Planning and Conducting Interviews
Information for Hiring Managers
Introduction:
Interviewing is the most commonly used method of assessing applicants. This document will take you through
the key steps in planning, conducting and documenting an interview.
Panel Interview:
The panel interview is commonly used in BC Public Service. Typically the panel consists of three panel members.
The Interview can however be conducted by one person or any number of panel members. It is important to
carefully select your panel members based on their experience, familiarity with the job and willingness to be
involved before and during the interviews.
The interview may be conducted in person, over the telephone, using online technology such as Skype, Lync or
using video conferencing technology. Interviews may be conducted by the supervisor of the position, a higher
level manager, or sometimes a colleague or peer. There may also be more than one interview throughout the
assessment process in a staged or tiered process.
Using a panel interview has many benefits such as increased transparency, valuable input from panel members,
marking and final decision reached by consensus, and no requirement for secondary interview.
Types of Interview Questions:
Behavioural Event Interview (BEI) Questions
The BEI technique is based on the premise that “the best predictor of future behaviour/performance is past
behaviour/performance in similar circumstances”. In this approach, applicants are asked to describe how they
have behaved in real situations in order to determine if their competencies align with the requirements of the
position.
Behavioural Event Interview (BEI) questions are often used to assess competencies. Behavioural Event Interview
(BEI) questions are best used in conjunction with other complementary forms of assessment such as testing,
role-plays and situational and knowledge questions, to ensure all factors, including knowledge and skills
requirements, are appropriately considered. This holistic assessment approach will provide you with a stronger
sense of applicants’ overall ability to perform the job while ensuring a relevant, fair and merit based process.
Situational (Hypothetical) Interview Questions
Situational questions describe a hypothetical situation based on challenging, real-life, job-related occurrences
and ask the applicant to describe what they think they may do in such situation. Situational questions can be
used to assess competencies and skills/abilities.
Knowledge-Based Questions
Knowledge based questions are used to assess specific knowledge that is required for success on "day one" of
the job.
Brought to you by the
BC Public Service Agency
1
Planning and Conducting Interviews
Information for Hiring Managers
Questions to assess Role and Organizational Culture Fit
An assessment of the role and organizational culture fit allows you to go beneath the surface of an applicant’s
qualifications. The interview questions that assess understanding of the role/ organization and organizational
culture fit are important because organization cultures can vary greatly, and not every employee will do well or
be successful in every culture.
Role-Plays
A role-play is a simulation of events as they occur on the job where "actors" interact with the applicant allowing
them to show the actions they would take as each situation evolves. Role plays can be very effective way to
assess areas such as coaching skills, listening understanding and responding, service orientation, and conflict
management.
Step-by Step:
Step 1: Decide what
selection criteria you want
to assess in the interview
Step 6: Interview Planning
& Decide what
information you will
provide to the applicant
Step 7:Conduct the
interviews
Brought to you by the
BC Public Service Agency
Step 2: Unserstand BCPS
competencies
Step 3: Use competency
scales to determine
recruitment and target
level
Step 5:Determine the
marking scheme
Step 4:Develop the
interview questions and
ideal responses
Step 8: Evaluate
responses/ Finalize
marking
2
Planning and Conducting Interviews
Information for Hiring Managers
Step 1: Decide what you want to assess in the interview:
This is the most important step! You need to know what you are looking for in the interview.
Refer back to the selection criteria in your posting or job profile to determine the factors you want to assess. The
knowledge, skills / abilities and behavioural competencies you choose to assess must be consistent with the
stated selection criteria in your job posting or job profile. Use the selection plan template to help you plan the
selection process you will use.


Knowledge and Skills/Abilities: These factors are commonly assessed through other parts of the process
(i.e. job simulation, written test, reference checks). Situational (hypothetical) interview questions,
knowledge based interview questions, role plays and oral presentations can also be used to assess
knowledge, skills and abilities.
Competencies: Choose 3-5 competencies critical to successful job performance. Behavioural Event
Interview (BEI) questions, Situational interview questions, and role plays can be used to assess
competencies.
Once you and your panel members have agreed on what factors you want to assess, add them to the Interview
Template.
Step 2: Understand BC Public Service Competencies
A behavioural competency is any motive, attitude, behaviour or other personal characteristic that is essential to
perform the job and differentiates average from superior performance. The Competency Dictionary can be
found on @work.
The Competency Dictionary is your reference for
identifying:
 Competencies for Managers, Supervisors and
Staff
 Leadership Competencies for Executives and
Directors
 Competency definitions; and
 Behavioural scales
Behavioural competencies are clustered into four
groups. They are: Leading People, Achieving Business
Results, Personal Effectiveness, and Interpersonal
Relationships.
Behavioural competencies include a behavioural
competency definition and a behavioural competency
scale. The behavioural competency scale is a series of
statements that expand on the behavioural
Brought to you by the
BC Public Service Agency
3
Planning and Conducting Interviews
Information for Hiring Managers
competency definition, and provide detail about what the behavioural competency looks like when
demonstrated at increasing levels of performance. These levels are arranged so that they are progressive and
cumulative.
