Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.
7 Interviewing Candidates Human Resource Management 14th Edition, Global Edition Chapter 6 focused on important tools managers use to select employees. Now we’ll turn to one of these tools—interviewing candidates. The main topics we’ll cover include types of interviews, things that undermine interviewing’s usefulness, and designing and conducting effective selection interviews. Gary Dessler Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

Learning Objectives List and give examples of the main types of selection interviews. List and explain the main errors that can undermine an interview’s usefulness. After studying this chapter, you will be able to: 1. List and give examples of the main types of selection interviews. 2. List and explain the main errors that can undermine an interview’s usefulness. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

Learning Objectives Define a structured situational interview and give examples of situational questions, behavioral questions, and background questions that provide structure. What are the main points to know about developing and extending the actual job offer? After studying this chapter, you will be able to: 3. Define a structured situational interview and give examples of situational questions, behavioral questions,and background questions that provide structure. 4. What are the main points to know about developing and extending the actual job offer? Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

List and give examples of the main types of selection interviews.
An interview is a procedure designed to obtain information from a person through oral responses to oral inquiries. A selection interview (the focus of this chapter) is a selection procedure designed to predict future job performance based on applicants’ oral responses to oral inquiries. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

Basic Types of Interviews Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.
Structured vs. unstructured Questions to ask Situational Behavioral Job-related Stress Puzzle questions In unstructured (or nondirective) interviews, the manager follows no set format. In structured (or directive) interviews, the employer lists the questions ahead of time. He or she also may even list and score possible answers for appropriateness. Structured interviews are generally superior. In structured interviews, all interviewers generally ask all applicants the same questions. It’s clear the courts will look at whether the interview process is structured and consistently applied. In a situational interview, you ask the candidate what his or her behavior would be in a given situation. Behavioral interviews ask applicants to describe how they reacted to actual situations in the past. In a job-related interview, the applicants answer questions about relevant past experiences. In stress interviews, the applicant is made uncomfortable by a series of often rude questions. This technique helps identify hypersensitive applicants and those with low or high stress tolerance. Puzzle questions are popular. Recruiters like to use them to see how candidates think under pressure. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

Administering Interviews Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.
Panel Phone Video/web-assisted Computerized Second Life Speed dating Case interviews Employers also administer interviews in various ways. These include one-on-one or by a panel of interviewers, sequentially or all at once, and computerized or personally. In an unstructured sequential interview, each interviewer generally just asks questions as they come to mind. In astructured sequential interview, each interviewer rates the candidates on a standard evaluation form, using standardized questions. A panel interview is an interview conducted by a team of interviewers who interview each candidate and then combine their ratings into a final panel score. Employers do some interviews entirely by telephone. These can actually be more accurate than face-to-face interviews for judging an applicant’s conscientiousness, intelligence, and interpersonal skills. Firms have long used the Web to do selection interviews. With iPad-type video functionalities and the widespread use of Skype™, their use is growing. A computerized interview is one in which a job candidate’s oral and/or computerized replies are obtained in response to questions and/or situations. Several employers such as Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard use the online virtual community Second Life to conduct job interviews. Others have tried a “speed dating” model wherein candidates visit briefly with selected employees. Finally, Bain & Company uses case interviews as part of its candidate selection process. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

IMPROVING PERFORMANCE: Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.
HR as a Profit Center Great Western Bank uses a computerized job interview Candidate responds via a touch screen and a microphone Applicant can see what the job is really like Those hired are reportedly 26% less likely to leave within 90 days Turnover costs reduced Discussion Question: You have to hire dozens of wait staff every year for a new restaurant on Miami Beach. Explain how you would use a computerized interview, including questions and tasks for candidates. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

Three Ways to Make the Interview Useful
Structure the interview Carefully select traits to assess Beware of committing interviewing errors Structured interviews are more valid than unstructured interviews for predicting job performance. This is especially true for structured interviews using situational questions To reduce interview errors, limit yourself mostly to situational and job knowledge questions. This will help you assess how the candidate will actually respond to typical situations on that job. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

Review Structured vs. unstructured Questions to ask Situational Behavioral Job-related Stress Puzzle questions Administration Panel Phone Video/web- assisted Computerized In unstructured interviews, the manager follows no set format. In structured interviews, the employer lists the questions ahead of time. Possible answers also may be provided. The types of questions we have discussed include: Situational Behavioral Job-related Stress Puzzle questions Interviews may be conducted by a panel, on the phone, using video or web-assisted technology or via the computer. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

