Values-Based Recruitment Interviews

Training Exercise Templates2014

Values-Based Interview Training: Exercise Templates This pack contains a series of example exercises designed to support the delivery of values based interviews (VBI) training in local NHS organisations. These exercises are provided as examples only and can be adapted based on local needs and training requirements. Alternatively you may wish to develop new exercises or choose to ‘pick and mix’ from the examples as part of your own tailored approach to the delivery of VBI training in your trust.The table below provides an overview of the example exercises contained in this pack, including details of the suggested timings for delivery of each exercise, an overview of content and suggestions for adaptation. The pack also includes a template for each exercise listed, so you can see the exercise purpose or structure. You may need to provide additional blank worksheets to allow sufficient space for individuals to respond to the training exercises, record their experiences during the relevant session and to reflect on any learning obtained during that session.

Exercise and Session Timing Objective Adaptations or Alternatives

Ex. 1: Experience of VBRSession: Understanding VBR

10-25 minutes

A group discussion which provides delegates with an opportunity to share their experiences of values based recruitment (VBR) and VBI in practise. Designed to encourage shared learning and generate peer engagement.

This group-based discussion may be useful for a large training group or where there are newly appointed recruitment managers who may have previous experience of VBR/VBI. Alternatively, a brief and general discussion about colleagues’ recruitment background/experience may be preferable as an ice-breaker, if necessary.

Ex. 2: Spotting ValuesSession: Understanding Values

10 minutes

Individuals are asked to identify evidence of values in example interview extracts. The exercise is designed to familiarise individuals with how values might be ‘heard’ or described in an interview response.

You may wish to design example interview extracts based on real examples (respecting confidentiality) that are aligned to your own organisational values. Where available, video-based role-plays of VBIs could be watched and individuals asked to identify values.

Ex. 3: First ImpressionsSession: Best Practice Assessment and Selection

5 minutes

An interactive exercise designed to encourage delegates to think about judgements that can be made based on the first impressions.

A more general group discussion which asks individuals to share examples of when they have developed first impressions and why, e.g. ‘what has influenced your impression of someone upon first meeting?

Exercise and Session Timing Objective Adaptations or Alternatives

Ex. 4: Reviewing the EvidenceSession: Best Practice Assessment and Selection

5 minutes

An interactive exercise designed to provide an opportunity to apply best practice assessment principles by identifying effective and ineffective observation statements.

As part of a general group discussion, you may ask individuals to provide examples of effective or ineffective observation statements. The statements we have provided can be adapted to suit your training needs.

Ex. 5: Defining VBI QuestionsSession: VBI Approach and Effective Techniques

20 minutes

This has been designed to provide an opportunity to develop VBI question writing skills.Individuals can also receive peer feedback on the potential effectiveness of their questions for extracting behavioural evidence.

If you already have a VBI question bank, you may ask individuals to refine existing standardised questions to suit the level and requirements of a specific role in their department. Alternatively you may ask individuals to develop new questions for specific values, which can then be added into the bank.

Ex. 6: Delivering the InterviewSession: VBI Approach and Effective Techniques

45 minutes

A practical exercise designed to provide an opportunity to practise conducting a VBI with an opportunity to gain feedback from peers and to share learning.

You may choose to select questions from your bank so individuals can use them to practise interviewing. Different questions can be assigned to each pair within the group, who can then summarise their learning during a group feedback session.

Ex. 7: Evaluating VBI EvidenceSession: Evaluating and Scoring VBIs

30 minutes

A practical exercise designed to provide an opportunity for individuals to practise classifying and evaluating VBI evidence using a scoring framework. Individuals are asked to interview each other and apply the FORCE principles.

Existing VBI questions with pre-defined indicators and rating scale may be used. Alternatively, you may provide example interview observation notes (fictional or extracts based on real examples, (being mindful of confidentiality) for individuals to evaluate.

Exercise and Session Timing Objective Adaptations or Alternatives

Ex. 8: Providing VBI FeedbackSession: Candidate VBI Feedback

30 minutes

An opportunity for individuals to practise their delivery of constructive VBI feedback using example VBI evaluation evidence. There is also an opportunity to receive peer to peer feedback on delivery style.

