| Interview Objectives | | | | any individual regardless of the testing, the interviews |
| The first thing we need to establish before we go | | | | or the reference checking with a high degree of |
| through any interviews are the objectives of the | | | | accuracy. No one can. However, if you study the |
| selection process. Interviewing should not be just about | | | | environment that the individual will be working under, |
| filling an open position. Anytime you have an opening to | | | | you have leader's not just managers in your |
| hire someone, you have an opportunity to build | | | | organization that understand the concept of coaching |
| | | | and mentoring and if you have done your homework |
| 1. Filling the immediate opening with an individual with the | | | | on the individual candidate, then your odds of success |
| required skill sets. | | | | improve dramatically. |
| 2. Building a talent pool for future job openings at higher | | | | By the way, nobody ever provides a reference on a |
| levels in the organization. Promotion from within is a | | | | resume from someone that isn't going to sing glowing |
| building block for unity, cohesiveness and validation of | | | | praises about them. If you really want more realistic |
| respect for employees. Make sure you select the best | | | | references, call the candidates former employers and |
| based on not only current skill sets but also based on | | | | just ask to talk to someone in the department that the |
| future potential for individual growth. | | | | candidate worked in. You may even be able to get |
| 3. A cultural fit. Developing or maintaining a specific | | | | some names while you are interviewing the candidate |
| cultural identity should be a consideration. Teamwork | | | | through casual conversation. |
| and camaraderie is essential to success. Personality | | | | Remember, prediction of candidates probable future |
| profiling can help you determine if the job candidate will | | | | behavior can be based on the assumption that people |
| "fit in" to your organization. Peer interviews of final | | | | tend to behave consistently under similar |
| candidates can also prove beneficial. | | | | circumstances. Knowledge of present and past |
| Consider the "Team Interview" Approach | | | | behavior is derived by asking the right questions during |
| When a job opening occurs, this is an opportunity to do | | | | an interview and doing thorough and complete |
| a job function analysis to determine if the current | | | | reference and back ground checks. |
| scope of authority and responsibility are in alignment | | | | The Four Key Principles of a Successful Interview |
| with departmental and corporate objectives. A hiring | | | | Process |
| team made up of the departmental supervisor, a | | | | 1. Know everything possible about the job requirement |
| Human Resources (HR) representative, and another | | | | that need to be filled. Don't depend solely on a written |
| departmental manager that has a stake in the | | | | job description. Define the requirements for both good |
| functions that are performed by this particular job | | | | performance and exceptional performance. Try to |
| injects balance and insight into the hiring process... Of | | | | anticipate the leadership skills required regardless of |
| course, HR does all the initial screening of candidates | | | | the level of responsibility of the position. |
| based on the qualifications and skill sets outlined by the | | | | 2. Do your homework. Find out as much as possible |
| manager that the candidate will report to. It is very | | | | about your final candidates. Check references |
| possible that these job requirements have changed | | | | (Including some not listed by the candidate), do a back |
| based on the job function analysis. In fact, I have seen | | | | ground check, analyze the data on the application and |
| cases where the entire job has changed and even the | | | | the resume and collect as much data during the |
| person the job candidate reports to can change. | | | | interviewing process as possible. Using the team |
| Now, Let's Face Reality | | | | approach for separate interviews allows you to |
| Hiring the right individual, with the right skill set, that has | | | | collaborate and compare answers and opinions. |
| the right attitude and the right personality to fit in can | | | | 3. Match the candidate's skills/qualifications to the job |
| be one of the most challenging endeavors any | | | | requirements and evaluate his future development |
| manager will ever face. Leveraging your chance of | | | | potential. This process should utilize structured |
| success by using the team approach, profile testing | | | | questions to solicit and evaluate the candidate's level |
| and seriously checking references helps. But, if you | | | | of skills that match the skill requirements of the |
| have several qualified candidates it's still like flipping a | | | | particular job. |
| coin. You just can't be positive about your choice until | | | | 4. Make your decision based on the evaluation of all |
| you see the individual in action. Sometimes it takes | | | | the data as well as the collaboration between the |
| months, even years to see the real person you hired | | | | individual interviewers. |
| whether it's really good or really bad. Finding the rally | | | | E-mail for sample job descriptions or a sample |
| bad ones months after you have hired them can be | | | | interview guide that provides the following:o What an |
| extremely expensive. | | | | interview team should know about job requirementso |
| Face it. What you are trying to accomplish in the | | | | What an interviewer should try to discover during an |
| selection process is to predict the way an individual will | | | | interviewo A basic understanding of the interview |
| behave in the future in your environment working for a | | | | process includingo Interview objectiveso Conducting |
| specific manager. The question that needs to be | | | | the interviewo Sample thought provoking questionso |
| answered is ---- "How will this candidate perform on X | | | | Evaluating the candidate using the data collectedo |
| job in department Y at your company. | | | | Pre-interview question guide. A list of both legal and |
| Obviously, you can not predict the future behavior of | | | | illegal questions to help you avoid problem areas. |