
st
In
True
DO
NO
2.
PL
DU
1.
ct
Scenario:
As a manager at Our Global Company, you need to ll an open position on your team. Before
you can begin interviewing candidates, you rst need to dene the position requirements.
False
LESSON 1
3.
What are some ways in which an observer could detect an organizations corporate
culture?
a) How employees dress for work.
b) How employees raise their families.
c) The architecture or interior design of the workplace.
iti
on
Ed
Job_description.doc
AT
IC
PL
or
Scenario:
As a manager responsible for hiring, you need to dene the position requirements for a
Graphic Designer. You have pulled the job description from Human Resources.
Setup:
Listen to the questions asked by your instructor and participate in the group discussion.
To prepare for your interview, what additional information might you need to adequately
define the job requirements? What gaps do you see in Human Resources job description?
2.
Given your managerial style, what kind of person would you feel most comfortable managing? How would you use that information to define job requirements?
DU
T
NO
DO
In
st
ru
ct
1.
LESSON 1
TOPIC B
iti
on
Select a Strategy
Now that you have clearly dened the position requirements for the job you are hoping to ll,
you will need to select a strategy for the interview so that you have a detailed plan to use during the interview. Having this plan will allow you to conduct the interview much more
effectively. In this topic, you will select a strategy to use for the interview.
By selecting a comprehensive interview strategy, you will be in control of the interview and
put yourself in a position to get the results you want. The better the plan you create, the better
you will be able to determine if a candidate would be a good or bad choice for your current
opening.
Denition:
An interview strategy is a comprehensive plan that determines how you will conduct
an interview. It includes the objectives you want to focus on, as well as a choice of
which additional interview participants with whom you would like to collaborate. In
addition, the interview strategy includes considerations such as the style of interview
you choose to utilize and the questions you will ask.
AT
Interview Strategy
Ed
Interview Strategy
IC
Interview Participants
ru
PL
DU
ct
or
Example:
This afternoon, Melissa will be interviewing candidates for a position as a sales manager for her web development solutions team. This person would meet with clients
after a relationship has been established by the sales representative. Melissa decides
that she would like her vertical team leader and the director of Human Resources to
participate in the interview. As previous sales and management experience will be a
major requirement, Melissa decides to conduct a style of interview that heavily incorporates questions about past performance. Melissa then begins writing the questions
she wants to ask her candidates.
NO
DO
st
An important piece of the interview strategy is deciding who will interview the candidate. Can
you include one or two members of your department in the interview process? Will other
members of management be there? How will Human Resources be involved? To some extent,
the answers to these questions depend on the nature of the job opening. For example, let us
say you are interviewing a new technician. As a team, your technicians have developed an
excellent system for completing major projects. It would be imperative, then, to include a lead
technician in the interview process, since the success of the hire will depend, in part, on the
candidates ability to t in with the current system.
In
10
LESSON 1
Description
One-on-one
In a single interview, you will be the only person who meets the
candidates. This may be ne if it is a small department and you
make most of the decisions. The weakness with a one-on-one
interview, however, is that you lose the benet of a second opinion.
Several managers
When you involve another manager or two, you have the opportunity to garner opinions and thoughts formed from experience. This
can be very helpful in making hiring decisions.
Team members
Cross section
A cross section of people will give you the greatest variety of perspectives when making hiring decisions. Your HR person, for
example, is trained to see things you may not notice. An upperlevel manager may bring a good deal of wisdom from experience.
A team member will bring the perspective of having to work with
the new hire on a daily basis. The exchange of ideas among this
cross section can be a productive option for a thorough interview.
AT
Behavioral Interviewing
or
Ed
iti
on
Option
IC
PL
Behavioral Interviewing
DU
ct
Denition:
Behavioral interviewing is a form of interviewing based on the belief that past performance is the single best available indicator of future performance. In a behavioral
interview, the interviewer asks specic questions about how the candidate performed in
past job roles. A typical question might be, Can you tell me about a specic challenge
you overcame at your last job?
NO
ru
Example:
Jack is interviewing Suzanne for a position in the Public Relations department. PR at
Jacks organization is done mainly on teams.
DO
st
In
Afterwards, Suzanne tells Jack specically about the last project she worked on.
11
LESSON 1
iti
on
Ed
st
In
Creativity
Composure
PL
DU
NO
Insight
DO
ru
Time management
IC
ct
Initiative
12
AT
Questions
or
Trait
When conducting a behavioral interview, you will want to target certain desirable key traits
with your questions.
Have you encountered a situation where the old way didnt work?
What did you do? Walk me through your process.
Discuss a time when you came up with an innovative solution to a
problem you were facing.
Tell me about a time when things spiraled out of control and a crisis
developed. What did you do?
Tell me about the worst day you can remember on the job. Did you
handle it well? What could you have done differently?
LESSON 1
Questions
Teamwork
What do you consider the key ingredients of a good working relationship? Tell me how youve implemented these ideas in the past.
Tell me about a time when you worked with someone who was terribly difficult. What did you do?
Tell me about a time when you had a conict with a coworker.
Describe a time when you worked with people who think very differently than you do.
Manageability
Tell me how your last boss got the best out of you.
Give me an example of a time when your work was criticized. How
did you respond?
Tell me about the best manager youve ever had.
Tell me about a time when you disagreed with the actions of a boss
or manager.
Ed
Situational Interviewing
iti
on
Trait
IC
AT
Situational Interviewing
PL
or
Denition:
Situational interviewing is an interviewing strategy that allows the interviewer to place
the candidate in realistic situations that he or she would encounter on the job. The philosophy here is that you will be dealing with what takes place in the actual job role at
your organization, rather than just asking the candidate what he or she has done in the
past. Understanding exactly what happens on a daily basis can be a useful tool for
making the right match between candidate and job. Those who nd the work unappealing, or not what they expected, will discover the mismatch early in a situational
interview. Conversely, those who nd that the job indeed aligns with their interests and
ability will have the opportunity to demonstrate their enthusiasm.
DU
ct
Example:
Anjolie is interviewing Louise for a front desk job. She knows that the job is stressful
and that the right candidate will need to demonstrate composure, which, she feels, is
predicated upon excellent organizational skills.
ru
NO
DO
st
Anjolie: Lets say that youre working the front desk. Its lunchtime, and youre just
about to take a bite out of your sandwich when my client shows up for a meeting.