Evidence derived from the interview in exercise seven is used to formulate the VBI feedback for this exercise. If exercise seven has not been used, you may wish to provide example interview evidence so individuals can practise providing feedback (respecting confidentiality).

Action PlanningIt is beneficial to encourage action planning to ensure individuals have an opportunity to consider how they will transfer learning back to their work environment. You may wish to conduct a formal action planning session as part of your VBI training, or you can ask individuals to summarise how they plan to practically apply their learning. To support a more formal action planning session, individuals can be encouraged to complete the following exercises at the end of training (see table below).

Exercise Timing Overview and Objective

Action Planning Part 1

10 minute

s

A reflective exercise where individuals work on their own to develop an action plan for transferring their learning back to their work environment. Individuals are encouraged to develop action plans based on the SMART principles, and to define goals in relation to their own VBI skills development and the implementation of VBIs in their own departments.

Action Planning Part 2: Making it Happen - Blocks and Bridges

10 minute

s

This part of the exercise provides an opportunity for individuals to identify things which may hinder or facilitate the transfer of learning or application of knowledge and skills into the workplace. Individuals should be encouraged to discuss the blocks and bridges to their personal action plans with a peer.

Self-ReflectionTo ensure individuals get the most out of training, encourage them to record reflections openly and honestly on their exercise worksheets, throughout the workshop. To support learning, you may wish to encourage individuals to consider the following:

Reflections on key learning from the VBI training or a particular exercise.

What personal strengths or improvement areas did you identify? Any feedback received from peers?

What actions will you take as a result of the VBI training?

Exercise 1: Experience of VBR

This is a group discussion exercise to address the key questions (as outlined below). You can record your reflections or any key discussion points on this sheet.

What is your experience of VBR? What is your current interviewing approach? What is your experience with conducting values based interviews? Examples of VBI in practice: Challenges? Successes? Candidate feedback?

Exercise 2: Spotting ValuesThe purpose of this exercise is to enhance your ability to identify values based evidence in VBIs, by developing an understanding of values and to recognise behaviour which may demonstrate an applicant’s underpinning values. In pairs, review the following three passages which contain extracts from example responses to VBI questions. Consider the following and record your reflections using the worksheet on page eight: What values are being displayed? Where is the evidence? What are the descriptors? What else would you ask to elicit further evidence?

Example A“…I had been working alongside my senior colleague, Anne, for about two months; she was very nice and I admired her ethical approach to work. She was due to retire in a couple of months but was still very committed to doing her job well and never let me down when I needed help, which I really appreciated. I was reviewing the treatment plan for a patient who Anne had been dealing with and I didn’t think the patient had been managed appropriately. The patient wasn’t aware of an immediate impact of the mismanagement but it would have resulted in problems eventually. I didn’t know how to approach Anne as she does not normally make mistakes and I didn’t think she’d want someone more junior highlighting her errors – no-one likes to admit when they’re wrong! However, I don’t think she was quite up to date with the latest processes which might have been why she got it wrong. I knew I had to do something to rectify the problem but I was conscious of still being respectful of Anne as my senior colleague. When I decided to seek advice from my supervisor, I didn’t reveal Anne’s identity out of respect but I did feel it was my professional duty to inform someone for the patient’s sake…”Example B“…I was leading a new project team and we had been tasked with reviewing the training and development strategy for the business. The management team felt that this needed updating, and I also thought it could be an opportunity to raise staff morale by demonstrating that we do care about employees’ professional development and want them to be happy in the workplace. Anyway, there were individuals on the project team from different departments and I needed to get everyone engaged, committed to working as a team and willing to contribute to the review process. I also wanted everyone to feel like they had a role in updating the training and development strategy, which would give them a sense of ownership. During the first meeting, I asked everyone to briefly state why this project was of interest to them and what they had to offer the team in terms of knowledge or skills - I thought this might help to build relationships. I then started a very open discussion, asking everyone to contribute their ideas freely. I thought it would be better to give everyone a say and let the discussion start broadly before focusing on specific actions. I made it clear to everyone that the

