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EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEWING

FOR WORK ETHIC TRAITS

Leadership Through Fully Engaged Employees

Chapter 2

1

Table of Contents

LEARNING OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................................................... 2

INTRODUCTION TO EMPLOYMENT BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEWING FOR WORK ETHIC

TRAITS ........................................................................................................................................................ 3

ADVANTAGES AND BENEFITS OF PEER BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEWING .............................. 4

STEPS TO IDENTIFYING KEY WORK ETHIC TRAITS .................................................................. 5

UNCOVERING TRAITS WITH BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS ........................................................ 10

EXERCISE: IS THIS ANSWER A COMPLETE STAR ANSWER? ................................................ 14

TIPS FOR CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW ................................................................................... 15

EVALUATING CANDIDATES .............................................................................................................. 16

AVOIDING ILLEGAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS............................................................................ 17

Appendix .................................................................................................................................................... 18

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS BASED ON WORK ETHIC ................................................................... 19

LISTEN FOR THE STAR IN THE ANSWER ...................................................................................... 11

INTERVIEW NOTE TAKING FORM .................................................................................................. 32

PEER INTERVIEW RATING SHEET .................................................................................................. 34

APPLICANT COMPARISON MATRIX ............................................................................................... 35

BLANK FORMS Back of Chapter

2

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Through participation in this session, you will be able to:

1. State the advantages of peer interviewing for the department and VPH.

2. Indicate the advantages of employment interviewing questions focused on work ethic

behavioral issues.

3. Conduct a peer interview using behavioral interview techniques.

4. Evaluate candidates and make a hiring recommendation to the hiring manager.

5. Identify interview questions to use focused on the work ethic traits most important for

success within the particular job.

6. Distinguish illegal interview questions from appropriate questions to ask.

3

INTRODUCTION TO EMPLOYMENT BEHAVIORAL

INTERVIEWING FOR WORK ETHIC TRAITS

Imagine this scenario…

A highly qualified employee with many years of outstanding experience is hired to join your department.

The Manager tells everyone, “You’re just going to love the newest addition to our team.”

Unfortunately, the honeymoon is short lived….

When you asked for a hand this morning with a difficult client the abrupt response was “Look, I’ve got

my own clients to take care of. Find someone else!” This is the third outburst of this kind in the last

couple of days. After a couple of weeks it is clear that the new employee does have exceptional clinical

skills, but seems to be lacking in some key teamwork and interpersonal skills.

Then, it goes from bad to worse….

Before long, it seems no one wants to work with this person and clients are complaining. The outstanding

clinical and technical skills of the new employee are being overshadowed by some clear behavioral

issues. Fortunately, in less than three months, the new employee resigns to relocate with their spouse to a

new city.

How could what looked like a star new employee turn into your worst

nightmare?

Simply put, the new employee had some behavioral flaws that were not picked up during the hiring

process. The excellent clinical skills and many years of experience had dominated the selection decision.

The soft skills of teamwork, customer service and cooperation with others had not factored into the

decision as strongly as they should have been.

What’s the solution?

With peer behavioral interviewing, employees participate in the

interview process and screen candidates for compatibility with the

department work environment. They then provide critical input into

the hiring decision and share accountability for supporting the new

hire.

4

ADVANTAGES AND BENEFITS OF PEER BEHAVIORAL

INTERVIEWING

While the Department Manager retains the final hiring decision, including peers in the process

has many benefits.

Peer interviewing results in better selection. Employees have insights as to the qualities essential to

handle the job demands and to fit in with the rest of the staff.

Since key employees have ownership in new hire selection, they will work to help make the new

employee successful.

Applicants’ comfort levels grow significantly as

they sense acceptance up front by key team

members.

Applicants have the opportunity to ask questions

of the people who know the most about the job. New

hires know “what they will be getting into,” which

reduces job “reality” turnover.

The Iceberg of First Hand Knowledge

25% of problems known to Senior Leaders

50% of problems known to Directors and Managers

75% of problems known to Supervisors

100% of problems known to employees

Peer interviewing allows the best employees with first-hand knowledge of the

department to become a valuable part of the hiring process.

5

STEPS TO IDENTIFYING KEY WORK ETHIC TRAITS

Step 1: Understanding employee engagement and 4 levels of employee engagement.

Step 2: List your employees by level of engagement.

Step 3: Identify the work ethic qualities your most fully engaged employees are strongest in.

Step 4: Identify the work ethic traits your least engaged employees are weakest in.

Step 5: By comparing the work ethic traits in steps 3 and 4 with your knowledge of your

department you are able to identify the 3 most important work ethic traits for your key position

What is Employee Engagement?

Employee Engagement is a state of involvement, contribution, and ownership. Engaged

employees value, enjoy and believe in what they do.

Fully engaged, committed employees understand that what they and their department are doing is

meaningful and important. They have clear vision about where their department is going and it is

consistent with their professional values and aspirations.

Fully engaged, committed employees are highly motivated, hardworking, growth

oriented, and recognize the success of their department is directly impacted by the degree

to which they demonstrate their professional competence and caring attitude.

When changes, such as new ideas or new methods, are introduced into their department,

highly engaged employees are open-minded. Especially if the change will help the

department meet the needs of their clients or customers, the fully engaged employees will

support and in many cases help lead the change initiative.

