COUNSELING INTERVIEWS

Kusuma S Reddy

• In the world of ever increasing complexity and the stress in the lives, especially the workplaces of the employees, counselling interview has emerged as the latest HR tool to attract and retain its best employees and also to increase the quality of the workforce. 

• Some problems either in the work or personal life of employees start influencing and affecting their performance and, increasing the stress levels.

• Counselling is guiding, consoling, advising and sharing and helping to resolve their problems whenever the need arises.

Introduction

Given below is a partial indicative list of situations that call for counseling from a superior to his subordinate –

• When an employee violates your standards.

• When an employee is consistently late or absent.

• When an employee’s productivity is down.

• When one employee behaves in such a way that productivity of others is negatively affected.

• When two employees have a conflict that is becoming public and it is affecting the work.

• When you want to compliment an individual.

• When you want to delegate a new task.

Situations that Call for Counseling in an Organization

Given below is a partial indicative list of situations which do not call for counseling –

• When you disagree with an employee’s life style

• When you are upset.

• When you dislike the personality of an employee.

Situations that Call for Counseling

• Choose an appropriate, quiet and private location.

• Make sure that you are not disturbed during the counseling session.

• Take care that you have allowed sufficient time to the the person you are counseling and that he is not being rushed into it.

Preparation for the Counseling Interview

Counselor should help the person being counseled to:

• Tell his story.

• Look out for new perspectives.

• Clarify the issues.

• Identify areas for change.

• Set goals.

• Develop action plan.

• Review progress.

• Counselor should provide full support during the interview and also after the interview to carry out the action plan and to review the progress.

Objectives of the Interview

• Listen carefully.

• Demonstrate empathy.

• Do not make judgments.

• Understand emotions/feelings behind the story of the person being counselled.

• Question with care.

• Ask open ended questions.

• Reflect back, summarize and paraphrase so that the understanding is correct and complete.

• Use appropriate body language.

• Do not show superiority or patronage.

Counseling Skills

• Structure

• Listen (active and empathic)

• Be silent (when required)

• Respond

• Reflect

• Question

• Interpret

Conducting Effective Counseling Interviews

• Person being counselled may not have trust in his counselor (normally, his superior) or the organization.

• Suspicion over the level of confidentiality.

• Lack of skills of the counselor.

• Time, effort and resources required on the part of the organisation are a constraint too. 

Constraints in Counseling

• Helps the person being counselled to understand himself.

• Allows the individual to help himself.

• Assists in understand the situations more objectively.

• Facilitates to look at the situations with a new perspective.

• Develops positive outlook.

• Motivates to search for alternate solutions to problems.

• Helps in superior decision making.

• Prepares the person to cope with the situation and the related stresses.

Benefits of Counseling Interviews

• Counselling can go a long way in helping the employees to have better control over their lives, take their decisions wisely and better charge of their responsibilities, reduce the level of stress and anxiety.

• Counselling of employees can have desirable consequences for the organisation.

• It helps the organisation when the employees know that the organization cares for them, and build a sense of commitment with it.

• It can prove to be of significant help to modify the behaviour of the employees and more so to re-enforce the desired behaviour and improve and increase the employee productivity. 

Conclusion

Thank You..