project was really important to me, that I was looking forward to the team working together and that I wanted to show the management team just what can be achieved when colleagues work together…”Example C“…I had only been in my role for a few weeks but I had settled in quite quickly. I made an effort to spend time getting to know my colleagues and their roles as I wanted to show that it was important for me to fit in with the team. Anyway, I noticed that the process they had for entering new projects onto the project management system seemed very complex. A huge amount of duplicated effort from project managers and team members was involved and yet it didn’t seem like the information was being used to any great effect, which seemed silly! I mentioned my confusion over the system to one of my colleagues and she laughed saying the process had been that way for ages. Apparently, people were so used to completing it, they did it out of habit without much objection despite the information not really being used! Partly for my own benefit (so I didn’t have to waste time on unnecessary admin), I decided to think about an alternative approach to the project management recording process. After some initial planning to identify where improvements could be made, I presented my suggestions to my line manager. He was impressed and asked me to feed back to the wider team in order to drive forward the change and get my improvements implemented - I was pleased that he could also see the benefit of making things more efficient! I decided to outline the positive aspects of the current system as well as the benefits of my suggested improvements – I didn’t want to offend anyone who might have been involved in establishing the existing system…”

Exercise 2: Spotting Values Cont’d

Review the example interview extracts and identify what values might be being demonstrated. Record your reflections or notes on this sheet:• What values are being displayed?• Where is the evidence? • What are the descriptors?• What else would you ask to elicit further evidence?Example A Example B Example C

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Exercise 2: Spotting Values - AnswersThese answers are for guidance only, individuals may identify additional values based indicators. These can be provided to individuals upon completion of the exercise or used by the facilitator to summarise answers.

Evidence to demonstrate the core value(s) is highlighted in the passages below and on page 11 you will see what core values and other values were demonstrated, as well as what other questions could be asked to elicit more evidence.

Example A

“…I had been working alongside my senior colleague, Anne, for about two months; she was very nice and I admired her ethical approach to work. She was due to retire in a couple of months but was still very committed to doing her job well and never let me down when I needed help, which I really appreciated. I was reviewing the treatment plan for a patient who Anne had been dealing with and I didn’t think the patient had been managed appropriately. The patient wasn’t aware of an immediate impact of the mismanagement but it would have resulted in problems eventually. I didn’t know how to approach Anne as she does not normally make mistakes and I didn’t think she’d want someone more junior highlighting her errors – no-one likes to admit when they’re wrong! However, I don’t think she was quite up to date with the latest processes which might have been why she got it wrong. I knew I had to do something to rectify the problem but I was conscious of still being respectful of Anne as my senior colleague. When I decided to seek advice from my supervisor, I didn’t reveal Anne’s identity out of respect but I did feel it was my professional duty to inform someone for the patient’s sake…”Example B

“…I was leading a new project team and we had been tasked with reviewing the training and development strategy for the business. The management team felt that this needed updating, and I also thought it could be an opportunity to raise staff morale by demonstrating that we do care about employees’ professional development and want them to be happy in the workplace. Anyway, there were individuals on the project team from different departments and I wanted to get everyone engaged, committed to working as a team and willing to contribute to the review process. I also wanted everyone to feel like they had a role in updating the training and development strategy, which would give them a sense of ownership. During the first meeting, I asked everyone to briefly state why this project was of interest to them and what they had to offer the team in terms of knowledge or skills - I thought this might help to build relationships. I then started a very open discussion, asking everyone to contribute their ideas freely. I thought it would be better to give everyone a say and let the discussion start broadly before focusing on specific actions. I made it clear to everyone that the project was really important to me, that I was looking forward to

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the team working together and that I wanted to show the management team just what can be achieved when colleagues work together…”Example C