Youve paged me three times when someone nally tells you Ive been detained in
Cincinnati due to a cancelled ight. Also, six men representing a large account of ours
in Bangkok have shown up two hours early for their conference, and you need to do
something with them. Walk me through exactly how you would handle this situation.
In
On the Spot
A popular version of the situational interview is when a hiring manager brings someone to the actual job site to see what really happens, or even puts the candidate in the
role to see how he or she will handle it. This can be a powerful interview strategy, but
is probably most helpful in the case of needing to ll a position with someone who is
experienced. A danger of this strategy is weeding out a candidate who could learn the
job well and be an asset, but does not have the know-how to jump in or reacts poorly
to being put on the spot.
13
LESSON 1
How Job Requirements Relate to Interview
Questions
iti
on
One of the most important steps in selecting your strategy is to formulate the questions you
will ask. These questions should have a variety of objectives, such as learning about your candidates work history, education, and personal characteristics.
You carefully crafted the job requirements after analyzing your organizations true needs.
When formulating interview questions, you will need to devise questions that are dictated by
those job requirements. The best way to ensure that your questions are aligned with the job
requirements is to simply have those requirements in hand as you write the questions. Then,
you can utilize the interview strategy that seems best.
You can use the type of question that will elicit the best response to a job requirement.
Interview Questions
Behavioral Question:
Give me some specic examples of how you used word processing program at your last job.
Ed
Job Requirement
Situational Question:
Heres a hand-written memo. Use a word processor to type it
up and send it out.
AT
Behavioral Question:
Tell me about a time when you had to take charge and lead
your team.
or
Leadership abilities
IC
DU
Types of Questions
PL
ct
Situational Question:
What are some steps you would take if I asked you to lead a
team?
In
st
14
T
NO
Yes or no
Description
DO
Type
ru
There are other basic types of questions you should be aware of when selecting your interview
strategy.
LESSON 1
Description
Interpretive
Rebound
Stress
Judgement call
A judgement call question should be used when you want a candidate to demonstrate a business philosophy or walk you through
his or her decision-making process. It can be broad in scope,
such as, What do you think is the greatest cause for concern in
todays business climate? Also, you can present a scenario and
ask the interviewee to nd a solution. These questions could be
particularly helpful when hiring for a management position or a
position in which the employee will deal with ambiguity on a
regular basis.
In
Lesson 1: Preparing to Interview
NO
DU
PL
IC
AT
Ed
or
ct
ru
DO
st
Ringer
iti
on
Type
15
LESSON 1
Interviewers often work from a list of common interview questions. You may choose to use
some of these questions or adapt them to suit your needs.
Tell me about your current job.
Tell me about a time when you have had to work under a strict deadline.
What is the greatest challenge you have ever faced on the job? How did you handle it?
What are the greatest lessons you have learned from your previous jobs?
Tell me about a time when you showed innovation or creativity on the job.
NO
DU
PL
IC
AT
Ed
or
ct
ru
iti
on
Multi-layered Questions
In
DO
Denition:
Multi-layered questions are questions that contain multiple elaborations. Usually, the
exchange will begin with a yes or no question. Of course, you will always want to
dig deeper than that; you will want the candidate to give you specic thoughts, ideas,
or examples from the workplace. Multi-layered questions are designed to give you all
the relevant details and to allow you to see the story from different perspectives. The
classic multi-layering strategy is to ask, who, what, why, where, when, and how
something occurred.
st
Multi-layered Questions
Example:
Nathan is interviewing a candidate for a front office position in his organization.
16
LESSON 1
Nathan: Do you work well on a team? Give me an example of a recent team effort
you were involved in. What was your role? What made the project a success?
Nathan believes that the layers, in this case, will uncover the skills of the candidate
much better than asking an initial yes or no question.
iti
on
Follow-up Questions
Denition:
A follow-up question is an isolated layer of a multi-layered question that is asked as a
follow up to a candidates response. Rather than asking the multi-layered question all
at once, the interviewer will ask one part of it, and then wait for a response. Then, she
will follow up on the candidates response with another question. This method is useful in discouraging vague or pat answers. After all, the heart of a good interview is
specic details, a complete picture of a candidate.
Follow-up Questions
Ed
Example:
Gail asks her candidate, Paul: Do you think you can manage accounts with some of
the industrys biggest companies?
Paul: Yes, I certainly can. In fact, Ive done it well in the past.
AT
Interview Script
IC
or
Gail follows up with several questions, including, Tell me more about that. Can you
give me a recent example? How do you ensure that product delivery is always on
time? What do you do when a customer is particularly challenging to work with? Gail
continues to choose follow-up questions as they suit her needs.
PL
Interview Script
DU
ct
Denition:
An interview script is a plan that details how an interview will be conducted. It can be
very specic or more general. It should contain the steps of the interview as well as
specic questions to ask the interviewee.
NO
ru
A good rule of thumb is that the less experience you have with interviewing, the more
detailed your interview script should be, while those who have been through it many
times may need less of a script. However, even managers with long tenures can benet
from good planning, including ordering the questions they have chosen.
DO
st
Example:
Jean is preparing to interview candidates for an open position in her department. She
creates an interview script. She wants someone with a real commitment to her organization. Also, she would like her candidate to have a strong technical background.
Lastly, Jean wants someone who has survived challenges, has learned from them, and
has a good sense of self-awareness.
In
Regardless of how closely you choose to follow your script, the most telling exchanges often take place
in the various layers or follow-ups. It is important to be exible, never just pushing through to the next
question on your list if your candidate has taken the conversation in another relevant and interesting
direction. Respond carefully, interrogating each response until you are satised that you have received
enough information.
17
LESSON 1
Outline
Denition:
An outline is a brief account that covers at least the main points and, perhaps, some of
the important details of an interview script. The outline is often used in lieu of a formal script. Some managers will use an outline for the structure it provides and ll it in
with a great deal of detail. Again, a rule of thumb is helpful: The less experienced a
manager is with interviewing, the more detailed the outline should be.
iti
on
Outline
Example:
Jean creates the following outline in preparation for an interview this afternoon.
Interview today at 3:00 P.M. (Sam Johnson):
1. Introductions.
Education.
Experience.
Why did he leave Our Global Company after just six months?
What skills did he learn in his current role that would transfer to our lab?
4.
Tour of building.
5.
Wrap-up.
Make sure we have a current phone number, since he just moved from California.
or
ru
In
PL
NO
DO
st
DU
ct
A thoughtful and carefully chosen interview strategy will enable you to make the most comprehensive evaluation of your candidate.