List and explain the main errors that can undermine an interview’s usefulness. One reason selection interviews are often less than useful is that managers make predictable, avoidable errors. We’ll look at these next. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

Errors That Undermine Interviews
Snap judgments Job requirements not clear Candidate-order & pressure to hire Nonverbal behavior & impression management Personal characteristics Interviewer mistakes Perhaps the most consistent finding is that interviewers tend to jump to conclusions—make snap during the first few minutes of the interview. Sometimes this occurs before the interview starts, based on test scores or résumé data. Interviewers may not have an accurate picture of the job requirements and what sort of candidate is best suited for it. If that’s the case, they may make their decisions based on incorrect impressions or stereotypes of what a good applicant is. Candidate-order error means the order in which you see applicants affects how you rate them. There is some indication that the effects of primacy (who you interviewed first) or recency (most recently interviewed) can impact your decisions. The applicant’s nonverbal behavior can also have a surprisingly large impact on his or her rating. Interviewers infer your personality from your nonverbal behaviors in the interview. Clever candidates capitalize on non-verbal behavior and impression management. One study found that some used ingratiation to persuade interviewers to like them. Psychologists call using techniques like ingratiation and self-promotion “impression management.” Unfortunately, physical attributes such as applicants’ attractiveness, gender, disability, or race also may distort an interviewer’s assessments. Interviewers may make numerous mistakes such as: Having favorable pre-interview impressions Playing district attorney or amateur psychologist Asking improper questions Being inept Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

IMPROVING PERFORMANCE: HRPractices Around the Globe
Selection Practices Abroad Traditional selection practices Cultural demands Traditional selection practices there are different from what one might expect in the United States. For example, “age is considered synonymous to wisdom.” Therefore, job advertisements for mid- and senior level positions often set a minimum age as a selection criteria, while “the entry level positions in public sector organizations, age limit is restricted up to 30 years of age.” You are interviewing candidates in Bangladesh and you have a great candidate who unfortunately is 25 years old, when the job calls for someone at least 40. List three questions you would ask to see if the person is still qualified. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

Review Errors that undermine an interview’s usefulness include jumping to conclusions, not having accurate job requirements or the order in which candidates are interviewed. Non-verbal behavior, personal characteristics and physical attributes also create errors. Interviewers may make numerous mistakes such as playing district attorney or amateur psychologist or asking improper questions. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

Define a structured situational interview and give examples of situational questions, behavioral questions, and background questions that provide structure. There is little doubt that the structured situational interview—a series of job-relevant questions with predetermined answers that interviewers ask of all applicants for the job—produces superior results. Ideally, the basic idea is to (1) write situational (what would you do), behavioral (what did you do), or job knowledge questions, and (2) have job experts (like those supervising the job) also write several answers for each of these questions, rating the answers from good to poor. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

How to Design and Conduct an Effective Interview
You may not have the time or inclination to create a structured situational interview.However, there is still much you can do to make your interviews more systematic and effective. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

Design and Conduct an Effective Interview
Analyze the job Rate main duties Create questions Create benchmark answers Appoint interview panel and conduct interviews There are five basic steps involved in designing and conducting structured interviews. STEP 1: Write a job description with a list of job duties; required knowledge, skills, and abilities; and other worker qualifications. STEP 2: Rate each job duty, say from 1 to 5, based on its importance to job success. STEP 3: Create interview questions for each of the job duties, with more questions for the important duties. STEP 4: Next, for each question, develop ideal (benchmark) answers for good (a 5 rating), marginal (a 3 rating), and poor (a 1 rating) answers. STEP 5: Select a panel consisting of three to six members, preferably the same ones who wrote the questions and answers. It may also include the job’s supervisor and/or incumbent, and a human resources representative. The same panel interviews all candidates for the job. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