“…I had only been in my role for a few weeks but I had settled in quite quickly. I made an effort to spend time getting to know my colleagues and their roles as I wanted to show that it was important for me to fit in with the team. Anyway, I noticed that the process they had for entering new projects onto the project management system seemed very complex. A huge amount of duplicated effort from project managers and team members was involved and yet it didn’t seem like the information was being used to any great effect, which seemed silly! I mentioned my confusion over the system to one of my colleagues and she laughed saying the process had been that way for ages. Apparently, people were so used to completing it, they did it out of habit without much objection despite the information not really being used! Partly for my own benefit (so I didn’t have to waste time on unnecessary admin), I decided to think about an alternative approach to the project management recording process. After some initial planning to identify where improvements could be made, I presented my suggestions to my line manager. He was impressed and asked me to feed back to the wider team in order to drive forward the change and get my improvements implemented - I was pleased that he could also see the benefit of making things more efficient! I decided to outline the positive aspects of the current system as well as the benefits of my suggested improvements – I didn’t want to offend anyone who might have been involved in establishing the existing system…”

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Exercise 2: Spotting Values – Answers (Cont’d)

Example A Example B Example CCore Value Demonstrated:

IntegrityCore Value Demonstrated:

Collaboration/Working Together

Core Value Demonstrated:

Improvement

Other Values Demonstrated:

Respect, CollaborationOther Values Demonstrated:

Respect, CompassionOther Values Demonstrated:

Collaboration, Respect

Eliciting Further Evidence:

What might have happened if you had approached your senior colleague directly?

What did you learn from this experience?

How did you feel when discussing the situation with your supervisor?

How would you feel if a colleague highlighted an error you had made, to you?

Eliciting Further Evidence:

Why was it important for individuals to have ownership?

How did you get your colleagues to contribute ideas?

How did you manage any less engaged colleagues?

How did you feel about being responsible for getting the team to work together?

Eliciting Further Evidence:

Why was it important to drive forward changes?

How did you feel about challenging established processes?

What was the final outcome and could anything have been done differently?

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Exercise 3: Best Practice Assessment - First impressions

It is important to be fair and unbiased when observing and recording behaviour. We should be aware of possible bias or sources of error which may influence our judgement. Look at the following pictures and consider the questions below.

What are your first impressions of the people in the pictures? Why have these impressions been created?

First Impressions

Exercise 4: Best Practice Assessment - Reviewing the evidenceWhen reviewing recorded observations of applicant behaviour, it is important to recognise effective and non-biased accounts of behaviour. Using the example observation notes below, identify effective records of the applicant’s behaviour and subjective judgements or vague, general records which do not describe actual behaviour.

Example observation note Effective or ineffective? Why?

A) Tested the role-player’s understanding by repeating back their comments and seeking confirmation of accuracy

B) Inappropriately dressed and not very professional

C) Interrupted the role-player when he was trying to explain how he was feeling

D) Dealt with the role-player’s concerns excellently

E) Referred the role-player to the internet for more information but did not suggest any specific websites

F) Mature, considered approach to the exercise

Exercise 5: Defining the question

Use the templates below to help you develop VBI questions to elicit evidence for one or two values (there is an example question outlined in the template). When constructing your questions consider the following: How would you define this value? What lead and probing questions would you ask to elicit evidence? What would you expect to see in someone demonstrating this value? EXAMPLEValue: IntegrityValue Definition: Behaving in an open and honest manner, acknowledging responsibility for actions and being respectful of othersLead Question: Tell me about a time when you had to address a difficult situation with a colleague, for example, a time when

you observed poor performance, or a situation where you felt you had to ‘do the right thing’Probing Questions to elicit further evidence: Why was it important to address this situation? How did you feel about addressing the situation and the outcome? How did you perceive your colleague’s reaction?Behavioural Indicators: What would you expect to see in someone demonstrating this value?

Admits mistakes and shows accountability for their actions Shows respect for diverse viewpoints Is open when reflecting on own performance Identifies mistakes as opportunities for learning Is forthcoming when discussing actions and learning Views issues as challenges to overcome rather than obstacles Shows appreciation for others’ circumstances

Exercise 5: Defining the question (Cont’d)

Value:

Value Definition:

Lead Question:

Probing Questions to elicit further evidence:

Behavioural Indicators: What would you expect to see in someone demonstrating this value? Consider positive and negative indicators.