Guidelines:
In order to select a strategy:
18
IC
AT
3.
Ed
2.
Determine if behavioral interviewing will provide the right kind of information, given your candidate pool.
Does your candidate have enough specic experience for you to employ
behavioral interviewing? Or will you fail to address the candidates potential?
Given the job requirements, determine which traits you want to explore.
Given the job requirements and limitations of interviewing, can you judge a
candidates performance in a situational interview?
LESSON 1
What types of questions will help you get the clearest understanding of your
candidates skills and experiences?
iti
on
Do you want to identify candidates who can think on their feet? Or is this of
minor importance relative to other skills?
Do you need to see all the details in front of you, or are you more comfortable lling them in as you go along?
Ed
Example:
Hectors company has posted an opening for a driver, and responses have been coming
in steadily. Hector wants to be well prepared, so he considers what will be an effective
interview strategy. He knows that a driver will typically interact with the warehouse
manager and the senior supervisor, so he enlists these people to conduct the interview
with him.
AT
IC
or
Hector also wants to get a clear picture of how each candidate has performed in the
past, so he elects to include several behavioral questions. Also, because he needs to
ensure that his new employee is comfortable in a stressful, fast-paced environment, he
decides to add a situational component to the interview. He plans to take candidates
over to his department to show them what it would be like to work there.
PL
ct
Hector decides to use a blend of multi-layered and follow-up questions in order to get
the most complete picture of his applicants. He then makes a list of the specic questions he will ask.
DU
T
NO
DO
In
st
ru
This is Hectors rst experience with hiring, so he decides to write a full script to use
during the interview process rather than a brief outline. He denes the ow of the
interview, from the introductions through the wrap-up, and orders the questions he has
authored.
19
LESSON 1
1.
iti
on
Scenario:
There is an open position on your team at Our Global Company. You have already determined
the position requirements, but before you can begin interviewing candidates, you rst need to
formulate a strategy for the interview process.
a) If the candidate has just graduated from college and does not have specific work
experience.
Ed
b) If the candidate has a great deal of experience that is not directly related to your
position.
c) If you are looking for specific skills and related experience.
d) If you are limiting your search to internal candidates.
2.
AT
or
Time Management
Teamwork
In
DO
NO
Motivation
st
a.
DU
Creativity
ct
PL
Match the behavioral question to the trait that the interviewer is targeting.
ru
3.
IC
20
LESSON 1
Selecting a Strategy
Scenario:
Role play a behavioral interview with two partners. The person playing the candidate should
pretend to be interviewing for a management position. The interviewers should begin with
some general questions, then follow-up with behavioral questions. For example, the rst interviewer can say, Tell me about your current position, then follow up on the answer with
behavioral questions targeting certain traits.
Teamwork
AT
What strategies did the interviewer employ? Which strategy was most effective, and which
strategies did you feel were underutilized?
DU
T
NO
DO
In
st
ru
ct
3.
Time management
PL
2.
Innovation/Creativity
IC
or
1.
Ed
iti
on
Setup:
Listen to the questions asked by your instructor, and participate in the group discussion.
21
LESSON 1
TOPIC C
iti
on
Ed
Reading rsums should be more than just checking to see if the applicant can do the job.
When you learn to spot warning signs, you may be able to narrow down your list more easily.
AT
or
The rst priority when reading rsums is to look for a clear match between your job requirements and the candidates qualications. Here are some warning signs to keep in mind when
screening rsums: multiple errors or typos, poor organization or unclear presentation, any
signs of a poor t (including personality), patterns that indicate that the candidate is hiding
something, gaps or inconsistencies, and any exaggerated claims.
Choosing the best candidates to interview will make the hiring process go much more
smoothly.
PL
IC
In
22
DU
DO
NO
st
Is the material rife with errors? Are the errors slight enough that you would
still consider interviewing this candidate?
ru
ct
Guidelines:
When choosing candidates to interview:
Look for warning signs when evaluating written materials from candidates.
Does the candidate have the minimum education and experience you require?
If not, are you willing to overlook this based on other factors?
If the candidate is missing parts of what you would like to see, what other
skills or experiences can they offer?
Does the candidate seem to have a good track record of learning new skills?
LESSON 1
Compare the rsum to the position requirements you authored. Does it seem like
a good preliminary match?
iti
on
Example:
Li is looking to ll an open position in her department at the law rm and has just
received a stack of resumes from HR. She scans each one for typographical errors.
Because she is looking for someone with excellent attention to detail, she does not
want to bother interviewing candidates who submit sloppy rsums. One person has
three typos on the rst page alone; that kind of carelessness is unacceptable, so he is
eliminated from consideration.
One candidates rsum skips from September 1996 to March of 1997, with no
accounting for what happened in between those dates. He will not be automatically
eliminated, but Li would like to understand the gap.
Ed
Although Li mentioned in the job posting that she is looking for an experienced executive assistant, several applicants indicate that they have just graduated from college. Li
eliminates two candidates because of this lack of experience, but adds a third to the
keep pile, based on his time spent as an intern in the office of the president at his
school.
PL
ct
IC
AT
or
One candidate has the right education, and indicates that she spent several years working as an executive secretary at a large advertising rm. This candidates exposure to a
fast-paced, deadline-driven environment puts her in the keep pile. Li makes a note,
however, that the law rm might be a more formal, serious corporate culture than the
candidate is used to. She hopes to get a feel for whether or not this applicant would be
a true t during the interview process.
DU
T
NO
st
a) Typos
b) Flashy design
c) Exaggerated claims
DO
1.
ru
Scenario:
As a hiring manager at Our Global Company, you have clearly dened the position requirements for the open job and have created an interview strategy. Now, you must sift through the
rsums you have received in order to choose candidates to interview.
2.
In
e) Gaps or inconsistencies
False
23
LESSON 1
3.
iti
on
Entry_level_resumes.doc
Ed
Choosing Candidates to
Interview
Setup:
Listen to the questions asked by your instructor and participate in the group discussion.
AT
IC
or
Scenario:
As a hiring manager, you have received a number of applications and rsums for an open
entry level position as a clerk. The position requires interactions with the public, as well as
good communication and organization skills.
2.
Which of the rsums would you put in the keep pile? Which would you immediately discard?