Contented, complacent employees tend to be loyal to the tasks they are familiar with. Fully

engaged employees are committed to the customers, the end results, and are anxious to learn new

methods if they will improve the outcomes for clients and customers.

4 PILLARS OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

1. Personally identifies with the organization’s mission, vision, and values.

2. Work ethic exemplifies commitment to high standards of performance.

3. Behavior earns respect and trust with all whom they interact.

4. Attitude demonstrates pride in organization and contributes to organization’s success.

6

4 LEVELS OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Fully Engaged Engaged Somewhat Disengaged

Engaged Client -Anticipates needs and

responds with timely effective

action.

-Will do whatever it takes to

deliver exceptional client

service.

-Helps management

become aware of problems.

-Delivers good, solid

performance.

-Does what is

expected when

it will likely be

noticed.

-At times needs

encouragement.

-Responds to

coaching.

-Minimizes or

rationalizes client

service problems.

-Defensive

toward coaching.

Teamwork -Seen as a role model and

informal leader.

-Promotes cooperation.

-Redirects inappropriate

conversations.

-Volunteers to take additional

assignments when need arises.

-Maintains a professional

approach under stress.

-Works well with others.

-Is organized and

completes work

assignments in a timely

manner.

-Helps out when asked.

-Does what it

takes to get by.

-Can be

positively or

negatively

influenced by

co-workers.

-Complainer,

gossips. Points

out other’s

problems in a

negative way.

-Passive at times.

Attitude -Passionate about their work

and the department.

-When conflicts occur, rises to

the occasion.

-Positive influence on others’

commitment level.

-Focused on completing

their individual

responsibilities well.

-Accepts changes in work

assignments without

negative discussion.

-Selective about

where they put

their energy.

-When changes

in work

assignment are

needed

sometimes

communicates

displeasure with

negative

discussion or

body language.

-Cynical. Thinks

they can outlast

management’s

efforts for

improvements.

-Has negative

influence on

some members in

the group.

Respect -Sensitive to the needs of

others. Encourager. Energizes

others. Builds productivity.

-Problem solves without

conflict. Will discuss their

concerns with involved co-

worker versus discussing with

uninvolved parties.

-Courteous, polite. Treats

others with consideration.

-Occasionally

gets caught up

in the negativity

of others.

-Has a we vs.

they perspective.

-Blames others.

-Makes excuses

for self.

7

LIST EMPLOYEES BY LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT

Classify or rank employees within job category by level of engagement. Indicate the qualities

that differentiate the employee either positively or negatively.

Job Category __________________________________________________________________

Employee Engagement Level Key Qualities

8

5 QUALITIES NEEDED FOR SUCCESSFUL EMPLOYEES

1. Coachability (27%): The ability to accept and implement feedback from supervisors,

co-workers, customers, and others.

2. Emotional Intelligence (25%): The ability to understand and manage one’s own

emotions and accurately assesses others’ emotions.

3. Motivation (20%): Sufficient drive to achieve one’s full potential and excel at the job.

4. Temperament (15%): Attitude and personality suited to the particular job and work

environment.

5. Technical Competence (13%): Functional or technical skills required to do the job.

WORK ETHIC TRAITS OF SUCCESSFUL EMPLOYEES

TRAIT DESCRIPTION

1. Commitment to Improvement.

Coachability. Responsive to

supervision. (Page 19)

Has willingness to accept direction and learn

from others. Open to feedback.

2. Teamwork and Cooperation.

Communication and Relationship Skills

(Page 21)

Works well with others. Adjusts to a variety of

tasks as the priorities change.

3. Dependability (Page 24) Keeps number of unscheduled absences well

under the department’s standard.

4. Resilience, Positivity, and Perseverance

(Page 25)

Has high tolerance for frustration. Hardy,

resolute, tenacious, and keeps commitments.

Optimistic outlook with upbeat disposition.

5. Judgment, Maturity, and Stability,

Decision Making and Problem Solving

(Page 26)

Solid, steady, loyal. Calm in the face of

adverse situations. Exercises self-control.

Skilled at identifying, analyzing and solving

problems. Able to identify options and

determine the optimum course of action.

6. Results-Oriented, Achievement, Drive,

and Intensity (Page 27)

Has the willingness and ability to handle a

demanding, fast-paced work environment. Has

the intensity and achievement drive needed to

complete the tasks and needs of the position.

7. Client/Customer Service &

Responsiveness (Page 28)

Makes ongoing efforts to understand the needs

of clients/customers and be exceptionally

responsive in meeting those needs.

8. Leadership (Page 30) Inspires action in others, guides group behavior

toward accomplishment of its goals.

9

Work Ethic Trait #2:

_________________________________________________


_________________________________________________


_________________________________________________

SELECTING TRAITS TO INTERVIEW FOR

Typically, employment interview questions focus on applicant’s experience, technical and job specific

skills. It is redundant to ask this same type of question in the peer interview. Remember that most

performance problems don’t occur because of weaknesses in the employee’s technical skills and abilities.

Most of the problems are caused by work-ethic behavioral issues.

It’s easier to teach a willing employee technical skills than it is to improve their work ethic,

values, and relationship skills.

Identify a key position in your department:

_______________________________________________

From the descriptions which follow, identify three important work ethic traits

that separate your best employees from your least successful in this key position.

