Interview  |
|
Preparation:
- Review the application form
- Review the SELECT test results
|
STEP 1: Open the InterviewHello, my name is ____________ and I’m
the _____________ (your position). We’re glad that you are interested in
this position. The purpose of this interview is to learn more about you
and your work experiences. I will be asking you some questions about your
previous experience, how you approach certain things, etc. You will
probably see me jotting down some notes -- that's to help me remember
better what you said after the interview is over. There are no correct or
incorrect answers, what we want is to learn more about you. At the end,
I’ll leave some time to answer any questions you might have. If you are
ready, we can begin. |
STEP 2: Review the Application and Investigate Potential Problem
Areas
| ___All blanks completed? |
|
___Employment gaps? |
| ___Application signed? |
|
___Extremely high or low earnings? |
| ___Several jobs in the last 2 years? |
|
___Earnings show progress? |
| ___Vague reasons for leaving job(s)? |
|
___Can complete all essential
functions?
|
|
Example Questions:I see that you were unemployed from
_____to _____. Please tell me about this period of unemployment.
I
see that you left your previous employer for personal reasons. Would you
explain further?
I noticed that you have changed jobs frequently
in the recent past. Why?
|
STEP 3: Review SELECT Flags and Begin In-depth QuestionsWhile
asking the following interview questions, be sure to listen and probe in
the following areas highlighted by SELECT:
- Low Positive Service Attitude
- Negative Sales Attitude
- Low Multi-tasking
1.
Tell me about your responsibilities in your previous (or current) job.
Which did you like most and why? Also, which did you like the least and
why? (Listen for relevant work experience, likes and dislikes that may
or may not fit this job.) |
2. Have
you ever worked or volunteered in a position where you sold products or
provided services over the telephone? How did you like it? How successful
were you? (Probe for sales drive, positive competitiveness to be the
best.) |
3. How
would you describe yourself as an employee? What are your strengths? What
things do you think you might need to improve? (Listen for work ethic,
interpersonal skills, a willingness to influence others.) |
4. What
type of people do you like best? And least? Why? (Listen for openness
and a lack of prejudice.) |
5. What
type of supervisor do you like best? Why? (Listen for a willingness to
be supervised.) |
6. In
previous jobs how was your performance measured? What do you think would
be a good measure of your performance in this job? (Listen for a focus
on measurable results.) |
7.
Think of a company that you feel provides good customer service. What is
it about this company that makes you think of them? (Listen for service
knowledge, values.) |
8. Tell
me about a time when someone failed to provide good service to you. Give
me examples of what the person did poorly. How could he/she have improved?
(Listen for service knowledge, values.) |
9. What
do you think is most important in helping a customer decide to buy your
product or service? (Listen for sales knowledge, values, the ability to
influence others.) |
10.
What would you do if a customer did not want to buy your product or
service? (Listen for an ability to recover from rejection, flexibility
in approach.) |
11.
Sooner or later, we all have to work with a customer who is unreasonable.
What types of behavior would you find most frustrating? How would you
respond under such a circumstance? (Listen for openness, tact and
ability to handle difficult people.) |
12.
Tell me about a time when you were asked to do a task you knew nothing
about or a time when you had to solve an extremely difficult problem.
(Listen for self-reliance and personal responsibility for achieving
results.)
|
If you are still concerned about the Performance Flag areas, here
are some additional questions to ask:Low Positive Service
Attitude: What do you see as the pluses and minuses of a customer
service job? What types of customers and co-workers do you like? Why? What
kind do you not like? Why? (Listen for defensiveness or a tendency to feel
demeaned by the service
role.)
Negative Sales
Attitude: Describe the pluses and minuses of a sales job. What do
you like about sales jobs? What do you not like? (Listen for suggestions
that the candidate may have a defensive or negative attitude, especially
about helping or doing things for customers or other
people.)
Low
Accountability: Have you worked in a job for which your output was
measured? Did you receive a performance appraisal from your supervisor?
How do you feel about being measured or rated? Were your ratings fair?
(Listen for a comfort or resistance to being evaluated against a
performance standard.)
Low
Multi-tasking: What type of work do you like? Do you like variety
or consistency? Would you rather focus on one task or do several at the
same time? (Listen for a dislike for or an inability to
multi-task.)
|
STEP 4: Conclude the InterviewThose are all the questions that I
have for you. I appreciate the time that you have given to me. Is there
anything that you would like to ask me?
|
STEP 5: Make the Hiring Decision
- Resist the temptation to hire someone just because you need to fill
the job. You are likely to pay for a hiring mistake both in money and
time.
- Focus on how well the candidate fits the demands of the job, not how
much you like the candidate’s personality or how much you have in common
with the candidate.
- The selection process is designed as an aid to the well-reasoned
judgment of a hiring manager, not a replacement for this judgment. In
the end, every hiring decision is a judgment call. Use the tools
provided in this process to inform your decision, not make it for you.
|
Use the following checklist to guide your decision. Please
indicate your recommendation and write your comments in the
appropriate Recommendation box. In addition, write your initials in
the Initials column. |
Actions |
Recommendation |
Initials |
|
Review Application |
Not Acceptable
|
Some Reservations
|
Consider Further
|
|
|
Prescreen (Optional) |
Not Acceptable
|
Some Reservations
|
Consider Further
|
|
|
Test Candidate & Review the SELECT
Report |
Not Acceptable
|
Some Reservations
|
Consider Further
|
|
|
Behavioral Interview |
Not Acceptable
|
Some Reservations
|
Acceptable
|
|
|
Reference Checks (Optional) |
Not Acceptable
|
Some Reservations
|
Acceptable
|
|
|
Background Check (Optional) |
Not Acceptable
|
Some Reservations
|
Acceptable
|
|
|
Decide |
Do Not Make Offer
|
Eligible At Later Date
|
Make Offer
|
|
|
Drug/Medical Screen (Optional) |
Fail
|
|
Pass
|
| |
|
Copyright © 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, Bigby, Havis
& Associates, Inc. All rights
reserved. |
