Successful Interviewing: Techniques for Hiring, Coaching, and Performance Management Meetings

Successful Interviewing: Techniques for Hiring, Coaching, and Performance Management Meetings

American Management Association®

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Successful Interviewing: Techniques for Hiring, Coaching, and Performance Management Meetings Diane Arthur

American Management Association®

"2$$$ American Management Association. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America

Contents

About This Course How to Take This Course Pre-test

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1 Interviewing Basics

1

Introduction Types of Interviews Different Interviews and Their Objectives

Preparation

Review Relevant Paperwork Block Sufficient Time Plan an Appropriate Environment Plan Basic Nuestions

Interview Stages

Rapport-Building Introductory Core Confirmation Closing

Recap Review Nuestions

2 Legal Concerns

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Introduction Key Federal Legislation Civil Rights Act of 1964 Equal Pay Act of 1963 Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 Americans with Disabilities Act of 199$ Civil Rights Act of 1991 © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

Conducting Legal Interviews Preventing Discrimination Charges

Documentation

What to Avoid Effective Note-Taking

Recap Review Nuestions

3 Questioning Techniques Introduction Competency-Based Nuestions

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Key Competency Categories Characteristics of Competency-Based Nuestions Competency-Based Lead-ins

Additional Desirable Nuestioning Techniques Open-Ended Nuestions Hypothetical Nuestions Probing Nuestions Close-Ended Nuestions

How to Relate Different Nuestioning Techniques to Various Stages of the Interview Nuestioning Techniques to Avoid Multiple-Choice Nuestions Leading Nuestions

Recap Review Nuestions

4 How to Get the Most Out of Every Interview Introduction Encourage Interviewees to Talk Repetition Summarization Key Phrases Silence

Active Listening Talking Versus Active Listening Key Information Filter Out Distractions Thought Speed

Effective Body Language

What Constitutes Body Language Translations Differ Interpreting Body Language

Seek Contrary Information Techniques

Recap Review Nuestions © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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CONTENTS

5 Applicant-Related Interviews Introduction Screening Interviews

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109

Occasions Telephone Screening Interviews Face-to-Face Screening Interviews

Campus

Traditional Versus Videoconference Interviews Areas of Focus

Employment Interviews

General ^ob-Suitability Stage ^ob-Specific Stage Goals-Centered Interviews

Reference-Check Interviews Guidelines for Obtaining Information Telephone References Written References

Recap Review Nuestions

6 Employee-Related Interviews Introduction Coaching

133

Praise Constructive Criticism

Counseling Interviews

Directive Approach Nondirective Approach

Grievance Interviews Focus on the Facts Allow for Emotions

Disciplinary Interviews Disciplinary Process Guidelines

Recap Review Nuestions

7 Assessment and Change-in-Status Interviews 153 Introduction Performance Evaluation

Preparing for the Interview Conducting the Interview

Internal Changes Promotion Transfer Demotion

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

Termination Voluntary Involuntary

Exit

Nuestionnaires

Recap Review Nuestions

8 Dealing with Different Interviewee Types Introduction Nervous

173

Characteristics Adjustments

Talkative

Characteristics Adjustments

Aggressive

Characteristics Adjustments

Distraught

Characteristics Adjustments

Evasive

Characteristics Adjustments

Recap Review Nuestions Bibliography Post-test Index

© American Management Association. All rights reserved.

191 193 199

About This Course Say the word "nter'"e( to most managers and they are likely to respond that "nter'"e("n) is the responsibility of human resources professionals or, at best, that it should be a combined effort between human resources and managers. Pressed further, they will explain that it is not their job to interview. They are managers!not interviewers. In reality, managers as well as HR practitioners conduct interviews throughout their business day. On any given day, you, as a manager, are making interview-based decisions about whom to hire, promote, fire, discipline, or terminate. It is likely that you also call on interviewing strategies to accomplish your business objectives. Whether a manager or an HR practitioner, you need to understand how to conduct the various types of interviews in a correct and maximally effective way. The two primary goals for this course are to present typical business interview situations and to teach the skills needed to achieve success in each situation. The course guides you reassuringly through the process of 12 different types of interviews. Here you will learn the value of planning and preparing for the interview, including how to build rapport and to structure your environment and your time. By following this course, you will develop valuable techniques to get the most out of each interview, using active listening, careful questioning, and an understanding of body language. Essential information on documentation and legal issues offers solid and timely guidance to safeguard even the most inexperienced interviewer. The course incorporates current thinking on competency-based interviewing and numerous application exercises you can translate to your own interview experience. Throughout, you will be able to identify with the real-world scenarios illustrating the right and the wrong way to conduct an interview. Whether you are an HR practitioner or a manager, mastering the skills and strategies presented in *u,,ess/u0 1nter'"e("n)2 Te,hn"5ues /or 7"r"n) 8oa,h"n): and <er/or=an,e >ana)e=ent >eet"n)s will prepare you to be a more confident, productive, and effective interviewer.

© American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

Diane Arthur is president of Arthur Associates Management Consultants, Ltd., a human resources development firm based in Northport, New York. She has more than 2` years of human resources experience as a consultant, workshop leader, and lecturer, covering all facets of human resources, including interviewing skillsa equal employment opportunitya HR policies and proceduresa employee handbooksa position analysisa job descriptionsa performance appraisal systemsa employerbemployee relationsa disciplinarybgrievance proceedingsa orientation programsa training and development needs assessmentsa communication skillsa career planninga coaching and counseling. Arthur consults for a wide range of companies, including large corporations, nonprofit organizations, and the healthcare industry. Arthur is the author of numerous works dealing with human resources and general management. She has written many books for AMACOM, including The 8o=p0ete 7u=an @esour,es Wr"t"n) Gu"de: three editions of @e,ru"t"n): 1nter'"e("n): *e0e,t"n) C Dr"ent"n) Ee( F=p0oGees: and two editions of >ana)"n) 7u=an @esour,es "n *=a00 and >"d-*"Hed 8o=pan"es: as well as articles for various publications, including the Eat"ona0 Ius"ness F=p0oG=ent Week0G: <ersonne0: >ana)e=ent *o0ut"ons: *uper'"sorG >ana)e=ent: and 7@ Ko,us. Arthur is a highly rated AMA workshop leader and is listed in the 26th edition of Who’s Who "n the Fast. The publisher would like to thank the following people for their review of the manuscript of this course: Paul Falcone, Director of Employment and Development, Paramount Pictures, Hollywood, California, and Robert Lucas, President of Creative Presentations Resources, Inc., Casselberry, Florida.

© American Management Association. All rights reserved.

How to Take This Course

This course consists of text material for you to read and three types of activities (the pre- and post-test, in-text exercises, and end-of-chapter review questions) for you to complete. These activities are designed to reinforce the concepts introduced in the text portion of the course and to enable you to evaluate your progress.

PRE- AND POST-TESTS* Both a pre-test and post-test are included in this course. Take the pre-test before you study any of the course material to determine your existing knowledge of the subject matter. Submit one of the scannable answer forms enclosed with this course for grading. On return of the graded pre-test, complete the course material. Take the post-test after you have completed all the course material. By comparing results of the pre-test and the post-test, you can measure how effective the course has been for you. To have your pre-test and post-test graded, please mail your answer forms to: Educational Services American Management Association P.O. Box 133 Florida, NY 10921 All tests are reviewed thoroughly by our instructors and will be returned to you promptly. *If you are viewing the course digitally, the scannable forms enclosed in the hard copy of AMA Self-Study titles are not available digitally. If you would like to take the course for credit, you will need to either purchase a hard copy of the course from www.amaselfstudy.org or you can purchase an online version of the course from www.flexstudy.com.

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THE TEXT The most important component of this course is the text, where the concepts and methods are presented. Reading each chapter twice will increase the likelihood of your understanding the text fully. We recommend that you work on this course in a systematic way. Reading the text and working through the exercises at a regular and steady pace will help ensure that you get the most out of this course and retain what you have learned. In your first reading, concentrate on getting an overview of the chapter content. Read the learning objectives at the beginning of the chapter first. They will act as guidelines to the major topics of the chapter and identify the skills you should master as you study the text. As you read the chapter, pay attention to the headings and subheadings. Find the general theme of each section and see how that theme relates to others. Don’t let yourself get bogged down with details during the first reading; simply concentrate on understanding and remembering the major themes. In your second reading, look for the details that underlie the themes. Read the entire chapter carefully and methodically, underlining key points, working out the details of examples, and making marginal notes as you go. Complete the activities.

ACTIVITIES Interspersed with the text of each chapter you will find a series of activities. These can take a variety of forms, including essays, short-answer quizzes, or charts and questionnaires. Completing the activities will enable you to try out new ideas, practice and improve new skills, and test your understanding of the course content.

THE REVIEW QUESTIONS After reading a chapter and before going on to the next chapter, work through the Review Questions. Answering the questions and comparing your answers to those given will help you to grasp the major ideas of that chapter. If you perform these self-check exercises consistently, you will develop a framework in which to place material presented in later chapters.

GRADING POLICY The American Management Association will continue to grade examinations and tests for one year after the course’s out-of-print date. If you have questions regarding the tests, the grading, or the course itself, call Educational Services at 1-800-225-3215 or send an e-mail to [email protected].

AMACOM Self Study Program http://www.amaselfstudy.org/

Pre-test Successful Interviewing: Techniques for Hiring, Coaching, and Performance Management Meetings

Course Code 96016 INSTRUCTIONS: @e,ord Gour ans(ers on one o/ the s,annaM0e ans(er /or=s en,0osed ("th th"s ,ourse. <0ease /o00o( the d"re,t"ons on the /or= ,are/u00G. Ie sure to keep a ,opG o/ the ,o=p0eted ans(er /or=s /or Gour re,ords. Eo photo,op"es ("00 Me )raded. When ,o=p0eted: =a"0 Gour ans(er /or= to2

American Management Association Educational Services P.O. Box 133 Florida, NY 1$921 1.

While there is no sure-fire way of preventing charges of discrimination, one way of minimizing the chances is to: dae tape-record every interview dbe make certain that every question asked is relevant and job-specific dce have a witness present during every interview dde have applicants sign a statement that promises they will not bring charges of discrimination

2.

There are two primary reasons for conducting a coaching interview. The first is to praise and encourage an employee to continue doing good work. The second is to: dae make certain the employee is happy so he or she won"t file a grievance dbe demonstrate to your boss your management abilities dce prevent a lawsuit dde identify areas requiring improvement Do you have questions? Comments? Need clarification? Call Educational Services at 1-800-225-3215, ext. 600 or email at [email protected]. © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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3.

By definition, competency-based questions: dae draw from past experiences and behavior and relate them to specific requirements or responsibilities of a job-related situation dbe require full, multiple-word responses dce enable the interviewer to delve more deeply for additional information dde are phrased in the form of problems presented to the interviewee for a solution

4.

The primary purpose of an exit interview is to: dae get a written statement from terminating employees, promising that they will not sue the organization dbe acquire information about how terminating employees viewed various aspects of their employment dce determine rehire eligibility dde retrieve keys, identification badges, and other company property

5.

Generally, the stages prior to and following the face-to-face interview require from __________ minutes each. dae 1$-2$ dbe 3-` dce `-1` dde 1`-2$

6.

Chronemics is the dimension of body language that refers to: dae the use of interpersonal space dbe actual body contact dce the amount of time between verbal exchanges dde all body movements

7.

An applicant who answers questions with questions may be categorized as being: dae overly aggressive dbe evasive dce highly emotional dde excessively talkative

8.

Campus interviewers concentrate on: dae evaluating potential dbe assessing educational credentials dce evaluating part-time employment dde determining how well a student could balance school with a part-time job

9.

The brief, but important, rapport-building stage of an interview could include questions like: dae Tell me about yourself. dbe Describe your activities in a typical day at your current job. dce Why are you interested in applying for this jobg dde How was the traffic getting hereg © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

PRE-TEST

XV

10. Managers should begin preparing for performance-evaluation interviews _________in advance. dae several weeks dbe several days dce several months dde several hours 11. Two key components of the core stage of an interview are asking enough of the right questions and providing information. The third key component is: dae describing the company"s equal employment opportunity policy dbe answering questions dce having all calls held dde positive body language 12. The primary objective of a face-to-face screening interview is to establish continued interest on both sides and to: dae check references dbe determine appropriate educational credentials dce meet affirmative action goals dde determine preliminary job suitability 13. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 covers: dae age discrimination dbe disability discrimination dce race, color, religion, sex, and national origin discrimination dde equal pay 14. Grievance interviews take place to discuss: dae any condition of employment an employee believes to be inequitable dbe an employee"s disciplinary problems dce terms and conditions of termination dde performance evaluations 15. A method that encourages the interviewee to continue talking and helps to clarify certain points is called: dae soliciting dbe repetition dce active listening dde filtering 16. Sometimes, aggressiveness or attempted dominance on the part of an interviewee is: dae a sign of insecurity dbe a substitute for substance dce an indication that the person is extremely nervous dde evidence of a take-charge kind of manager

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

17. An employee"s signature on a written warning indicates that he or she: dae understands the contents dbe agrees with the contents dce challenges the contents dde doesn"t understand the contents 18. Key phrases such as #I see$ and #how interesting$ show the interviewee that you: dae are bored dbe agree with what they are saying dce are confused by what they are saying dde understand what they are saying 19. Preparing an extensive list of detailed questions could result in: dae the interviewee becoming bored and angry dbe a very long interview dce a stiff, formalized session dde a lawsuit 20. A _________ system is the most popular means by which employees may be promoted. dae performance-evaluation dbe job posting dce salary administration dde disciplinary 21. If an interviewee volunteers information you should not have, do not write it down or pursue the subject. What else should you dog dae Notify the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. dbe End the interview immediately. dce Sign a statement attesting to the fact that you will not use the information in making an employment-related decision. dde Tell the person that the information is not job-related. 22. Checking with a minimum of two previous employers during a reference check interview may: dae disclose patterns in an individual"s work habits dbe let applicants know that they can"t get away with lying dce reveal something about an applicant"s personal life dde reveal that the applicant has filed an EEO charge against a former employer 23. One way of calming an especially nervous interviewee is to: dae mirror their behavior dbe tell them there is nothing to be nervous about dce ask them if they would like to reschedule the interview for another time dde ask a few close-ended questions

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PRE-TEST

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24. Many open-ended questions can be made more substantive when converted into: dae close-ended questions dbe hypothetical questions dce competency-based questions dde probing questions 25. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 199$, employers are required to make a reasonable accommodation for those applicants or employees able to perform the essential functions of the job with reasonable proficiency. An example of a reasonable accommodation could be: dae changing the hours worked in a department to suit the needs of the person with the disability dbe modifying existing equipment dce providing transportation to and from work each day for the person with the disability dde to stop having office parties if a person with a physical disability cannot access the office where the parties are traditionally held

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Interviewing Basics Learning Objectives By the end of this chapter, you should be able to: % Identify the objectives for 12 different types of business-related interviews. % Prepare for every type of interview. % Describe the five stages of an interview.