IMPROVING PERFORMANCE: HR Tools for Line Managers and Entrepreneurs
How to Conduct an Effective Interview Know the job Structure the interview Get organized Establish rapport Ask questions Take brief notes Close the interview Review the interview Step 1: First, make sure you know the job. Do not start the interview unless you understand the job’s duties and what human skills you’re looking for. Study the job description. Step 2: Structure the interview. Any structuring is better than none. If pressed for time, you can still do several things to ask more consistent and job-relevant questions, without developing a full-blown structured interview. They include: • Base questions on actual job duties. This will minimize irrelevant questions. • Use job knowledge, situational, or behavioral questions, and know enough about the job to be able to evaluate the interviewee’s answers. Questions that simply ask for opinions and attitudes, goals and aspirations, and self-descriptions and self-evaluations allow candidates to present themselves in an overly favorable manner or avoid revealing weaknesses. Figure 7-2 illustrates structured questions. • Use the same questions with all candidates. This improves reliability. It also reduces bias by giving all candidates the same opportunity. • Perhaps use descriptive rating scales (excellent, fair, poor) to rate answers. For each question, if possible, have several ideal answers and a score for each. Then rate each candidate’s answers against this scale. • If possible, use a standardized interview form. Step 3: Get organized. Hold the interview in a private room to minimize interruptions (including text messages). Prior to the interview, review the candidate’s application and résumé. Note any areas that are vague or that may indicate strengths or weaknesses. Step 4: Establish rapport. The main reason for the interview is to find out about the applicant. Start by putting the person at ease. Greet the candidate and start the interview by asking a Non controversial question, perhaps about the weather that day. Step 5: Ask questions. Try to follow the situational, behavioral, and job knowledge questions you wrote out ahead of time. You’ll find a sampling of other technical questions (such as “What did you most enjoy about your last job?”) in Figure 7-3. As a rule, Don’t telegraph the desired answer. Don’t interrogate the applicant as if the person is on trial. Don’t monopolize the interview, nor let the applicant do so. Do ask open-ended questions. Do encourage the applicant to express thoughts fully. Do draw out the applicant’s opinions and feelings by repeating the person’s last comment as a question (e.g., “You didn’t like your last job?”). Do ask for examples. Do ask, “If I were to arrange for an interview with your boss, what would he or she say are your strengths, weaker points, and overall performance? Step 6: Take brief, unobtrusive notes during the interview. Doing so may help avoid Making a snap decision early in the interview, and may also help jog your memory once the interview is complete. Take notes, jotting down just the key points of what the Interviewee says. Step 7: Close the interview. Leave time to answer any questions the candidate may have and, if appropriate, to advocate your firm to the candidate. Try to end the interview on a positive note. Tell the applicant whether there is any interest and, if so, what the next step will be. Make rejections diplomatically—“Although your background is impressive, there are other candidates whose experience is closer to our requirements.” Remember, as one recruiter says, “An interview experience should leave a lasting, positive impression of the company, whether the candidate receives and accepts an offer or not.” If the applicant is still under consideration but you can’t reach a decision now, say so. In rejecting a candidate, one perennial question is, should you provide an explanation or not? In one study, rejected candidates who received an explanation detailing why the employer rejected them felt that the rejection process was fairer. Unfortunately, doing so may not be practical. Most employers say little, to avoid pushback and legal problems. Step 8: Review the interview. After the candidate leaves, review your interview notes, score the interview answers (if you used a guide), and make a decision. We’ll address what interviewees can do to apply these findings and to excel in the interview in Appendix 2 to this chapter. Discussion Question: Write a one-paragraph (single-spaced) memo to the people who do your company’s recruiting on the topic, “The five most important things an interviewer can do to have a useful selection interview.” Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

Talent Management: Profiles and Employee Interviews
Use the same job profile (competencies, traits, knowledge, and experience) for creating interview questions as for recruiting Testing Training Appraising and Paying the employee To ensure an integrated, goal-oriented human resource effort, talent management adherents use the same job profile (competencies, traits, knowledge, and experience) for creating interview questions as for recruiting, testing, training, appraising, and paying the employee. The manager can use the job’s profile to formulate job-related situational, behavioral, and knowledge interview questions when selecting someone for a job or set of roles. For example, Table 7-1 summarizes illustrative competency, knowledge, trait, and experience profile elements for a chemical engineer candidate, along with sample interview questions. Selecting engineers based on this profile focuses your questions precisely on those things someone must be proficient at to do this job well. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

Review Job analysis Rating Creating questions Benchmark answers Create a panel and conduct interviews The first step in designing and conducting proper structured interviews is to have a well-done job analysis. Rating the main duties of the job is next. Creating the actual questions and benchmark answers are important as well. Finally, assembling a panel of people and conducting the interviews is the final step in the process. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

