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TRANSCRIPT
Interview Training:Interview & Hire Great Employees
Presented by: Human Resources
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
OVERVIEW: INTERVIEWING AND HIRING GREAT EMPLOYEES............................................................................2
WORKSHOP GOALS..................................................................................................................................................... 3
FACULTY HIRING POLICY............................................................................................................................................ 4
FACULTY HIRING CHECKLIST.................................................................................................................................... 7
STAFF HIRING POLICY................................................................................................................................................. 8
STAFF HIRING CHECKLIST........................................................................................................................................ 11
PHASE I: INTERVIEW PLANNING............................................................................................................................. 12
SMART JOB PERFORMANCE PROFILE.................................................................................................................... 14
EVALUATING THE CV/RESUME................................................................................................................................ 16
PHASE II: SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING................................................................................................................17
INTERVIEW ETIQUETTE............................................................................................................................................. 17
LEGAL CASE STUDIES.............................................................................................................................................. 20
TYPES OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS......................................................................................................................... 23
QUIZ: LEGAL/ILLEGAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS...................................................................................................26
LEGAL ISSUES WHEN INTERVIEWING.....................................................................................................................27
MOCK INTERVIEW EXERCISE................................................................................................................................... 29
OBSERVER NOTES..................................................................................................................................................... 30
SMART JOB INTERVIEW FORM................................................................................................................................. 31
PHASE III: CANDIDATE EVALUATION..................................................................................................................... 32
CANDIDATE EVALUATION FORM............................................................................................................................ .32
PHASE IV: SELECTION AND MAKING AN OFFER..................................................................................................33
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Interviewing & Hiring Great Employees
Why is a hiring decision so important? Because of the high cost of making a hiring mistake!
If you don’t like the idea of having to say to yourself, “I wish I never hired that person”, or “why did we hire that person” then you realize how important it is to learn how to effectively interview job candidates. Otherwise, the odds of hiring someone who doesn’t work out will increase dramatically. How many of you have heard the line “Pay now or Pay Later?” What it means is that you can’t spend too much time or effort up-front on hiring SMART. The alternative is to manage “tough”, which is much more time consuming and costly. The cost of replacing an employee can be two times the person’s salary or more!
Exercise: Ask yourself these questions:1) What was your worst experience as a Candidate/Interviewer? 2) What was your worst hire?3) How long did the situation take to resolve itself?4) How much do think that mistake cost?5) Have you had to work with someone who was a bad hire?
Naturally, even the best interviewer can make a mistake from time to time, but for the most part, taking the time to carefully prepare a performance-based job profile, learning how to effectively interview and accurately evaluating candidates will greatly increase the chances of hiring great individuals. The biggest problem most supervisors face in conducting interviews with job applicants is simply that it isn’t done often enough to develop good interviewing skills.
To help overcome poor hiring decisions, this workshop will provide you with the following tools:
1) Prepare performance-based hiring tools2) Develop more effective interviewing skills 3) Improve your ability to evaluate and hire the best people
Your interview success ratio in hiring good employees depends as much upon what you do before you start to interview as on the interviews themselves. We will cover the entire interview process from when you realize you have an opening to welcoming the employee on board.
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Workshop Goals
I. Interview Planning- The MWU Recruitment Process-Hiring Policies & Procedures & Checklist- Define Performance Objectives - Prepare a SMART Performance Profile- Share Hiring Tools, Templates & Techniques- Examining CV/Resumes Successfully
II. Interviewing Techniques- Successful Interview Techniques-Building a rapport with the candidate- Avoid “illegal” questions to avoid discrimination claims- Provide Interview Questions Checklist- Learn effective interview selling techniques- Concluding the Interview – Always create a great candidate experience!
III. Evaluating Candidates- Evaluating the Candidates for performance/technical abilities, character and personality- Reviewing references for a holistic assessment
IV. Selecting - Selecting a final candidate- Initiating an offer
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MWU Faculty & Staff Recruitment Policies FACULTY HIRING POLICY
PURPOSE: To establish the process by which prospective faculty members are hired for employment at Midwestern University.
PROCEDURE:A. The Hiring Manager logs into the Ceridian Recruiting Solutions (CRS) system and completes a
personnel requisition for each position being requested.
https://www4.recruitingcenter.net/clients/midwestern/default.rs?ReturnCode=logout
*UsernameFirst initial of first name and full last name (example: Susan Smith is ssmith)
Passwordpassword
*Hiring Managers that have hiring responsibilities on both the AZ and IL campuses will have a username for each campus. The format is the first initial of first name and full last name, plus ‘AZ’ or ‘IL’ for whichever campus the position is being requested (example: Susan Smith is ssmithaz and ssmithil).
The CRS Hiring Manager’s Manual is available to assist in the creation of the personnel requisition. This is available on the HR Intranet site Forms Hiring Manager’s Manual (under Recruiting Forms).
Once the personnel requisition has been submitted in CRS by the Hiring Manager, Human Resources will assign the appropriate Recruiter to the position and submit the personnel requisition through the approval process.
B. Once the personnel requisition is approved, the Recruiter will notify the Hiring Manager and post the position internally for 3 days. The Recruiter will also send a copy of the approved personnel requisition to the President/CEO, EVP/COO, SVP/CFO, VP HR & Administration and the Director of HR to inform them of the posting status.
C. Upon completion of the 3 day internal posting period, the position may be advertised in the appropriate external media vehicle e.g. The Chronicle, Higher Ed Jobs after consultation with the Hiring Manager or Chair of the Faculty Hiring Committee. The Hiring Manager can request that the Recruiter assist in facilitating any necessary external faculty advertisements. In this scenario, the Hiring Manager must submit an approved Purchase Order to the Recruiter for the cost of the advertisement, along with details about the advertisement’s location.
