| Hiring the right person is not always an easy | | | | Can you tell us about your past job history? |
| thing to do, but using the right method of | | | | |
| interview will substantially aid the process. | | | | What type of work are you most enthusiastic |
| The more you know about interviewing, the | | | | about? |
| more likely you are to hire the ideal | | | | |
| candidate. | | | | Can you tell us the specific qualifications |
| | | | you have for this work? |
| Four key methods of interviewing are as | | | | |
| follows: | | | | While the same job areas might be addressed |
| | | | in all candidate interviews, the questions |
| 1. Directive interviews | | | | that the candidates are asked might be |
| | | | different. Patterned interviews help reveal |
| Directive interviews are highly structured | | | | candidates' skill sets, but since the |
| and are probably the easiest type of | | | | questions may not be exactly the same, it may |
| interview to conduct. The interview is | | | | be difficult to evaluate one person's skills |
| planned and directed by the interviewer, | | | | against another's. |
| whose purpose is to obtain specific | | | | |
| information about verifiable fact. These | | | | Deciding which technique or combination of |
| common interview questions ask for personal | | | | techniques to use will depend upon the |
| and straightforward information about you; | | | | position that needs to be filled and the |
| such as, What was your favorite subject in | | | | hiring information that must be obtained. |
| college? (age, education, etc) | | | | Delivering the questions at the right time is |
| | | | also significant, so keep in mind the four |
| 2. Nondirective interviews | | | | key steps to interviewing. These four steps |
| | | | are: |
| Nondirective interviews are much less | | | | |
| structured than directive interviews, | | | | 1. Establishing rapport |
| allowing the candidate to guide the procedure | | | | |
| through candid self-expression. Common | | | | Establishing a trustful, or harmonious |
| questions here are open-ended, for example, | | | | relationship with the job candidate is step |
| Tell us about yourself. | | | | one in the interview process. |
| | | | |
| While nondirective interviews produce a great | | | | 2. Asking questions |
| deal of personal information about the | | | | |
| candidate and present new areas for inquiry, | | | | The second step in the interview process is |
| the lack of consistency in the questions can | | | | where you employ the appropriate techniques |
| make comparing one candidate to another | | | | and questions discussed above. |
| difficult. | | | | |
| | | | 3. Listening |
| 3. Behavioral interviews | | | | |
| | | | Listening well is sometimes easier said than |
| Behavioral interviews include elements of | | | | done, since the interviewer may also be |
| both directive and nondirective interviews, | | | | paying attention to the candidate's body |
| and help interviewers predict how a candidate | | | | language and appearance. |
| might handle a future work situation. The | | | | |
| theory behind such interviews is that past | | | | 4. Present a realistic picture |
| behavior predicts future behavior. An | | | | |
| example of this is, Can you describe a time | | | | Finally, the interviewer should give the |
| when you had to manage a difficult conflict? | | | | candidate a realistic picture of what it |
| | | | would be like to work at the organization. |
| While behavioral interviews may not provide | | | | Such a picture helps the candidate decide if |
| the interviewer with a wealth of factual | | | | he truly wants to work at the organization. |
| detail, they do reveal how job candidates | | | | It also helps save the organization from |
| might handle actual work situations that will | | | | hiring an employee who would quit after a |
| inevitably arise. | | | | brief stay with the firm. |
| | | | |
| 4. Patterned interviews | | | | Giving such a picture to a candidate may even |
| | | | help you get clearer answers to even the most |
| Patterned interviews are designed to cover | | | | common interview questions, and facilitate |
| specific, job-related areas. During such | | | | the delivery of all the interview questions. |
| interviews, the interviewer asks candidates | | | | |
| questions about such things as their | | | | You may republish this article on your |
| abilities, skills, and knowledge. | | | | website, or e-zine so long as none of the |
| | | | content, or author information has been |
| Common interview questions here, may be in | | | | edited or changed in any way, and all links |
| sets, such as: | | | | are left active and unchanged. |
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