10

UNCOVERING TRAITS WITH BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS

After selecting the three traits which the peer interview will focus on, the next step is to develop

the questions which will be asked. The Appendix in this guide has an extensive list of approved

questions for each of the listed traits or characteristics.

What is a behavioral question?

Behavioral questions ask how the candidate has actually performed in the past, as opposed

to how they FEEL or what they THINK they might do.

A behavioral question is one which requires the candidate to describe a specific instance

when they demonstrated the skills or behaviors associated with a specific trait.

The purpose of a behavioral question is to uncover an example of past behavior.

Someone who has successfully demonstrated a behavior in the past is likely to repeat that

behavior in the future.

Behavioral questions typically begin with…

Tell me about a time when…

Describe a situation where…

Give me an example of…

Share with me an experience when you…

Walk me through a time when…

For example, if looking for evidence of communication skills, you might ask a question such as:

“Describe a situation when you had to be extremely careful in delivering

information to a client and/or family at a time when everyone was under a

great deal of stress. Walk me through the conversation.”

Behavioral questions are not concerned with…

Opinions: “What do you think are the qualities of a good communicator?” You don’t need to

know what they think the qualities are, you need to know if they possess them!

OR

Theories: “What would you do if you had to communicate bad news to a client’s family?”

What the candidate thinks they would do is immaterial. You want to know what they have done

in the past.

11

BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS UNCOVER FACTS AND DATA The ideal answer to your behavioral question will be a description of a specific life-history event

and usually contains references to names, dates, numbers, times and locations. Who, what,

where, why, when, how, etc.

Names – “I had this client, who was…..”

People – “Our Director had…”

Places – “When I was working at Baptist in Jacksonville…”

Dates/Times – “About six months ago….”

Numbers – “After three new admissions in only two hours…”

This type of information is not required, but does serve to indicate that the candidate is referring

to a specific event or situation.

LISTEN FOR THE STAR IN THE ANSWER

Situation

or These provide the context for what they did and explain

why the candidate took the action(s) they took.

Task

Action(s) The skills the candidate used, steps they took, etc.

Result(s) The outcome

When initially asking questions in the interview, avoid the tendency to include follow-up

questions with the initial questions. We undermine our questions when we tip off the answer we

want.

Leading Questions Successful Questions

Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to

a difficult situation. What did you do?

Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to

a difficult situation.

Tell me about a conflict with a co-worker.

How did you resolve it?

Tell me about a conflict with a co-worker.

12

When the applicant includes in their initial response the actions they took to resolve the

problem it is an encouraging sign of a problem solver.

But when you need to ask follow-up questions it can be an indicator of a more passive response

to problems.

...if the STAR isn’t complete, probe with a follow-up question.

Examples of Follow Up Questions:

What happened next?

What was the outcome of what you did?

How did that work out for you?

What are the specific steps you took to accomplish this?

What was going on at the time that led up to the situation?

Give me more details about…

Clarify what you mean by…

Why did you…

Developing Discernment in Listening to Applicant’s Answers

An advantage of using the same overall behavioral based questions in interviews is that the

answers by the candidates to the same questions provide you with comparisons.

With time you will strengthen your ability to identify which answers are consistent with higher

performers and which answers are more consistent with lower performers.

As you identify indicators let’s share with HR and other VPH leaders so that we can all benefit

from each other’s interview experiences.

In addition to listening for the STAR in the answer, some additional pointers from a wise

interviewer:

When you ask candidates to provide you an example of a time they did x, listen for the

verb tense.

High performers use past tense since they have examples of actions they have done that

they describe. When the applicant uses present or future tense, it is a warning sign that

the candidate is most likely not describing an actual example of previous work they did.

13

For example, interviewer asks for an example in which customer service was difficult but

necessary, if the applicant says –

-“I had a customer who was having trouble with ___________________.” (this is

past tense)

-“When a customer is upset, the number one rule is to let them vent.” (this is

present tense)

Listen also for active voice versus passive voice in the applicant’s answer.

-“When I heard a co-worker making negative comments about another employee,

I redirected the conversation.” (active voice)

-“When a co-worker makes negative comments about another employee it has the

potential of undermining morale.” (passive voice)

Qualifiers and absolutes are also indicators of a low performer.

-“I was often/constantly/usually coming up with good ideas.”

-“People in that department always/never are coming up with good ideas.

High performers are more likely to give answers that are direct, factual, in the past tense,

and personal without qualifiers or absolutes.

As we assess applicant’s answers to interview questions, let’s rate the answers as soon as

possible, so that the totality of what the candidate said is as clear as possible.

14

EXERCISE: IS THIS ANSWER A COMPLETE STAR ANSWER?

1. “My manager asked me to look into the problems we were having with client satisfaction. Two

months later, our scores had gone up more than 15%.”

Is this a complete S/TAR? ___ Yes ___ No

If not complete, what is missing? ___ Situation/Task ___ Action(s) ___ Result(s)

If not complete, what follow-up question would you ask?

2. “I’ve always gone the extra mile to make family members comfortable. Recently I gave one family a

coupon for a free meal in the cafeteria and they later told me that our organization had treated them

better than any other organization.”




3. “When my teammate started yelling at me because she thought I wasn’t working as hard as she was, I

quickly suggested that we step into the break room to continue the discussion. Once there, I listened

to her complaints and was able to help her calm down. She later apologized for getting so upset at

me.”




