KEYZINE: An e-zine for LEADERS:
ABOUT THE PEOPLE PART OF
BUSINESS
Volume
85, April 2008
Publisher: © Key Associates, 2008
ISSN #
1545-8873
http://www.mkkey.com/
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This Issue: "Interviewing"
Contents:
"If I was given six hours to chop down a tree, I would
spend the first four hours sharpening the ax."
-
Abraham Lincoln
"I've learned Windows 3.1, Windows 95, and Windows
98.
I'm not sure I have another Windows in me
- Tom, a 50 something executive
ASKING OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS TO
SOLICIT MORE INFORMATION.
POSING REAL-LIFE DILEMMAS
TO TAP
JUDGMENT, CHARACTER AND EMOTIONAL
INTELLIGENCE.
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MAINTAINING YOURSELF AS A
LEADER
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A bad hiring decision can be immensely expensive
for an organization through cost of the hire, training,
severance pay, loss of productivity, impact on morale,
unemployment insurance, cost of re-hiring, re-training,
down time, etc. (The Gallup organization states the cost
of a bad hire as 3.2 times the individual's salary; others
say as much as five times the job salary). Leaders
must learn to hire well.
Interviewing is an acquired art, not only for selection,
but for learning in general. An interview is not an
interrogation, it's a conversation. Interviews are useful for
getting the story behind a person's experiences.
Hone your skills by practicing the many types of
interviews below.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
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How do you determine what you are looking for?
Determine what you are hiring for, through job
analysis--which feeds the job description (part of the
written contract that governs the relationship).
Information can also be obtained from subject
matter experts, such as job incumbents, supervisors,
job analysts, and customers. You can also learn about
jobs through Observation, Interviews, Questionnaires,
and Diaries kept by the incumbent. Process flow
charts are very helpful.
Outside of the organization, there are government
guides, such as the Functional Job Analysis (FJA)
and the Occupational Information Network (O*NET).
There are also standardized job analysis questionnaires,
such as the Position Analysis Questionnaire, the Job
Element Inventory, and The Management Position
Description Questionnaire.
What
do I need to ask about, besides skills and knowledge
needed to do the job?
The typical old-style interview is biographical in nature.
A COMPETENCY-BASED INTERVIEW goes further by
asking additional questions about character and personal attributes
that can better determine the candidate's ability to deal
with the real situations posed by the job, and whether they
fit into the corporate culture. These are called
"behavioral
competencies."
Questioning can either be hypothetical (how
would you deal
with situation X?) or based on historical examples from
their current or previous experience (when situation X arose,
how did you deal with it?). You are attending to their thought
processes, values, and the outcomes they achieved.
Are there other types of interviews?
A SCREENING INTERVIEW allows a company representative
to determine if a candidate meets minimum requirements.
A STRUCTURED INTERVIEW is the most common,
where predetermined questions about experience, skills,
and personality traits are asked of every candidate.
A TARGETED INTERVIEW is a briefer, more focused
structured interview.
UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS give the interviewer
the freedom to follow an open-ended line of questioning,
but run the risk of inconsistency.
MULTIPLE INTERVIEWS use a series of interviewers,
who meet after and compile impressions. These can be
used to successively weed out candidates.
GROUP INTERVIEWS save time and redundancy by
having a group of employees interview a candidate.
The STRESS INTERVIEW attempts to make the interviewee
uncomfortable, such as asking them how they think the
interview is going or to tell you their weakest point.
A SITUATIONAL INTERVIEW simulates common problems
the interviewee might encounter on the job.
A CASE INTERVIEW is similar, in that it presents a case
situation or problem and asks the interviewee to solve it, either
alone or with other candidates.
How about other selection tools?
- Work samples
- Written tests (personality, interests, knowledge, abilities)
- Absence of pathology (see ezine, Volume 65,
August 2006 - On the Dark Side of Leadership)
- Biodata tests (past experience)
- Reference and background verification
- Work simulations
- Assessment Centers
- Medical and physical tests
- Genetic screening for sensitivity to work hazards
- Drug and alcohol testing.
