Susan Gafner and Sarah Olson City of Madison Human Resources Behavioral Interviewing How to hire the best person for the job Susan Gafner and Sarah Olson City of Madison Human Resources

What you will learn… The behavioral interviewing technique How to create effective interview questions and benchmarks How to assess whether a candidate is a good fit Strategies to dig deeper in an interview Put into practice

Why this material matters Using the behavioral interviewing technique gives us more information to make an informed decision You need colleagues you can rely on; bring skills lacking Strong interview questions/benchmarks can increase your chance for a successful hire Minimizes employee performance issues and potential problems after hire

How the City uses this approach Hiring managers view position description Identify core competencies needed Create behavioral interview questions with benchmarks (rating criteria) A balanced panel of interviewers select the new hire A database of behavioral interview questions is available

Outcomes the City has Experienced More information in the interview leads to better assessment of qualifications Benchmarks ensure consistent and fair scoring, and less personal bias in the interview Higher employee retention due to smart hiring

Before the Interview Review that Application/Resume Basic rules to remember with follow-up questions: Be consistent…. With ALL applicants Review applications/resumes and don’t be afraid to ask specific questions regarding: Lapses in employment? Questionable reasons for leaving? Resignations in lieu of termination?

Interviewing The Basic Principle “If you fail to plan, plan to fail” Key components of an effective Interview Process: Providing a thorough and friendly introduction; Asking behavioral interview questions; Being prepared to respond to candidates questions; Closing the interview in a courteous way.

Definition and Purpose of BI Questions designed to get specific information on how a candidate handled or reacted to situations in the past Based on the premise that past behaviors is the best predictor of future behavior The key to successful behavioral interviewing questions are driven by the ability to identify essential competencies needed to perform the job

Behavioral Interviewing What are Core Competencies? Identify the core competencies needed to succeed in the vacancy by looking at the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA’s) in the PVL. Some examples: Technical Skills, Analytical Skills Organizational Skills, Managerial Skills Communication/Presentation Skills Interpersonal Relations, Problem Solving

Behavioral Interviewing Developing the Questions Once key competencies are identified, they should be translated into interview questions that will require candidates to respond by drawing on previous experiences. Example: Someone in this position must have the ability to remain calm in a volatile situation. Sample Traditional Question: “How would others say you handle volatile situations? Sample BEHAVIORAL Question: “Tell us about a time when you had to remain calm and professional in a volatile situation?”

Avoiding Danger The dangers involved in asking candidates inappropriate questions can usually be avoided by applying these two tests:  Is this information necessary to assess the candidate’s competence for the performance of this particular job? Does this question tend to have a disproportionate effect in screening out members of people of color, women, older people, veterans, or people with disabilities?

Behavioral Interviewing Got benchmarks? Establish benchmarks to help evaluate and assess candidate responses with the previously established core competencies associated with the job. Sample BEHAVIORAL Question: “Tell us about a time when you had to remain calm and professional in a volatile situation and how did you do that?” Sample BEHAVIORAL Question Benchmarks: (10 pts each) Ability to explain a volatile situation (1 pt) Exhibited the ability to remain calm and professional (1 pt) Adaptable (3 pts) Ability de-escalate the situation (3 pts) Followed policies and procedures (1 pt) Other related response (1 pt) Why benchmarks are important

Group Engagement: Creating Benchmarks Review the interview question Do the benchmarks you just created line up with what was asked? Would it be expected that someone would hit the benchmark based on the question asked? Everyone will have a different answer when it comes to behavioral interview questions. How to use the total scores as it relates to upcoming activity at 8 pm

Making sense of your benchmarks Weight your benchmarks (if certain benchmarks are more important, give higher points). Use “other related response” as a benchmark for a response that wasn’t already included but is relevant. The overall score will differentiate the candidates but it does not always indicate the top candidate.

What to look for in an answer Behavioral Interviewing uses the “STAR” approach: Situation Tasks Actions Results Interview panel members should be able to identify potentially successful candidates by getting candidates to identify specific “Situations” which required them to complete specific “Tasks.” Panel members are then able to evaluate candidates based on the “Actions” they took, and the “Results” of those actions.

Digging deeper What if you are not getting enough information in the interview? Follow-up with more direct questions Restate the answer you receive Echo key words or phrases Pauses Comments

Putting into Practice We will watch a short video using the behavioral interviewing technique. This is great advice for both the Interviewer and the Interviewee. https://youtube/VmRTRpgRB-s

Putting into Practice - Watch Role Play Susan and Sarah

Putting into Practice - Activity Create Benchmarks

Role play Triad role plays Observer Interviewer Interviewee Traditional vs. Behavioral Interview Questions Without benchmarks and with benchmarks What are your observations?

Susan gafner and Sarah Olson City of Madison Human Resources Questions? Susan gafner and Sarah Olson City of Madison Human Resources