4. “Our supply costs had been going up and up every month. I decided to pull a team together and

evaluate why this was happening. We even got our vendors to come to some of the team meetings

and help us understand why costs had been going up. It turned out to be a major project.”




5. “I’m a big believer in team work. The team I worked on got an award three years in a row for being

the best performing team in the organization. Did you see the announcement in the Advance for

Nurses magazine?”




15

TIPS FOR CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW

Here is a collection of tips which will help ensure a successful peer interview. Remember…

interviewing is a skill which must be learned. You’ll get better with each and every interview.

Opening the Interview

1. Greet candidate with eye contact, smile and a handshake.

2. Introduce yourselves and explain that you are potential peers of the candidate and are

participating in the interview process.

3. Explain that you will be asking preplanned questions and taking notes on the note taking

form.

4. Give the estimated time duration of the interview and ask if they have any questions before

you begin.

5. Ask your rapport building question to put the candidate at ease and get them talking.

Conducting the Interview

1. Take turns asking questions. While the first Peer Interviewer is finishing their notes about

the candidate’s answer, the second Peer Interviewer is asking their question.

2. Do not try to record every detail of the candidate’s answer, but only the key ideas needed so

that you can rate them later.

3. Encourage the candidate and offer praise or encouragement. Phrases such as the following

can help foster the conversation:

“That’s a great accomplishment. I can tell you’re proud of that.”

“You really had to work hard to get that done.”

“That’s a great example of…. thanks.”

4. If the candidate gets stuck and seems to be having trouble thinking of a specific example,

encourage them to take their time and reassure them it’s okay.

Concluding the Interview

1. Once finished with your questions, ask the candidate “What questions do you have?” Give

them an opportunity to ask you anything they’d like about VPH and the position they are

being considered for.

2. Thank the candidate for the opportunity to get acquainted.

3. Let them know that the recruiter and/or manager will be following up soon.

16

EVALUATING CANDIDATES

Once the interview is complete, you have the important job of evaluating

the candidate’s answers to determine if they meet the criteria you have

established.

The Appendix of this guide contains the Interview Rating Sheet which you

are encouraged to use. Use the form to rate the questions you asked in each

area from “Poor” to “Excellent”. However, who is to decide what is “poor”

and what is “excellent?” These judgments should be tied directly to

behavioral objectives in the job analysis, not to the flair or style with which the candidate

answered the questions.

After individually rating the candidate, the two interviewers should meet to discuss the ratings.

Where there is a difference of opinion, it is important to relate back to your interview notes and

discuss how the ratings were made. It is possible that what you “heard” is different from what

another interviewer heard. While the manager retains authority for the ultimate decision, it is

helpful to reach consensus on the ratings. This will build greater buy-in to the outcome, whether

it is to hire or not hire.

17

AVOIDING ILLEGAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

To determine if a question could be interpreted as discriminatory, use these

guidelines.

1. Is this information directly related to determining the applicant’s ability

to perform the essential job functions of the job applied for?

2. Could this question tend to have a disproportionate effect in screening out

minorities, females, disabled or people over 40 years old?

3. Is this information directly work related?

Examples of Illegal Questions Not To Ask:

Questions Dealing with Age

1. How old are you?

2. When were you born?

3. When did you graduate from high school?

Questions Dealing with Disabilities

1. What health problems do you have?

2. Do you have any disabilities?

3. Do you have any back problems?

4. When were you hospitalized the last time?

5. Have you ever filed for workers’ compensation?

Questions Dealing with Ethnic Origin or Citizenship

1. What language do you speak at home?

2. What country are you from?

3. What country are you a citizen of?

Questions Dealing with Marital Status

1. Are you married?

2. Do you have children?

3. Are you a single parent?

4. Do you have someone who can take care of a sick child?

5. What arrangements do you have for child care?

Questions Dealing with Arrests and Religion

1. Have you ever been arrested?

2. What religion or denomination are you?

3. Do you have a religious objection to working on Saturday or Sunday?

18

Appendix

ITEM PAGE

Interview Questions Based on Work Ethic Traits 19

Interview Note Taking Form 32

Peer Interviews Rating Sheet 37

Candidate Comparison Matrix 39

19

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS BASED ON WORK ETHIC

1. Commitment to Learning

Coachability

The most common underlining reason employees fail in their first two years of service is

weakness in coachability. By using the following 5 related questions in the following

sequence, valuable information is revealed that helps screen out problem individuals up-

front.

1. What was your supervisor’s name? Please spell the full name for me.

2. Tell me about (name) as a supervisor.

3. What’s something that you could have done (or done differently) to enhance

your working relationship with (name) ?

4. When I talk to (name) , what will he or she tell me your strengths are?

5. Now all people have areas where they can improve, so when I talk to

(name) , what will he or she tell me your weaknesses are?

Coachability Question Step 1

By having the applicant spell out the full name of the supervisor, it enhances the

applicant’s belief that we will be contacting their supervisor. It may be somewhat

uncomfortable or appear inconsequential, but it is key to the success of the process that

the applicant believe we’re going to talk with their previous supervisor.


Since many applicants initially are reluctant to talk about their last supervisor in much

detail, be prepared to ask follow-up questions such as:

What’s something you wish (name) had done more of?

