Navigating the Interview Todd Odgers, Principal NorQuest College Centre for Intercultural Education Kerry Louw, Project Lead

Navigating the Interview-Project Funder Government of Alberta - Foreign Qualification Recognition Innovation Fund Thank you! The FQR Innovation Fund is being offered to assist Alberta employers to recruit, integrate, develop and retain workers with foreign-earned education, skills and experience who are already in the province.   We believe this project reduces barriers for immigrants in job interviews by helping them understand and navigate the “unwritten rules” of the Canadian job interview. We also believe this project will systematically support HR Professionals and hiring managers to understand their unstated expectations of job candidates and improve their ability to hire qualified candidates from a diverse talent pool.   The resource is innovative in supporting both immigrants and HR professionals to understand the perspective of the other proponent in the job interview and to have increased adaptive skills to change their communication behaviors and better achieve their goals in the interview: a two-pronged approach to the differences that matter within a job interview. 200 people participated in the project as collaborators in resource development, reviewers from diverse ethnic communities and HR backgrounds, participants in pilot lessons, workshops and conference sessions. We appreciate all of the feedback we received to enhance the final product.

CIE Activities

Part of the Solution Develop resources that improve labour market integration for immigrants and employers Help immigrants to access employment and move beyond entry level positions Engage and support employers to realize the benefits of hiring IEPs The resource is innovative in supporting both immigrants and HR professionals to understand the perspective of the other proponent in the job interview and to have increased adaptive skills to change their communication behaviors and better achieve their goals in the interview: a two-pronged approach to the differences that matter within a job interview.

Our project helps you support and develop Hiring Managers HR Professionals IEP Professionals International and Bridging Students

Navigating the Interview Resources 1. Interview Videos with: 4 culturally diverse candidates 3 Canadian panelist 2. Guides for HR and IEP candidates: Culture Specific Framework Canadian Unwritten Rules Interview practices prior, during and post 3. Communication Choice Points Online assessment activity Videos relevant and authentic framework based approach: intercultural - Lewis, Canadian process – form and fit; Allowed for deeper facilitated conversations to understand both why and what the characters do what they do Goal to ultimately support informed decision making for both the candidate and the HR professionals Videos alone can support facilitation and discussion Videos with guides can offer more learnings and practices and provides a process for communication across these cultural differences in the moment of interview – a negotiation of meaning

Perspective taking, pragmatics, and overcoming hidden bias

Both sides of the table Employers and candidates: Recognize Understand Adapt when hiring/working across cultures, there are certain challenges that must be overcome to ensure companies are finding the best candidate and good candidates are being hired. Our cultural upbringing informs our sense about the way things are and the way things should be. Cultural elements consciously or unconsciously influence how we talk, think and act.   These common ways of acting and communicating can lead to a sense of belonging to community, but can also lead to a sense of superiority—the belief that one’s culture is better by comparison (and even sometimes to thinking others must be marginalized). We can’t assume people from elsewhere hold similar values, or would if they were given the opportunity. Even though employers may recognize the value of intercultural skills and have the best intentions, they may unconsciously be rejecting international candidates and limiting their opportunities for success in interviews. Employers don’t often screen for intercultural skills as an asset in the recruitment process, and because there are no formal assessments for these skills it is often left up to job candidates to demonstrate them. By helping both HR professionals and immigrant candidates to understand the other’s perspective, this project presents an innovative approach to increasing adaptive skills to better achieve both subject’s goals in the interview process.

Two-perspectives approach Hiring Managers/HR Adapt practices and enable them to hire more effectively from a diverse talent pool IEP and Candidates Prepare and present themselves more effectively to prospective employers in Canada Intercultural competence involves an ability to hold more than one perspective which allows for engaging with diversity Based on recognizing one’s own values experiences and challenges and examining one’s own POV As instructors your role includes Successfully identifying Expertise, skills and characteristics of diverse candidates and advising them on how to effectively link these with the Canadian employers needs Moving forward we’ll be focusing today more on culturally diverse candidates perspectives…

Understanding the Unwritten Rules “It’s just what we do! “ “It’s common sense” So…What is it we do? What do we see as common sense? When interviewing new candidates the ‘direct report’ often looks to hire candidates who will fit in. Fitting in describes functioning and being regarded as a ‘normal’ constructive team member; that is, performing in an established way that meets the needs of what is wanted and expected of a team member in a company culture.   If the normal is an all Canadian team and the goal is to continue with the same dynamic then hiring the candidate who fits in may work. But if the goal is to engage with diversity to meet a more global future and benefit from the opportunity it can provide, then there is need for the diverse candidates First impressions are very important in the interview process – and play a big part in who gets hired Small talk is part of first impression making – along with greetings, introductions small talk and transition to formal interview Let’s take a look at the panel’s impressions of the candidates… And instructors can help in developing navigational skills prior to, during and after the interview. The guide offers cultural information – of the Canadian and the diverse cultures represented -throughout the process of the interviews Let’s look at what it is we do in small talk

To overcome hidden biases Build awareness Grow willingness Takes work, persistence, resilience Making the unconscious conscious Influence our behavior without our being aware of their role … not about being bad – no need to feel embarrassed by them – sometimes really surprise us when they are pointed out

The intercultural interview Is a high stakes interactional space where different expectations meet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpBXYh5WNUs&feature=youtu.be Job candidates bring expertise, skill, education and experience (e.g. may be motivated by family or community needs) HR or hiring managers bring their expectation's, explicit and implicit, of effective candidates .. (e.g. will be personally motivated)

Creates casual beginning Links the social and professional Small Talk What it does (for Canadians) Creates casual beginning Links the social and professional Builds rapport and comfort for the interview Softens directness and hierarchy Creates common ground opportunities Establishes turn-taking Transitions quickly into task Panels Canadian perspective of fit is: looks for points to connect on, keeps it simple and light, shows interest and enthusiasm, appears confident For Mei Li: Joins small talk but is uncomfortable, Unsure what it’s for, Feels each question must be important so answers are serious Respectfully doesn’t add ideas to the panel members thoughts Perspective taking Questions are… Mei Li’s learning: what could Mei Li do to adapt to see small changes to get to goal as a considered candidate HR learning: what could panel do to adapt to see the value of who is in front of panel For Ahmed

And a framework

Lewis, R.D. language, communication and culture 2013 This Culture Type Framework generalizes culture based diversity - mention here how we chose the candidates… based on immigrant populations coming to Alberta, and mapping them to a culture based framework to enable understanding of fairly clear distinctions - the project was accepted on the proposal that the position be a leadership one in a professional capacity Reactive Mei Multi-active Ahmed Louise the Canadian who lands between the linear and reactive to match with Canadian panel expectations and identify these for newcomers. (The 4th candidate is James from the UK – who we didn’t include today for time) who lands clsoe to the corner – at linear Lewis, R.D. language, communication and culture 2013

How to find it… Is online at https://www.norquest.ca/norquest-centres/centre-for-intercultural-education/projects/completed-projects/navigating-the-interview.aspx Please contact Kerry Louw with any content questions kerry.louw@norquest.ca

Thank you Todd Odgers Principal Centre for Intercultural Education | NorQuest College T 780.644.6757 | F 780.644.5815 | C 780.868.5243 10215-108 St | Room 723J Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5J 1L6 www.norquest.ca/norquest-centres/intercultural-education-centre.aspx www.norquest.ca