INTRODUCTION

Whether you"re an HR professional or a non-HR practitioner whose job requires interaction with applicants and employees, this course will help you determine those situations that are best handled via interviews, as well as identify those skills needed to achieve interviewing success. We"ll begin with some interviewing basics, such as identifying 12 types of interviews, how to prepare for them, and what distinguishes their different stages. Then we"ll examine some of the legal implications of interviewing, identify different questioning techniques, and learn how to get the most out of every interview. Finally, after closely examining 12 specific applicant-related, employeerelated, and assessment interviews, we"ll look at techniques for dealing effectively with different interviewee types. During a typical day in any business setting there are numerous workrelated issues directly concerning employees. These include hiring the most productive workers, coaching employees so that they feel challenged, providing employees with positive feedback and constructive criticism, settling grievance complaints, and resolving disciplinary problems. Did you know that these and many other employee-related situations are best handled © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

through effective interviewing, and that ineffective interviewing can actually intensify existing problems and possibly result in new problemsg It"s true: Effective interviewing skills can make any work environment a more productive, motivating place in which to work. While there are many different types of interviews, each with its own specific objective, all interviews share one common goal: to acquire information as it relates to a specific end and then to use that information to make a decision. Information is acquired during an interview via a question-and-answer format, thus distinguishing it from a meeting or a casual conversation. Let"s look at some of the situations that call for an interview during an average workday. Consider this hectic yet typical day for Samantha Allenby, the HR director for a mid-sized firm. Her e-mail includes a request for a meeting from a marketing department employee with a complaint about the company"s policy on personal days. Clicking on her personal information manager, she notes her schedule for the day: two appointments with applicants interested in the accountant"s opening, and a three-way meeting with the public relations manager and a customer service representative to review the employee"s excessive absenteeism. In addition, she needs to call about references on three candidates under consideration for the compensation analyst"s position, and she anticipates a number of calls in response to the advertisement she placed for a secretary in administration. On this particular day, then, Samantha will probably conduct ten or more interviews: She will interview the marketing employee about his grievance, the accounting applicants, the manager and employee with the disciplinary problem, former employers about references, and candidates for the secretarial position. That"s quite a heavy schedule, but manageable if Samantha applies sound interviewing skills.

TYPES OF INTERVIEWS

If you were to track someone from the time they expressed an interest in working for a company through their termination, you would observe numerous interviewing opportunities. Consider ^ordan Saunders, a senior in college, interested in the field of information technology. He sees a notice posted on the campus career bulletin board advising students that representatives from several companies are going to visit the school next week to talk to those interested in working for them dcampus interviewse. ^ordan meets with recruiters from several firms, who question him in general about his accomplishments and aspirations dscreening interviewse. Three of these recruiters set up appointments back at their respective companies to continue questioning him in depth demployment interviewse. Following these interviews, ^ordan learns that both his school and the local office where he works part-time have been contacted and questioned about his grades and work performance, respectively dreference-check interviewse. ^ordan accepts the job offer extended by one of the companies and reports for work. Periodically, his manager briefly reviews what is expected of him, highlights his © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

INTERVIEWING BASIC

3

accomplishments, and offers assistance whenever ^ordan needs help dcoaching interviewe. Several months later, ^ordan"s train schedule changes, causing him to consistently arrive 3$ minutes later than usual for work. To compensate, he stays 3$ minutes later each day. His manager, however, wants him to report to work at his previous time and asks ^ordan to explore possible alternative means of transportation. He adds that continued lateness could result in disciplinary action dcounseling interviewe. ^ordan feels his manager is being unreasonable and complains to human resources dgrievance interviewe. The HR representative listens to ^ordan, asks some questions, and makes several suggestions. ^ordan, however, still doesn"t see why he can"t just stay 3$ minutes later each day and continues to arrive late. He also grows increasingly dissatisfied with his work. Soon he is formally warned and then written up ddisciplinary interviewe. When it is time for his performance evaluation, his manager chastises ^ordan once again for being habitually late, but also compliments much of ^ordan"s work to date, offers some suggestions for improvement, and works with ^ordan on specific, measurable goals dperformance-evaluation interviewe. But ^ordan is unhappy. When he sees a posting for a job offering more pay with greater responsibilities in another division, he applies dchange-in-status interviewe. He is told that he lacks some required skills, however, and is rejected. Jordan"s level of dissatisfaction increases; he continues to arrive late, begins making mistakes, and misses deadlines. Finally, he is fired dtermination interviewe. Before leaving, the director of HR talks with ^ordan about his employment, including his expectations, how he viewed his salary and benefits, and what, if anything could have occurred to make things turn out differently dexit interviewe. ^ordan leaves the company after experiencing 12 different types of interviews in just 18 months.

An important step in conducting a particular type of interview is to consider what you hope to !""#$%&'()*+,)'-.+#/+(%0"'/'"+'-1023'04(+5#6’30+08%02'0-"09,+0'1)02+!(+!-+'-1023'0402+#2+!-+'-10rviewee, and briefly note both the desired and actual outcomes. INTERVIEWER/ INTERVIEW TYPE INTERVIEWEE

DESIRED OUTCOME

ACTUAL OUTCOME

Screening Campus Employment Reference-Check Coaching Think About It . . . continued on next page. © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING continued from previous page.

INTERVIEWER/ INTERVIEW TYPE INTERVIEWEE Counseling

DESIRED OUTCOME

ACTUAL OUTCOME

Grievance Disciplinary PerformanceEvaluation Change-in-Status Termination Exit

Different Interviews and Their Objectives

Throughout this course we will examine the 12 types of interviews that typically occur in most business settings. Each of these 12 interview types has a specific objective dExhibit 1I1e. Familiarizing yourself with these objectives just prior to conducting a particular type of interview is the first step in conducting effective interviews.

*,reen"n) "nter'"e(s

Screening interviews are intended to determine preliminary job suitability and establish continued interest in a job, both on the part of the interviewer and the candidate. You may conduct screening interviews either by telephone with candidates who have expressed an interest in a specific opening, or face-to-face, as with #walk-ins$!candidates who literally walk in to a company without an appointment, interested in exploring job opportunities!or candidates at job fairs, open houses, schools, or other places where you have to see a number of candidates in a short period of time. The later type of screening interview focuses more on the candidate"s general job suitability than on their qualifications for a specific opening. Under no circumstances should screening interviews be viewed as a sufficient basis for extending a job offer.

8a=pus "nter'"e(s

Campus interviews are conducted by recruiters who, in addition to looking for specific skills, are especially interested in finding students with potential who want to join their company for a career and not just a job. Once preliminary skills and mutual interest is established, campus recruiters schedule indepth interviews to be held back at the company at a later date. As with screening interviews, campus interviews should not be used as the sole basis for offering someone a job.

F=p0oG=ent "nter'"e(s

Employment interviews focus on matching people with jobs. Interviewers should look for candidates who possess job-related qualifications, including © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

INTERVIEWING BASIC

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! Different Interviews and Their Objectives

Type of Interview

Objective

Screening

Determine preliminary job suitability. Establish continued interest.

Campus

Determine preliminary job suitability. Establish continued interest. Find students with potential and interest in careers.

Employment

Match people with jobs in terms of prior work experience, formal education, skills, abilities, and interests.

Reference-Check

Confirm the employment interview. Reveal additional information.

Coaching

;90-1'/5+!-+0$%Ǵ’(+'-1020(1(+!-9+!spirations. Compliment accomplishments. Offer assistance. Make suggestions for improvement.

Counseling

Address specific work-performance problems or policy infractions. Develop a plan to get the employee back on course.

Grievance

Allow employees to express their concerns about company policies, procedures, or practices.

Disciplinary

Verbally warn or write-up employees about specific workperformance problems or policy infractions.

Performance-Evaluation

<6$$!2'=0+1)0+0$%Ǵ’(+#--the-job performance. Address success in meeting previously established goals. Set new goals. Discuss t)0+0$%Ǵ’(+>#?+#2+"!2002+!(%'2!1'#-(*

Change-in-Status

@%9!10+1)0+9!1!+/'&0+#-+1)0+0$%Ǵ’(+(.'&&(,+.-#4&09A0,+!-9+>#? interests. B0102$'-0+!+$!1")+?01400-+1)0+0$%Ǵ’(+!?'&'1'0(+!-9+1)0+>#?’( requirements and responsibilities.

Termination

Review details relating to termination.

Exit

Learn about how a terminating employee viewed his or her employment with the organization.

prior work experience and formal educationa relevant skills and abilitiesa and a demonstrated interest in the type of work they are applying for. Employment interviews are often conducted in stages: an HR representative conducts a general job-suitability interviewa the manager asks detailed, job-specific questionsa and the department head focuses on broader, goals-centered issues. © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

@e/eren,e-,he,k "nter'"e(s

Reference-check interviews are usually reserved for candidates under serious consideration. They are intended to confirm what an interviewer learned during the employment interview and may reveal additional information that will support the extension of a job offer. The process includes talking with and possibly acquiring written information from former employers as well as verifying education credentials. Most professionals agree that personal references rarely have any merit, since the candidate will obviously list only those people likely to provide rave reviews.

8oa,h"n) "nter'"e(s

Coaching interviews are essentially developmental in nature. Managers usually conduct coaching interviews to identify an employee"s interests and aspirations, compliment recent accomplishments, offer assistance with a project or deadline, or make suggestions for improvement. Occasionally, coaching interviews address a specific on-the-job problem and as such act as a prelude to a counseling interview. Coaching interviews are informal and may occur at any time.

8ounse0"n) "nter'"e(s

Counseling interviews are formal sessions that address specific work-performance problems, such as excessive absenteeism, failure to complete assignments, or a violation of company policies and procedures. Together, the employee and his or her manager go over the particulars and develop a plan that should help the employee get back on course. A time line with specific objectives is usually established, with additional counseling interviews scheduled at frequent intervals. Counseling interviews often negate the need for disciplinary action.

Gr"e'an,e "nter'"e(s

Grievance interviews allow employees to express their concerns about some company policy, procedure, or practice. The HR representative should encourage employees to express their views during these sessions and try to work out a plan that will resolve any conflicts.

D"s,"p0"narG "nter'"e(s

Disciplinary interviews are formal sessions during which an employee is officially warned about a specific work-performance or policy infraction. If the warning remains unheeded and the infraction reoccurs, a written warning is usually issued. After several additional written warnings and possibly suspension, the employee could ultimately be terminated.

<er/or=an,e-e'a0uat"on "nter'"e(s

Performance-evaluation interviews should accomplish four key objectives: to summarize the employee"s on-the-job performance from the time of the last review, job change, or hirea to address how successful the employee has been in meeting mutually agreed upon goals or job expectationsa to set new goals; and to discuss the employee"s job or career aspirations. These formal © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

INTERVIEWING BASIC

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interviews are generally conducted on an annual basis and any time there is a change in job status.

8han)e-"n-status "nter'"e(s

Change-in-status interviews generally refer to promotions but can also pertain to lateral transfers and demotions. The purpose of these interviews is twofold: to update the data file on the employee"s skills, knowledge, and job interests, and to determine whether there is a match between the employee"s abilities and the job"s requirements and responsibilities. Change-in-status interviews differ from employment interviews in that the applicants already work for the company. As such, a great deal is already known about the applicants in terms of their overall work habits and abilities, but not necessarily in relation to how well they are likely to perform the new job. Consequently, employees interested in changing jobs internally should always be interviewed.

Ter="nat"on "nter'"e(s

Termination interviews obviously concern employees who are being let go. The purpose of the interview, however, goes beyond telling someone that they are being terminated. It includes reviewing termination-related specifics, such as determining the employee"s last day of work, identifying items to be turned in, reaching an understanding about how reference checks will be handled, and offering assistance to help the employee find another job.

FP"t "nter'"e(s

Exit interviews are intended to reveal information about how a terminating employee viewed various aspects of his or her employment with the organization, such as the working conditions, employer-employee relations, and policies and practices. This information can be especially useful when hiring in the future, revising policies and procedures, and examining morale or productivity problems in a particular department.

What techniques would you use to achieve the objectives for each type of interview? INTERVIEW TYPE OBJECTIVE

TECHNIQUES

Screening

Establish continued interest.

Campus

Find students with potential career goals.

Employment

Match people with jobs.

Reference-Check

Confirm the employment interview. Reveal additional information. Apply What You Learn . . . continued on next page.

© American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING continued from previous page.

INTERVIEW TYPE OBJECTIVE Coaching

TECHNIQUES

;90-1'/5+!-+0$%Ǵ’(+'-10rests/goals. Compliment accomplishments. Offer assistance. Make suggestions for improvement.

Counseling

Address work-performance issues. Develop an action plan.

Grievance

Allow employees to express concerns.

Disciplinary

Warn or write-up employees.

PerformanceEvaluation

Summarize on-the-job performance. Address success in meeting goals. Set new goals. B'("6((+0$%Ǵ’(+!(%'2ations.