D. CV’s will be received and screened by the Chair of the Faculty Hiring Committee, unless otherwise requested.
E. The Chair of the Faculty Hiring Committee will contact qualified candidates to set-up an “interview day” which must include an interview with the Recruiter. At the time of scheduling the interview, the Chair of the Faculty Hiring Committee will do the following:
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a. Send the candidate instructions to provide the Recruiter with any credentials that are required by the position. It is the responsibility of the Hiring Manager to communicate with the Faculty Hiring Committee Chair regarding which acceptable original documents or notarized copies of credentials will be acceptable.
b. Request the appropriate letters of recommendation and contact the references for specific information as needed.
c. Provide instructions on how the candidate must submit their information through MWU’s online job board, if the interview candidate has not already done so.
F. During the interview, the Recruiter will collect proof of credentials and verify that all necessary paperwork has been submitted through MWU’s online job board. All application materials will be retained in the CRS system for a minimum of one year, according to the Record Retention Policy.
G. Once the Recruiter, Hiring Manager, and the Faculty Hiring Committee have completed all interviews, a final candidate should be selected. The Hiring Manager will request approval from their Dean to extend a verbal offer to the candidate.
H. Before a candidate can be extended a written faculty contract at Midwestern University, the following must be on file in Human Resources:
Personnel Requisition posted internally for a minimum of 3 days Application materials submitted through MWU’s online job board Background Check completed and cleared Credentials verified (if applicable)
I. The Hiring Manager will prepare a Faculty Contract Request Form, submit it to their Dean for approval, and forward to their VP/Chief Academic Officer for additional approval. After these signatures, the form must be submitted to the Recruiter for verification that all prior information has been collected (See “F” of this policy). The Faculty Contract Request Form can be found on the MWU Intranet under Human Resources Forms Faculty Contract Request Form.
J. When the Recruiter receives the Faculty Contract Request, a background check will be processed on the candidate. The background check includes a 7-year felony search along with an education, employment and Social Security number verification. The employment verification will pertain to the candidate’s current or most recent place of employment.
K. Once all prior information has been collected (See “F” of this policy) and the background check is complete and cleared, the Recruiter will sign and submit the contract request form to the Vice President of Human Resources and Administration for the generation of the written contract.
L. Once the contract has been prepared and sent, the Hiring Manager and/or Dean’s office will track the receipt of the signed copy from the New Hire. The original signed contract must be sent to Human Resources. Copies are kept by the Dean’s office and Hiring Manager.
M. Upon receipt of the signed contract, the HR Assistant will email the New Hire information regarding their appointment for new hire paperwork on their first day and how to schedule their pre-employment testing. All offers are contingent upon the passing of all pre-employment tests, including a physical, drug screen and background check.
New Hires that are unable to undergo the pre-employment testing prior to their start date
(i.e. for relocation purposes) will be made aware by Human Resources that should they fail to pass the drug-screening portion of the pre-employment physical, their employment will be terminated immediately.
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N. The Hiring Manager will complete an on-line Technology Request for each New Hire prior to their start date.
O. During the appointment for new hire paperwork, Human Resources will cover details about general University policies, federal and state tax paperwork and benefits enrollment information. On the employee’s first day, the Hiring Manager will coordinate the issuance of an ID badge with the Media Resources department.
P. All recently hired faculty members will be invited to attend an orientation program hosted by Human Resources. The program introduces a variety of support services that are available to all staff and faculty members of the MWU Community.
PROCESS FOR INTERNAL CANDIDATES
Since the majority of these steps do not need to be re-done for those faculty who are already a member of the Midwestern University team, a modified version of the process has been outlined below. This version of the process will apply in all instances when a faculty member is being considered for a position other than the one they currently possess. Internal candidates should submit their CV through the CRS system. All internal candidates will be reviewed by Human Resources and forwarded to the Chair of the Faculty Hiring Committee for that particular position. The following steps take place AFTER the position has already been approved and posted according to the beginning steps of this policy.
A. The Faculty Hiring Committee will review and interview all internal applicants that meet the minimum requirements for the position.
B. If an internal candidate is selected, the Hiring Manager will notify Human Resources, and submit a Contract Request Form. The Vice President of Human Resources and Administration will generate the faculty contract for the internal candidate.
C. The Hiring Manager and Human Resources will work with the internal candidate’s current Manager to arrange a timeline for the transfer.
D. Human Resources will be responsible for making all status changes in the HR/Payroll system and MWU Online Directory. Human Resources will process and file all paperwork necessary for the promotion and/or transfer.
NOTE: Per MWU policy, employees are eligible to apply for internal positions upon completing a minimum of six months of employment at MWU in their current position, have a satisfactory performance record and have no disciplinary actions within a 12-month period. Management retains the discretion to make exceptions to the policy.
Faculty Hiring Checklist
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Instruction: Hiring Managers may use this form as a reference only; it does not need to be submitted to HR.Note: HR = Human Resources and HM = Hiring Manager
Requisition Process New/Replacement Position
HM: Complete a Personnel Requisition via Ceridian Recruitment Solutions (CRS) Please refer to Ceridian Recruitment Solutions Manual for instructions
HR: Will contact HM about job description HR: Will notify hiring manager when requisition has been approved
Job Posting (upon receipt of approved requisition) HR: Will post position on the intranet for three days HM: Will work with HR and let them know what other avenues they would like to use to
advertise the position
Recruitment Process CV Screening
HM: will receive all candidate’s CVs and applications, most of which should now be done through CRS
HM: Will work with their HR recruiter for the position to set up interviews
Interview Process HM: Contacts the candidates to set up interviews for “interview day”
“Interview day” includes meeting with appropriate Dean’s Office, Dept Chair, HR and selected faculty members
HR: Will make sure that all candidate’s information is in CRS and will be kept on file for one year in the system
Hiring Process Extending an offer/Background Checks/Pre-employment physical testing
HM: Must get approval from VP of HR and CAO prior to extending a verbal offer HM: Will make the verbal offer, after approval from VP of HR and CAO has been received HM: Must explain that offer is contingent upon successful completion of background and pre-
employment screening process HM: Will complete faculty contract request form and submit to Dean and CAO for approval.