 Progressive means that each level is noticeably more complex, and more difficult to perform than the
previous level.
 Cumulative means that in order to be able to demonstrate a higher level on a behavioural competency
scale, one must also be capable of demonstrating the behaviours in the levels below that level.
Another important characteristic of the scale is that it does not function in the same way as a traditional
appraisal scale, in which attainment of performance at the highest level is the ultimate goal. But rather, in the
case of the competency levels, the best performance occurs when applicant’s behaviours and attributes match
the required levels that have been identified for the position. Each competency has a list of behaviours that
indicate the presence of the competency rather than the level of the competency.
Leadership Competencies for Executives and Directors
include a behavioural competency definition and a series
of statements that provide detail about what the
competency looks like when demonstrated at full working
capacity. Leadership competencies for Executives and
Directors don’t have a scale. For more information on
how to use leadership competencies in hiring please read
Hiring with Strategic Leadership Competencies Guide.
Aboriginal Relations Behavioural Competencies can be
used when hiring for positions with an aboriginal relations
focus or component.
Step 3: Use competency scales to determine recruitment and target level
For each competency, review the behavioural scale and identify required (recruitment/ target) level. Applicant
responses to interview questions will be interpreted and evaluated against the competency level(s) required for
optimal job performance. Once you have identified the required level for each competency enter it in the
Interview Template.
Recruitment levels are the minimum standard for day one on the job when hiring a new employee.
Target levels refer to the desirable behaviours that superior performers’ exhibit 75% or more of the time, at full
working capacity.
The Interpretive Guides for Behavioural Interviews were developed to help interpret and evaluate responses
to interview questions. Each interpretive guide includes competency name, definition, behavioural levels and
interpretive guide.
Step 4: Develop the interview questions and ideal responses
Brought to you by the
BC Public Service Agency
4
Planning and Conducting Interviews
Information for Hiring Managers
The best type of interview is structured; uses combination of behavioural, situational and knowledge based
questions, and focuses on job-related knowledge, skills/abilities and past behaviours of applicants. Any interview
asks the same series of questions of applicants.
To assess knowledge: Develop knowledge based questions that allow applicants to demonstrate their
knowledge of a particular topic.
To assess skills/abilities: Develop situational (hypothetical) questions or role plays that allow applicants to
demonstrate how they would handle/respond to a typical work situation/ scenario.
To assess role and organizational culture fit: Develop questions that allow applicants to demonstate their
understanding of the role/ Ministry and ensure applicant personal values are in harmony with the organizational
culture and the BC Public Service values.
To assess competencies: Develop Behavioural Event Interview (BEI) questions or role plays that allow applicants
to demonstrate their competencies.
How to develop effective BEI questions:
Effective BEI questions are job-related and consist of two parts: a standard lead or primary question, and followup or probing questions.
The lead question is open-ended and requires applicants to describe an example of their past behaviour to
illustrate a particular competency. It should be designed to focus applicants on describing their response/actions
in detail as opposed to the particulars of the situation.
Follow-up or probing questions are necessary to elicit complete information as well as to gain a greater sense of
applicants’ skills, attitudes and behaviour. These questions may be pre-planned, ad hoc or a mixture thereof and
may be open or close-ended depending on the nature of the information the panel is attempting to gather or
confirm.
See Choosing Behavioural Interview questions and Sample Competency Based Questions for suggestions and
inspiration.
Once you and your panel members have agreed on the questions, add them to the Interview Template.
Step 5: Determine the marking scheme
You can use a scale such as the rating scale provided in the Interview Template, or develop a customized
marking scheme to evaluate applicant responses.
For knowledge based questions and situational questions, create an “ideal response” that outlines what you
would expect an applicant to include in their response. This is typically a list of bullet points that describe the
key points an applicant should cover. Also, think about what would be unsatisfactory or incomplete response.
Brought to you by the
BC Public Service Agency
5
Planning and Conducting Interviews
Information for Hiring Managers
For competencies, the Interpretive Guides for Behavioural Interview provide a competency scale with
behavioural levels. The behavioural levels can be used as a basis for creating your rating scale.
An applicant who doesn’t meet the recruitment level receives a failing score (e.g. 0-5 points on a 10 point scale).
An applicant who meets the recruitment level receives a passing score (e.g. 6-8 points on a 10 point scale).
An applicant who meets or exceeds the target level receives a passing score (e.g. 9-10 points on a 10 point
scale).
Step 6: Plan your interviews and provide interview information to the applicant
Treat applicants with courtesy and respect. This includes undertaking a thoughtful and efficient interview
process that values an applicant’s time, respects diversity and demonstrates the professionalism of the BC Public
Service. You are an ambassador and applicants will form an impression of the organization based on your
interactions throughout the interview process.
When inviting applicants to the interview, provide at a minimum: brief information on what to expect during
the interview, a list of competencies, and information on BEI interview process.