Change-in-Status

@%9!10+0$%Ǵ’(+9!1!+/'&0* Match employee’s abilities with requirements.

Termination

Review details relating to termination.

Exit

Learn about a terminating employee’s views.

PREPARATION

A commonly held but erroneous belief is that interviewing does not require any degree of preparation. The perception is that a typical interview consists of two or more people sitting down together, talking. As they talk, one person!the interviewer!asks questions and the other!the applicant or employee!answers the questions. Such an impression is based largely on observations of interviews conducted by seasoned interviewers, who certainly can make interviews seem like effortless conversation. It is, however, inaccurate, because these interviewers have put a great deal of work behind this casual front by completing four important preparatory steps: reviewing relevant paperwork, blocking sufficient time, planning an appropriate environment, and planning basic questions. Review Relevant Paperwork Effective interviewers recognize the importance of reviewing all relevant paperwork prior to meeting with an applicant or employee dExhibit 1I2e.

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Relevant Paperwork Type of Interview

Paperwork

Screening

C%%&'"!-1’(+20(6$0 Job description

Campus

Brochure or CD-ROM describing the company List of available and anticipated openings <1690-1’(+20(6$0

Employment

Job description Applican1’(+"#$%&0109+!%%&'"!1'#-+/#2$ C%%&'"!-1’(+20(6$0 Information relating to salary and benefits

Reference-Check

Job description Applican1’(+"#$%&0109+!%%&'"!1'#-+/#2$ C%%&'"!-1’(+20(6$0 Interview notes Reference-check form (optional)

Coaching

Paperwork relating to a specific project or task

Counseling

Policy, procedure, or practice violated Action plan

Grievance

Policy, procedure, or practice grieved

Disciplinary

Documentation Policy, procedure, or practice violated

Performance-Evaluation

Completed performance-evaluation form

Change-in-Status

Job-posting form D$%Ǵ’(+/'&0

Termination

Documentation Information relative to severance pay, benefits, etc.

Exit

Exit interview form

They know that doing so saves time by enabling them to pinpoint areas warranting discussion during the interview. It is also more likely that they will be in control of the interview. When Samantha Allenby realized that she would probably conduct as many as 1$ interviews in one day, she quickly set about identifying the paperwork she would need for each interview. In order to interview the employee from marketing who has a complaint about the company"s policy on personal days, Samantha reviewed that policy Before interviewing the two accountant applicants, she read each person"s completed application form and resume, the job description for the opening, and information relating to salary and benefits. © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

The meeting with the public relations manager and the customer service representative to review the employee"s excessive absenteeism was going to be a challenge. The employee had been one of the department"s top performers until recently, and Samantha suspected something serious must be happening to cause someone to be absent as often as she was. The manager, however, was unsympathetic and felt determined to make this meeting the first step in the disciplinary process. Since Samantha felt it would be more productive if the session were treated like a counseling session, in addition to pulling out a copy of the company"s absenteeism policy, she drafted a plan of action to share with both the manager and the employee. This way, the session would more likely result in a productive dialogue and yield positive results. To prepare for her reference checks, Samantha located the job description for the compensation analyst opening. Then she put each candidate"s completed application form, resume, and related interview notes in a separate folder. She also made three copies of her reference check form and placed one inside of each folder. Finally, in anticipation of a number of calls in response to the advertisement she placed for a secretary in administration, Samantha familiarized herself with the job description. Samantha now felt she could approach her day of interviews with a greater knowledge base and a higher level of self-confidence.

As an interviewer, list the paperwork you typically refer to as you prepare for each type of interview. INTERVIEW TYPE RELEVANT PAPERWORK Screening Campus Employment Reference-Check Coaching Counseling Grievance Disciplinary PerformanceEvaluation

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INTERVIEW TYPE RELEVANT PAPERWORK Change in Status Termination Exit As an interviewee, how do you think you would react if you were an interviewee in a situation where an interviewer did not have the necessary paperwork? What image might you have of that person? Of the organization? Would it influence your decision to work there?

Block Sufficient Time

When determining how much time to allot for each interview, think about the entire process, not just the portion devoted to the face-to-face meeting. You need time before the interview to review the relevant paperwork and to plan key questionsa during the interview for both you and the individual to talka and after the interview to write up your notes, reflect on what took place, and set up additional appointments, if called for. In the case of an employment interview, you may also need time for testing and checking references. Considering all that must be done, just how much time should you set aside for each interviewg Generally, the stages prior to and following the face-to-face meeting require from ` to 1` minutes each. Time for the actual interviews vary, according to the objectives and scope of a particular type of interview dExhibit 1I3e. While these time frames represent guidelines only, you should rarely take less than the minimum amount of time noted or go beyond the maximum amount of time recommended. Here"s why: If you were to spend less than 2$ minutes talking with a student during a campus interview, it is unlikely that you would find out enough about his or her level of interest, career objectives, or basic qualifications. Talking more than 3$ minutes, on the other hand, probably means you either began to delve into details about that student"s job suitability dthat should occur back at the office at a later date during

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

Interview Time Frames (excludes time needed before and after the interview)

Type of Interview

Approximate Amount of Time

Screening

10-20 minutes

Campus Employment

20-30 minutes Nonexempt: 30-45 minutes (generally clerical and nonprofessional workers) Exempt: 60-90 minutes (generally managers and professional workers) Nonexempt: 15-20 minutes

Reference-Check

Exempt: 20-30 minutes Coaching

20-30 minutes

Counseling

30-45 minutes

Grievance

30-45 minutes

Disciplinary

30-45 minutes

Performance-Evaluation

45-60 minutes

Change-in-Status Termination

Nonexempt: 20-30 minutes Exempt: 30-45 minutes 30-45 minutes

Exit

30-45 minutes

the in-depth interviewe, went off on some tangent, or allowed the interviewee to take control of the interview. The later can occur, for example, when applicants are anxious about lacking certain qualifications and want to divert the interviewer"s attention from the topic at hand. In these instances interviewees will talk a blue streak about irrelevant matters, discuss objects such as books or pictures in the interviewer"s office, or ask the interviewer numerous questions. You can guard against this happening by reminding yourself of the interview objectives, by noting the approximate amount of time remaining, and by identifying how much information has been covered thus far and just what remains to be discussed. Then you can say, #We seem to have strayed from our reason for this interviewa since we don"t have that much time remaining why don"t we get back to....$ Another way of maintaining control of the interview is to try interviewing only during the time of day you are at your peak!that is, when you are most alert!and avoiding scheduling more than six to eight interviews in one workday. This will enable you to focus more clearly on the interview and remain in the driver"s seat. Of course, this is not always possible, as we saw with Samantha, who faced a fall day of interviews with 1$ or more people. If

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you do have a number of interviews scheduled back-to-back, try at least to take a five-minute break between them. Use the time to take a short walk, get a drink of water, stretch, make a few short phone calls, or do other work. The break will help you feel more in control of your interview schedule and allow you to focus more clearly on your next interviewee. If an interviewee shows up late, thereby throwing off your schedule, you may have to reschedule the appointment for another date or have another interviewer take over some of your interviews.

What could you do in each of the following interview situations to help ensure that you will remain in control or will be able to cover everything needed in the allotted amount of time? An applicant calls in response to your ad for a secretary and insists on describing, in detail, the eight-week computer class she recently completed (screening interview).

An applicant for a customer service representative opening seems intent on discussing the plants on your desk (nonexempt employment interview).

An employee who has come to see you about what he considers a unfair policy asks numerous questions concerning how long the policy has been in practice, whether others have complained about it, and why the company needs it (grievance interview).

An employee shows up 20 minutes late for an interview to discuss his excessive tardiness (counseling interview).

Plan an Appropriate Environment There are three keys to establishing an appropriate interview environment: privacy a minimum number of distractions, and comfort. © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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The importance of privacy cannot be overstressed. If applicants and employees are expected to talk freely, they must be assured that what they are saying cannot be overheard by others. This is particularly important when discussing sensitive matters, such as why a person was fired from his or her last job. Consider what happened to Dorothy. After she was let go from her job, Dorothy went to an employment agency to find work. She was ushered into a large, open area where eight desks were lined up in two rows. Dorothy sat at one of the desks and proceeded to answer the questions asked of her. She was aware of the fact that another applicant was being interviewed at the desk directly across from her, but tried to concentrate on her interviewer. As she described what led to her termination, she became increasingly aware that the interviewer across the aisle had stopped talking with his applicant and was, instead, leaning in to hear what Dorothy had to say. What"s worse, he actually interrupted his applicant to ask Dorothy a question! Both Dorothy and the other applicant were chagrined and left, vowing to avoid any interview setting that lacked privacy. While not everyone has a private office, we all have access to privacy. While this may mean using a conference room or borrowing someone else"s office when it is not being used, such options may be preferable if your own office has partial partitions instead of full floor-to-ceiling walls. Sounds can easily carry over and around partitionsa depending on their height, people can also easily peer over the top. Try to ensure a minimum number of distractions. More obvious distractions include your telephone ringing, people walking in during the interview, or papers requiring attention left exposed on top of your desk. A more subtle distraction, but one that can interfere as much as a ringing telephone, is the interviewer"s own thoughts. Thinking about all the work that needs to be done may not only prevent you from focusing fully on the interviewee but may even result in resentment for keeping you from it. To guard against this, remind yourself just prior to the interview that interviewing is an important part of your work. It might also help if you cleared off your desk before the person entered. Make certain, too, that the interviewee is comfortable. It is a simple fact that if the interviewee feels comfortable, you will be assured of a more productive interview. Comfort level is not determined by how much furniture there is in your office, or whether you have a scenic view. It is your level of preparation and general approach to the interview that largely determine the comfort level of the other person. Look at what happened to Richard. The worse interview he ever went on was conducted in the most luxurious office he had ever seen. The room was larger than his living room at home and even had more furniture. This ideal scene was completed by a fireplace, grandfather clock, and a panoramic view of the city. While the setting was picture-perfect, the interview was anything but. The interviewer had not read Richard"s resume, was unfamiliar with the job opening, and did not know what questions to ask. In addition, he was clearly in a hurry and grew increasingly impatient as the interview wore on. If you are prepared, come across as friendly, and appear genuinely interested in what the person has to say, the interview surroundings are not going to matter a great deal. Of course if you can offer the interviewee a choice of © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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seats, that"s fine. If, however, space is limited and there is only one chair in addition to yours, that"s all right too. Note that while there is no one proper relationship between your seat and the interviewee"s, many interviewers prefer to sit behind a desk with the interviewee on the other side. In this regard, the desk serves the dual function of providing a writing surface and offering a comfortable distance between interviewer and interviewee.

Where will you conduct your interviews from now on? Identify several spaces at work that would be suitable for interviews.

What will you do to ensure privacy?

How will you minimize distractions?

What seating arrangement are you most comfortable with?

Plan Basic Questions

A handful of questions prepared in advance should serve as the basis for any type of interview. When planning basic questions keep your interview objective in mind and use relevant paperwork as your primary source. For example, in preparing for an employment interview, review the job description to identify the required skills for a given job. Then proceed to formulate the questions you will need to ask in order to determine whether the applicants possess these skills and are capable of performing the required duties. Hypothetical situations can also be developed and presented to candidates, enabling them to demonstrate their potential. Of course all of your questions should comply with equal employment opportunity legislation dsee Chapter 2e. © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

Be careful not to list too many questions or become very specific during this stage. If you have an extensive list of detailed questions, you may have a tendency to read from that list during the interview. This will result in a stiff, formalized session, which could make the interviewee feel ill at ease. In addition, with a lengthy list of questions, you may feel compelled to cover the entire list and thus end up being redundant. Again, this can result in making the interviewee feel uncomfortable and wonder whether you are really listening. Limit yourself to preparing about a half-dozen broad-based questions. Once you get into the interview, the other questions that need to be asked will follow as offshoots of the interviewee"s answers. For example, in preparing for an employment interview, you could plan on asking, #Would you please describe your activities during a typical day at your current job?$ As you listen to the applicant"s response, note any areas mentioned that you want to pursue further. Suppose you asked this question of an applicant currently working as a customer service representative. She answers, #Well, let"s see. Each day is really kind of different since I deal with customers and you never know what they"re going to call abouta but basically, my job is to handle the customer hot line, research any questions, and process complaints.$ Her response, while general and somewhat limited, still gives you four key areas to probe: Her job requires dealing with a variety of people and situations; she #handles$ a customer hot line; she #researches$ questions; and she #processes complaints.$ During the face-to-face interview, you can take each of these areas and ask a series of detailed questions. Her answers should ultimately provide you with a clear picture of the level and scope of her current responsibilities.

Think about the type of interview you conduct most often. Write down six broad-based questions you could prepare before meeting with the applicant or employee to serve as the foundation for that interview. 1. __________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 3. __________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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4. ___________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 5. ___________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 6. ___________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

INTERVIEW STAGES For maximum effectiveness, all interviews should consist of five stages: rapport-building, introductory, core, confirmation, and closing. Each has a specific purpose and should take up an approximate percentage of the interview dExhibit 1I4e.

Rapport-Building This stage represents a scant but important 2 percent of the interview. Its dual purpose is to put applicants or employees at ease, thereby encouraging them to communicate openly, and to identify the format for the rest of the interview. Begin with icebreaking comments or questions that have no real bearing on the purpose of the meeting. Benign subjects, such as the weather or traffic, generally do nicely in helping interviewees relax. It doesn"t take much effort!simple

Interview Stages

Stage of the Interview

Primary Purpose

Rapport-Building Introductory Core Confirmation Closing

Put the interviewee at ease. Begin the assessment process. Gather detailed information. Verify information acquired thus far. Ensure coverage of all relevant topics.