Upon approval, the form should be submitted to HR HR: Upon receipt of the contract request HR will conduct background check HR: After background check results are received, HR will submit contract request form to VP of
HR for generation of actual contract HM: Will ensure that contract is prepared and sent to the candidate by the Dean’s office HM/Dean’s office: Will track the receipt of the signed contract HM/Dean’s office: Original signed copy of contract must be sent to HR (copies are kept by the
Dean’s office and Hiring Manager) HR: Will set up on-boarding process for new employee
This includes sending them information on how to schedule pre-employment testing, along with information regarding new hire paperwork with HR on their first day
***Please see New Hire Orientation & On-Boarding Checklist for more detailed information on this topic***
STAFF HIRING POLICY
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PURPOSE: To establish the process by which prospective staff members are hired for employment at Midwestern University.
PROCEDURE:The Hiring Manager logs into the Ceridian Recruiting Solutions (CRS) system and completes a personnel requisition for each position being requested.
A. The Hiring Manager logs into the Ceridian Recruiting Solutions (CRS) system and completes a personnel requisition for each position being requested.
https://www4.recruitingcenter.net/clients/midwestern/default.rs?ReturnCode=logout
*UsernameFirst initial of first name and full last name (example: Susan Smith is ssmith)
PasswordPassword
*Hiring Managers that have hiring responsibilities on both the AZ and IL campuses will have a username for each campus. The format is the first initial of first name and full last name, plus ‘AZ’ or ‘IL’ for whichever campus the position is being requested (example: Susan Smith is ssmithaz and ssmithil).
The CRS Hiring Manager’s Manual is available to assist in the creation of the personnel requisition. This is available on the HR Intranet site Forms Hiring Manager’s Manual (under Recruiting Forms).
Once the personnel requisition has been submitted in CRS by the Hiring Manager, Human Resources will assign the appropriate Recruiter to the position and submit the personnel requisition through the approval process.
B. Once the personnel requisition is approved, the Recruiter will notify the Hiring Manager and post the position internally for 3 days. The Recruiter will also send a copy of the approved personnel requisition to the President/CEO, EVP/COO, SVP/CFO, VP HR & Administration and the Director of HR to inform them of the posting status.
C. Upon completion of the 3 day internal posting period, the position may be advertised in the appropriate external media vehicle e.g. CareerBuilder, Higher Ed Jobs after consultation with the Hiring Manager. Resumes will be received and screened by the Recruiter, unless the Hiring Manager requests to directly receive/screen resumes.
D. After the Recruiter and Hiring Manager have discussed qualified candidates, the Hiring Manager will send an interview request within CRS for each selected candidate. When the interview requests are received, Human Resources will contact the selected candidates to set up interviews. During the interview scheduling process, Human Resources will be responsible for verifying that all application materials from interview candidates have been received in the CRS system. All application materials will be retained in the CRS system for a minimum of one year, according to the Record Retention Policy.
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E. The Recruiter and Hiring Manager will conduct interviews with the selected candidates. If necessary, the Hiring Manager will send a request for second and/or final interviews within the CRS system. Human Resources will schedule all second and/or final interviews.
F. After all interviews have been completed, a final candidate should be selected. At that point in time, the Recruiter will contact the final candidate’s references that are listed on the CRS application. References are verified as follows:
Pay Grades 8 and 9: One reference verifiedPay Grades 10 and above: Two references verifiedManagement/supervisory positions: Three references verified
G. The Hiring Request Form is completed by the Hiring Manager and sent to the Recruiter. The Recruiter will review the Hiring Request, then forward to the Recruitment Manager for approval. Any proposed rate of pay that is above the new hire pay grade amount will be sent to the Director of HR for additional approval. This form can be submitted while the reference check process is pending. The Hiring Request form is on the HR Intranet Forms Hiring Request Form (under Recruiting Forms).
H. Once the Hiring Request Form has been approved and the reference check process is complete, the Recruiter will contact the chosen candidate to extend the verbal offer. The Recruiter will notify the Hiring Manager of the candidate’s acceptance or denial of the position.
I. After the verbal offer is extended and accepted, Human Resources will process a background check on the final candidate. The background check includes a 7-year felony search along with an education, employment and Social Security number verification. The employment verification will pertain to the candidate’s current or most recent place of employment.
J. Upon acceptance of the position, the Recruiter will email the New Hire their offer letter and copy the Hiring Manager and HR Assistant. The HR Assistant will email the New Hire information regarding their appointment for new hire paperwork on their first day and how to schedule their pre-employment testing. All offers are contingent upon the passing of all pre-employment tests, including a physical, drug screen and background check.
New Hires that are unable to undergo the pre-employment testing prior to their start date (i.e. for relocation purposes) will be made aware by Human Resources that should they fail to pass the drug-screening portion of the pre-employment physical, their employment will be terminated immediately.
K. The Hiring Manager will complete an on-line Technology Request for each New Hire prior to their start date.
L. During the appointment for new hire paperwork, Human Resources will cover details about general University policies, federal and state tax paperwork and benefits enrollment information. On the employee’s first day, the Hiring Manager will coordinate the issuance of an ID badge with the Media Resources department.
M. All recently hired staff members will be invited to attend an orientation program hosted by Human Resources. The program introduces a variety of support services that are available to all staff and faculty members of the MWU Community.