NO
DU
PL
ct
1.
ru
Lesson 1 Follow-up
st
Based on what you have learned, what changes will you make to your interview preparations?
In
DO
1.
24
iti
on
LESSON 2
LESSON 2
Lesson Time
1 hour(s), 30 minutes
Ed
Interviewing a Candidate
and Completing the
Interview Process
DU
T
NO
DO
ru
In
st
AT
Select a candidate.
IC
PL
ct
or
You will:
In this lesson, you will conduct an interview and complete the interview process.
25
LESSON 2
Introduction
iti
on
While preparation is undoubtedly the key to a good interview, there are many factors to consider during the interview that will contribute to a positive outcome. In this lesson, you will
identify strategies for conducting comprehensive interviews and completing the interview process that will enable you to nd and hire the right person to meet your needs.
Using strategies for effective interviewing will best serve both you and the candidate. You will
have a very clear idea of who the applicant is, and the applicant will have a realistic understanding of the job opening and the company at large. With these interviewing strategies, you
will be able to make the most informed decisions about each candidate.
TOPIC A
Ed
Good managers want to make every interview run smoothly, regardless of the merits of the
individual candidates. The preparation you have completed will allow you to make the most of
your time with each applicant. You will not be shuffling through papers or relying on vague
memories of the applicants; instead, you will be able to get off to an efficient start. In this lesson, you will begin the interview.
AT
DU
ct
Denition:
Rapport is a relationship that is characterized by mutual trust and respect. Rapport is
often established when people nd something they have in common; however, it can
also develop when people choose to respect their differences in points of view, life
experience, or other factors.
ru
Rapport
IC
Rapport
PL
or
Sometimes the candidate and the hiring manager may both feel a little nervous at the beginning of an interview. Starting things off well can ease everyones nerves and allow for a more
productive interview.
In
26
NO
DO
st
In an interview, rapport can be established through eye contact, a smile, a warm handshake, and greeting the candidate by name. Also, you should introduce anyone else in
the room, pronouncing their names clearly. Lastly, small talk can soothe nerves, allowing both you and the candidate to hit a stride before getting to the important issues. Be
yourself and the candidate will pick up on your sincerity.
Sometimes even the most competent candidates will make a poor rst impression due to nervesthis
can be especially true in circumstances where a candidate is particularly anxious to be settled into a
new job or has had bad interview experiences in the past. So be sure to downplay anything embarrassing that has occurred. For example, if the candidate fumbles with a cup of coffee and spills it, make
light of it. You will bring out the best in candidates who feel comfortable, even during a small mishap.
LESSON 2
iti
on
Example:
Jamal is interviewing Christy for a position at his small media agency. When she
walks in, Jamal smiles, making eye contact, then shakes her hand and introduces himself. After introducing Christy to his colleague Evan, Jamal makes a good-natured joke
about his long-time friend. Evan comes back with some humor. Christy enjoys the banter and is pleased to have a minute to get settled; it helps her feel relaxed and ready
for the interview.
Jamal jokingly comments on Christys residenceMiami, Florida:
Why would you want to move to Boston? Its freezing here!
She responds that a close friend from college lives there and loves the area. They wrap
up the chat with everyone feeling comfortable.
Ed
AT
or
PL
IC
Hiring Procedures
DU
ct
Denition:
Hiring procedures are the specics that inform the candidate about the hiring process
at your organization. They include the next steps you will take and the time frames in
which the process will occur. Because job hunting is stressful, you can court your best
candidates more successfully by being up front with them about what they can expect.
Also, you and your HR department will benet from informing candidates; since they
will be in the know, they will not be calling or emailing constantly to check on their
status.
NO
DO
st
ru
Example:
After a bit of small talk, Billy explains the hiring procedures to his candidate, Chris.
He tells Chris that if he becomes a nalist, he will receive a phone call most likely by
the end of next week. In that case, he will be interviewed again, but this time at the
downtown offices. Chris tells Billy that he feels much more at ease now that he knows
what to expect.
In
A great start that is both professional and welcoming will bring out the best in an interview
candidate and will allow you to see if he or she will be a good match for your current opening
and organization.
Guidelines:
To begin an interview well:
Establish rapport.
Make eye contact, smile, and shake hands with the candidate.
27
LESSON 2
Be sincere.
Tell your candidate what he or she can expect about the process.
iti
on
If possible, provide them with a schedule before they arrive; include the
names and titles of people they will meet.
Include in your explanation all the areas you hope to cover in the interview.
Ed
Be realistic about the hiring process. Remind candidates that normal time lines
may need to be pushed back on occasion.
AT
or
Example:
Frances is looking to hire a new accountant for her real estate rm. Today, she is interviewing Bill, who has driven in from over 100 miles away through a mild snowstorm.
When he walks into the lobby, he seems a bit on edge.
IC
Frances meets him in the lobby, smiles cordially, and offers a reassuring handshake.
ct
PL
Frances: Hi, Im Frances. Im so glad you made it! I know the weather hasnt been
very cooperative!
DU
Bill: Hi, Im Bill Walker. Yeah, the roads werent great, but Im here. Glad to meet
you!
ru
Before they sit down for the interview, Frances points down a hallway to the restroom,
telling Bill that she is going to go get a cup of coffee. She asks,
NO
DO
st
In
28
Frances: Okay, Bill, heres how things work in our process: If you become one of our
nalists, you will be informed on Friday. Then there will be a second round of interviews, which will include our district manager. Any questions?
Bill: No, that works for me.
LESSON 2
Frances: Okay then, heres what I hope to accomplish todayrst, I want to hear
about your current role. Then well talk about the organization and the way we operate
here. Of course, you can ask me any questions you might have. Then we can wrap
things up. Sound good?
iti
on
Scenario:
As a manager at Our Global Company, you have scheduled interviews. To bring out the best in
your candidates, you will need to begin the interview in a positive and professional manner.
Ed
1.
c) The next steps your organization will take in the hiring process.
AT
2.
IC
or
DU
ct
ru
NO
DO
In
st
PL
3.
29
LESSON 2
iti
on
Your candidate will be ying in from Atlanta. Your corporate headquarters is located in a rural
area; the road from the airport to your town is lined with maple syrup producing farms and
beautiful fall foliage. There is a good local coffee shop down the street. It has been raining all
week; meanwhile, it has been sunny in Atlanta.
Ed
You have the nal say in hiring decisions at your company. Therefore, the process normally
moves along quickly. You have already interviewed three other candidates; one was okay, but
not as strong a candidate as the one you are interviewing today.