Positive Indicators: Negative Indicators:

Exercise 6: Delivering the interview

Define an interview question to explore evidence for a value you have chosen. In pairs, interview each other using the values-based questions you have devised. At the end of the exercise provide feedback to each other and ensure that you consider the following in your comments:

Clarity of questioning (initial lead question and probes) Listening – did your partner pick up on any specific cues? Rapport How can techniques be improved?

Record your notes, reflections and any useful feedback below:

Exercise 7: Evaluating VBI Evidence

This exercise provides an opportunity to practise classifying and evaluating VBI evidence. In pairs, select an interview question for one value area. Spend 5-10 minutes defining some positive and negative indicators for your selected value - if these do not already exist. Conduct a VBI using your interview question and as an interviewer, record your observations/interviewee responses. After the interview, classify your recorded evidence using the pre-defined value indicators. Then use the four-point rating below to

evaluate the evidence. Alternate roles; each member of the pair should have an opportunity to observe, record, classify and evaluate evidence.1 Poor Very little or no evidence of positive indicators demonstrated; mostly negative indicators displayed

2 Satisfactory

Some evidence of positive indicators demonstrated, although limited and with areas for development; some negative indicators displayed, one or more causing concern

3 Good Good evidence of positive indicators demonstrated with minimal areas for development; few negative indicators displayed, none causing concern

4 Excellent Strong evidence of positive indicators demonstrated; very few or no negative indictors demonstrated, any displayed considered minor in impact.

(Additional worksheets may be required)

Exercise 8: Providing VBI Feedback

Using your evaluated interview evidence from exercise seven, take turns in providing feedback on each other’s performance. Spend 5-10 minutes preparing your feedback and key points using evidence from the notes you made during the interview. This

should also provide justification for the rating that was given. You will each have about 10 minutes to provide constructive feedback on the interview performance/demonstration of evidence to

support the specified value.

Action Planning Exercise Part 1This exercise is designed to help you reflect on your learning (based on the VBI training), and is an opportunity for you to think of how you will put your learning into practise when in the workplace. Building on the reflections you have noted throughout the exercises, create an action plan of how to implement or further develop the use of VBIs in your recruitment. Using SMART (as outlined below) consider:

What needs to be included in your plan to implement VBI? Possible obstacles/blockers What further support is required?

Goal Setting Theory – Having specific and achievable goals enhances effort, and improves performance and persistence to achieve the goal. This is done by creating goals that are SMART: Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time-BoundAim: To set realistic and achievable goals in relation to the transfer of learning, and to plan for implementing VBI practices in your department. Use the space below to capture your reflections, considering specifically what you have learnt during the course of the training in terms of:Your strengths and areas for development: How to conduct VBI when recruiting in your department:

Action Planning Exercise Part 1 (Cont’d)

Based on your learning, what SMART goals would you like to set?Your strengths and areas for development: Plans for conducting VBI when recruiting in your own

department:

Action Planning Exercise Part 2: Making it Happen - Blocks and BridgesBlocks to transferring your knowledge back to the department:

Factors that may hinder you in achieving these goals e.g. time, self-belief, skills, opportunities.Bridges to transferring your knowledge back to the department:

Factors that may enable you to achieve your goals e.g. personal strengths, commitment to performance, resources, opportunities.In pairs, discuss:Factors that may hinder you in achieving your goals (BLOCKS)

Factors that may enable you to achieve your goals (BRIDGES)

How can blocks be overcome by making use of your bridges?

General Reflections and Key Learning

Use the space below to capture your reflections from the VBI training session, including: Reflections on key learning from the VBI training or a particular exercise. Any feedback received from peers.

Published August 2014. Updated October 2014. © NHS Employers 2014. This document may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission.The NHS Confederation (Employers) Company Ltd. Registered in England.Company limited by guarantee: number 5252407