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% of Time 2% 3% 85% 5% 5%

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

statements like #I"m glad the construction on the expressway didn"t keep you from coming in this morning,$ or #Can you believe how warm the weather"s been so far this winter?$ can accomplish a great deal. In fact, weather and commuting are considered by many professional interviewers to be among the safest areas to discuss during this stage of the interview. That"s because, by their very nature, these topics are unlikely to generate any sort of an emotional response, compel anyone to take sides, or turn into a discussion of any depth. ^ust how much time should be spent on icebreakers depends on how comfortable the interviewee appears to be. Typically, 1` to 3$ seconds is sufficient. While some individuals require a little longer, under no circumstances should this stage of the interview continue for more than two minutes. Applicants or employees who are still uneasy after this amount of time will probably not respond to additional small talk. The best thing to do in this instance is to move on to the next step.

Identify an icebreaker you have heard as an interviewee.

_____________________________________________________________________________ How successful was the icebreaker at putting you at ease? Explain.

_____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ How long did the icebreaker last? ____________________________________________________________________________ Write two additional icebreakers of your own, one relating to weather and the other relating to commuting. 1. __________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Once these icebreaking statements are made, you can proceed to identifying the format of the interview. Interviewees obviously know what kind of interview is about to take place, but they don"t know what to expect beyond that. Outlining what the next hour or so will consist of alerts interviewees to the direction of the interview as well as key areas of focus. © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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For example, during one of ^ordan Saunder"s employment interviews, the HR director said, #It"s nice to see you again. I know your campus interview was a bit rusheda I"m glad you were able to come in this morning so we can discuss the information technology opening we have here at Valdart, Ltd., in greater depth. I"d like to begin by asking you some questions about your college courses as they relate to information technology, any work you"ve done on a part-time basis in this field, and where you see yourself headed. Then I can tell you about our company in general and the IT division in particular. After that I"ll be glad to answer any questions you might have, including those concerning benefits and what happens after we"re through here.$ This format let ^ordan know from the outset that he could expect to answer questions about his background and future aspirations. He knew, too, that he would learn about the company and the job, have a chance to ask questions, and find out what would happen after the interview was over.

Select two types of interviews other than an employment interview and identify a format for those interviews, as you would describe them to your interviewees. 1. ___________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 2. ___________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

Introductory

This stage represents approximately 3 percent of the interview and is intended to accomplish two key objectives: to help still-nervous interviewees feel at ease and to allow interviewers to start the assessment process. Introductory questions should be about topics familiar to the interviewee so as not to create undue pressure and broad enough to generate additional questions by you. For example, after describing the format to ^ordan, the HR director said, #Let"s get started, then, with you telling me what got you interested in this field.$ Regardless of how nervous ^ordan may have been, he had no trouble talking about his interest in information technology. As he began to relax, he articulated more and more information that acted as a springboard for the interviewer"s subsequent questions. In addition, the interviewer was © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

able to begin assessing verbal and organizational skills and observe patterns of body language dChapter 4e. Unfortunately, many interviewers make some classic mistakes during this introductory stage. For example, asking an applicant during a screening, campus, or employment interview to #Tell me about yourself is one of the most counterproductive questions around. Variations on this for other interview situations include, #Tell me what kind of employee Jordan was when he worked for you$ dreference-check interviewse, and #Tell me how you felt about working here$ dexit interviewse. This question and its variations put applicants on the spot. Where should they beging Do you want them to start with their most recent jobg Should they describe their educationg Should they offer a summarizing statement that encompasses everything about themg Perhaps they should identify their goalsg No matter what they decide to say, they can"t know for certain whether it"s what you want to hear. At a point when you should be trying to make an applicant or employee feel more comfortable you are, instead, increasing their level of stress. The question could also yield information that you are not entitled to know, from an equal employment opportunity standpoint dChapter 2e. Suppose ^ordan answered, #Well, let"s see. I"m 22 years old, single, and when I"m not studying or working I do volunteer work over at my church, St. Anthony"s.$ ^ordan just volunteered three pieces of information you are not entitled to hear. Even if you don"t follow up on illegal volunteered information, once you have heard it you may have a problem proving that you didn"t factor it in to your decision to hire or not hire someone. Another common error made during the introductory stage is to say, #I didn"t get a chance to read your resume/file; why don"t you bring me up to speed?$ This statement sends a negative message to the interviewee: #I couldn"t be bothered taking the time to prepare for this meeting.$ It also puts pressure on the person about what to say. A third mistake is to read the person"s paperwork back to them. For example, one of ^ordan"s interviewers began by saying, #According to your resume you attended Strathmore High School and now you"re going to Rushmont University. You"re majoring in information technology, have a 3.1 average so far, and will be graduating in four months.$ Where"s the questiong The interviewer is merely telling the applicant what he already knows about himself! The introductory stage usually lasts for from five to ten minutes.

,)'-.+!?#61+!+1'$0+4)0-+5#6+4020+!(.09,+EF)5+9#-’1+5#6+10&&+$0+!?#61+5#62(0&/GH+ How did the question make you feel?

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How did you answer the question? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ What do you think the interviewer could have asked you instead? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

Core If you have prepared for the interview and made the transition from the rapportbuilding stage to the introductory stage, you are ready to move on to the crucial core stage. As the term implies, this is the most substantive segment, representing approximately 8` percent of the interview. It is here that you will gather the bulk of your information about the applicant or employee and examine it in relation to the objectives for the interview. This, in turn, will enable you to make decisions based on facts, instead of on intuitive feelings or bias. To conduct this stage effectively, make sure that you include three key components: ask enough of the right questions, provide information, and answer questions.

Qsk enou)h o/ the r")ht 5uest"ons

With regard to applicant-related interviews!that is, screening, campus, employment, and reference-check interviews!pose questions that will reveal job suitability. You"ll know that you"ve asked enough of the right questions if you can answer the following: Is it likely that this person will be able to apply his or her skills, abilities, knowledge, and work interests to the available position dscreening, campus, employment, and reference-check interviewseg Are these skills and knowledge sufficient demployment intervieweg Does this person exhibit potential for growth within your organization dcampus, employment interviewseg Is this person interested in a job or a career dcampus, employment interviewseg Is this person"s style of working compatible with that of your organization demployment, reference-check interviewseg What are this person"s strengths and areas requiring improvement (employment, referencecheck interviewseg Will his or her strengths be an asset to this job demployment, reference-check interviewseg Will the areas requiring improvement be a hindrance demployment, reference-check interviewseg Do the goals of this person mesh with the goals of the organization dscreening, campus, employment interviewseg Are his or her reasons for leaving previous jobs likely to reoccur in your organization demployment, reference-check interviewseg During employee-related interviews!coaching, counseling, grievance, and disciplinary interviews!ask questions that will unveil conflicts, problems, or concerns, and that are likely to lead to a resolution. You"ve probably done © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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this if you can answer #yes$ to the following questions: Have I clearly identified the employee"s interests and aspirations dcoaching interviewseg Have I taken the time to compliment the employee"s accomplishments (coaching interviewseg Have I offered assistance and been available when the employee has needed help dcoaching interviewseg Have I offered constructive suggestions for improvement dcoaching interviewseg Have I addressed specific work-performance problems or policy infractions objectively dcoaching interviewseg Have I worked with the employee to develop a plan of action to help him or her get back on track dcoaching interviewseg Have I encouraged the employee to express his or her concerns about specific company policies, procedures, or practices dgrievance interviewseg Have I taken progressive disciplinary action, beginning with a verbal warning ddisciplinary interviewseg Is all of the relevant documentation in order ddisciplinary interviewseg With regard to assessment and change-in-status interviews!performanceevaluation, promotionbtransferbdemotion, termination, and exit interviews! ask questions that will help you determine whether a change in jobs is in the best interest of the employee and the organization as a whole. You probably have done this if you can answer these questions: Can I accurately and fairly summarize the employee"s on-the-job performance dperformance-evaluation interviewseg Has the employee succeeded in meeting previously established goals dperformance-evaluation interviewseg Has the employee been receptive to establishing new goals dperformance-evaluation interviewseg Have I discussed the employee"s job or career aspirations and identified ways he or she may attain these objectives dperformance-evaluation interviewseg Am I up-to date on the employee"s skills, knowledge, and job interests (change-in-status interviews)? Can I determine a match between the employee"s abilities and the requirements and responsibilities of a job other than the one he or she is currently performing dchange-in-status interviewseg Have I thoroughly reviewed the details calling for an employee"s involuntary termination (termination interviewseg Does the employee clearly understand the reasons for his or her involuntary termination dtermination interviewseg Is all of the relevant documentation in order dtermination interviewseg Have I given a terminating employee ample opportunity to explain his or her views concerning employment with our organization dexit interviewseg Do I clearly understand his or views concerning employment with our organization dexit interviewseg

Think about an applicant-related interview in which you were the interviewer or interviewee. What are some of the questions that were asked?

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What additional questions would you ask in the future? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Now do the same for an employee-related interview and a change-in-status interview.

_____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________


Ascertaining information about the applicant or employee is only part of the interviewa providing adequate, accurate information is also important. ^ust as interviewers must decide if candidates are appropriate for a job in the case of applicant-related and some employee-related interviews concerning job changes, candidates must decide whether the job and company are right for them. This is particularly true when unemployment is low and applicants can afford to be selective about job opportunities. In other types of interviews, such as counseling and disciplinary, providing information can help get employees back on course and prevent needless grievances or terminations. Naturally, the information you provide will vary according to the type of interview dExhibit 1I`e. In each instance, try to anticipate what the interviewee is likely to both need and want to know. For example, when ^ordan started coming in 3$ minutes late he assumed he could make up the time at the end of the day. Neither his manager or any one in human resources ever told him he had to be in each day at a certain time, so he assumed that as long as he worked eight hours a day there would be no problem. When ^ordan met with the HR representative about a job in another division, he was told that he lacked some required skills. Suggestions were not offered, however, as to how he could acquire these skills. Armed with specific information, ^ordan could have focused on acquiring the skills needed so that he could reapply the next time a similar position became available.

What information would you provide to an applicant applying for a lateral transfer within the company? _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________

© American Management Association. All rights reserved.

Provide Information

Type of Interview

Information to Provide

Screening

Overview of duties and responsibilities Salary range Overview of benefits Brief description of work environment Hours of work Overview of the organization Overview of duties and responsibilities Overview of growth opportunities Salary range Overview of benefits Brief description of work environment Hours of work Detailed description of duties and responsibilities Growth opportunities Salary range Overview of benefits Detailed description of work environment Reporting relationships Overview of the organization Hours of work Provide information supplied by former employee: Reason for terminating Description of job duties Final salary Brief description of the available position Specific project, etc.; warranting recognition Specific suggestions for assistance or improvement Details surrounding work-performance problem Specific policy or procedure violated Specific suggestions for getting back on track Feedback as to validity of em%Ǵ’(+"#$%&!'-1 Available avenues employee can take Exact performance or policy infraction Details surrounding the infraction What will occur if there is no corrective action Specifics concerning job performance Success in meeting previously established goals Suggestions for new goals Opportunities to achieve career goals

Campus

Employment

Reference-Check

Coaching Counseling

Grievance Disciplinary

Performance-Evaluation

Exhibit continued on next page.

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continued from previous page. Type of Interview

Information to Provide

Change-in-Status

Details concerning change in: Duties and responsibilities Hours of work Work environment Reporting relationships Salary Benefits

Termination

Specific reason for termination, if involuntary Severance/benefits termination package, if any How reference requests will be handled Eligibility for rehire

Exit

How the information you ascertain may be used Assurance that there will be no repercussions

Qns(er 5uest"ons

In spite of all the information you provide during an interview, applicants and employees may still have questions. ^ob applicants, for instances, often have particular questions concerning salary increases, job posting, benefits, flexible work schedules, and vacation schedules. Encourage them to ask these and other questions, so that they leave with a clear understanding of what they will get if they are offered the job. The questions interviewees ask can also provide you with valuable information that may help with the decision-making process. Consider this partial interview between Samantha and one of her applicants, Corrine ^acoby, for the accounting opening. Samantha had already provided information about the position, its responsibilities, and benefits. Thus far, she feels Corrine possesses the skills needed to do the job. SAMANTHA: I"d like to pause now, and give you an opportunity to ask me any questions you may have. CORRINE: Well, I was wondering about the hours of work. I know you said that they"re nine to five, Monday through Friday. But I was wondering if there was flextime; I"m taking a course that begins at five across town over at Bradley University two days a week, and I was hoping I could begin at eight instead of nine on those days. SAMANTHA: We don"t have a formal flextime policy; however, I"m fairly certain that you"d be able to work something out with the manager in charge of accounting so you can continue to take your course. I"ll look into it and let you know. CORRINE: Great! I was also wondering about vacation. You said I"d be eligible for two weeks vacation after six months. The problem is we already have © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

reservations for Disney World in March. That"s only five months from now. My family and I are supposed to be going for a week and we"re really looking forward to it! SAMANTHA: If we offer you the job you"d be allowed to take your vacation ahead of schedule since you already have plans. CORRINE: Thanks! I don"t want you to think all my questions are about taking time off!I also wanted to ask about one of the responsibilities for the job you mentioned before, about presenting projections to senior management. Are those projections made in writing or would I have to make a presentationg I get nervous when I have to make any sort of a speech. SAMANTHA: I"d say about once every couple of months you"d have to prepare a summary and submit it to senior management. Sometimes they call for a meeting; in that case you"d be making a presentation. CORRINE: ^ust one more question: How many personal days are thereg SAMANTHA: Employees are eligible for two personal days a year, but must work at least six months before they can take one. CORRINE: Thanks. I don"t have any more questions.

