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Interviewing is not the only way to assess suitability for a
particular job. On its own, it is not even the best way. In the hands of those who lack
the skill needed to interview effectively, it can be worse than useless. Even so, it is
still by far the most widely-used method, and one in which every manager should be
competent.
To get the best out of interviewing, you need to:
- use it as part of a selection process, designed to take you
from a thorough analysis of the job to a rigorous evaluation of evidence;
- plan and organise so that you, and others whom you wish to involve,
operate effectively on the day;
- use your own personal, interpersonal and analytical skills to make
sure you achieve your objectives.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
If you don't know what you are looking for, you may not recognise it
when you find it. This applies whether the job you need to fill is new or
well-established, an internal promotion or an external appointment.
So before you start worrying about the interview itself, take a
little time to make sure the process you follow is designed to produce the results you
require.
You will need:
- a job description or list of key tasks - to help both you and the
candidate see what is involved;
- an employee specification - to describe the competencies and other
attributes the job demands;
- an overall assessment plan - to identify which of the items on the
employee specification are to be assessed during the interview and which will be examined
by other means - as well as or instead of the interview.
SETTING UP THE INTERVIEW
Your first task is to decide how many interviews you need each
candidate to attend, and for what purpose. There are no hard and fast rules, it depends
on:
- the number and calibre of candidates;
- how far they have to travel to the interview;
- how many of your colleagues need to be involved in the assessment,
and their availability;
- what other assessment methods are used - as well as or instead of
interviews
With the possible exception of very senior posts, two well-conducted
visits to the organisation should be ample. After an offer has been made, the selected
candidate can, of course, come in again to discuss points of detail about the job, the
offer or the organisation.
The first visit is inevitably the time for first impressions - on
both sides. You must decide how much further you want to go. If the selection process
includes two interviews, the first one can be used:
- as a fairly crude filter to screen out candidates who don't live up
to the expectations created by their application form and to reduce the pool to a
manageable size. Candidates who pass this hurdle must then be assessed in depth at the
second stage;
- as an in-depth assessment to screen out all but a very short list of
maybe two or three candidates, one of whom has emerged as a front runner. The second
interview is then a chance to confirm the assessment already made, and to compare the
chosen candidate against other good candidates.
- somewhere between the two, to focus on the key elements of the
employee specification in sufficient depth to ensure that only those who really have
something to offer are brought back. The second meeting then provides a chance to probe
areas that have not been explored and to double-check on those that have.
Whichever you choose, it is important that the objective should
remain constant for all candidates. If you interview the first half-dozen on the first of
these three models, and then switch to the last model, you will not be in a position to
determine fairly who should and should not be included in the second round. You could miss
some good candidates or waste time on inferior ones as a result.
SOME DOs AND DON'Ts ON INTERVIEWING
Do....
-
consider lighting, seating, furniture and general
amenities to get the environment right;
- allow enough time for each interview, so neither you nor the
candidate feels rushed or pressured;
- make sure all your administrative arrangements work to plan,
and that candidates are properly looked after on arrival;
- put the candidate's application form, the job description,
assessment checklist, some blank paper and a pen where you can use them during the
interview;
- make sure you know the candidate's name!
- go in person to collect the candidate from the waiting area
if you can. Address them by name to make sure you have the right one;
- on the way to the interview room, try to relax the candidate
a little with a few opening pleasantries;
- shake hands warmly and firmly. Resist the temptation to draw
conclusions about candidates from the limpness of their grip;
- make sure the candidate is comfortably seated;
- speak clearly but not too loudly. Vary both volume and pitch
from time to time, to encourage the candidate to do the same;
- adopt a comfortable position. Vary it from time to time to
encourage the candidate to do likewise;
- explain the purpose of the interview and its place in the
overall selection process;
- be alert for signs that the candidate is becoming worried or
confused. You may need to slow down;
- Allow candidates plenty of time to talk - encourage them by
nodding or looking interested;
- prevent the candidate from waffling or straying;
- summarise regularly to make sure you have understood what
the candidate has been saying;
- take notes and explain to the candidate that you are doing
so;
- keep your promise about allowing time for questions.
Don't...
- get distracted, stick to your plan;
- interrupt the candidate unless you really have to;
- intimidate the candidate;
- let your physical mannerisms distract the candidate (fiddling with
papers etc);
- forget that each candidate deserves your undivided attention (no
ringing telephones, or interruptions can be tolerated!);
- be too intense. Smile often and sincerely;
- overlook the candidates' need to know what will happen next.
QUESTIONING TECHNIQUES - QUESTIONS TO ASK
- Most of your questions will be directed by your employee
specification. Others should already have been answered by a well-designed application
form. There are just a few which it may be advisable to ask everyone:
- Overall, how many days' sickness absence have you had in the
last year?
- If the job involves driving, establish the number of penalty
points on the candidate's licence;
- May we approach your present employer for a reference?
- How much notice would you need to give your present
employer?
QUESTIONS TO AVOID
Don't ask questions that might lead you to discriminate on grounds
of race, sex, age, marital status or disability. Delving into the detail of people's
private lives is both risky and unnecessary. Focus on whether each candidate is available
for and competent to do the job, at the times when the job is to be done.
Not all questions may seem discriminatory. The potential problem
lies in the inferences candidates may draw from the fact that you have asked them. If they
feel uncomfortable about your line of questioning, that could undermine their confidence
and mean they are unable to give their best in the interview. If they don't get the job,
they could blame you for asking.
MAKING A DECISION
One of the candidates may by now have emerged as the obvious choice.
Even so, it will be worth weighing all the evidence carefully. If others have been
involved in the selection, make sure you all understand and agree the assessment.
- Study the results. If one candidates scores well on, say, six out of
seven criteria but very poorly on the seventh, you may be tempted to take a chance. If the
seventh item is critical to success, you may do better to choose the one who scores
slightly less well across the board, as long as he or she at least meets your standard on
each criterion.
- Beware of being drawn to the top scorer. Getting someone who is
overqualified can be almost as bad as someone who is lacking in key areas. Unless you can
expand the job to make use of his or her talents, he or she may become quickly frustrated.
- Beware of settling for the best of a bad lot. If no one quite meets
your standards, think carefully how much help and training would be needed to compensate.
- Don't be frightened to retrace your steps. Is it worth revisiting
candidates not called for interview or screened out along the way?
If you are really unsure, you can offer the job on a trial basis in
the first instance. Don't use this as an excuse for indecision, though. The only real
benefit is the pressure it will put on you to review progress regularly, especially during
the first few months. Don't be surprised if your chosen candidate is reluctant to join you
on this basis.
Whatever the outcome of your deliberations:
- make sure you keep notes of the basis on which your decision was
reached. Your assessment record and interview notes will help. Check that there is a
record of all the key factors which enable you to make up your mind;
- keep the paperwork for all the candidates for at least six months.
There is just a chance that one of the candidates or someone acting on one's behalf may
want to challenge your decision on the grounds of race or sex discrimination. This will be
a lot easier to refute if you have clear notes, made at the time of selection, recording
your reasons for rejection.
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