What’s something you wish (name) had done less of?

The information provided helps in understanding what this person needs from a

supervisor to be successful.


To assess the applicant’s accountability for his or her own success, ask “What’s

something that you could have done differently to enhance your working relationship

with (name) ?

20

High performers have the self-awareness to look critically at their own performance and

thus have ability for additional growth and improvement. Also, these questions help

determine if the applicant takes ownership for creating and maintain a healthy

relationship with their supervisor. This is part of the definition of coachability.


If you ask a candidate to describe their strengths, you’ll get a canned answer. But by

asking about what their supervisor will say, you increase the probability of receiving

more helpful information.


If the applicant says, “I don’t know what (name) thought about me,” then you have

heard a warning sign that the candidate may not be coachable. People who don’t hear or

assimilate constructive criticism are by definition hard to coach.

Additional Questions on Commitment to Learning – Responsive to Supervision

NOTE: More than likely the first 5 questions will be sufficient for assessing an

applicant’s coachability. But since this quality is a foundation for success, the following

are additional questions you can select if needed. With these questions you are

determining the work environment and type of supervision that this person does well in

and the type of environment this person would do poorly in. This information helps

determine if this person is a good fit with your department.

1. Tell me about a time when you had to learn something new that seemed really

difficult for you. What did you do? (Did the applicant express a positive approach

toward learning something new? What was his/her attitude toward learning?)

2. What is the most important thing you learned from your previous experience that

you would bring to this job?

3. Give me an example of a time when you were performing a task and you found

out that you were doing it wrong or there was a better way to do it. How did you

handle it? (How receptive did the applicant seem to learning the correct way? To

what extent does the applicant convey the ability to admit their mistakes?)

4. What was the most useful criticism or feedback you ever received? How did you

apply it?

21

5. Describe the best supervisor you ever had. Provide an example of an interaction

you had with your supervisor that is the basis of your opinion.

6. Describe a situation where you disagreed with your supervisor.

7. Give me an example of a time that you had to deal with criticism from your boss.

(How well does the person respond to correction? Does the person hold grudges?)

8. Tell me about a time when your supervisor was not happy with your job

performance.

9. Describe a situation when you were busy taking care of one thing and were told

by your manager that you were also needed to do something else. What did you

do? (How did the applicant respond to this change in direction?)

2. Teamwork, Cooperation and Adaptability

1. Tell me when you were busy doing your work and something else happened that

made you stop what you were doing and assist a member of your team.

Follow-up question: How did you handle the situation?

(What was the situation? What was the applicant’s attitude about getting

refocused? How quickly did he/she respond? What was the outcome in terms of

their other work?)

2. Tell me about a time when a co-worker “called-in” to work and you have to help

cover his/her job duties.

3. Tell me about a time you switched from one job to another. What kinds of

problems did you have? (Was the applicant able to adjust? Does he/she prioritize

effectively?)

4. Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty to

help your team get a job done.

5. What did you do in your last job to contribute toward a teamwork environment?

6. Tell me about a time where you contributed to the success of a team.

7. Describe a team you were on that struggled to be successful. What was your role

on the team and how did you respond to the situation?

22

8. Describe how you have supported a team decision in the past that you were not in

agreement with. Please explain.

9. Describe a situation when you were assigned tasks that you felt were more

appropriate for someone else. How did you approach this problem? Follow-up

questions: Who did you speak with and what did you decide to do? What were

the results?

10. Tell me about a time when another co-worker was not pulling his/her share of the

workload. Follow-up question: What did you do?

11. Tell me about the best team you ever worked with. What made this team

successful? What was your part in the success of the team?

12. Tell me about a time when your participation as part of a team effort made a real

difference to your department. Follow-up questions: What was the situation?

What was the team effort? How did that affect the work team/department?

Communication and Relationship Skills

1. Tell me about a time when you felt you were effective in communicating with a

co-worker about a difficult situation.

2. Describe a situation when you worked with a person whose personality was the

opposite of yours. Follow-up questions: How did you deal with it?

3. Describe a situation when you had to be extremely careful in delivering

information to a client and the family at a time when everyone was under a great

deal of stress. Walk me through the conversation.

4. Tell me about a time when you had to explain something to a person who was

having difficulty understanding what you were trying to communicate.

5. Describe a specific time when you had to flex your communication style to deal

with different types of people at work. Follow-up question: What were the

results?

6. Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with another employee. What

caused the conflict? Follow-up question: What did you do to resolve the issue?

23

7. What experience have you had with miscommunication with a client/customer or

fellow employee? Follow-up question: How did you solve the problem?

8. Tell me about a time when you and another team member disagreed on how a

client/family’s situation should be handled. Follow-up question: How did you

resolve the disagreement?

9. Tell me about a time when you and a co-worker had a misunderstanding and you

felt you did not handle it well. What did you learn from that encounter? Share

with me a time when you have applied what you learned.

10. Give me an example of a time when you had to communicate with a co-worker or

manager that you did not specifically care for. How did you communicate?

Follow-up question: Was it effective?

11. Describe a time when you communicated some unpleasant news to your

supervisor. What happened? What did you say?

12. Give an example of a time when you were able to effectively train an individual

that was having difficulty comprehending the material.

13. What kinds of people bug you? Give me an example of how you dealt with this

person.