What are the main points to know about developing and extending the actual job offer? After all the interviews, background checks, and tests, the employer decides to whom to make an offer. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

Developing and Extending the Job Offer
The job offer will include: Pay rates Benefits Actual job duties There may be some negotiations When agreement is reached, the employer will extend a written job offer to the candidate When the actual offer is made, for instance the job offer for the candidate’s apparent attractiveness as a prospective employee, the level of the position, and pay rates for similar positions will be reviewed. Next the employer extends an actual job offer to the candidate verbally. Here, the employer’s point person (who might be the person to whom the new employee will report, or the human resource director for instance) discusses the offer’s main parameters. These include, for instance, pay rates, benefits, and actual job duties. There may be some negotiations. Then, once agreement is reached, the employer will extend a written job offer to the candidate. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

Issues to Consider with the Written Offer
Ajob offer letter has the: Welcome sentence Pay information Benefits information Paid leave information Terms of employment There are several issues to consider with the written offer. Perhaps most important, understand the difference between a job offer letter and a contract. In a job offer letter, the employer lists the offer’s basic information. This typically starts with a welcome sentence. It then includes job-specific information (such as details on salary and pay), benefits information, paid leave information, and terms of employment (including, for instance, successful completion of job testing and physical exams). There should be a strong statement that the employment relationship is “at will.” There is then a closing statement. This again welcomes the employee, mentions who the employer’s point person is if any questions arise, and instructs the candidate to sign the letter of offer if it is Acceptable. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

The Employment Contract Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.
An employment contract includes: Includes duration Severance provisions Nondisclosure requirements Covenants not to compete For many positions (such as executive) a contract is in order. In contrast to a letter of offer (which should always be “at will”), an employment contract may have a duration (such as 3 years). Therefore, the contract will also describe grounds for termination or resignation, and severance provisions. The contract will almost always also include terms regarding confidentiality, nondisclosure requirements, and covenants not to compete (although some job offer letters for positions such as engineer many include such provisions as well). See template-tools/toolkits for more information. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

Review Just as the job offer includes pay rates, benefits and job duties the letter of employment will also include these. The employment contract will include the term 3 years etc. There are stated differences in a letter of employment versus a employment contract. Depending upon the position, the employment contract (and, occasionally, the offer letter) may include a relocation provision. This lays out what the employer is willing to pay the new employee to relocate, for instance, in terms of moving expenses. State law generally governs enforcement of individual employment contracts. Assuming the offer is extended and accepted, the next step is to welcome the employee on board, to which we turn in Chapter 8. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

Improving Performance at The Hotel Paris The New Interviewing Program
For the jobs of security guard, and valet, develop five additional situational, five behavioral, and five job knowledge questions, with descriptive good/average/poor answers. The New Interviewing Program The Hotel Paris’s competitive strategy is “To use superior guest service to differentiate the Hotel Paris properties, and to thereby increase the length of stay and return rate of guests, and thus boost revenues and profitability.” HR manager Lisa Cruz must now formulate functional policies and activities that support this competitive strategy, by eliciting the required employee behaviors and competencies. Lisa receives budgetary approval to design a new employee interview system. She and her team start by reviewing the job descriptions and job specifications for the positions of front-desk clerk, assistant manager, security guard, car hop/door person, and housekeeper. Focusing on developing structured interviews for each position, the team sets about devising interview questions. For example, for the front-desk clerk and assistant manager, they formulate several behavioral questions, including, “Tell me about a time when you had to deal with an irate person, and what you did.” And, “Tell me about a time when you had to deal with several conflicting demands at once, such as having to study for several final exams at the same time, while working. How did you handle the situation?” They also developed a number of situational questions, including “Suppose you have a very pushy incoming guest who insists on being checked in at once, while at the same time you’re trying to process the check-out for another guest who must be at the airport in 10 minutes. How would you handle the situation?” For these and other positions, they also developed several job knowledge questions. For example, for security guard applicants, one question her team created was, “What are the local legal restrictions, if any, regarding using products like Mace if confronted by an unruly person on the hotel grounds?” The team combined the questions into structured interviews for each job, and turned to testing, fine-tuning, and finally using the new system. Discussion Question: Combine your questions into a complete interview that you would give to someone who must interview candidates for these jobs. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.

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