© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Human Resource
Management
1
ELEVENTH EDITION
GARY DESSLER
Part 2 | Recruitment and Placement
Chapter 7
INTERVIEWING CANDIDATES
PowerPoint Presentation by Charlie Cook
The University of West Alabama
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
7–2
1.
2.
3.
4.
List the main types of selection interviews.
Explain and illustrate at least six factors that affect the
usefulness of interviews.
Explain and illustrate each guideline for being a more
effective interviewer.
Effectively interview a job candidate.
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
Basic Features of Interviews
7–3
Selection
Interviews
Interview
Structure
Interview
Content
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
Interview
Administration
7–4
Types of Interviews and Formats
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
Types of Interviews
7–5
Selection Interview
Types of
Interviews
Appraisal Interview
Exit Interview
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
Interview Formats
7–6
Interview
Formats
Unstructured
or
Nondirective
Interview
Structured
or
Directive
Interview
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
7–7
Structured v. Non-Structured Interviews
STRUCTURED INTERVIEW
7–8
Advantages




Avoid Legal Issues
All applicants are
asked the same
questions.
All applicants are
given the same
timeframe in which to
answer the questions.
Wastes no time!
Disadvantages


Not all applicants
complete the questions
asked.
Leaves little room for
clarification.
Non-Structured Interview
7–9
Advantages



Allows for a more
general conversation.
Allows for greater
flexibility
Allows for interviewees
to “be themselves.”
Disadvantages:



Legal issues could
arise from missteps
taken by the
interviewer.
Could be difficult to
determine actual
qualifications of the
candidate..
No formal guidelines.
Administering the Interview
7–10
Unstructured
Sequential
Interview
Structured
Sequential
Interview
Web-Assisted
Interviews
Computerized
Interviews
Phone and Video
Interviews
Ways in Which
Interviews Can
Be Conducted
Panel
Interview
Mass
Interview
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
7–11
TYPES OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Interview Content
7–12
Types of
Questions
Situational
Interview
Behavioral
Interview
Job-Related
Interview
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
Stress
Interview
FIGURE 7–2
Examples of Questions That Provide Structure
Situational Questions
7–13
1. Suppose a co-worker was not following standard work procedures. The co-worker was more
experienced than you and claimed the new procedure was better. Would you use the new
procedure?
2. Suppose you were giving a sales presentation and a difficult technical question arose that
you could not answer. What would you do?
Past Behavior Questions
3. Based on your past work experience, what is the most significant action you have ever taken
to help out a co-worker?
4. Can you provide an example of a specific instance where you developed a sales
presentation that was highly effective?
Background Questions
5. What work experiences, training, or other qualifications do you have for working in a
teamwork environment?
6. What experience have you had with direct point-of-purchase sales?
Job Knowledge Questions
7. What steps would you follow to conduct a brainstorming session with a group of employees
on safety?
8. What factors should you consider when developing a television advertising campaign?
Note: These questions provide structure, insofar as they are job-related and the employer can be consistent in asking them of all candidates.
© 2008
Prentice
Inc.
All rights
Source: Michael Campion, David Palmer,
and James
Campion, Hall,
“A Review
of Structure
in thereserved.
Selection Interview,” Personnel Psychology (1997), p. 668.
FIGURE 7–3
7–14
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
Suggested Supplementary Questions for Interviewing Applicants
How did you choose this line of work?
What did you enjoy most about your last job?
What did you like least about your last job?
What has been your greatest frustration or disappointment in your present job? Why?
What are some of the pluses and minuses of your last job?
What were the circumstances surrounding your leaving your last job?
Did you give notice?
Why should we be hiring you?
What do you expect from this employer?
What are three things you will not do in your next job?
What would your last supervisor say your three weaknesses are?
What are your major strengths?
How can your supervisor best help you obtain your goals?
How did your supervisor rate your job performance?
In what ways would you change your last supervisor?
What are your career goals during the next 1–3 years? 5–10 years?
How will working for this company help you reach those goals?
What did you do the last time you received instructions with which you disagreed?
What are some things about which you and your supervisor disagreed? What did you do?
Which do you prefer, working alone or working with groups?
What motivated you to do better at your last job?
Do you consider your progress in that job representative of your ability? Why?
Do you have any questions about the duties of the job for which you have applied?
Can you perform the essential functions of the job for which you have applied?
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
Source: Reprinted from www.HR.BLR.com with permission of the publisher Business and Legal Reports, Inc. 141 Mill Rock Road East, Old Saybrook, CT © 2004.
FIGURE 7–A1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
Interview Questions to Ask
What is the first problem that needs the attention of the person you hire?
What other problems need attention now?
What has been done about any of these to date?
7–15
How has this job been performed in the past?
Why is it now vacant?
Do you have a written job description for this position?
What are its major responsibilities?
What authority would I have? How would you define its scope?
What are the company’s five-year sales and profit projections?
What needs to be done to reach these projections?
What are the company’s major strengths and weaknesses?
What are its strengths and weaknesses in production?
What are its strengths and weaknesses in its products or its competitive position?
Whom do you identify as your major competitors?
What are their strengths and weaknesses?
How do you view the future for your industry?
Do you have any plans for new products or acquisitions?
Might this company be sold or acquired?
What is the company’s current financial strength?
What can you tell me about the individual to whom I would report?
What can you tell me about other persons in key positions?
What can you tell me about the subordinates I would have?
How would you define your management philosophy?
Are employees afforded an opportunity for continuing education?
What are you looking for in the person who will fill this job?
© 2008
Hall,
Source: H. Lee Rust, Job Search: The Complete
ManualPrentice
for Job Seekers,
1991 Inc.
H. Lee All
Rust.rights
Published reserved.
by AMACOM, division of American Management Assn. Intl., New York, NY.
7–16
Applicant Disability and the Employment
Interview
Managing the New Workforce
7–17
“The basic finding was that the disabled
people felt that interviewers tend to avoid
directly addressing the disability, and
therefore make their decisions without all the
facts…”
Research and Evaluation Center at the National
Center for Disability Services
Andrea Rodriguez and Fran Prezant, “Better Interviews for People with Disabilities,”
Workforce, Workforce.com, assessed November 14, 2003
Legal Questions???
7–18