- Precertification with local colleges/universities
What are the questions I can't ask?
To stay strictly legal according to the EEOC guidelines,
you may not ask questions that directly or indirectly probe
for answers about almost any demographic information:
This includes asking for photographs, names that might
reveal origin or marital status, age-related questions
that might place them as 40 years or older, height and weight,
arrests and convictions, what professional organizations
they belong to and other and affiliations, residence or physical
health.
See http://www.stat.washington.edu/www/jobs/questions/
for wording on legal and illegal questions.
EXERCISES AND ACTION ITEMS:
*
Conduct
a group interview, with those who are
most impacted by the position. Include customers.
* Train interviewers to improve their discriminatory
powers.
* Flowchart your selection process, to utilize
multiple methods and strengthen your decisions,
plus to inform potential candidates of the process.
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EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES
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Common job
interview questions and answers
http://www.best-job-interview.com/job-interview-questions.htmll
Behavioral interviewing questions
http://www.workforcecentralflorida.com/employers/interviewing_questions.asp
Interviewers favorite questions and answers
http://www.jobweb.com/resumesample.aspx?id=282
Key Associates offers leadership training,
including "Interviewing Skills." Call for customized
training packages: 1-888-655-3901.
http://www.mkkey.com/courses.htm
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OTHER
USEFUL
WEBSITES
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Types of
Interviews
http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/progsupt/jobsrvce/intervie.htm#types
Questions to use in your information interviews
http://www.circleofexperts.net/informal-interview-questions.aspx
The pioneering Microsoft interview
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_interview
General guidelines for conducting an interview
http://www.managementhelp.org/evaluatn/intrview.htm
Former Keyzines on related topics:
Volume 17,
August 2002 - Keeping Good People
Volume 18,
September 2002 - Organizational Culture
Volume 21,
December 2002 - Joy in the Workplace
Volume 23,
February 2003 - Evolving Workplaces: Telework
Volume 28, July
2003 - Pride in Work
Volume 36,
March 2004 - Valuing Diversity
Volume 62, May
2006 - Strength-based Organizations
Volume 65,
August 2006 - On the Dark Side of Leadership
Volume 70,
January 2007 - Spanning the Generations
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ARTICLES/PUBLICATIONS
**************************************
Arthur,
Diane. Recruiting,
Interviewing, Selecting
& Orienting New Employees. AMACOM, 2005.
Beatty, Richard. Interviewing
and Selecting High
Performers: Every Manager's Guide to Effective
Interviewing Techniques. Wiley, 1994.
Davila, Lori & Margot
King. Perfect
Phrases for
Perfect Hiring: Hundreds of Ready-to-Use Phrases
for Interviewing and Hiring the Best Employees
Every Time. McGraw-Hill, 2005.
Falcone, Paul.
96 Great Interview Questions to
Ask Before You Hire. AMACOM, 1996.
Fitzwater, Terry L. Crisp:
Behavior-Based Interviewing:
Selecting the Right Person for the Job. Crisp Learning, 2000.
Hoevemeyer, Victoria A. High-Impact
Interview Questions:
701 Behavior-Based Questions to Find the Right Person for
Every Job. AMACOM, 2005.
Jackson, Susan E. & Randall S. Schuler. Managing
Human Resources: Through Strategic Partnerships.
South-Western College Pub, 2005.
Kessler, Robin. Competency-Based
Interviews:
Master the Tough New Interview Style. Career Press,
2006.
Podmoroff, Dianna. 501+
Great Interview Questions
For Employers And The Best Answers For Prospective
Employees. Atlantic Publishing Co., 2005.
Springer, Steve. Stop
Hiring Failures! BookSurge
Publishing, 2006.
Yate, Martin. Hiring
the Best: Manager's Guide to
Effective Interviewing and Recruiting, Fifth Edition.
Adams Media Corporation, 2005.