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PROCESS FOR INTERNAL CANDIDATES
Since the majority of these steps do not need to be re-done for those staff who are already a member of the Midwestern University team, a modified version of the process has been outlined below. This version of the process will apply in all instances when a staff member is being considered for a position other than the one they currently possess. Internal candidates should submit their resume through the CRS system. All internal candidates will be reviewed by Human Resources and forwarded to the appropriate Hiring Manager for that particular position. The following steps take place AFTER the position has already been approved and posted according to the beginning steps of this policy.
A. The Hiring Manager and Human Resources will review and interview all internal applicants that meet the minimum requirements for the position.
B. If an internal candidate is selected, the Hiring Manager will notify Human Resources, and submit a Hiring Request Form. Human Resources will generate and distribute the promotion and/or transfer letter for the internal candidate.
C. The Hiring Manager and Human Resources will work with the internal candidate’s current Manager to arrange a timeline for the transfer.
D. Human Resources will be responsible for making all status changes in the HR/Payroll system and MWU Online Directory. Human Resources will process and file all paperwork necessary for the promotion and/or transfer.
NOTE: Per MWU policy, employees are eligible to apply for internal positions upon completing a minimum of six months of employment at MWU in their current position, have a satisfactory performance record and have no disciplinary actions within a 12-month period. Management retains the discretion to make exceptions to the policy.
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Staff Hiring Checklist
Instruction: Hiring Managers may use this form as a reference only; it does not need to be submitted to HR.Note: HR = Human Resources and HM = Hiring Manager
Requisition Process
New/Replacement Position HM: Complete a Personnel Requisition via Ceridian Recruitment Solutions (CRS)
Please refer to Ceridian Recruitment Solutions Manual for instructions HR: Will contact HM about job description HR: Will notify hiring manager when requisition has been approved
Job Posting (upon receipt of approved requisition) HR: Will post position on the intranet for three days HR: Will post externally to CareerBuilder and HigherEdJobs.com HM: Will let HR know if any other avenues will be needed to advertise position
Recruitment Process
CV Screening HR: Will receive all applications for position and review them HR: Will send qualified candidates to HM via CRS HM: will let HR know who they would like to interview and send HR availability for interviews HR: Contacts candidates and sets up interviews HR and HM: Will interview candidates
Second interviews will be done, if necessary, for top candidates
Hiring Process
Extending an offer/Background Checks/Pre-employment Physical Testing HM: Will select candidate to hire, complete the Hiring Request Form and send to HR HR: Will extend a verbal offer, send candidate background check release forms and let
candidate know the offer is contingent on passing the background check and pre-employment testing
HR: Will conduct background check HR: : After background check results are received, HR will generate an offer letter and send it
via email to the new hire and copy the HM HR: Will set up on-boarding process for new employee
This includes sending them information on how to schedule pre-employment testing, along with information regarding new hire paperwork with HR on their first day
***Please see New Hire Orientation & On-Boarding Checklist for more detailed information on this topic***
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Phase I: Interview PlanningTo get started, let’s Define the Job Performance Factors in directing what you want this person todo. You can do this by preparing an effective pre-planning interview tool called the “SMART Job Performance Profile.”
S pecificM easurableA ction-orientedR esults that areT ime-based
This profile will guide you, as the interviewer, throughout the interview process to ensure that you hire for substance and not just style. You must determine that they can do the job that you need them to do.
The SMART Job Performance Profile - (Compliments Job Posting)
Before the interview, you clearly need to understand what you want the candidate to do once on the job. If you want to hire excellent people, you need to first define excellent performance by utilizing a tool that measures performance over style called the SMART Job Performance Profile.
The 3 SMART Job Performance Profile Components to every good hiring decision are:
1. Performance and Technical Traits (past performance-such as work ethic, technical skills, initiative, resourcefulness and the ability to work with others). Candidates who have been top performers in the past tend to stay top performers. Likewise, people who are average or below average performers tend to stay this way.
2. Integrity Traits (i.e. establish trust, integrity, credibility, etc.) can be misleading as a predictor of performance. We have met people who have high character but are not top performers and we have met some top performers who don’t have a great deal of character. Basically ask, do they do what they say they will do and how well have they been able to establish and build rapport and trust with others?
3. Personality Traits (i.e. style, assertiveness and communication) are the easiest to measure and many times can be done in the first few minutes. Unfortunately, personality isn’t always a predictor of subsequent performance either. You can have a great personality during the interview but not be competent on the job. Or you can be a weak interviewer and be nervous and still be a top performer. It’s in our nature to measure personality first. Most of us make an emotional decision in the first 5-10 minutes of the interview and then go out of our way to look for facts to justify this decision.
Exercise: Think about the Star Performers in your department, why are they so successful? Write down a few things that they do well and how they do it.
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Exercise: Prepare SMART Job Performance ProfileLook at the SMART Job Performance Profile and take the job description you have selected and come up with at least 3-4 performance objectives. Start with an action verb and make it Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, and include a Result that is Time-based (SMART).
To create a Substance over Style SMART Job Performance Profile you need to first prepare performance objectives. The job description that you chose to work on during the class will be the base to prepare your SMART Job Performance Profile.
First, ask yourself what the candidate needs to do to become successful on the job. Remember your Star Performers; what do they do so well and how do they do it? In addition, determine what problems you want the new employee to resolve or, what changes and improvements need to be made in the next few months.
Skills, academics and experience don’t help the hiring process until each is converted into an outcome. This precludes misinterpretation. For example, “good PC skills” might mean sophisticated modeling or just basic word processing. Focus on the really important performance issues and prevent filtering out strong candidates for the wrong reasons.
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SMART Job Performance Profile – Be SpecificPosition:
Interview Selection Team:
Performance & Technical Abilities: What do they need to do in the next year?