14. Tell me about a time that someone told you that you had made a mistake or were

wrong. What was the situation and how did you respond?

15. Tell me about a time when you were asked a question and you did not know the

answer. What was your reaction? What did you say?

16. What type of person do you get along with best? What types of people do you

find it difficult to get along with? Provide some examples and describe how you

manage to get along with these types.

24

3. Dependability

1. How many days were you off sick or out with an unscheduled absence in the last

12 months? (Focus on the number of days missed from work. Do not ask

questions involving the reasons for the illness).

2. What did your last supervisor consider as an acceptable number of days absent in

a year? (How did their last supervisor’s standard for attendance compare with our

standard?)

3. When was the last time you were late for work? Follow-up question: Why were

you late? (Could the problem have been avoided by better planning by the

applicant? Did the applicant accept their role in the mistake or make excuses? Did

he/she volunteer what they learned and fixed from the situation?)

4. Give me an example of a deadline you failed to meet. Follow-up question: Why

did you not meet that deadline? When did that occur? (Does the applicant accept

responsibility for things within their control or blame others? Did he/she use their

time wisely?)

5. Describe a situation where you had to take some extraordinary steps to be on time

for work or meet a deadline or commitment you made to someone else?

6. As you know, we will be calling _______________, your last supervisor for a

reference. Do you feel he/she will say you were:

More dependable than most of the people he/she supervised

About average

A little below average?

Follow-up question: What things did you do that made you more dependable than

most of the other employees?

*NOTE: Not Behavior Based Question

7. How do you schedule your time, set priorities? How do you handle multiple

priorities at once? Follow-up question: Can you give me a specific example of a

time when you did this?

25

4. Resilience, Perseverance, and Positivity

1. Tell me about a time you overcame a major obstacle. (How tough was the

challenge?)

2. Describe a time when something “slipped through the cracks” that was your

responsibility. How did you recover? (Would they have been able to keep it from

happening?)

3. When you found an error in your own work, how did you handle it? (How did it

happen? What did they do about it? When did it happen?)

4. Tell me about a time when something you should have taken care of was

forgotten. How did you handle it? (What was the situation? How serious was it?

Was the recovery handled appropriately?)

5. Describe a time when you had to adapt to changes (i.e. situations, direction, or

people). What was the situation and what did you do?

6. What were the things that made you decide to leave your former job?* Follow-up

question: What would it have taken to convince you to stay? (Does this person

have a sufficiently high threshold for frustration?) *NOTE: Not Behavior Based

Question

7. Tell me about the toughest job you ever had and provide a specific example of

what made it so tough. (To what extent is the person well suited for our job?)

8. Tell me about a situation when you were very busy and couldn’t finish your work,

or a time when you couldn’t complete a task for some reason.

9. Tell me about a time when you worked effectively under pressure.

10. Tell me about a difficult decision you had to make. What made it difficult?

Follow-up question: What did you learn?

11. Describe the most difficult aspects of your current job. How do you approach

them?

26

5. Judgment, Maturity, and Stability

1. Describe the most difficult change you experienced in a past work setting.

Follow-up question: What did you do to adjust to those changes?

2. Tell me the types of work interruptions you have experienced in your previous

employment. Follow-up question: How did you handle them?

3. Describe a situation in which you suffered a major disappointment and something

didn’t go the way you had planned. How did you deal with it?

4. You may have heard the expression “roll with the punches.” Describe a past

situation in which you had to do that at work.

5. Discuss a situation when there was a decision to be made, no procedures existed

and no management person was available to provide answers.

6. How did you handle the last time your supervisor was wrong and you were right?

(Differences in opinion are inevitable; conflict is optional. You want someone

who can stand up for themselves, but you don’t want someone who’s eager to

draw line in the sand and prepare for battle. It is helpful to find out the type of

issues that result in the applicant having disagreements.)

7. Tell me about a situation that frustrated you at work.

8. Describe the events that caused you to leave your last three jobs.

9. Describe the most recent situation where you felt it was appropriate to disregard a

company policy. When was it? What did you do?

10. When was the last time you were so upset or frustrated with something at work

that you thought about quitting on the spot?

Problem Solving

1. What types of problems do you most enjoy tackling? Least enjoy? Give me some

examples of such problems you faced. Follow-up question: What did you do to

resolve them?

27

2. What were the major obstacles that you overcame in your last job? Follow-up

question: How did you deal with them?

3. Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed

preventive measures.

4. Tell me about any experience you have had turning a problem into success.

5. What is the most difficult decision you have had to make? How did you arrive at

that decision?

6. Describe a time when you used your fact finding skills to solve a specific

problem.

7. When was a time that you encountered a problem which you were unable to solve

or did not know what to do?

8. Describe a situation when the solution to a problem that you attempted did not

work out.

6. Results Oriented-Achievement, Drive and Intensity

1. Tell me about a time when you had more work than you could handle. Follow-up

question: What did you do about it? (Was it really a lot of work? How did the

applicant cope or not cope?)

2. Describe a situation from your previous position where you had to handle

multiple tasks or projects. Follow-up question: How did you maintain progress

towards the goal and/or completion date?

3. Tell me about a time when you had too many things to do and you were required

to prioritize your tasks.

4. Describe a situation from your previous position when you had to handle multiple

tasks or projects. Follow-up question: How did you maintain progress towards the

goal and/or completion date?