Based on the questions Corrine asked, if you were Samantha, would you still feel Corrine is a good choice for the job? _____ Yes. _____ No. _____ Possibly. Explain your answer. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

Confirmation The confirmation stage, representing about ` percent of the interview, offers the interviewer an opportunity to verify what has been learned thus far about the applicant or employee. Sometimes, too, interviewers learn something new during this stage. That"s what happened when Douglas handed in his resignation from his job as a training specialist after two years. He told his manager, ^ean, that he was leaving for a better job. During Douglas" exit interview Joel, the director of human resources, wanted to confirm why Douglas was leaving. Douglas repeated what he had told his manager: He wanted to pursue a better job opportunity. Then he shifted uneasily in his chair and continued, #But it"s not that so much as... well, I just don"t think I"d ever be allowed to grow here.$ Joel leaned toward Douglas and said, #Please explain what you mean.$ Douglas replied, #I"ve been here for two years. All I do is design course content and line up outside consultants to conduct our training © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

INTERVIEWING BASIC

27

workshops. I want to actually conduct a workshop once in awhile. Every time I mention this to Jean she tells me I"m not ready. Well, I disagree. I am ready and that"s why I"m leaving. And by the way, I"m not the only one who feels this way.$ If Joel had not confirmed Douglas" reason for leaving he would never have uncovered the problem between Douglas and his manager. Perhaps other training specialists had similar concerns. ^oel now had valuable information that could help him find out.

Closing Closing is the last stage, representing approximately ` percent of the interview. At this point you can ensure coverage of all relevant areas and tell the interviewee what happens next. To help you determine whether it is time to end an interview, ask yourself eight key questions: Did I establish rapport at the beginning, to put the interviewee at easeg Did I identify the format of the interview, thereby alerting the interviewee to our key areas of focusg Did I begin with a question that pertained to a subject familiar to the intervieweeg Was that question broad enough to generate additional questionsg Did I ask enough of the right kinds of questionsg Did I provide enough information, in terms of what the interviewee needed and wanted to knowg Did I answer questions clearly and completelyg Did I confirm what I learned during the interviewg If your answer to any of these questions is #no,$ do not end the interview. Instead, revisit areas that were not adequately covered or addressed. Don"t worry about how the interviewee will react; it"s better to be thorough. For example, consider how Samantha handled going back during her interview with Corrine. As she drew the interview to a close, Samantha went over her checklist of eight questions. When she got to the one about asking enough of the right kind of questions, Samantha realized that she had never asked Corrine why she had decided to become an accountant in the first place. She then said, #Corrine, I just need to back up for a moment and ask you what made you decide to become an accountant?$ Corrine replied, #I sort of fell into it. I was in my second year of college and didn"t know what I wanted to major in. This guy I was dating was an accounting major so I thought I"d give it a try. Turned out I was pretty good at it, so accounting became my major.$ Before closing the interview, tell the interviewee what happens next. For example, tell a job applicant when he or she may expect to hear from you, whether it is likely that there will be additional interviews, and what to do if he or she has additional questions. Let"s see how Samantha closed her interview with Corrine: SAMANTHA: Corrine, as I"m sure you can imagine, there were a number of applicants interested in this job. Consequently, I"ll be conducting interviews for the next two weeks or so. After that time I"ll contact everyone by mail, either to inform them that there will be an additional interview with the department head, or to let them know that they were not © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

CORRINE:

selected. If you have additional questions between now and the time you hear from me, please don"t hesitate to call. Here"s my card. Thank you. I"ll look forward to hearing from you.

I!(09+#-+4)!1+5#6’ve read, what is the value to you and your organization of making sure you cover all the relevant areas when conducting an interview? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ What is the value to your applicant? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

Effective interviewing skills can make any work environment a more productive place in which to work. While there are many types of interviews that typically occur in a business setting dscreening, campus, employment, referencecheck, coaching, counseling, grievance, disciplinary, performance-evaluation, changein-status, termination, and exite, and each has its own specific objective, all interviews share one common goal: to acquire information as it relates to a specific end, and then to use that information in making a decision. Successful interviews begin with some important preparatory steps. After reviewing relevant paperwork, blocking sufficient time, planning an appropriate environment, and planning a handful of basic questions, you can proceed to the five stages of the actual interview. Begin by establishing rapport with some icebreakers, followed by establishing the format of the interview. Then ask some introductory questions about topics familiar to the interviewee. The core of the interview consists of asking enough of the right questions, providing information, and answering questions. Wind down with the confirmation stage to verify what you learned, and finally close by telling the person what happens next. By following these interview basics, you will lay the foundation for effective interviewing and can progress to the next stage!legal concerns!with confidence.

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INTERVIEWING BASIC

INSTRUCTIONS: 7ere "s the /"rst set o/ re'"e( 5uest"ons "n th"s ,ourse. Qns(er"n) the 5uest"ons /o00o("n) ea,h ,hapter ("00 )"'e Gou a ,han,e to ,he,k Gour ,o=prehens"on o/ the ,on,epts as theG are presented and ("00 re"n/or,e Gour understand"n) o/ the=. Qs Gou ,an see Me0o(: the ans(er to ea,h nu=Mered 5uest"on "s pr"nted to the s"de o/ the 5uest"on. Ie/ore Me)"nn"n): Gou shou0d ,on,ea0 the ans(er "n so=e (aG: e"ther MG /o0d"n) the pa)e 'ert",a00G or MG p0a,"n) a sheet o/ paper o'er the ans(ers. Then read and ans(er ea,h 5uest"on. 8o=pare Gour ans(ers ("th those )"'en. Kor anG 5uest"on Gou ans(er "n,orre,t0G: =ake an e//ort to understand (hG the ans(er )"'en "s the ,orre,t one. Rou =aG /"nd "t he0p/u0 to turn Ma,k to the appropr"ate se,t"on o/ the ,hapter and re'"e( the =ater"a0 o/ (h",h Gou (ere unsure. Ie sure Gou understand a00 the re'"e( 5uest"ons Me/ore )o"n) on to the nePt ,hapter. 1. The stage of an interview that requires the greatest percentage of time and focus is called the: dae closing stage dbe core stage dce confirmation stage dde rapport-building stage

1. dbe

2. Two common errors made during the introductory stage of applicant-related and some employee interviews are: dae talking about the weather and the interviewee"s commute dbe making small talk and reading the interviewee"s paperwork back to them dce saying, #Tell me about yourself and #I didn"t get a change to read your file$ dde asking the interviewee whether he or she understands the purpose of the interview and saying, #Tell me about yourself

2. dce

3. The three most important ingredients for an appropriate interview environment are: dae privacy, minimal distractions, and comfort dbe coffee, comfort, and distractions to see how the applicant handles stress dce privacy, comfort, and coffee dde comfort, minimal distractions, and witnesses

3. dae

Do you have questions? Comments? Need clarification? Call Educational Services at 1-800-225-3215, ext. 600 or email at [email protected]. © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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4. An important primary objective shared by counseling and disciplinary interviews is to: dae address specific work-performance problems dae develop sufficient documentation to warrant termination dbe arrange for a transfer or demotion dce refer the employee for professional help 5. Successful interviews begin with: dae reviewing relevant paperwork, icebreakers, establishing the format, and telling the interviewee approximately how long the interview is expected to last dbe reviewing relevant paperwork, blocking sufficient time, planning an appropriate environment, and planning a handful of basic questions dce blocking sufficient time, planning an appropriate environment, icebreakers, and establishing the format dde planning an appropriate environment, planning a handful of basic questions, blocking sufficient time, and answering questions

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4. dae

`. dbe

S

Legal Concerns

Learning Objectives By the end of this chapter, you should be able to: Define five pieces of key federal legislation. Apply effective guidelines to conducting legal interviews. Cite examples of both effective and ineffective interview documentation.

INTRODUCTION If you"re not an HR practitioner or an attorney, you may be tempted to skip this chapter. Many who do not specialize in human resources erroneously assume that they are not responsible for legal matters. That may be the case when it comes to some aspects of the law as it relates to business, but not with regard to equal employment opportunity dEEOe legislation. In fact, since EEO impacts every aspect of a person"s relationship with an organization, anyone who has anything whatsoever to with any aspect of employeremployee relations must have a basic knowledge and understanding of EEO laws. Areas that are impacted include recruiting, interviewing, hiring, orientation, performance evaluations, salary reviews and increases, internal job changes, grievances, disciplinary matters, and termination. The types of interviews that are effected by EEO laws include screening, campus, employment, Information contained in this section is not intended to represent legal advice and is current as of this writing.

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

reference-check, coaching, counseling, grievance, disciplinary, performanceevaluation, change-in-status, termination, and exit. Basically, then, every interview you conduct in a business setting requires EEO compliance. When Samantha Allenby embarked on her day of interviews dChapter 1e, she knew that her grievance, employment, disciplinary, and reference interviews all required EEO compliance. She also knew that unintentional violations caused by ignorance of the law were not excusable. For example, when she interviewed Corrine ^acoby for the accounting opening, Corrine volunteered that she and her family were planning a vacation to Disney World. If Samantha had proceeded to ask questions about her family, such as how many children she had, she would have violated certain federal EEO laws. However, by becoming familiar with key EEO laws, applying effective guidelines to conducting legal interviews, knowing which interview questions to avoid, and carefully documenting her interviews, Samantha could feel assured that she complied fully with relevant legislation when conducting her interviews.

KEY FEDERAL LEGISLATION Generally speaking, EEO laws exist to ensure all individuals the right to compete for all work opportunities without bias because of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability. There are nearly 3$ such federal laws, dealing with various aspects of discrimination, pay and benefits, and employment rights. dIn some instances, state and local laws may differ from federal legislation and should also be considered.e In this course we examine five of these laws dExhibit 2I1e, representing critical areas of EEO legislation as they pertain to interviewing. You are urged to consult with counsel in all equal employment matters. Copies of the laws described herein may be obtained from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission dEEOCe, U.S. Department of Labor, 18$1 L Street, Northwest, Washington, DC 2$`$7 d2$2b663-49$$e.

Civil Rights Act of 1964 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is probably the best-known piece of civil rights legislation and the most widely used, because it protects several classes of people and pertains to many employment situations. Title VII of this act makes it unlawful for covered employers to discriminate against any applicant or employee in any employment-related matter, including hiring, firing, compensation, or any other term, condition, or privilege of employment, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. In addition, Title VII prohibits employers from depriving an individual of employment opportunities or adversely affecting an individual"s employment status. There is one primary exception to Title VII protection: An employer may make an employment-related decision on the basis of sex, national origin, or © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

Summary of Selected Federal EEO Laws

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Covers hiring, firing, compensation, or any other terms, conditions, or privileges of employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Prohibits limiting, segregating, or classifying in any way that would deprive an individual of employment opportunities. BFOQ exceptions may be made in rare instances on the basis of gender, national origin, or religion. Individuals may attempt to prove discrimination on the basis of disparate treatment or disparate impact. Includes guidelines on two types of sexual harassment: quid pro quo and hostile environment. Covers all employers with 15 or more employees.

Equal Pay Act of 1963

Requires equal pay for men and women performing substantially equal work under similar working conditions Unequal pay for equal work may be permitted initially in certain instances. Comparable worth compares different job categories: those held predominantly by women with those occupied predominantly by men. Covers all employers.

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967

Prohibits covered employers from discriminating against any individual aged 40 or older on the basis of age in all employment-related matters. Prohibits discrimination against one person in the protected age group by hiring or promoting another person who is younger, although still within the protected age group. Exemption: bona fide executives or high-level policy makers who may be retired as early as age 65. Covers all employers with 20 or more employees.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

Prohibits discrimination against any qualified individual with a disabilit5+?0"!6(0+#/+1)!1+%02(#-’(+9'sability. Disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substan1'!&&5+&'$'1(+!-+'-9'3'96!&’s major life activities. The definition also encompasses the history of an impairment, the perception of having an impairment, and an association with people who fit with one of the three previous categories. D$%Ƕ(+!20+20J6'209+1#+$!.0+!+E20!(#-!?&0+!""#$$#9!1'#-H for 1)#(0+!%%&'"!-1(+#2+0$%Ǵ(+!?&0+1#+%02/#2$+1)0+E0((0-1'!&H+ functions of the job with reasonable proficiency. Covers all employers with 15 or more employees. Exhibit continued on next page

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continued from previous page. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

Exempt: the federal government, government-owned corporations, Native American tribes, and bona fide tax-exempt private membership clubs. Religious organizations are permitted to give preference to the employment of their own members.

Civil Rights Act of 1991

Places a greater burden of proof on employers for disparate impact. Makes it illegal for employers to use race, color, religion, sex, or national origi-+!(+!+E$#1'3!1'-A+/!"1#2H+/#2+!-+!9302(0+0$%$0-1+ decision. Bans test-score norming. D810-9(+"#302!A0+1#+@*<*+"'1'=0-(+0$%ǽ+!1+!+@*<*+"#$%!-5’(+/#reign site. Permits jury trials. Permits awards of compensatory and punitive damages cases of intentional discrimination. Covers all employers with 15 or more employees.

religion in rare instances where such factors constitute a bona fide occupational qualification dBFONe. BFON-based decisions are difficult to defend. In cases of sex, employers must prove that the excluded gender could not perform the relevant work because of the nature of the work. For instance, a hotel could argue that hiring a male attendant to work in a women"s bathroom would be inappropriate. The exception for national origin and religion must meet the burden of showing that the exclusion is essential to the job. A religious organization could, for example, raise a BFON defense in showing a preference for hiring employees who are members of that religion. A BFON defense based on customer preference is almost always unsuccessfula race and color are never BFONs. The most valid BFON defense is safety.