Character Fit: How and from whom do they need to gain trust, integrity and the support of others?
Personality Fit: How do their style, assertiveness and communication fit into our culture?
Other relevant performance objectives:
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Exercise: After you have created at least 3-4 performance objectives, pair up with another person and discuss the SMART Job Performance Profile you created to get another person’s perspective and see what they have to add. Having written questions helps you focus on information you need; allows you to be consistent; keeps you from improvising and potentially getting into legal issues.
Once you have selected the top 3-4 performance objectives to identify success on the job, number them in priority order. Congratulations, you now have a SMART Job Performance Profile that gives you an outline and tool to effectively guide you to the kinds of questions to ask during your interview.
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Examining the CV or Resume
Although most people are truthful when composing their CV or resume, some may be tempted to omit negative facts or to exaggerate their achievements. Analyze each CV or resume carefully to help select potential interviewees, and then we can prepare questions to ask them.
General Overview
Note specific points of interest in the CV/resume to discuss later
Is the CV/resume clear and concise, does it give you a good “picture” of what this person has done?
Assume a certain amount of creative writing in CV/resumes
Look for any inconsistencies in the facts provided
Ask yourself if the format and the style of the CV/resume creates a positive impression of the applicant
Look for gaps in CV/resume’s employment history
Estimate the average amount of time spent in each job
Judge whether the candidate is making a logical career move
Looking At StructureAnalyzing the structure of a resume can tell you a lot about a candidate’s ability to organize and communicate a set of facts effectively.
A well-structured CV/resume will be concise. Usually, it will contain career histories and educational background in reverse chronological order to emphasize the candidate’s most recent activities. In addition publications most likely will be included for faculty candidates.
Relevant skills are often highlighted. However, there are many ways of presenting a CV/resume, and the most important factor to consider is whether a CV/resume presents information in a logical and easily digestible form.
Reading Information on a CV/Resume
Once you have looked at the overall structure and style, examine the information provided.
Consider whether the applicant’s qualifications and work experience are relevant and meet the required
levels you are seeking.
Does the candidate have any other useful skills?
Is there any background information that builds up a picture of the candidate’s career character?
Can you get an idea of the speed and direction of their career track?
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Phase II: Successful Interviewing
“78% of Interviewees feel that the interview process is a strong indication of how the company operates and how they will treated as an employee” -HR Magazine
Objectivity is an essential component of an accurate assessment. Try not to make a hiring decision in the first 30 minutes of an interview, delay any final decision to be made in the last half-hour unless the candidate is obviously not a fit. Listed below are a few things you can do to overcome the emotional response to a candidate based on first impressions and personal biases:
Interview Etiquette:
1. Become aware of your hot buttons.
Exercise: Write down what turns you on and off about candidates. (Appearance, self-confidence, communication skills)
Be conscious of these emotional triggers before you go into an interview. During the interview keep track of the time and minutes when you start to like or dislike the candidate and note the reasons why. Every time you interview a new candidate, delay the decision a little longer until you get to the 30-minute mark. This will help you increase your objectivity.
2. Be Prepared-Always bring the resume or CV to the interview-ensure all interviewers have copies too!
3. Change your frame of reference. Do the opposite of what you actually want to do. For example, if you like someone from the get-go, ask tougher questions. If you don’t like someone, assume they are competent and give better lead questions to help them to discuss their past performance.
4. Listen more than you talk – use the 80/20 Rule. You don’t learn anything by talking. Listen, don’t judge, and don’t immediately begin thinking of what you are going to ask next. Silence is a great tool-Use it!
5. Measure first impression again after 30 minutes. You will be objective by then and you will better understand how your own emotions affect your judgment. If the first impression improves, you have found a candidate that you would have normally excluded. If it worsens, you have just met a candidate that has Style over Substance.
6. Use a structured interview with pre-planned questions for all candidates; The SMART Job Profile is an excellent tool for this. Whether you like the candidate or not, it is important to ask the same questions to every candidate.
7. Don’t keep the candidate waiting. If you should become delayed, then implement a Plan B so the candidate doesn’t feel they are not important.
8. Set-up the environment to eliminate and/or minimize interruptions, phone-calls, emails or other potential obstacles so you can concentrate and give the professional courtesy to any potential new hire in consideration for the job opportunity.
Because most people are normally a bit stressed before coming to any interview, it is important for the interviewer to take the time to relax the candidate and try to minimize their nervousness. You don’t want to exclude a candidate who, in the beginning who may feel out of their element. So it’s important to quickly get past these negative first impressions.
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Conducting the Interview
1. Establish Rapport
Greet interviewee with a smile and handshake and make good eye contact. Lead candidate to a quiet private place without interruptions. To make the candidate at ease make “small talk” such as: “Did you have any trouble getting here? I
noticed on your resume that you’ve been working at ABC company, how did you like it there?
2. Start the Interview
Set the agenda. Explain timing and who the candidate will be meeting and what the process is to alert the candidate that you know what you are doing in leading the process:
“First, I’d like to ask you some questions so I can learn about you”
“Then, I’ll tell you more about the job”
“Then, you can ask me anything you like”
“Finally, we will discuss what will happen next”
3. Break the interview into two 30-minute segments
The first 30 minutes determines Core Competencies
o Would you give me a quick overview of you career history and how you got where you are today?
o Can you describe three accomplishments you are most proud of? Fact-finding needs to take place to validate their response—you need to get names, dates and specific results to understand the candidate’s true role.
In describing their accomplishments you want the candidate to give you a clear picture of each accomplishment and the candidate’s actual role so you need to ask:
Why do you feel you were chosen to take on this task?
What were the biggest challenges you faced?
Can you give me a few examples of where you took the initiative?
What did your peers/boss think of your performance?
What skills did you bring to the job?