Is there any kind of setting or
special equipment that will
facilitate the interview process
for you?
Is there any specific technology
that you currently use or have
used in previous jobs that assist
the way you work?
Is there any technology that you
don’t currently have that would
be helpful in performing the
duties of this position?
Do you foresee your technology
needs changes in the near future?
Why and how?



Other than technology, what
other kind of support did you
have in previous jobs? If none, is
there anything that would benefit
you?
Discuss a barrier or obstacle, if
any, that you have encountered
in any of your previous jobs.
How was it addressed.
Do you anticipate any
transportation or scheduling
issues with the work schedule
expected of this position?
7–19
THE INTERVIEW…
What Can Undermine An Interview’s Usefulness?
7–20
Nonverbal Behavior
and Impression
Management
First Impressions
(Snap Judgments)
Interviewer’s
Misunderstanding
of the Job
Factors
Affecting
Interviews
Candidate-Order
(Contrast) Error and
Pressure to Hire
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
Applicant’s Personal
Characteristics
Interviewer
Behavior
How to Conduct a More Effective
Interview
7–21
Suggestions
:
1
Structure Your Interview
2
Prepare for the Interview
3
Establish Rapport
4
Ask Questions
5
Close the Interview
6
Review the Interview
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
Effective Interviews
7–22

Structure the Interview:
1.
Base questions on actual job duties.
2.
Use job knowledge, situational or behavioral questions, and objective
criteria to evaluate interviewee’s responses.
3.
Train interviewers.
4.
Use the same questions with all candidates.
5.
Use descriptive rating scales (excellent, fair, poor) to rate answers.
6.
Use multiple interviewers or panel interviews.
7.
If possible, use a standardized interview form.
8.
Take control of the interview.
9.
Take brief, unobtrusive notes during the interview.
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
7–23
Designing and Conducting An Effective
Interview

The Structured Situational Interview
 Use
either situational questions or behavioral questions
that yield high criteria-related validities.
Step 1:
Job Analysis
Step 2:
Rate the Job’s Main Duties
Step 3:
Create Interview Questions
Step 4:
Create Benchmark Answers
Step 5:
Appoint the Interview Panel and Conduct
Interviews
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
7–24
Take brief, unobtrusive notes during the
interview.




NOTE: Notes can be
summonable in a court of
law!
Notes need to be brief, i.e.,
nothing that reflects a bias
or opinion.
Notes should never be
written on the applicants
resume. Write on a
separate piece of paper.
Notes should be based only
on the applicants responses.
Notes After the Interview:
 If you wish to write a
comment down regarding an
interview, do not write it
down during the interview.
Reserve all personal notes
until after the interview is
conducted.
 Shred personal notes after
you’ve completed the
interview process.
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
How to Take Notes During an Employee Interview |
Everyday Life - Global Post
7–25
KEEP IN MIND!
“If you're interviewing and hiring
practices are ever called into question,
any notes you make on the
employment application and resume
could be subpoenaed for production if
an unsuccessful candidate pursues
legal action to prove that you or your
organization engaged in discriminatory
selection practices.”
7–26
EVALUATION FORMS
QUESTIONS WEIGHTED
7–27
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
FIGURE 7–4
Interview
Evaluation Form
7–28
Source: Reprinted from www.HR.BLR.com
with permission of the publisher Business
and Legal Reports Inc. 141 Mill Rock Road
East, Old Saybrook, CT © 2004.
© 2008
Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
FIGURE 7–A2
Structured
Interview Guide
7–29
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
7–30
FIGURE 7–A2
Structured
Interview Guide
(cont’d)
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
7–31
FIGURE 7–A2
Structured
Interview Guide
(cont’d)
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
7–32
EXIT INTERVIEWS
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
Exit Interviews
7–33


Should be conducted weeks prior to incumbent
leaving.
Possible issues/items on the table:
 Loose
ends
 Incomplete/on-going projects
 Companies SWOT as they view it.
 Things that could be improved upon as a company.
 Possible intern training, only if the company deems
necessary to ask. Most companies will not.
 Necessary issues: COBRA, Unemployment insurance,
additional benefits, golden parachute, if contracted.
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.
EXIT INTERVIEW SUMMARIES
7–34
Advantages



Allows employers to “find
out” problem areas of the
company.
Allows for good public
relations
Gives exiting employees a
chance to “vent” or feel
they’ve made a contribution.
Disadvantages



Much of the information
collected is not shared with
previous
supervisors/managers.
Much of the information is
not utilized by the company
to investigate or make
improvements.
Many companies do not
have a formal procedure
for exit interviews.
KEY TERMS
7–35
unstructured or nondirective interview
structured or directive interview
situational interview
behavioral interview
job-related interview
stress interview
unstructured sequential interview
structured sequential interview
panel interview
mass interview
candidate-order error
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.