Interviews In today’s lesson : The purpose of an interview The importance of preparation Interview setting Interview techniques

The Purpose of an Interview The interviewer will be using the interview to: verify the accuracy of the details on the CV or application form and delve deeper into the information evaluate the candidates verbal and interpersonal skills establish the relevance of the candidates experience and achievements see how the candidate responds in a particular situation give the candidate further information about the job determine the candidate’s salary requirements to see whether the candidate would fit into the existing team … and to generally see whether you are right for the job!

Preparing for an Interview Once you’ve chosen your candidates, you must decide: When the interview will take place Who will take part What you want to know from the interview The type of interviews and activities you will use The timetable for the day The questions you are going to ask beyond the usual: –Why are you interested in this field? –Why are you interested in this company? –Why are you interested in this position?

Planning the Questions When preparing to interview someone for a job, you should: Use information from the candidate's application form or CV to prepare a set of questions. Look for any gaps in education or employment, or things that don't seem to add up. Beware of possible discrimination in the questions you ask which could mean you miss the best candidate and may be unlawful. Know the job and person descriptions of the job really well so that your questions help you compare candidates. If two or more people are interviewing, decide who will deal with what topics. Think about what information candidates may want about the job and your organisation and give them chance to ask

Interview Setting Interviews are usually formal affairs, and this will affect the behaviour and dress of both the interviewer and interviewee They will most likely be conducted in an office or location close to the workplace – you will often be give a tour of the offices Some interviewers will want to create a welcome environment to allow the personality of the candidate to come out Some will be less friendly to see how candidates react under pressure

Interview Techniques There are different ways of conducting interviews: Traditional questioning Panel Behavioural Situational Which one you would choose would depend on: What sort of job you’re interviewing for The nature of the organisation Who will be interested in the outcome Who will be available on the day!

Traditional Questions Here are some typical interview questions: How would you describe yourself? Please describe the ideal job for you Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? Do you work better on your own or in a team? How would you evaluate your ability to deal with conflict? Would it be a problem for you to relocate? Tell me about the salary range you're seeking

Panel Interview There are a group of people asking questions of a candidate This method might be used if a potential employee where going to work for several people It might also be used when scheduling separate interviews was not possible due to timing It might also be a good idea because everyone will see the reaction to a question and might interpret it differently – i.e. it could help to ensure fairness

Behavioural Interview A style of interviewing where questions have been designed to see how a candidate would act in a particular situation. For example, a question to see how well a candidate can deal with an upset customer might look like this: –Give me an example of a time where a customer you were dealing with was unhappy with their service… what did you do? how did you help this customer? what was the outcome?

Situational Interview In a situational interview… Candidates are placed in a simulated activity There will be a role play or task to do The interviewers will take part in the activity with the candidates, or will watch them Candidates are evaluated on how well they did at dealing with that situation This would probably done together with a traditional or panel interview