How could you have done better?
What’s great about this line of questioning in the fact finding methodology is that you can ask the same line of questioning for each of the past few jobs. When you go back 5-10 years for their different roles in their jobs you will begin to develop a trend-line of motivation and personal energy over a period of time. If the trend is up you have found a candidate who is still growing. If the trend is flat, it represents someone who has probably plateaued and has a potential problem if it’s downward.
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The second 30 minutes of the interview determines Performance Capabilities
To validate the candidate’s ability to meet the performance requirements of the job, simply ask the candidate a Behavioral Based questions about how they have performed objectives in the past. Make sure you ask for examples and facts.
Remember, consider what problems you want the new employee to resolve or what changes and improvements need to be made in the first few months. Think about what needs to get done immediately.
How did you streamline the recruitment process at XYZ Company?
Tell me about a time that you improved your course evaluation scores.
These types of specific situational questions allow for a real discussion between the interviewee and hiring manager.
4. Pay attention to the candidate’s verbal and non-verbal reactions during the Interview
How well does the candidate listen?
Does the candidate answer the question you asked?
Does the candidate probe for clarification or more information?
How well does the candidate turn potentially negative information into positives?
Does the candidate relax and attempt to build a rapport with you?
How does the candidate handle non-verbal communication; eye contact, body posture, and tone of voice.
How well was the candidate prepared? Did they do any research or review of MWU?
5. Conclude the Interview Finish the interview with two questions:
“Is there anything else you’d like to tell me about yourself which we haven’t discussed?”
“I have no further questions. Do you have any questions about the job or the university?”
If they are meeting someone after you, as a courtesy, call the next person and let them know that you or someone from your department will walk the candidate to their office.
Do not tell applicants at the interview whether they will get the job or not. You need to check-in with the other interviewers to get their feedback and review references.
With the best candidates, look them squarely in the eye and tell them you are impressed with their qualifications and experiences and that you will give them full consideration to be part of your team. Be sure to find out whom else they are talking to and if there are any pending job offers.
Never cancel a candidate’s interview if it has already been scheduled. Even if you feel you have found the right candidate before the other candidate’s interview, we should always provide a professional courtesy to honor our commitments. You never know if the next candidate turns out to be better than the one you thought you wanted to hire. Plus, if a candidate feels they have been dismissed and not provided the opportunity to interview after it’s already been scheduled, they will let others know that Midwestern does not keep its commitments or worse, treated them poorly.
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Interviews Gone Wrong…
With the economy still failing and jobseekers furiously competing for the few open jobs that do exist, employers are particularly vulnerable to hiring-related lawsuits.
Let’s face it: What do rejected candidates have to lose from filing a claim against your organization once they learn they didn’t get the job?
While you can’t always prevent the filing of frivolous or worse, valid claims, there’s a lot you can do to ensure that your inquiries and responses yield useful information in a legal manner. And being able to demonstrate the legitimacy of both your questions and a job stated requirements will go a long way toward getting hiring-based claims thrown out of court.
Exercise: Legal Case Studies. Break into small groups and discuss.
Case Study #1Cohen v. Entangible.com, (No. WMN-00-1168, D. Md., 2000)
Charles Cohen says he walked out of a job interview with an oral offer for a new job with an e-business service provider, a company that did work for his current employer. The deal included a higher salary and two-year employment guarantee. Cohen and his wife then quit their jobs and planned to relocate.
The problem:Cohen says his old boss called the chairman of the e-business company and complained that it had lured away one of his key employees. The e-business company downgraded the job offer several times, and then withdrew it. Cohen sued and a court allowed his case to go to trial, saying it satisfied all the elements of a fraud claim.
Advice:Too many hiring managers think job agreements aren’t official until something is on paper. Not true. Hiring Managers can be held to their oral promises.
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Case Study #2EEOC v. Hibbing Taconite Company, Civ. (No. 09-729 RHK/RLE)
The EEOC charged that Hibbing Taconite Company discriminated against James Edstrom (who is deaf) when they denied him employment at its mine. The EEOC contends that Hibbing Taconite rejected Edstrom, who formerly worked for LTV Mining, because of his hearing impairment, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The problem:Hibbing Taconite filed a motion for summary judgment alleging that it was entitled to an immediate judgment in its favor and without trial because, it contended, there were no dispute issues of fact, and that Edstrom was not qualified for the positions for which he applied, which included three in the plant and two in the open pit mine, because of his deafness.
Although the court granted summary judgment as to the jobs in the plant, It found that there was ample evidence on which a jury could find that Edstrom could have performed the jobs in the open pit mine with a reasonable accommodation: The very fact that Edstrom successfully worked at the LTV mine pit is strong evidence that a reasonable accommodation could have been possible,” the judge said. Hibbing also demonstrated bad faith when it rescinded its interview offer immediately upon learning of Edstrom’s disability.
Advice:Before judging the disability ask yourself:
Can they do the job? Have they performed the tasks, listed in the job description in another position? Can we accommodate?
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Case Study #3
Red Rock Western Jeep Tours Age Discrimination Case
Rose was hired by Red Rock Western Jeep Tours. They had sent her the ‘New Hire” packet which contained various forms such as tax and direct deposit forms and told her to return as soon as possible.
The problem:When Rose returned the forms the next day, a supervisor met with her and among other things, asked Rose for her age. Rose responded that she was 75 years old. After that meeting, Rose did not hear from Red Rock for several days. Rose sent an e-mail to Red Rock inquiring as to when her start date would be. Red Rock responded that the general manger and supervisor did not think Rose was “the right person” for the job. Rose responded with an e-mail inquiring as to how they could make that determination against on the basis of her age.
After receiving this e-mail, Red Rock then decided to hire her, only to terminate her after only two days of work. Rose was not even trained for the full two days as she was sent on several jeep tours lasting several hours. Red Rock then replaced Rose by a substantially younger employee.