Can you think of any job in your organization where sex, national origin, or religion is a BFOQ? _____ Yes ______ No If yes, what is it about the job that makes sex, national origin, or religion a BFOQ? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

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Individuals may claim discrimination under Title VII by showing disparate treatment or disparate impact. Disparate treatment cases involve individuals treated differently based on their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. In such instances, the plaintiff only needs to establish a prima facie case of discriminationa that is, to show that he or she is a member of a protected class, applied for and was qualified for a given position, was denied the job, and that the employer proceeded to hire someone else. In disparate treatment cases, the rule or policy complained about is neutrala the application of the rule or policy, however, results in a disproportionately high impact on members of a protected class. For example, suppose an organization relies heavily on employee referrals to fill openings. That policy is, on the surface, neutral. However, if the employees are predominately white males, and most of the referrals are also white males, the policy results in a disproportionately high impact on women and nonwhite males. The EEOC"s guidelines on sexual harassment have become an important part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Sexual harassment is defined as #unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other unwanted verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is made a term and condition of employment, or used as the basis for making employment decisionsa or which creates a hostile, intimidating or otherwise offensive work environment.$ There are two types of sexual harassment. Nuid pro quo harassment involves rewards or threats: Sex is made a condition of employment. Hostile environment harassment involves regular and repeated offensive conduct that interferes with an employee"s ability to work. Examples of hostile environment conduct include offensive jokes, vulgar language or gestures, sexual slurs and innuendoes, suggestive comments, unwanted physical contact, leering stalking, sexual pictures, and graffiti. Men or women may be victims of sexual harassmenta consequently members of both sexes may sue for violation of Title VII. The EEOC guidelines state that employers are absolutely liable for acts of sexual harassment if they are committed by a supervisor or managera if the acts are committed by rank-and-file employees or nonemployees, such as customers or vendors, employers are liable only if they know or should have known about the situation and failed to take action. Corporate officials, supervisors and managers, HR professionals, individuals who falsely claim sexual harassment, and other employees who spread unproved allegations or gossip may face personal liability. If your company learns of or becomes aware of an act of sexual harassment it must take action. Immediately conduct an investigation, sharing the facts of the case with only those who truly need the information. Gather relevant information by conducting personal interviews with both the accuser and the accused. Document all aspects of the investigation, reach a conclusion, take appropriate action, and conduct follow-up interviews to ensure that the victim"s grievance has been dealt with effectively and satisfactorily, and that the offensive behavior has stopped.

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

What would you do if an employee confided that her supervisor brushed against her every time he passed by her desk?

Describe the difference between sending a colleague a gift of flowers for a special occasion and sending flowers daily, even after the recipient has asked the sender to stop.

Equal Pay Act of 1963 The Equal Pay Act of 1963 requires equal pay for men and women performing substantially equal work. The work must be of comparable skill, effort, and responsibility and be performed under similar working conditions. Coverage applies to all aspects of the employment process, including starting salaries, annual increases, and promotions. This law protects women only. Others who feel they are being discriminated against in matters of pay may claim violation of Title VII. Unequal pay for equal work is permitted in certain instances, as, for example, when wage differences are based on superior educational credentials or extensive prior experience. However, this pay difference should diminish and ultimately disappear after a number of years on the job.

Do you know of two people performing substantially equal work who are receiving unequal pay? _____ Yes _____ No Does the person earning more money have superior educational credentials or extensive prior experience? _____ Yes _____ No How long has this pay difference prevailed? _____ What, if anything, should the organization do about the situation?

© American Management Association. All rights reserved.

LEGAL CONCERNS

37

An important issue related to equal pay is comparable worth. Several states have implemented programs for comparable worth pay whereby employers are required to compare completely different job categories. Those held predominately by women de.g., nursing and secretariale must be compared with those occupied predominately by men de.g., truck driving and warehouse worke. Point systems determine the level of skill involved in the job, as well as the economic value of each position. If the female-dominated jobs are deemed comparable, pay adjustments are made to reduce the difference in wages. The important distinction between comparable worth and equal pay is that in order to claim violation of the Equal Pay Act identical job classifications must be compared. Suppose Samantha Allenby hired Corrine ^acoby for the accounting position. Once Corrine begins work she discovers that she is not receiving a rate of pay equal to that of her male counterpart, an accountant performing substantially equal work. She may have sufficient cause to claim violation of the Equal Pay Act. On the other hand, comparable worth compares different job categories. For example, if a secretary believes that her work is of comparable worth to that of a male custodian working for the same employer, she might sue on the basis of sex discrimination. Since there is presently no federal law that deals specifically with comparable worth, she would sue for violation of Title VII. Companies are urged to voluntarily assess their hiring practices and work toward minimizing designated female or male categories.

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 The federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 dADEAe prohibits covered employers from discriminating against any individual aged 4$ or older on the basis of age in all employment-related matters, including hiring, pay, benefits, continued employment, the administration of disciplinary action, and termination. The ADEA also prohibits discrimination against one person in the protected age group by hiring or promoting another person who is younger, although still within the protected age group. The ADEA contains an exemption for bona fide executives or high-level policy makers who may be retired as early as age 6`, if they have been employed at that level for the preceding two years and meet certain criteria, including exercising discretionary powers on a regular basisa the authority to hire, promote, and terminate employeesa and a primary duty to manage an entire organization, department, or subdivision. dContact the EEOC for detailed guidelines.e To avoid age discrimination suits, use age-neutral language in all publications and job ads, refrain from requiring applicants to provide their age, date of birth or dates of graduation, and ask only age-neutral questions. In addition, do not deny older workers training, promotional, or transfer opportunities, and make certain that poor work performance, supported by comprehensive written performance appraisals and documentation or other © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

#good cause$!and not age!is the basis for all disciplinary action, including termination.

Consider this scenario: You reject Margaret for a job, not knowing her age (61). You hire Jason who, it turns out, is 45 (that information is legitimately acquired after Jason has been hired, as part of the benefits process). Margaret was qualified for the job; you felt, however, that Jason bet102+ $01+ 1)0+ "#$%!-5’(+ -009(,+ #302!&&*+ K!-+ L!2A!201+ (60+ /#2+ !A0+ 9'("2'$'-!1'#-G+ _____ Yes _____ No Does she have a legitimate claim? _____ Yes _____ No What do you think is likely to happen if Margaret sues?

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 The Americans with Disabilities Act of 199$ dADAe prohibits discrimination against any qualified individual with a disability because of that person"s disability. Coverage includes job application procedures, hiring, promotion, transfer, discharge, layoff, training, compensation, and fringe benefits. In addition, the law requires every kind of establishment to be accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities. Under the ADA, the term d"saM"0"tG is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits an individual"s major life activities. The definition also encompasses the history of an impairment, the perception of having an impairment, and an association with people who fit with one of the three previous categories de.g., if an individual"s spouse has a disabilitye. Examples of disabilities that are covered include impaired sight and hearinga muscular conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophya diseases like cancer, AIDS, diabetes, and epilepsya cosmetic disfigurementsa emotional disturbancesa stutteringa smoke sensitivitya tensiona and depression. In fact, over 1,$$$ impairments are covered by this act. Current users of illegal drugs or alcohol are not protected by the ADA. Also people with contagious diseases or those posing a direct threat to the health or safety of others are not covered by this act. In addition, the ADA specifically excludes homosexuals, bisexuals, transvestites, transsexuals, individuals with sexual behavior disorders, compulsive gamblers, kleptomaniacs, and pyromaniacs. Under the ADA, employers are required to make a reasonable accommodation for those applicants or employees able to perform the essential functions of the job with reasonable proficiency. Reasonable accommodation includes job restructuring, allowing part-time or modified work schedules,

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LEGAL CONCERNS

39

reassignments, hiring additional workers to aid employees with disabilities in the performance of their jobs, and installing new equipment or modifying existing equipment. An accommodation is considered unreasonable only in those instances where undue physical or financial hardship is placed on the employer. Such hardship is determined according to the overall size of an organization in relation to the size of its workforce, its budget, and the nature and cost of the required accommodation. Fssent"a0 /un,t"ons are loosely defined as tasks that are #fundamental and not marginal.$ Employers are encouraged to conduct a detailed review of each job to determine just which functions are essential. This should include an assessment of the amount of time devoted to each task.

Have you ever worked with someone who had a disability? _____ Yes _____ No What was the nature of the disability? Did you and others feel uneasy around this person? _____ Yes _____ No If so, why?

Do you think the person with the disability felt uncomfortable? _____ Yes _____ No What, if anything, could you have done to make the person with the disability feel more comfortable?

Civil Rights Act of 1991 The Civil Rights Act of 1991 basically fine-tunes Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Specifically, it places a greater burden of proof on employers for disparate impact. This means that an employer must demonstrate that the challenged practice is #job related for the position in question and consistent with business necessity.$ The Civil Rights Act of 1991 also makes it illegal for employers to use race, color, sex, religion, or national origin as a #motivating factor$ for an adverse employment decision, even though other factors also motivated the decision. In addition, it bans test-score #norming$; that is, © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

employers cannot inflate test scores of protected group members to bring them into line with nonprotected group members. Also, coverage is extended to U.S. citizens employed at a U.S. company"s foreign site, jury trials are permitted, and awards of compensatory and punitive damages are permitted in cases of intentional discrimination.

Do you think the Civil Rights Act of 1991 is fair to employers and employees alike? _____ Yes _____ No Why or why not?

Let"s look at these five federal EEO laws in terms of the types of interviews they may impact dExhibit 2I2e. Corrine"s employment interview conducted by Samantha in Chapter 1 is covered by the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1991. Let"s imagine that during the interview Corrine volunteers that she may require some accommodation to aid her in her work, since she suffers from impaired sight, which developed recently, around the time she turned 4$. If Corrine is rejected for the job and feels that the reason is related to her disability andbor her age, both the Americans with Disabilities Act of 199$ and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 could come into play. Suppose Samantha conducts reference-check interviews with two former employers and one of them volunteers that Corrine tends to take too much personal time to be with her kids. If Samantha used that information, even in part, as the basis for her decision not to hire Corrine, the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1991 would become relevant. Now let"s assume that Corrine is hired. Based on her current salary, she is offered a starting salary that is at the low end of the range for her new job!a salary that is less than that of a male accountant with similar credentials and work experience. Corrine could turn to the Equal Pay Act of 1963 for support. After working for a year or so, Corrine files a grievance against her supervisor, alleging sexual harassment. That brings her protection under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Now Corrine decides to post for an internal job in another department. The prospective department head notes that Corrine falls short of qualifying in a number of areas and suggests she take certain courses at a local university. He adds that these courses are in the evening and asks Corrine if she would need to arrange for a babysitter to care for her kids © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

Selected Federal EEO Laws and the Types of Interviews They Impact

EEO LAW

TYPES OF INTERVIEWS IMPACTED

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Screening Campus Employment Reference-check Coaching Counseling Grievance Disciplinary Performance-evaluation Change-in-status Termination Exit

Equal Pay Act of 1963

Screening Campus Employment Grievance Performance-evaluation Change-in-status

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967

Screening Campus Employment Reference-check Coaching Counseling Grievance Disciplinary Performance-evaluation Change-in-status Termination

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

Screening Campus Employment Reference-check Coaching Counseling Grievance Disciplinary Performance-evaluation Change-in-status Termination Exit Exhibit continued on next page.

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continued from previous page. EEO LAW Civil Rights Act of 1991

TYPES OF INTERVIEWS IMPACTED Screening Campus Employment Reference-check Coaching Counseling Grievance Disciplinary Performance-evaluation Change-in-status Termination Exit

while she attends. He also jokes, #I"m not sure going to school at this point in your life is going to helpa you know what they say about teaching an old dog new tricks. Besides, with your eyes as bad as they are, are you sure you want to take on a job that requires such attention to detailg$ Within a matter of minutes, this department head placed the company in serious jeopardy of being sued for discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 199$.

CONDUCTING LEGAL INTERVIEWS In general, the categories to steer clear of during any type of interview relate to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, and disability. Some questions, however, have traditionally been considered acceptable during an interview, and interviewers may not realize that they are discriminatory in nature. Asking such questions is not, in and of itself, illegal. Rather, once the information is ascertained, you may be charged with illegal use of it. For example, asking Corrine if she has children is not illegal. However, if she is not hired because she answers affirmatively and, consequently, you anticipate excessive absenteeism, a charge of discrimination may result. Bear in mind that just because you do not directly ask a person!either via the application form or verbally!for specific information, she may offer it. If this occurs, you are equally liable if a question of illegal use arises. Suppose you inform an applicant that the available position requires travel. You then ask if she foresees any problem in leaving for a business trip with very little advance notice. She responds, #Oh, that will be no problem at all. My mother has been babysitting for my three kids ever since my divorce last year.$ The applicant has just volunteered information regarding two categories

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LEGAL CONCERNS

43

that are not job-related: children and marital status. If she is rejected, she might claim discrimination on the basis of this information, even though you did not solicit it. Should a candidate provide information that you should not have, make certain of three things: First, do not, under any circumstances, write it downa second, do not pursue the subject with the applicanta and third, tell the applicant that the information is not job-related and that you want to return to discussing her qualifications in relation to the job opening.

Has an applicant or employee ever volunteered information during an interview that you would not )!30+!(.09+/#2+?0"!6(0+5#6+.-04+'1+4!(+E'&&0A!&HG _____ Yes _____ No What did you say or do?

Knowing that not directly asking a person for specific information does not negate liability if it is offered, what would you do differently?

Exhibit 2I3 identifies common categories and questions to avoid during interviews, both verbally and, in the case of an employment interview, via the application form. Related recommended questions are also shown. While most of the questions identified in Exhibit 2I3 typically come up during hiring-related interviews dscreening, campus, employment, and reference-check interviewse, remember that EEO laws apply during all interview situations. Let"s return to ^ordan Saunders" experience of 12 different interviews during a period of 18 months with one company dChapter 1e. There are numerous potential legal pitfalls during every one of these interviews, which could impact various categories of discrimination. Suppose during the campus interview a recruiter asks, #We need to know if you"re available to work any five out of seven days each week. Do you have any religious objections to working on weekendsg$ dpotential religious discriminatione. Then, as © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

Interview Questions

A great deal of information that should not be acquired during an interview may be requested for benefits purposes. As discussed in the text, a BFOQ defense based on gender, national origin, or religion may be raised in rare instances. SUBJECT

QUESTIONS NOT RECOMMENDED

RECOMMENDED QUESTIONS

Name

What is your maiden name? Have you ever used any other name? Have you ever worked under another name? Have you ever changed your name?

Have you ever worked for this company under a different name? Is additional information relative to a change in name, use of an assumed name, or nickname necessary for us to check your work record? If yes, please explain.

Address

Do you own or rent your home? How long have you lived at this address?

What is your address? Where do you live?

Age

How old are you? What is your date of birth? Are you between 18 and 24, 25 and 34, etc.?