At some point, you want to take the candidate on a tour of the companys impressive facilities.
Also, the interview will be running through the lunch hour.
How do these ways to begin an interview compare to real life interviews you have experienced? What could the interviewer have done more effectively?
AT
IC
DU
PL
ct
TOPIC B
2.
or
With a partner, role play your way through the beginning stages of the interview.
NO
ru
st
1.
In
DO
An interview is a unique type of interaction that will give you a much more complete picture
of the candidate than just a rsum alone. Interviewing well will help you know if the person
sitting in front of you is the best person for the job, or if you will need to keep searching.
30
LESSON 2
Job Expectations
Job Expectations
iti
on
Denition:
Job expectations are conditions that tell a candidate what he or she could expect upon
beginning to work for a company. Job expectations include the principal responsibilities of the role, along with the amount of time spent on various tasks. Also included
are shift hours, policies about breaks and lunches, the dress code, and any other important departmental or company-wide procedures. Job expectations often reect the
organizations corporate culture. They can be introduced all at once or as they come up
in the interview.
Ed
Example:
Bob is interviewing Maria for a position as a software engineer. After the introductions, Bob explains the responsibilities of software engineers at his company. Then he
begins asking Maria some questions from his script. At one point, Maria mentions that
she is interested in a exible structure. Here, Bob sees the opportunity to bring up
some of the job expectations:
Bob: At our company, we have core hoursyou must be in the office between 9 AM
and 3 PM, but when you come in and leave is up to you, as long as it adds up to eight
hours a day. Also, you can work at home up to two days per week, as you choose.
Maria is pleased to hear this.
AT
IC
or
Bob: Before I forget, let me mention that we do have a strict policy regarding proprietary issues. Our software engineers must sign an agreement stating that they will not
share our work in progress, in any degree of detail, with anyone outside the company.
I just wanted to put that out there for you so you understand the expectations clearly.
Do you have any questions or concerns about this?
PL
DU
ct
ru
NO
DO
In
st
Some interviewers take copious notes during an interview; others may jot down a single
thought here and there or nothing at all. There are advantages and disadvantages to taking
notes during an interview.
31
LESSON 2
Details
AT
or
Ed
iti
on
Category
IC
PL
DU
ru
ct
NO
DO
st
The messages that candidates send with their body language can be just as signicant as the
messages they send with their words; that is because most nonverbal communication is instinctive and therefore cannot easily be disguised. An understanding of the basics of nonverbal
communication can help you determine if your candidate is nervous, disinterested, sincere, or
arrogant. An increased understanding of nonverbal cues can also make you aware of the messages you are sending, showing you how to send the right signals and avoid body language
that communicates negative messages.
In
There are some basic positive nonverbal signals you should be aware of.
32
LESSON 2
Meaning
Eye contact
Appropriate eye contact can demonstrate condence on the part of the candidate and interest on
the part of the interviewer.
Good posture
Good handshake
iti
on
Signal
Ed
Be aware that the norms of nonverbal communication may be different in other cultures. In some cultures,
people are very open, even with new acquaintances, while in others, people may feel uncomfortable acting too
familiar with someone they have just met or someone in a position of authority. It may be helpful to do some
research on common cultural signiers that you may encounter in your interviews so that you can be sensitive to
the diverse spectrum of ways that people interact. For example, what is considered appropriate eye contact varies
radically between cultures. In fact, in some cultures, looking at the speaker in a conversation is considered rude,
whereas looking away when someone is talking is polite.
AT
Signals
DU
NO
DO
ru
st
In
PL
An arrogant candidate may appear a bit too comfortable, with an arm resting lazily over part of the
chair, legs crossed, or hands making expansive
gestures. Also, an arrogant candidate may regularly
interrupt the interviewer, sometimes even adopting
a tone that seems to be lecturing. This may be
because the candidate actually feels that he or she
is overqualied for the job, or it may be in overcompensation for a lack of condence. Do not
forget that these behaviors could also be symptoms
of nervousness.
ct
Arrogance
Evasiveness
IC
or
There are some nonverbal cues that tend to signal negative messages.
Message
33
LESSON 2
Signals
Boredom
iti
on
Message
Ed
Nervousness
Bear in mind that nervousness is one of the most commonly signaled states during an
interview. Do not make the mistake of thinking that a nervous candidate lacks the condence to be a great employee. Nervousness, for example, can sometimes be a sign
that a candidate is very interested in the positionin some cases, he or she may view
the job as fullling a long time career goal. Therefore, the stakes are high and a candidate can become nervous.
AT
IC
PL
or
Some nervousness may actually be a good thing; it can indicate that there is a real
investment on the part of the candidate. Nervousness can be signaled by a tapping
foot, an unconscious touching of ones face (ear, lip, or scratching the nose are typical), eyes that indicate a bit of uneasiness or fear, an inability to get comfortable in a
chair, or a high-pitched voice.
DU
ru
ct
Extreme Nervousness
Often candidates will begin by being more nervous; the symptoms of nervousness will
usually diminish as the interview progresses and the candidate becomes more comfortable. When a candidate has severe symptoms of nervousness that last throughout the
interview without diminishing, it can become a genuine cause for concern for the interviewer and needs to be included as part of your evaluation of the candidate.
DO
After extensive preparation, your interview with the candidate will be the major factor in making a hiring decision.
st
NO
In
Guidelines:
To effectively interview a candidate:
34
Tell your candidate about the basic responsibilities of the job role.
Consider anything else about your organization that the candidate should
know.
Interviewing Skills for Management
Are you taking notes to give you a factual basis with which you can compare
candidates?
Are you taking so many notes that you miss important answers or nonverbal
cues from your candidate?
Are you writing down information that is already available to you in the
rsum or cover letter?
Has your note taking caused the candidate to force speech that is unnatural?
iti
on
Are you taking notes to record your impressions while they are freshest in
your mind?
Do you recognize physical signs that often indicate condence, interest, concentration, and relaxation?
Do you recognize the physical signs that often indicate arrogance, evasiveness, and boredom?
AT
or
Ed
Be aware of your value system and the ways in which you think about other
people.
List potential differences between you and a candidate and carefully consider
each item.
Minimize your personal biases by focusing on the applicants skill levels and
the job requirements.
PL
DU
IC
If a candidate remains stumped, simply come back to the issue later after the
candidate has regained momentum.
