Overview
Interviewing is a crucial step in the hiring process because
this step helps managers get a better sense of the strengths and weaknesses of
the applicants for a job opening. Also, this step leads to the final hiring
decision. Although there are some differing views about the most effective
interview strategies, these strategies are all connected to the common goal of
hiring the best available individuals for open positions. Some managers believe
that interviewing skills come naturally to an individual and that “good”
interviews occur spontaneously, but this is not true. Planning is needed to
have effective interviews (Ramsey, 2011). Every organization needs to come up
with a plan, which outlines the results desired and methods used, before
interviews take place. An individual may have a great resume and may shine
during the interview, but he/she may not fit well in the organizational culture
or may hurt the company due to an inability to apply their skills if the
interviewer did not follow a strategic plan. Were the right types of questions
asked? What are we looking for in a new hire? These are the types of questions
which should have been addressed before the interview, during the planning
phase. This blog entry is going to discuss some of the general ideas for
improving the interview process, because interviews are essential for the
long-term success of an organization. If interviews are used effectively, then
the right people will be hired and these talented individuals will help improve
organizational performance. Otherwise, turnover costs will be high as employees
who do not fit the organization leave.
Medium for Interviews
In this day and age, an interview does not have to occur
face-to-face. A telephone call or a live video chat, such as through Skype,
could be used to conduct an interview of job candidates. However, none of these
other mediums can compare to the face-to-face interview. “Only through
face-to-face interaction can a supervisor observe small gestures, grimaces,
twitches, tics, breathing irregularities, fidgeting, raised eyebrows, blinking,
beads of perspiration and other nonverbal clues” (Ramsey, 2011). In a telephone
interview, the interviewer can only pick up on the words and manner of speaking
of the interviewee as well as any awkward pauses. The interviewer cannot
observe facial expressions or other physical gestures which need to be observed
in order to determine such characteristics of the individual as his/her
confidence level or attitude. The video interview will not be any better
because the video quality may be poor or there may be interruptions due to
technical difficulties. These other methods may be more convenient than the
face-to-face interview but they will be less effective. Therefore,
organizations should use these methods only to narrow their pool of candidates
if they have numerous applicants. Physical interviews should be used to find
the best candidate out of the pool.
Preparation Before the Interview
Before interviews take place, it is important for the
interviewers to be trained on interviewing. Interviewers need to know what
types of questions they can legally ask an interviewee because one misstep can
lead to substantial lawsuits. Interviewers should avoid asking questions that
are not related to the job position and any discriminatory questions such as
whether the candidate is disabled. Before coming up with a list of interview
questions to ask, the interviewer needs to have a strong grasp of the desired
traits and behaviors to look for in an employee which match the culture of the
organization. Then, the interviewer can come up with the relevant questions
that probe how well the interviewee fits with organizational culture (Mueller &
Baum, 2011). The interviewer should come up with a standard list of questions
which delve into the core competencies needed for the job as well as the traits
and behaviors described above. This will ensure that the interview is
structured around specific job aspects and there is some consistency applied (McNeil,
2012). Of course, the interviewer should not stick to these questions only. The
interviewer should tailor some additional questions based on the answers
received for the standard questions to get a better understanding of the candidate
during the interview.
Interview Questions
While researching interview strategies, I found that the
most differing views were related to the type of interview questions to be
used. One article argued that behavioral questions that deal with past actions
are not relevant. The past does not necessarily predict the future. Instead,
"how" questions should be asked in which the interviewee must discuss
how he/she would apply skills to the job. How would the candidate decrease
costs? How would the candidate increase revenue for the organization? These
questions would shift the focus to what the interviewee would be able to do for
the company rather than what actions the interviewee may have taken in the past
with other organizations (Remillard, 2012). On the other hand, another article
argued for behavioral questions that deal with the past. Behavioral questions shed
light on events that actually took place and situations that were actually
faced by the candidate. What type of problems did the candidate encounter and
what did he/she do? These types of questions identify the experiences of the
candidate as well as how the candidate learned from mistakes (Mueller &
Baum, 2011). In my opinion, both types of questions described above should be
used in interviews because they both have benefits. The behavioral questions
would help determine the candidate' s relevant experience and the
"how" questions would help get a sense of the candidate' s level of
motivation for the job as well as their ideas for completing tasks.
There Is an App for That!
Apple has an application for its devices that helps managers
before, during, and after interviews. The app, which costs $14.99, offers
tutorials on preparing for and structuring interviews as well as reading
nonverbal cues. It allows managers to pick interview questions from skill
categories and send those questions through e-mail. During an interview, the app
will display the questions and encourage you to dig deeper. Afterwards, an
assessment, which also can be e-mailed, is offered to evaluate the interviewee (“Interviewing
app,” 2010). This application assists hiring managers in preparing for and
conducting an effective interview which will lead to optimal hiring decisions.
Impact on Students
This blog entry will benefit students in two ways. First, it
gives students an idea of what to expect in an effective interview process.
Students can practice with behavioral and “how” questions to be better prepared
for interviews that they may have for job openings. Also, this blog entry gives
students suggestions for how to conduct an interview when their careers have
progressed and they are in the hiring manager's place. Even if the students do
not end up working as hiring managers, they may be asked to participate in a
panel interview in the organization that they work for. This blog entry
discusses how to plan for interviews with the right types of questions.
References
Interviewing app. (2010). Credit Union Management, 33(2),
26-26. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/227796689?accountid=12924
McNeil, R. (2012). Better interviewing, Better Hires. Long-Term Living, 61(9), 32.
Mueller, J. R.,
& Baum, B. (2011). The definitive guide to hiring right. The
Journal of Applied Business and Economics, 12(3), 140-153. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/885179591?accountid=12924
Ramsey, R. D., EdD. (2011). The art of interviewing final
job candidates. SuperVision, 72(1), 3-5. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/820160476?accountid=12924
Remillard, B. (2012). Hiring right. Kitchen & Bath
Business, 59(5), 20-20. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1268704608?accountid=12924
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