5. Tell me about a time when you were asked to do numerous tasks in a short

amount of time. (Listen for ability to multitask, set priorities, and work quickly

under pressure.)

28

6. Describe a situation that you dealt with that best illustrates your drive and

motivation.

7. Give me some examples of situations where you went above and beyond the call

of duty to get your job done. (When the person describes their work ethic do they

describe it in general terms only or do they give specific examples? How recent

were the examples or did they need to utilize examples from a while ago?)

8. Tell me about a time you did more than was required in your job.

9. Give me an example of a major project which required an extra effort, but brought

you a high sense of achievement at the end.

10. Describe the performance standards in your current position and tell me how well

you met them.

7. Customer Service / Responsiveness

1. Give me an example of your best customer service effort. Follow-up question:

What was the outcome of your effort? (How high is their definition of excellent

customer service? How recent was the example?)

2. Tell me about a time when your outstanding customer service made a real

difference to your work unit/department. Follow-up question: How did that make

a difference?

3. Think of a problem client that you had to deal with on your last job. Tell me what

happened and how you handled it.

4. Describe a situation in your past when courtesy was difficult. Follow-up question:

How did you handle it?

5. How did you demonstrate a personal commitment to quality client/customer

service in your last position? Please provide a specific example.

6. Tell me about a time you witnessed a customer service problem although it wasn’t

technically your responsibility. Follow-up question: What steps could you have

taken to resolve it? (Listen for problem solving action or just passive analysis.)

29

7. Describe a situation from your past employment that you had to involve others to

help solve a client’s problem.

8. Have you ever come across a rule that you felt interfered with providing excellent

customer service? Follow-up question: What did you do?

9. Describe a situation in which you had to deal with a very irate client. Follow-up

question: What actions did you take and what was the result?

10. Give me an example of a situation when your client or manager was angry with

you and you felt you had done nothing wrong. Follow-up question: What did you

do?

11. Discuss a time you have provided extraordinary good service – above the call of

duty – to a customer or client.

12. Describe a time that you felt it was necessary to modify or change your actions to

respond to the needs of the customer/client.

13. Tell me about a specific instance when you took action to improve the level of

customer service being provided. Follow-up questions: How did you determine

what action to take? What did you do and what was the outcome?

14. Tell me about a client/customer complaint that you were unable to resolve. (Was

the applicant persistent in trying to resolve the issue? Did the applicant use all the

resources available to them to solve it? Did the applicant seek supervisor

assistance?)

15. Tell me about the last client/customer complaint you received. Follow-up

question: How did you handle the situation? When did this occur? (Did the

applicant understand the customer’s point of view? Did he/she address it with a

sense of urgency? Was the complaint recent enough to raise concern?)

16. Give an example of a time when you dealt with a difficult client and/or family and

the outcome was different than you intended.

30

8. Leadership Skills

1. Describe a situation in which you were able to positively influence the actions of

others in a desired direction.

2. Give examples of how you helped an employee develop him or herself. Be

specific.

3. Describe a group project or some activity where you were the main leader. How

did you organize the assignments that you gave to other individuals? What did

you take into consideration in deciding who would handle each task?

4. Tell me about a time when you had difficulty getting co-workers to work together

to solve a problem. What role did you play?

5. Give me an example of a time when you felt that your team was not excited about

their work and you stepped up and assisted in motivating them.

6. Describe an experience where you had to implement change (job related). How

did you communicate this? Follow-up question: What was the outcome?

7. When was a time that you had to delegate work to others?

8. Describe for me two improvements you have made in your job in the last six

months.

9. Describe the biggest work related problems you have faced in the past six months

in your position. Follow-up question: How did you lead efforts to handle them?

10. Describe the most complex project you have led. How did you plan and organize

your work and/or the work of others?

11. Tell me about a situation in which you had to persuade or motivate others to do

something, even though you did not have formal authority over them.

12. Give me an example of your ability to build motivation in your co-workers.

31

What two miscellaneous questions from the above list would you

find the most helpful to possibly ask?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

MISCELLANEOUS AND RAPPORT BUILDING QUESTIONS

These questions generally do not provide specific, behavioral data, but can be helpful for

building rapport with the candidate. One or two of these questions can be sprinkled in during the

interview at appropriate times.

1. How do you measure your own success?

2. What is the most interesting thing you have done, at work or outside of work, in the past

three years?

3. What are your short-term or long-term career goals?

4. Why should we hire you?

5. What responsibilities do you want, and what kinds of results do you expect to achieve in your

next job?

6. What is the best thing a previous employer did that you wish everyone did?

7. What are you the most proud of?

8. Why did you decide to enter this profession?

9. What is important to you in a job?

10. What do you expect to find in a company that you don’t have now?

11. What brings you joy?

12. How would your friends describe your personality?

13. If you could change something about your career, what would it be and why?

14. What is your greatest strength and what is something you’d like to improve upon?

15. Who was the best boss you ever had and why?

32

EXAMPLE OF INTERVIEW NOTE TAKING FORM

______________________________________ _________________________________

Applicant Date

______________________________________ _________________________________

Position Peer Interviewers

WORK ETHIC TRAIT Coachability RATING _________

Question What was your supervisor’s name? Please spell the full name for me.