Advice:Companies cannot terminate or refuse to hire qualified older workers because of their age; it is illegal and violates federal law. Some employers seem to be tempted to hire younger workers for jobs which entail interacting with the public on behalf of the company. However, a company which fails to hire or terminates qualified workers because of their age does so at its peril because such actions may be unlawful.
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Types of Interview Questions
Regardless of the question type, interview questions should focus on the skills needed to be successful in that particular job, and on the specifics of the candidate’s CV/resume and experience.
Open-ended Interview Questions
Most of the questions in your interview should be open-ended, meaning that the question can not be answered by a simple yes or no. Open-ended questions ask for an explanation or description. Not only will they provide information on the technical and business skills of the candidate, but they’ll also give you valuable information on how the candidates think on their feet, and how they present themselves.
What was the most challenging aspect in that job? How do you like to be supervised? Describe the three most important factors of your most favorite job. What appeals to you about working at Midwestern? Why does this job seem to be a good move for you?
Closed-ended Interview QuestionsThese questions can be answered by yes/no, or other short, simple responses. They are useful for when you just need basic information. These types of questions are also useful to reign-in a candidate who may have gotten off track.
Have you used Microsoft Office programs? Are you available for overtime if needed? How soon are you available to work?
Behavioral Based Interview QuestionsAlso open-ended, behavioral interviewing questions ask for descriptions of “how” the candidate has applied a specific type if skill, knowledge or behavior in the past. They ask the candidate to explain how he/she achieved a goal, solved a problem, or interacted with others. When asked and answered correctly, behavioral questions provide good information on past performance, and are strong indicators of future performance.
Creativity What are one or two of the most creative things you’ve done at work? Describe to me what types of situations allow you to demonstrate creativity at work?
Organization and Planning Give me an example of what you do on your current job to organize yourself and/or others? Tell me about a time when your organizational/planning skills failed you?
Versatility Can you give me a specific example where you’ve had to alter your work behavior or schedule in order
to succeed? Tell me about a situation where you were completely focused on a project and you had to shift to
another project to support another department.
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Decision Making/Problems Solving Describe a situation in which your judgment and common sense played a major role in solving an
important problem at work. What kinds of decisions do you tend to make rapidly, and which ones do you take more time on? Give
me some examples. Describe the biggest problems you faced in your current job, what action you took and what were the
results. Give me an example when you recognized a problem before anyone else did?
Collaboration With Others How do you go about developing a rapport with your co-workers, and other departments? Give me an example of when you’ve had to get another person to help you achieve your goal/project. Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult co-worker. Describe the best work environment or culture that you’ve worked in, and explain why it was the best
experience for you. Tell me about a time when you had to influence another employee without authority. . Almost all work situations require us to interact with some people who are more difficult than others.
Describe how you were able to overcome a “conflict” in order to get results. What are some disappointments you’ve experienced with individuals or work groups in establishing
rapid credibility? Can you give me one recent example where you’ve had to persuade another employee of the merits of
your ideas? How did it turn out?
Commitment What are the obstacles you’ve faced in your current job? How did you overcome them? Describe a situation in which you gave your all.
Leadership Tell me about some of the toughest groups you have had to get cooperation from? What did you do
and what were the results? Who are some of the best leaders you have worked with and why do you perceive them to be good
leaders? Give me an example of a time when you showed initiative and took the lead. Give me an example of a time when you successfully motivated others. Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. Tell me about a time when you had to make an unpopular decision
Communication How do you know you are getting your point across to others? How do you keep others informed of what is going on in the organization? Careful listening and effective communications go together. Tell me about a specific time when your
skill in listening helped you communicate better. What experience do you have in presenting to others?
Attention to Detail
Tell me about a specific time in which your attention to detail paid off. Tell me about your experience in dealing with routine work. What kinds of problems did you have
to overcome in order to concentrate on the details of the job? Give me an example that demonstrates your ability to organize and maintain a system of records.
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Dealing With Pressure/Ambiguity What were the highest-pressure situations you had been under in recent years? How did you cope with
this pressure? Can you relate to a recent experience where you have responsibility for a task where little direction or
feedback was offered? How did you handle it?
Assertiveness What are some of the best ideas you’ve ever sold to your boss or to others? Describe the most satisfying experience in attempting to gain management’s support for an idea.
Initiative How do you go about motivating yourself and others that you work with? What ways have you found to make your job easier and more interesting?
Customer Service
Tell me about a difficult ‘customer’ that you interacted with. Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond to meet a customer’s needs. This can be an
internal or external customer.
Commitment to Task
Tell me about a project you worked on that required you to persist in overcoming a series of obstacles. Tell me about a time when you demonstrated a sense of urgency about getting results. Tell me about a process or system that you successfully improved. Tell me about the most difficult deadline you had to meet.
Improving Your Skills How do you keep up with the newest technology and information in your line of work? What are your future professional development goals that you would like to achieve?
Goal Setting How have you determined what constitutes top priorities in scheduling your time? Give three examples
when 1. you exceeded the goal and 2. you met the goal and 3. you failed to meet the goal and why?
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QUIZ: IS IT LEGAL TO ASK……..?
Place an “L” before the questions you feel can legally be asked in the interview, and an “I” before those you believe are illegal to ask in the interview.
____ How old are you?
____ This job requires you to work extra hours, do you have children with whom this would cause a
problem?
____ If hired, can you provide proof that you are 18 years of age?
____ What country are you a citizen?
____ Are you prevented from becoming legally employed because of visa or immigration status?
____ What is your marital status?
____ I saw you limping when you came in, do you have a disability?
____ Are you capable of performing the necessary assignments of this job in a safe manner?
____ What languages do you read, speak, or write fluently?
____ Do you drive a car?
____ You have an unusual name, is it German?
____ Can you think of anything that will prevent you from arriving at work on time?
____ Here at Midwestern, our young and talented workforce is setting industry standards. How do you think you will fit in?