For nervous candidates who actually talk too much, use well-timed interruptions to help them regain their focus.
NO
If you sense that the candidate is providing you with pat answers, ask more challenging questions.
In
DO
Are you taking notes to record thoughts without interrupting the candidate?
ct
ru
st
LESSON 2
35
LESSON 2
Be aware of the type of response you want to elicit. If you upset a candidate
unintentionally, apologize and reassure the candidate of your intentions.
Consider shifting your fundamental strategy, if you are not getting the results you
anticipated.
Allow candidates to deviate from scripted responses. Dont redirect them prematurely to the topic at hand.
iti
on
Ed
Example:
Ezra is interviewing Wayne for a position as a systems analyst. As he works through
his script, he cannot help but notice that Wayne appears arrogantly informal: His arm
is dangling over the back of his chair and his legs are crossed casually, as though he is
at a movie. However, when Wayne begins answering questions, his voice cracks and
he taps his foot without realizing it.
Ezra observes that Wayne seems nervous and may be trying to overcompensate by
appearing relaxed. At one point, Ezra asks a question that Wayne cannot seem to
answer. Ezra smiles warmly and reassures him, then moves on to other subjects.
AT
or
When Wayne begins to talk about his previous experience, he regains his condence.
Ezra notices that he sits upright, leans slightly forward, and makes frequent eye contact, indicating that he is feeling more relaxed and self-assured.
PL
IC
Ezra asks about some of the cutting-edge work Wayne has done in the eld. Ezra
steals a glance at Waynes rsum again, seeing that while this information is represented, Wayne is going into interesting specic details. He decides to jot down a few
notes.
DU
ct
Ezra has already interviewed several candidates and knows that he can use the notes as
one more device with which to compare his prospective hires. He likes to write down
important thoughts and impressions while they are still fresh in his mind.
NO
ru
In the latter part of the interview, Ezra tells Wayne about the job expectations. He
mentions the core responsibilities and how the analysts spend their time. He also indicates that the position would require working closely with the system administrator and
the IT department; in fact, some team problem-solving could be expected. Ezra adds,
however, that telecommuting remains a possibility for the individual in the role.
DO
In
st
He is sure to mention that the atmosphere in the office is traditional and professional
and that high prole clients are often on site. He feels that this will give Wayne a reasonable sense of what it would be like to work in the organization.
36
LESSON 2
2.
Ed
True or False? During an interview, a hiring manager should be taking a good amount
of notes.
True
False
3.
AT
or
IC
DO
NO
DU
ct
ru
In
st
PL
1.
iti
on
Scenario:
In order to hire the best candidate, you will need to conduct effective interviews.
37
LESSON 2
Sample_interview.doc, Job_description.doc
Setup:
Listen to the questions your instructor asks, then participate in the role-play.
Ed
Scenario:
You have set up an interview with a candidate for your open graphic designer position. After
reviewing both the qualications and the job requirements, you are prepared to interview the
candidate.
Determine whether you want to take notes on the candidates responses, then interview
the candidate.
2.
Discuss your experience with note taking during an interview. How do you incorporate it
into the interviews you conduct? Have you had any memorable experiences with note taking, either as an interviewer or as a candidate? What made this a good or bad experience?
3.
Discuss the nonverbals of the candidate. Did they play a significant role in the interview?
Did everyone interpret them in the same way?
AT
IC
PL
DU
T
NO
DO
ru
In
st
1.
ct
iti
on
Data Files:
or
38
LESSON 2
TOPIC C
iti
on
If you nd the right person for your department, you will need to complete the interview process in order to bring him or her on board. Selecting the right candidate is the next step to
completing the interview process.
Ed
Your gut feelings or instincts about a candidate will often be a helpful factor in making hiring decisions. Your instincts, after all, have developed through years of experiences relating to
and communicating with a variety of people. Researchers tell us that our intuition about people
may be based on the brains ability to quickly match patterns of behavior with past experiences.
Characteristics
DU
ru
Age
PL
ct
Attractiveness
IC
Perceptual Bias
AT
or
Listening to your instincts can alert you to any strong doubts you may be having about a candidate. In the case of doubt, it is worth pursuing an investigation of your gut feelings.
However, be sure to double check your gut feelings against the candidates rsum. If the candidates qualications are a perfect match, but your gut is telling you that something is not
right, you should probably listen to the facts. In addition, do not let a great impression overrule a serious lack of qualications.
Linguistic Differences
In
DO
NO
In many cultures, stereotypes about racial and ethnic groups can be pervasive; even if not overt,
such thoughts can skew ones perceptions.
st
39
LESSON 2
The Importance of Seeking a Second Opinion
iti
on
Perhaps the most important step you can take to test your intuition is to seek a second opinion.
Discuss the candidates carefully with other team members. If you and at least one other team
member have strong feelings of uneasiness, or if you both feel perfectly condent about a candidate, you can probably trust those feelings. It is always a good idea to have other members
of management review application materials. Their observations may shed new light on the
candidates. Often, you will discover the deeper meanings beneath your impressions just by
talking about them.
Checking References
When permitted by your human resources department, references can be a signicant help in
choosing the right candidate for a job at your organization.
Ed
When checking references, you need to ensure that your information is relevant and comprehensive:
Be sure to ask how long and in what capacity the reference has known the candidate.
Use the opportunity to inquire about the applicants interests outside of work.
AT
IC
PL
ct
or
DU
NO
ru
Good managers understand that hiring is a complex process and that, at times, it can be difficult to remain objective. Differences between you and the candidate, for example, can
inuence nal hiring decisions. It can be tempting to like a candidate you understand well.
Likewise, it can be tempting to dismiss an applicant with whom you may not have much in
common. Potential differences between you and the candidate include values, cultural or ethnic
background, temperament, communication style, personality, physical appearance, gender, and
geographic location.
DO
In
st
Metrics
In addition to careful reection, several other techniques can help ensure greater objectivity during the interviewing process. The use of metrics is a good practice; they
allow you to focus on the skills required for the position and the specic ways in
which each candidate does or does not meet those requirements. A common metric that
organizations use is to list the position requirements and score each candidate on
each requirement. A simple method is to use a 3 if the candidate is strong in a certain area, a 2 if the candidate is average in an area, and a 1 if a candidate is weak
in a particular area.