Supervisor’s Name _____________________________________

Question Tell me about _________________________ as a supervisor.

(Close or distant relationship)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Question What is something you could have done (or done differently) to enhance your working

relationship with _________________________?

(Actions or passive)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Question When I talk to _________________________, what will he or she tell me your strengths are?

(Your job – department related or not)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Question Now all people have areas where they can improve, so when I talk to __________________,

what will he or she tell me your weaknesses are?

(Weakness not key to your job and department or major warning signs?)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Interviewer Ratings: Low Performer 1□ 2□ 3□ 4□ 5□ 6□ 7□ High Performer

33

WORK ETHIC TRAIT ________________________________________________ RATING _______

Question_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Notes/Comments

(Situation/Task, Actions, Results) _________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Question_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Notes/Comments


_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Question_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Notes/Comments


_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________


34

EXAMPLE OF

PEER INTERVIEW RATING SHEET

John Doe ____________________________________

Applicant Date

____ ____________________________________

Job Peer Interviewer

Work Ethic Trait Weight

(1-5)

Interviewer Rating

(1-7)

Applicant’s

Score

_Coachability_________________

___5____

X

________4________

=

_____20_____

_Teamwork______________

___3____

X

________4________

=

_____12_____

_Resilience/Perseverance________

___2____

X

________6________

=

_____12_____

_Prior Experience______________

___10____

X

________6________

=

_____60_____

Total Score _________104____________

Weights: 1 = Least Essential; 3 = Moderately Essential; 5 = Most Essential


35

EXAMPLE OF

APPLICANT COMPARISON MATRIX


(1-3)

Applicant Name:

J. Doe Applicant Name:

S. Smith Applicant Name:

B. Jones

_Coachability__________________

___5____

X

x Rating = Score

__4___=__20___

x Rating = Score

__4___=__20___

x Rating = Score

__6___=__30___

_Teamwork __________________

___3____

X

___4___=__12__

___6__=__18___

__6__=__18___

_Resilience/Perseverance________

___2____

X

__ 6__=__12___

___4__=__8___

__6__=__12___

_Prior Experience______________

___10____

X

____6__=___60_

___6__=__60___

___5__=__50___

TOTALS 104

106 110

RECOMMENDATION:

Though B. Jones has less prior experience than J. Doe or S. Smith, the outstanding interview examples provided and higher

ratings in Coachability and Teamwork make this candidate the stronger candidate for the department.



Blank Forms

LIST EMPLOYEES BY LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT

Classify or rank employees within job category by level of engagement. Indicate the qualities

that differentiate the employee either positively or negatively.

Job Category __________________________________________________________________

Employee Engagement Level Key Qualities

2-1


_________________________________________________


_________________________________________________

2-2


_________________________________________________

SELECTING TRAITS TO INTERVIEW FOR

Typically, employment interview questions focus on applicant’s experience, technical and job specific

skills. It is redundant to ask this same type of question in the peer interview. Remember that most

performance problems don’t occur because of weaknesses in the employee’s technical skills and abilities.

Most of the problems are caused by work-ethic behavioral issues.

It’s easier to teach a willing employee technical skills than it is to improve their work ethic,

values, and relationship skills.

Identify a key position in your department:

_______________________________________________

From the descriptions which follow, identify three important work ethic traits

that separate your best employees from your least successful in this key position.

INTERVIEW NOTE TAKING FORM

______________________________________ _________________________________

Applicant Date

______________________________________ _________________________________

Position Peer Interviewers

WORK ETHIC TRAIT Coachability RATING _________

Question What was your supervisor’s name? Please spell the full name for me.

Supervisor’s Name _____________________________________

Question Tell me about _________________________ as a supervisor.

(Close or distant relationship)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Question What is something you could have done (or done differently) to enhance your working

relationship with _________________________?

(Actions or passive)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Question When I talk to _________________________, what will he or she tell me your strengths are?

(Your job – department related or not)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Question Now all people have areas where they can improve, so when I talk to __________________,

what will he or she tell me your weaknesses are?

(Weakness not key to your job and department or major warning signs?)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________


2-3

WORK ETHIC TRAIT_________________________________________________ RATING _______

Question_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Notes/Comments


_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Question_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Notes/Comments


_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Question_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Notes/Comments


_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________


2-4

PEER INTERVIEW RATING SHEET

_____________________________________ ____________________________________

Applicant Date

_____________________________________ ____________________________________

Job Peer Interviewer


(1-5)

Interviewer Rating

(1-7)

Applicant’s

Score

_____________________________

________

X

_________________

=

____________

_____________________________

________

X

_________________

=

____________

_____________________________

________

X

_________________

=

____________

_____________________________

________

X

_________________

=

____________

Total Score _______________________



Applicant Strengths _______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Applicant Weaknesses ______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Other Comments

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

2-5

APPLICANT COMPARISON MATRIX

Skill / Trait Weight

(1-5)

Applicant Name:

Applicant Name:

Applicant Name:

_________________________________

_______

X

x Rating = Score

______=_____

x Rating = Score

______=_____

x Rating = Score

______=_____

_________________________________

_______

X

______=_____

______=_____

______=_____

_________________________________

_______

X

______=_____

______=_____

______=_____

_________________________________

_______

X

______=_____

______=_____

______=_____

TOTALS

RECOMMENDATION:



2-6

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