Are you above the minimum working age of _____ ?

Appearance

How tall are you? How much do you weigh? What is the color of your eyes and hair?

None

Citizenship and National Origin

Of what country are you a citizen? Where were you born? Where were your parents born? Are you a naturalized or a native-born citizen? What is your nationality? What kind of name is _____ ?

Are you a citizen of the United States? If you are not a U.S. citizen, do you have the legal right to remain permanently in the United States?

Marital Status

What is your current marital status? Have you ever been married? Divorced? Do you wish to be addressed as Mrs., Miss, or Ms.?

None

Children

Do you have any children? How many children do you have? What child-care arrangements have you made? Do you intend to have children? When do you plan to have children? If you have children, will you return to work?

None

Exhibit continued on next page.

continued from previous page.

SUBJECT

QUESTIONS NOT RECOMMENDED

RECOMMENDED QUESTIONS

Police Records

Have you ever been arrested?

Have you ever been convicted of a crime, felony, or crime greater than a misdemeanor? Please explain. (Note: Individuals may not be denied employment because of a conviction record unless there is a direct correlation between the offense and the job, or unless hiring would constitute an unreasonable risk (Correction Law Article 22-A Sec. 754).

Religion

What is your religious background? What religious holidays do you observe? Is there anything in your religious beliefs that would prevent you from working the required schedule?

None

Disabilities

Do you have any disabilities? Have you ever been treated for any of the following (list of diseases and illnesses)? Do you now have, or have you ever had, a drug or alcohol addiction? Do you have physical, mental, or medical impediments that would interfere with your ability to perform the job for which you are applying? Are there any positions or duties for which you should not be considered because of existing physical, mental, or medical disabilities?

Can you perform the tasks required to carry out the job for which you have applied with or without accommodation?

Photo-graphs

Any question requiring that a photo be supplied before hire.

None

Languages

What is your native language? How did you learn to speak _____ ?

What is the degree of fluency with which you speak/write any language, including English? (Ask only if job-related.)

Military Experience

Have you ever served in the armed forces of any country? What kind of discharge did you receive?

What is your military experience in the Armed Forces of the United States?

Organizations

What clubs, organizations, or associations do you belong to?

What clubs, organizations, or associations, relative to the position for which you are applying, do you belong to? Exhibit continued on next page.

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continued from previous page. SUBJECT

QUESTIONS NOT RECOMMENDED

RECOMMENDED QUESTIONS

References

A requirement that a reference be supplied by a particular kind of person, such as a religious leader.

Please provide the names, titles, addresses, and phone numbers of business references who are not related to you, other than your present or former employers.

Finances

Do you have any overdue bills?

None

Education

Are you a high school or college graduate? When did you attend high school or college?

M60(1'#-(+!?#61+1)0+!%%&'"!-1’(+!"!90$'", vocational, or professional education, including the names and locations of the schools, the number of years completed, honors, diplomas, and degrees received, and the major courses of study, if jobrelated.

Experience

Any question regarding experience unrelated to the job.

Any questions regarding relevant work experience.

part of the screening process back at the office, ^ordan is asked to complete an application that includes the question, #Are there any positions or duties for which you should not be considered because of existing physical, mental, or medical disabilitiesg$ dpotential disability discriminatione. During the indepth employment interview, one of ^ordan"s interviewers expresses surprise, remarking that she somehow expected him to look different dpotential race, color, or national origin discriminatione. When conducting reference-check interviews with the local office where ^ordan works part-time, the interviewer asks, #When ^ordan worked for you did he ever mention whether he felt he was earning enough moneyg I"m trying to determine what his monetary needs are and whether he"s got a stack of overdue bills to pay off.$ dpotential race or color discriminatione. Once hired, ^ordan"s manager periodically conducts coaching interviews, during which he reviews what is expected of ^ordan, highlighting his accomplishments and offering assistance. During one of these interviews his manager remarks, #You"re doing a fine job, so far. In fact, you"re doing so well that I"m considering you for a very special assignment at our new overseas site. We"re having some technical problems that I"m sure you"ll be able to iron out in a matter of weeks. You"ll probably fit right in, culture-wisea I always figured, based on your accent, that you were from that part of the world. Am I rightg$ dpotential national original discriminatione. When ^ordan"s train schedule changes, causing him to consistently arrive 3$ minutes later than usual for work each day, his manager conducts a counseling interview. He asks ^ordan to explore alternative means of transportation and then © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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adds, #You might also consider moving closer to worka I"m assuming you rent and don"t own your home, rightg$ dpotential race or color discriminatione. When ^ordan continues to arrive late for work he is formally warned and then written up. During his disciplinary interview, his manager remarks, #You really don"t leave me any choice but to write you up. If you could just give me a good reason for being late all the time. You"re not taking drugs or drinking, or anything like that, are youg I mean, I can"t believe you just won"t take an earlier train each day!$ dpotential disability discriminatione. When ^ordan"s performance evaluation interview rolls around, his manager works with him on specific, measurable goals. He also again chastises ^ordan for being habitually late, commenting that he would expect lateness from a woman, but not a guy dsex discriminatione. ^ordan becomes increasingly unhappy and applies for a job offering more pay with greater responsibilities in another division. During his change-in-status interview, he is told that he lacks some required skills and is rejected. His interviewer attempts to be helpful and adds, #Perhaps you could approach someone in human resources and ask if we could overlook some of the skills you lack as part of the company"s affirmative action program.$ dpotential race and color discriminatione. After 18 months on the job, ^ordan is fired. During his exit interview, ^ordan is asked what, if anything, could have occurred to make things turn out differently. Before ^ordan has a chance to reply, the interviewer adds, #You know what I mean!short of changing who you are!$ dpotential race, color, religion, and national origin discriminatione.

What are some questions that you have traditionally asked applicants or employees that you will no longer pose?

What questions will you ask instead?

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

Every one of these legal pitfalls could easily have been avoided. The questions and comments that may have lead to charges of discrimination could have been omitted or revised to comply with EEO laws without adversely impacting the outcome of the interview. If the campus recruiter wanted to know whether ^ordan was available to work any five out of seven days each week, all she had to do was ask, #Would you be able to work a flexible schedule that could require working on any five out of seven days each weekg$ The application form ^ordan completed should not have contained the question, #Are there any positions or duties for which you should not be considered because of existing physical, mental, or medical disabilitiesg$ Instead, a question regarding disabilities could have legally been worded, #Can you perform the tasks required to carry out the job for which you have applied with or without accommodationg$ During the in-depth employment interview absolutely no reference whatsoever should have been made to physical appearance. When conducting the reference-check interview, no mention should have been made concerning financesa nor should the coaching interview have touched on ^ordan"s national origin. Likewise, during ^ordan"s counseling interview, his manager should not have made any reference to where ^ordan lives. #Fishing$ for drug- or alcohol-related reasons for coming in late during the disciplinary interview is also completely inappropriate, as is the comment regarding gender differences when it comes to punctuality. While the manager probably meant well when he suggested ^ordan turn to the company"s affirmative action program for special assistance, the comment would more than likely be considered gratuitous and possibly discriminatory. Finally, during the exit interview, the interviewer"s comment about #changing who you are$ was loaded with possible illegalities and should have been omitted.

Preventing Discrimination Charges

Typically, employers spend more than j1$$,$$$ just to go to court to defend themselves against charges of employment discrimination. Even if you win, you are not likely to recover any of that money. Also, there are lost time, productivity, employee morale, and customer perception to consider. It doesn"t take much for a lawsuit to get started. In matters concerning employment, as stated earlier, complaintants must only establish a prima facie case!that is, show that a job existed, that they are members of a protected group, that they are qualified for the job, that they were rejected in spite of those qualifications, and that the employer continued to look for others to fill the job. With litigation so easy to initiate, your goal should be to prevent lawsuits, not win them. While there is no sure-fire way of preventing charges of discrimination, there are guidelines to help minimize the chances. Make certain that every question asked, every statement made, and every decision reached is relevant and job-specific. During campus, screening, employment, and change-in-status interviews, for instance, made certain all questions pertain to education and experience as they relate to the available position. Be sure criteria does not have a greater negative impact on any one group. For example, requiring that all security guards be at least six feet tall dwith © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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the intent that their physical stature will act as a deterrent for would-be assailantse would screen out a disproportionate number of women and men of certain ethnic groups who are not, typically, six feet tall. Apply requirements and policies across-the-board. Suppose you have an opening for a clerk in the mailroom and the position requires lifting heaving packages. Asking a short woman to demonstrate her ability to lift a sample package, but not asking a man to perform the same test, could constitute gender discrimination. Make sure your questions are applied uniformly. For instance, do not ask only women questions regarding availability to work overtime. Focus on making sound hiring decisions that properly match an applicant"s skills, knowledge, and interests with a job"s duties and responsibilities. This should lead to fewer terminations, since firing is the act that triggers many lawsuits. Think like a juror. To avoid actions that generate lawsuits, consider how a juror would interpret your actions. For example, did the employee know what the employer expected of herg Did the employer treat all employees consistently and reasonablyg Treat all employees equally. Most lawsuits alleging any form of discrimination are based on failure to treat employees equally. This includes overt discrimination and other more subtle forms of discrimination, such as stereotyping, patronizing, and favoritism. Note that equal treatment does not mean same treatment. It does mean ensuring that each employee has the same opportunity for consideration as every other employee. Honestly appraise employees. Negative performance appraisals are difficult to write, but they can save you a lot of trouble later. It is hard to justify termination on the basis of poor performance if the employee"s file is filled with glowing reviews. If an employee exhibits performance problems, identify them and together set goals for improvement. Then if you ultimately end up terminating the employee, an unjust termination lawsuit will be difficult to sustain. Take allegations seriously and act promptly. Whether allegations are of sexual harassment or other forms of misconduct or illegal acts, responding quickly and appropriately will often defuse a situation and preclude a lawsuit.

Have you ever worked for an organization that had to defend at least one employment-related lawsuit? _____ Yes _____ No What was the nature of the lawsuit (race, national origin, age, gender-related salary issues, religion, sexual harassment, etc.)

Think About It . . . continued from next page.

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING continued from previous page.

Were you personally involved with the defense? _____ Yes _____ No How long did the matter last before it was resolved? _____ What was the end result?

DOCUMENTATION Documentation is a permanent record of your interview and should be written with care. In matters of applicant-related interviews dscreening, campus, employment, and reference-check interviewse, documentation enables the interviewer to assess a particular applicant"s job suitability. After the interview process is completed and all candidates have been seen, the interview notes for each should be placed side by side with the job description. The interviewer may then compare the applicant"s relevant experience, skills, and accomplishments, as documented, with the requirements, duties, and responsibilities of the available opening, as outlined in the job description. Postinterview documentation may also be used to compare the notes on those applicants in the final running. Moreover, these notes will prove useful to the original interviewer as well as others considering rejected applicants for future job openings. During employee-related interviews dcoaching, counseling, grievance, and disciplinary interviewse, documentation serves as an important time line, identifying, by date, the details of specific sessions between an employee and his or her manager andbor human resources. These notes become particularly significant when an employee or union representative disputes certain events that could lead to changes in employment status. In assessment and change-in-status interviews dperformance-evaluation, promotionbtransferbdemotion, termination, and exit interviewse, documentation provides a record of observations that can help employees in future jobs. Notes taken during an exit interview can also help an organization identify problem spots and work toward improving the work environment. Documentation may also be scrutinized as potential evidence in employment discrimination suits. As you write each word, consider whether it may be interpreted to mean anything other than what you intended. For example, suppose you concluded a promotion interview by writing, #Daniel has been with this company for over 3$ years. At this point in the interview process I can"t think of any reason not to recommend him for a promotion.$ What you meant to say was that #In spite of the fact that Daniel has been working here © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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for over 3$ years, the selection process is not yet completea there may be reasons yet unknown for not recommending this employee for promotion, and there may be other candidates who are better qualified.$ However, someone could interpret your statement to mean that you are recommending this person for promotion. Now let"s assume that Daniel is not selected for promotion and claims that the reason is because of his age. After all, you did comment that he has been around for over 3$ years, and the person who was selected is considerably younger. Daniel files an age discrimination suit, claiming that you all but committed the position to him. He points to your interview notes as partial evidence. Your statement about his tenure could hurt you, as could your comment, #I can"t think of any reason not to recommend him for a promotion.$

,)'-.+!?#61+!+1'$0+4)0-+5#6+"#-96"109+!-+'-1023'04+?61+9'9-’1+1!.0+-#10(*+N#4+40&&+4020+5#6+ able to recall the details of that interview one week later? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ How about one month later? _____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ N!(+1)020+0302+?00-+!-+'-(1!-"0+4)0-+5#6+9'9-’1+9#"6$0-1+!-+'-1023'04+!-9+5#62+20"#&&0ction of the interview was contested by the applicant or employee? _____ Yes _____ No What happened? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Has there ever been a time when the meaning of your documentation was challenged? _____ Yes _____ No What happened? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

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What to Avoid Avoiding subjective language, even if complimentary, is an important requirement for effective post interview documentation. Stated another way, all language that is written down should be objective. For example, saying that an applicant is attractive is a subjective statement. On the other hand, writing that #the applicant"s appearance is consistent with the employee image desired by the organization for this position$ would be objective. Objective language generally takes longer to write and requires greater effort. It is clearly much easier to say that someone is attractive than it is to write the objective version of the very same thought. However, the term attra,t"'e may not mean the same thing to everyone as it does to youa hence, it would not be useful to future interviewers reviewing your notes, or even to you if your opinion as to what constitutes attractiveness changes over time. In addition, it could create an issue in an EEO investigation. Here are some additional examples of positive and negative subjective language that should be avoided. Positive Subjective Language Energetic Personable Good sense of humor Ideal candidate Interesting Perfect Good grooming Looks like a model

Negative Subjective Language Abrasive Boring Chip on his shoulder Easily distracted Fidgety Lacks luster Vain Rude