If you are planning on asking Behavioural Event Interview (BEI) questions, it is recommended to provide
applicants with some or all of the BEI questions prior to the interview. Alternatively, applicants can be asked to
arrive 30 minutes prior to the interview start to review the BEI questions. Providing applicants with an
opportunity to review some, or all of the questions prior to their interview allows them to be better prepared
and able to recall their best examples. Examples are more likely to be relevant and have the level of detail
necessary for proper evaluation. A common practice when conducting BEI interviews is to request that the
applicant provides a reference who can verify the examples. It is important to ensure that the applicant is made
aware of this requirement in advance.
Example: Your interview will include knowledge questions, situational (hypothetical) interview questions and
behavioural event interview (BEI) questions. We will be evaluating following knowledge, skills/ abilities and
competencies: (insert). You will have an opportunity to review BEI questions and prepare your responses 30
minutes prior to your interview. You can also read about BC Public Service Competencies and watch interview
videos on the How to Apply webpage.
Additional Tips:
 Schedule enough time for an interview, evaluation and scoring
 Schedule interviews no less than 2 hours apart
 Don’t conduct more than 4 interviews a day
 Reserve a room in a confidential area and secure from noise
 Make sure someone is available to greet the applicant
 Be on time
 Ensure applicants do not run into each other in the waiting room
Brought to you by the
BC Public Service Agency
6
Planning and Conducting Interviews
Information for Hiring Managers


Be transparent and open with the applicants prior to the interview (i.e. provide information about the
interview process, let them know what they should expect during the interview)
Let applicants know whether they can bring notes to the interview
Step 7: Conduct the interviews:
1. Open the Interview – Greet the applicant and explain the purpose of the interview
2. Review the Applicant’s Career History – Discuss the applicant’s career history and key job
responsibilities. The applicant’s career history is for establishing rapport with the applicant and to
provide context for the answers that will follow. This is not intended to be a marked portion of the
interview.
3. Conduct Focused Interview
 Provide the applicant with a copy of the questions to refer to during the interview
 Ask focused probing questions to elicit complete information
 Take thorough notes so you will be able to recall responses
 Look for patterns of behaviour and track all relevant competencies demonstrated in the answer
even if the question is directed at a different competency
4. Give Opportunity for Questions – Allow the applicant an opportunity to ask questions about the job;
provide realistic job preview “Describe what a day in the job may look like”
5. Close the Interview – Tell the applicant about next steps
Step 8: Evaluate responses/ Finalize marking
Use The Interpretive Guides for Behavioural Interviews to interpret and evaluate applicant responses to BEI
questions.
Use your own “ideal response” answer key to evaluate responses to situational questions, knowledge based
questions and role plays.
Important:
 Interpret and evaluate applicant's responses immediately after the interview. Plan for time between
interviews to accomplish this.
 Remember to consider information obtained from all the answers in determining whether the applicant
demonstrated the knowledge, skills/abilities and competencies.
 Look for patterns of behaviour and consider all relevant factors.
 Make notes that will help you in providing feedback to the applicant
Use scale such as the rating scale provided in the Interview Template, to score applicant responses.
If the interview is conducted by two or more panel members, panel members should discuss their observations
and agree on a final score. The final marks from all applicants are tallied into final rating guide.
Brought to you by the
BC Public Service Agency
7
Planning and Conducting Interviews
Information for Hiring Managers
Additional Information:
Make every effort possible to minimize the potential for assessment errors and personal biases that may
influence your evaluation. Assessment errors happen when interviewer evaluation is influenced by something
other than the factual information provided by the applicant. The following is a list of common assessment
errors with suggestions on how to minimize these errors.
 Leniency and stringency: This is the general tendency to assess applicants consistently high or low.
 Central tendency: This tendency involves the use of only the middle points on the rating scale, while
avoiding the extreme points. Assessors may be reluctant to rate applicants high or low and, therefore,
end up rating all applicants as average.
 “Halo” and “Horn” effects: Sometimes, assessors may allow one good or bad characteristic or
qualification to influence the evaluation of all other qualifications of an applicant. Assessors need to be
aware that they might be so impressed by an applicant on one qualification that they may falsely
attribute positive qualities for all other criteria regardless of the evidence provided. Conversely, when an
applicant does poorly in one area, they may be underrated in other areas assessed.
 Fatigue: This is the tendency for assessors, as they become fatigued during a lengthy assessment
process, to become less consistent or less vigilant in their application of the assessment criteria.
 Stereotypes: At times, an assessor’s own personal biases and preconceptions of an employee can
influence the evaluation. Stereotyping is often based on demographics such as sex, race, ethnicity or
age. Assessors must be aware that their personal beliefs and perceptions of what is needed for the job
may impact their evaluation of applicants.
 Similar-to-me: This error occurs when an applicant is given more favorable evaluations than warranted
because of a similarity to the assessor in some way.
The following tactics may help to minimize the effects of error and bias in the assessment process:
 Be mindful of the errors and biases identified and make sure your ratings are based on the factual
information collected.
 Throughout the interview, take detailed notes to document the applicant’s answers.
Resources:
Hiring Process for Hiring Managers
Assessment and Selection
The competency Dictionary
Interpretive Guides for Behavioural Interview
Manager’s Guide to Reasonable Accomodation
Questions? Need more assistance?
Contact AskMyHR
Last updated: May 2014
Brought to you by the
BC Public Service Agency
8