____ I understand you worked on a team on your last assignment. Tell me about the advantages and disadvantages of team assignments?
____ How many kids do you have?
____ With a family of your size, can you work overtime?
____ Describe your key responsibilities in your last position?
____ Give me your ideas on how to best motivate someone not interested in doing their work?
____ What area of Phoenix do you live?
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Appropriate Interview QuestionsArea of Inquiry Appropriate Inappropriate
Residence Place of residence NeverMilitary Ask about job-related military Discharge reason
Organizations Questions about job related Organizations or roles
List all organizations which you are affiliated
Handicap Ask about the general ability to perform the job
Discussing a handicap that is not job related
Language Languages they speak/write, only if job related
Ask how they acquired language skills
Inappropriate Interview Questions
- How many children they have or their ages
- How old they are
- Where they were born
- What church they attend or name of priest, rabbi, minister, etc.
- Whether they are married, divorced, separated, widowed or single
- Who resides with them
- Who will care for the children while they are working
- How they will get to work, unless owning a car is a job requirement
- Where their spouse/partner/parent works or resides
- If they own or rent their place of residence
- The name of their bank or info about loans outstanding
- Whether they have had their wages garnished or declared bankruptcy
- If they were ever arrested
- How they spend their spare time or what club they belong to
- What foreign languages they speak unless it is job related
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Legal Issues When Interviewing
Do not write anything on the resume or application form - Documents may be subpoenaed
Why Should an Employer Screen and Be Cautious in Screening Applicants?
An employer can be held liable under a variety of legal theories for injuries which result from the employer’s failure to screen applicants carefully before deciding whom to hire.
For example, the employer fails to ask applicants to provide references, or the applicant has a background demonstrating unfitness for the job, which would have been discovered with reasonable diligence.
An employer may be liable for that employee’s acts which constitute discrimination or harassment based on any unlawful grounds such as sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability if these acts would have been foreseeable through applicant screening.
The following legal restraints limit employer’s actions in screening applicants:
Defamation: If an employer communicates false information about an applicant to employees or other individuals who do not have a need to know it, the employer may be liable for defamation.
Breach of Contract: Promises made in an interview by either party are perceived as a verbal contract.
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Exercise: Mock Interviews- break into groups of 3. This activity will consist of the following roles: Interviewer, Interviewee and Observer. In this exercise, you will
take turns playing each role. Every role will last for 10 minutes, and then you will rotate.
Mock interviews simulate real job interviews. A job interview provides an opportunity for the interviewer to learn more about the Interviewee and the Interviewee to learn more about the open position. A successful
interview is one in which both the interviewer and interviewee receive accurate information and can make an informed decision about the fit between the job and the applicant's background and skills.
Interviewer Use your SMART Job Performance Profile (created in a previous activity) to develop specific
questions for the position (see pages 23-25 for sample interview questions) Write the questions that you select in the SMART Job Interview Form (page 28) Prepare to discuss the job briefly, in terms that the candidate can readily understand, remembering that
the candidate is also making an employment decision.
Interviewee Play the role of the candidate by answering questions asked by Interviewer
Observer Observe how the interviewer conducts the interview Did he/she greet the candidate? Were the interview questions job related? Did the interviewer make the candidate feel comfortable or uncomfortable during the interview? How would you rate the interview process? Do you have suggestion for improvements?
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Observer Notes
Interview #1
Interview #2
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SMART Job Interview FormPosition:
Question #1
Question #2
Question #3
Question #4
Question #5
Question #6
Question #7
Question #8
Question #9
Question #10
Additional Comments:
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Phase III: Candidate EvaluationBefore you begin selecting and interviewing candidates you should have already prepared a specific SMART Performance Job Profile with objectives that list the key performance/technical factors as well as identify character and personality fit. Insert those objectives on this sheet and distribute them out to your Interview Team.
When you have finished interviewing the finalist for your position, collect all the information: i.e., your notes of their answers during the interview, your observations, and the observations of others who met the candidate.
To be consistent, each candidate must be evaluated according to the same criteria. Next to each requirement, include your top 4-6 requirements; rate the candidate by the following method:
Candidate EvaluationPosition:
3 – Exceeds the job performance qualifications2 – Meets the job performance qualifications1 – Partially meets the job performance qualifications0 – Does not meet the job performance qualifications
Candidate Name Candidate Name Candidate Name
Performance & Technical Abilities
Character Fit
Personality Fit
Additional Comments
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Phase IV: Selection and Making an OfferSTAFF: After the top 2-3 candidates are selected, notify Human Resources so that references can be contacted. References are contacted as follows:
Pay Grades 8 and 9: One reference verifiedPay Grades 10 and above: Two references verifiedManagement/supervisory positions: Three references verified
FACULTY: After the top 2-3 candidates are selected, the designated selection committee individual will contact the references provided by each candidate.
After reviewing the references, a final candidate is selected. The Hiring Manager will complete a Hiring Request (staff) or Contract Request (faculty). Send the completed form to Human Resources.
Human Resources extends all staff employment offers.
The appropriate Department Head extends verbal faculty employment offers.
A background check will be conducted upon receipt of the Hiring Request or Contract Request. Once results are received, a written offer letter or contract will be generated and sent to the new hire.
STAFF: After a Hiring Request is received and approved by the Recruiter for the position, Human Resources will send the new hire an offer letter via email and copy the Hiring Manager.
FACULTY: The Dean’s Office will track the original contract and send to Human Resources once all signatures are complete for inclusion into the new hire’s personnel file.