40
LESSON 2
Internal and External Factors that May Inuence
an Interview
iti
on
It is especially important to take time after an interview to reect and sort out exactly what
took place. Remember that we are only human, and while we may have good intentions, our
points of view can be skewed by a variety of internal and external factors.
Your own physical and mental health may inuence an interview. If you were suffering from
allergies, a head cold, or even depression, chances are that you will look upon the interview as
a negative experience. Some external factors may also affect you. You may have been stuck in
a traffic jam, or your buildings air conditioner may be malfunctioning. Such events do not
have to be negative: An unexpected positive development could just as easily skew your thinking about an interview. As a manager, you must learn to recognize the factors that tend to
inuence you the most.
Ed
Properly selecting a candidate will ensure that you have objectively chosen the best person for
the job, whose education, experience, and temperament suggest a high possibility of a successful t with your company.
If others were involved in the interviewing, how do their opinions align with
your impressions?
IC
PL
ct
AT
What did your instincts tell you about the applicant? Are you clear about
your feelings? Does the applicants rsum support your gut feel?
or
Gauge a candidates potential to grow with the company versus his or her
immediate usefulness.
Does the candidate show potential to learn new skills that may compensate
for a lack of specic training?
DO
NO
DU
Rank the applicants skill levels and the job requirements. Is there a good
match?
ru
st
Guidelines:
To effectively select a candidate, consider these quidelines:
Does the candidate appear likely to work cooperatively with other employees? Is there a good temperamental t?
In
41
LESSON 2
iti
on
Example:
Max wanted to ll an open position in the customer service department for his insurance agency. Three licensed applicants, Lee, Kim, and Sara, made it through the nal
performance interviews. Although a quick decision was needed, Max had made a commitment to the importance of a comprehensive follow-up. He contacted each
applicants personal references by phone and asked a set of questions designed to conrm claims, determine the applicants listening and problem-solving skills, and
estimate the degree of patience he or she would show under stress. He conrmed all
the candidates references, but he was told that the license Lee held applied to a different state.
Ed
All the candidates presented themselves as polished and professional, with wellrehearsed responses to his questions. Uneasy with the careful and diplomatic answers,
Max shifted gears and asked each candidate a series of challenging questions. He
asked multiple follow-up questions until he received what he thought were more open
responses. While Kim and Sara seemed to enjoy the give-and-take, Lee seemed more
uncomfortable with Maxs more aggressive method. Realizing this, Max assured him
that he was merely trying to gain a fuller understanding of the job candidates, not
attack them.
AT
or
Next, Max reviewed his interview notes for each applicant. He felt very comfortable
with Sara, who performed an adequate test. He thought Kim seemed pleasant, but she
struggled with the performance test. Lee was aloof with very little to say during the
interview and his test performance was far better than the other two candidates. The
three interviewing supervisors had some negative comments about both Kim and Sara,
but they were very positive about Lee. Surprised at their evaluation, Max scrutinized
his attitude to see if any perceptual biases had clouded his judgment. He thought about
whether his negative evaluations of Lees social skills and his approval of Kim and
Sara were due to his own cultural biases.
IC
PL
DU
T
NO
DO
In
st
ru
ct
Finally, Max underlined the key job requirements in the job description and ranked
them according to importance. He also ranked each applicants job experience and
compared them to the job requirements. Lees experience matched highly. It was obvious that Lee was the best applicant based on the job needs, but Max favored Sara. He
was concerned about Lees license and still uncomfortable with Lees interview
impression. He spoke with the three supervisors about his concerns. They told him that
Lee was properly licensed in three states and that they saw his attitude as calm and
business-like. Max decided to hire based on the job requirements, not his gut feeling,
and offered Lee the job.
42
LESSON 2
Which two items work together to strengthen your personal understanding of a job
candidate?
a) A candidates reference list and rsum.
c) A rsum and interview notes.
d) Job references and interview notes.
2.
Ed
Silvias intuition tells her that Alfred would not be right for the sales position. She
wants to be sure that her feelings can be trusted. What should she do?
a) Invite the applicant for another interview.
1.
iti
on
Scenario:
As a manager at Our Global Company, you have completed interviewing. To choose the best
person for the job, you will need to select strategies to help you compare and evaluate the candidates.
b) Get the opinions of others who had contact with the applicant.
AT
ct
PL
3.
IC
or
DU
c) You can streamline the process by avoiding the human resources department.
T
NO
DO
In
st
ru
43
LESSON 2
iti
on
Sample_resume.doc, Job_description.doc
1.
2.
Listen to the directions from your instructor and participate in the small group discussion.
Ed
Scenario:
You have completed three interviews for the brand manager position in your division. You
have the job description, interview notes, and the applicants rsums. You will need to choose
the best person for the job.
Review the job description, interview notes, and rsums. Is the job description adequate?
If not, how would you change it?
2.
How well do the applicants skills match the job description? What similarities and differences exist between the candidates? Which of the applicants have skills that are not
required but would be useful in the job? Explain.
3.
4.
Group Discussion: Which candidates were not chosen? Why? What methods did you use to
make the choice? How could this interview process have been improved?
AT
IC
PL
DU
T
NO
DO
ru
In
st
1.
ct
Data Files:
or
Selecting a Candidate
Discussion Activity
44
LESSON 2
TOPIC D
iti
on
If you have completed the interviews and still feel that you have not found the best person for
the job, do not despair; you still have other options. The right person is out there; it just may
require some extra effort to secure him or her for your team. You just need to reconsider the
search.
Ed
When faced with a pool of candidates who do not meet the job expectations, there are actions
you can take to improve your chances of nding a suitable candidate.
Guidelines:
To reconsider your search:
Does the candidate pools general skill level seem more applicable to a different job, suggesting your failure to specify exact requirements in your
advertising?
IC
AT
or
DO
Have you selected the correct interview strategy? Or have your methods
alienated qualied candidates?
In
NO
DU
ru
st
PL
Determine if your search should focus on more general qualities (an ability to
learn on the job or communication skills) rather than specic technical skills.
ct
Have you engaged the right internal resources? Do you need to include others in the process?
45
LESSON 2
Have you utilized professional publications that match the most important job
requirement?
Ed
iti
on
Example:
Tom had been interviewing candidates for a quality assurance supervisor for several
weeks. None of the applicants met his criteria for previous quality assurance experience, management skills, and advanced statistical analysis skills. After discussions with
the human resources manager, he rejected the option of re-advertising in statistical and
engineering quarterlies. Instead, he decided to review the job function with his other
quality assurance managers and a few select staff members. As a result of this review,
Tom opted to use the resources provided by the companys engineering group for statistical analysis. This allowed him to change the description of the open position,
focusing on management and quality assurance experience. He then reopened the job
search with the revised job description and was later pleased at the number of qualied
applicants.
AT
IC
PL
You have been searching for a database administrator with experience, but your
responding applicants have been recent computer science graduates. What would be
the most reasonable step to take?
ct
1.
or
Scenario:
As a manager at Our Global Company, you have completed a full recruitment cycle and none
of the applicants met your expectations. To meet your continuing personnel need, you will
have to reconsider your search.
DU
Your job advertisement had very wide distribution, but very few people applied and
even fewer indicated interest in the position after the first telephone interview. What
should you do?
st
2.
NO
ru
DO
In
46
LESSON 2
3.
The employee that you are replacing had experience from other areas of the company.
None of the applicants had the same skill set. What should you do?
a) Rewrite the advertisement to include the previous employees skills.
b) Widen the distribution of the original advertisement.
c) Narrow the distribution of the original advertisement.
4.
iti
on
Part of the job is routine, and some candidates have indicated that they preferred a
more challenging job. What change could you make?
a) Remove the routine items from the advertisement.
b) Move this task to another position in the department.
c) Outsource the routine task.
Ed
AT
IC
or
Setup:
Listen to the directions from your instructor and participate in the small group discussion.
PL
DU
2.
What actions would you take when reconsidering the search? Would you find ways to
attract better candidates? Or reevaluate the position itself?
In
DO
1.
st
NO
ru
ct
Scenario:
You have been interviewing candidates for a managerial position. The employee whose position you are lling had been with the company as your departments role evolved. She had
acquired numerous technical skills outside her area of expertise to help her manager operations. Human Resources position requirements are extensive: the candidate must not only have
signicant managerial experience, but also technological expertise in a number of areas. While
some candidates had impressive managerial backgrounds, they lacked the breadth of knowledge required by the position. Younger candidates who possessed the required technical skills
lacked managerial experience. No candidate was hired, and now you must reevaluate the hiring
process.
47
LESSON 2
Lesson 2 Follow-up
In this lesson, you conducted an interview and completed the interview process.
1.
2.
iti
on
E
AT
IC
PL
DU
T
NO
DO
In
st
ru
ct
or
Ed
48
FOLLOW-UP
Follow-up
1.
What interviewing and follow up procedures have you used in the past?
Answers will vary.
What new elements will you add to your recruitment strategies?
iti
on
2.
Whats Next?
E
AT
IC
PL
DU
T
NO
DO
In
st
ru
ct
or
Ed
After completing this course, you may want to take Performance Management and Coaching
Essentials.
49
E
AT
IC
PL
DU
T
NO
DO
In
st
ru
ct
or
Ed
iti
on
NOTES
50
iti
on
LESSON
LABS
LESSON LABS
Scenario:
T
NO
DO
In
st
DU
ct
ru
1.
How You Do It
PL
What You Do
AT
or
Preparing to Interview
IC
LESSON 1 LAB 1
Ed
Due to classroom setup constraints, some labs cannot be keyed in sequence immediately following their associated lesson. Your instructor will tell you whether your labs can be practiced
immediately following the lesson or whether they require separate setup from the main lesson
content. Lesson-level lab setup information is listed in the front of this manual in the course
setup section.
Lesson Labs
51
LESSON
LABS
LESSON 2 LAB 1
Scenario:
Janrex is an international corporation with offices in San Jose, New York City, London, Tokyo,
and Helsinki that offers a wide variety of goods and services. A long-time corporate accountant
at Janrex New York has recently decided to pursue an opportunity elsewhere. Today, you will
be conducting an interview with Suzanne Brown, who looks to be an excellent candidate for
the open position.
AT
IC
PL
DO
NO
DU
ct
ru
In
st
Ed
1.
or
iti
on
52
GLOSSARY
iti
on
GLOSSARY
outline
A brief account of your script, covering at
least the main points and important details.
behavioral interviewing
A form of interviewing in which the interviewer asks specic questions about the
candidates previous experiences, based on
the belief that past performance is the best
indicator of future performance.
interview strategy
A comprehensive plan for conducting an
interview.
AT
IC
T
NO
DO
st
ru
interview script
A plan that details how a manager will conduct the interview. Interview scripts can be
very detailed or contain just a few comments.
However, they usually include at least some
specic questions the manager intends to ask
the candidates.
DU
ct
hiring procedures
The specic details about the hiring process
at your organization, including next steps and
time frames.
situational interviewing
An interviewing strategy in which the interviewer describes typical job situations and
asks the candidate how he or she would
respond. A variation on this technique is to
put a candidate in the job role on site and see
how he or she responds. For example, if a
candidate was applying for an instructor position, you might ask some questions, and then
hand the candidate a marker and send him or
her to the white board, saying, Okay, now
teach me something.
or
follow-up questions
Questions asked in response to an
interviewees answer to a previous question.
Classic follow-up questions include Why?
and Can you give me an example?
rapport
A relationship that is characterized by mutual
trust and respect.
PL
corporate culture
The personality of an organization; the core
values of the organization that may be
expressed in the general atmosphere of a typical day on the job.
Ed
position requirements
A job description that includes every major
component of the open position.
In
job expectations
Conditions that tell a candidate what he or
she can expect upon coming to work for an
organization.
multi-layered questions
Questions that contain multiple elaborations.
Glossary
53
E
AT
IC
PL
DU
T
NO
DO
In
st
ru
ct
or
Ed
iti
on
NOTES
54
INDEX
iti
on
INDEX
B
behavioral interviewing, 11
selecting a strategy, 18
situational interviewing, 13
C
corporate culture, 5
or
interview process, 2
interview script, 17
interview strategy, 10
nonverbal communication, 32
note taking, 31
outline, 18
st
DU
In
position requirements, 3
ru
NO
management style, 6
multi-layered questions, 16
DO
ct
job expectations, 31
AT
hiring procedures, 27
IC
PL
follow-up questions, 17
Ed
question types, 14
rapport, 26
rsum warning signs, 22
Index
55
E
AT
IC
PL
DU
T
NO
DO
In
st
ru
ct
or
Ed
iti
on
NOTES
56
DO
T
NO
Ed
E
AT
IC
PL
DU
or
ct
ru
st
In
iti
on