Come up with six additional positive and negative subjective words or phrases that should be avoided in documentation. 1. ___________________________________ 4. ___________________________________ 2. ___________________________________ 5. ___________________________________ 3. ___________________________________ 6. ___________________________________

To contrast, here are some examples of objective language. Coaching interview: #This job requires extensive customer service and follow-up. Since her first day on the job, ^essie has interacted effectively with customers, listening to their complaints and routing these to the appropriate party for further assistance.$ © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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Disciplinary interview: #The hours for this job are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ^ohn acknowledged and accepted these hours at time of hire. Over the past four weeks, ^ohn has arrived late for work on four occasions: May 3, 4$ minutes latea May 1$, 3` minutes latea May 17, `` minutes latea May 24, 6$ minutes late. Each of these dates is a Monday. ^ohn explained that he visits his parents in Albany on weekends and commutes to work on Monday from upstate, causing him to arrive late. He understands that this is unacceptable and that further tardiness will result in disciplinary action.$ Performance-evaluation interview: #Joseph"s job entails working with highly confidential matters. ^oseph has succeeded in maintaining confidentiality in every instance.$ Promotion interview: #This job calls for excellent verbal skills. Emma failed to exhibit sufficient job-specific verbal skills during our 6$-minute interview.$ In addition to avoiding subjective language, interviewers are cautioned against how they record their opinions. Statements such as #I feelO,$ #In my opinionO,$ #It is apparent to me thatO,$ #In my judgmentO,$ #I thinkO,$ #It is my view thatO,$ and #To me it is clear thatO,$ without concrete support, imply that the interviewer has drawn some conclusions, but fail to identify what information these conclusions were based on. Here are some documentation samples that illustrate the ineffectiveness of recording unsubstantiated opinions. These statements become effective when they are enhanced by facts. Unsubstantiated opinion: #I feel Ms. Jenkins would make an excellent manager of product planning.$ Factual statement: !I feel Ms. ^enkins would make an excellent manager of product planning, based on her experience in her present capacity as manager of product planning.$ Unsubstantiated opinion: #In my opinion, Martin does not have what it takes to be promoted to the position of sales representative.$ Factual statement: #In my opinion, based on his lack of sales experience and failure to answer key questions, Martin does not have what it takes to be promoted to the position of sales representative.$ Unsubstantiated opinion: #It is apparent to me that Brendan cannot do this job and should be terminated.$ Factual statement: #It is apparent to me that Brendan cannot do this job in spite of attending three courses and one-on-one training by his mentor for the past six months.$ Unsubstantiated opinion: #It is my view that Mary has a legitimate grievance.$ Factual statement: #It is my view that Mary has a legitimate grievance. Her claim that she was not told at the time of hire that she would be required to make presentations to senior management is correct.$ © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

K#$0+6%+4'1)+14#+!99'1'#-!&+08!$%&0(+#/+9#"6$0-1!1'#-,+/'2(1+'-+!-+E6-(6?(1!-1'!109+#%'-'#-H+/#rmat 6('-A+(6?>0"1'30+&!-A6!A0,+!-9+1)0-+204#2909+!(+!+E/!"16!&+(1!10$0-1,H+6('-A+#?>0"1'30+&!nguage. 1. Unsubstantiated opinion: _____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Factual statement: __________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 2. Unsubstantiated opinion: _____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Factual statement: __________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

Effective Note-Taking Effective and legal note-taking entails referring only to those facts that are relative to the interview. In addition, you may want to record direct quotes made by the applicant. The latter is of particular significance when the interviewee reveals some intangible, nonrecordable quality. For example, imagine being about threequarters of the way through an employment interviewa even though the candidate can clearly handle the duties of the job, you have an uneasy feeling about her attitude toward a number of factors. Since recording that the applicant has a #bad attitude$ would be subjective, you continue to probe until you come across some job-related reason for rejecting her. Among other things, you explore with her the fact that this job requires extensive overtime with little advance notice. Your question to her in this regard might be, #Describe a time in your last job when you were asked to work overtime at the last minutea how did you reactg$ She replies, #I told my boss I didn"t like the idea of being asked at the last minute. I mean, obviously I stayed, but I didn"t like it.$ You might then say, #Are you saying that you have a problem with working overtime, especially on short noticeg$ She might then reply, #Don"t get me wronga I"ll do it!but I would appreciate receiving sufficient advance notice. After all, there is life after work!$ When it is time to write up this interview, you might state, #This job requires extensive overtime with little advance notice. When asked how she felt about this applicant replied, #I"ll do it!but I would appreciate receiving sufficient advance notice. After all,

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there is life after work!$ By writing up your notes in this manner, you have clearly indicated that the applicant has effectively eliminated herself because she finds objectionable one of the requirements of the job!working overtime with little advance notice. The following illustrates the usefulness of referring only those facts relative to the interview and recording direct quotes from the applicant during an employment interview. ^ames is trying to fill the position of secretary to the president of his company. Here are is a partial list of the jobks essential duties and responsibilities: Takes, transcribes, and edits dictation. Dictation may be taken directly, over the phone, or from a machine. Editing of dictation includes research for the completion of correspondence andbor reports involved. Schedules all appointments and meetings for the president. Arranges the president"s travel itinerary, including commuting, reservations, and accommodations. Screens all calls and visitors to the president"s office. Opens, reroutes, and disposes of all correspondence directed to the president. Replies to routine inquiries. Supervises record and filing system of all correspondence and reports in the president"s office, including confidential information. Supervises the work of the president"s clerical staff. Prepares and writes formal minutes of all board of directors meetings, as well as shareholders and executive committee meetings. Prepares various reports required for meetings of the board of directors, shareholders, and executive committee. As ^ames interviews each candidate applying for this position, he refers to the specific job requirements. A partial interview with his first candidate, Pat, might go something like this: ^AMES: PAT:

^AMES: PAT: ^AMES: PAT: ^AMES: PAT: ^AMES:

Please describe the extent of your experience taking dictation over the past three years in your present position as senior secretary. Well, my boss, who is the vice-president of public relations, dictates into a dictaphone about three times a week. Sometimes she dictates directly to me and I take down everything in shorthand and then transcribe it. How much research is involved in order to complete any correspondence andbor reportsg None. I just type exactly what she says. What word processing program do you useg MS Word. What kind of things do you type on a regular basisg The usual: letters, memos, that kind of thing. What kind of things do you type periodicallyg © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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PAT:

^AMES:

Pat: ^ames: Pat: ^ames: Pat: ^ames: Pat:

^ames: Pat:

^AMES:

^ames:

^ames: Pat: ^ames: Pat: ^ames: Pat: ^ames: Pat: ^ames: Pat:

I type a monthly project status report and then a quarterly report that covers our division"s accomplishments over the past three months and the goals for the next quarter. I also type our department"s budget twice a year. What are your responsibilities with regard to meetings, such as board of directors meetingsg I type up reports for distribution. Do you take the minutesg No. The president"s secretary does that. What are your responsibilities with regard to scheduling appointments, meetings, and tripsg Oh, I do all of that. I even arrange international trips, because my boss travels to Europe about a half-dozen times a year. It"s up to me to book her hotel reservations, travel plans, and everything like that. What do you do when someone calls or stops by your office and wants to speak with or see your bossg By now, I pretty much know who she wants to see and who I should turn away. I use my judgment and may tell someone she"s in a meeting and cannot be disturbed. I will also offer my help. Sometimes the person has a question that I can answer. Tell me about a time when someone insisted, saying it was urgent that they see her. That actually happened last Friday morning. I remember because she really was in a meeting!her weekly staff meeting. The VP of human resources said it was an important matter concerning one of her employees. I buzzed her and she came right out. What are your responsibilities with regard to the mailg I open all the mail, including envelopes marked #confidential.$ Then I stamp everything and put the pile on my boss"s desk. She likes to go through everything herself. She"s kind of a control freak, if you know what I mean. Anyway, after she"s gone through everything she attaches notes to everything telling me what to do. What do you mean when you say she"s a control freakg Well, she likes to add her personal touch to most things. Like whatg In addition to sorting through her own mail, she likes to place her own phone calls. She also likes to greet people rather than having me take them in to her. I guess that"s about it. How do you feel about thatg I don"t mind. It"s that much less for me to do! Let"s turn our attention to another aspect of this job. What is the extent of any supervisory responsibility you may haveg I don"t have any. Am I correct in understanding, then, that you do not delegate any work to anyone elseg Right. I do it all myself. © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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Let"s see how this partial interview illustrates the importance of writing down facts as they relate to the duties and requirements of a job. ^ames correlated each question to a particular responsibility listed in the job description. As Pat responded, ^ames might have jotted down the following key words and phrases: Sr. Sec"y.!VP. Dictates dmostly Dictaphonea some directe!3x"s/wk. No research. MS Word. Regular typing: letters, memos. Period. typing: monthly proj. status reporta quarterly report re: division"s accomplishments and goals; department"s budget twice a year. Also types reports for meetingsa no minutes. Schedules appointments, meetings, and trips. Screens visitorsa offers helpa puts through if urgent. Opens/stamps mail, including #confidential$; responds according to directions. Refers to boss as #control freak$ re: mail, calls, greeting peo. O.K. with app.! #...less for me to do!$ No superbdelegation. After Pat leaves, ^ames can review and elaborate on his notes. By once again referring to the position"s requirements, he can determine overall job suitability. The final set of notes, based on this portion of the interview, might read like this: Applicant has worked as secretary to VP of PR for three years. ^ob requires taking, transcribing, and editingbresearching dictation dphone, direct, machinee. App. regularly takes and transcribes dictation by Dictaphone plus some directa no research. Lots of typing: lettersa memosa monthly proj. status reportsa quarterly reports re: division"s accomplishments and goals; department"s budget twice a year. MS Word. ^ob requires preparing reports for meetings: App. types reports for meetings. ^ob requires preparing and writing minutes of meetings. No exper. with minutes. ^ob requires scheduling appointments and meetings plus making travel arrangements. App. schedules appointments, meetings, and trips. ^ob requires screening calls and visitors. App. screens visitorsa offers helpa puts through if urgent. ^ob requires opening, rerouting, and disposing of correspondence. App. opens/stamps mail, including #confidential$; responds according to directions only. © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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Refers to boss as #control freak$ re: mail, calls, greeting peo. O.K. with app. - #d less for me to do!$ ^ob requires supervising and delegating work to clerical staff. App. has no superbdelegation exper. Everything written is a job-related fact, including the quote that reflects an intangible quality important to this position.

Anyone having anything whatsoever to do with any aspect of the employment process must have a basic knowledge and understanding of EEO legislation. Five of the most significant and far-reaching federal laws are the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act o f 1 9 6 7, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 199$, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991. Generally speaking, these laws ensure all individuals the right to compete for all work opportunities without bias because of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability. In addition, they impact the 12 types of interviews covered in this course: screening, campus, employment, reference-check, coaching, counseling, grievance, disciplinary, performance-evaluation, change-in-status, termination, and exit. Since it doesn"t take much for a lawsuit to get started, your goal should be to prevent lawsuits, not win them. Making certain that every question you ask is relevant and applied uniformly, applying requirements and policies across-the-board, treating all employees equally, taking allegations seriously, and thinking like a juror will help you achieve this goal. Effective documentation can also help you prevent lawsuits. In this regard, use objective as opposed to subjective language, avoid recording unsubstantiated opinions, and refer only to those facts that are relative to the interview. By becoming familiar with key EEO legislation, applying effective guidelines to conducting legal interviews, and carefully documenting your interviews, you can feel confident about progressing to the next stage in this course: questioning techniques.

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LEGAL CONCERNS

1. Which of the following acts may constitute hostile environment

1. dbe

2. It"s all right to find out how old a person is when:

2. dae

3. Making a reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities

3. dde

4. Asking a female candidate or employee considering a job change if

4. dce

sexual harassmentg dae telling offensive jokes, sending an employee flowers for her birthday, and using vulgar language dbe using vulgar language, making suggestive comments, and unwanted physical contact dce unwanted physical contact, leering, and commenting on how nice a person"s suit looks dde Leaving sexual photographs out in an open work area, repeatedly asking someone out after they have said, #no$ numerous times, laughing when someone tells a dirty joke dae they have been hired and you need to information for benefits purposes dbe you interview them for a job dce you are considering someone for a promotion dde you are checking references

may entail: dae letting them work whatever schedule suits them dbe letting them take all the sick leave they want dce granting them extra pay dde modifying existing equipment

she is married is a violation of: dae the Americans with Disabilities Act of 199$ dbe the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 dce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 dde the Equal Pay Act of 1963

Do you have questions? Comments? Need clarification? Call Educational Services at 1-800-225-3215, ext. 600 or email at [email protected].

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5. Establishing a prima facie case requires that applicants or employees show: dae a job existed, they are members of a protected group, they were qualified for the job but were rejected in spite of those qualifications, and the employer continued to look for others to fill the job dbe a job existed, they are members of a protected group, they were not necessarily qualified but that"s irrelevant since they are members of a protected group, and they were rejected dce they are members of a protected group, they were rejected in spite of being qualified, and they brought charges of discrimination against the company within 3$ days dde they are members of a protected group, they were qualified for the job, they were rejected in spite of their qualifications, and they are going to file a class action lawsuit

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`. dae

T

Questioning Techniques Learning Objectives By the end of this chapter, you should be able to: % Articulate examples of five different types of effective interview questions. % Apply these questioning techniques to different stages of an interview. % Identify two questioning techniques to avoid.

INTRODUCTION In Chapter 1 you read, #While there are many different types of interviews, each with its own specific objective, all interviews share one common goal: to acquire information as it relates to a specific end and to use that information to make a decision. Information is acquired during an interview via a question-and-answer format, thus distinguishing it from a meeting or a casual conversation.$ How much information you receive and how useful that acquired information will be in making an employee-related decision depends, largely, on the effectiveness of your questioning technique. Since any thought can be expressed in a number of different ways, each time you express a thought in the form of a question you need to ask yourself which questioning technique will yield the most relative, valuable, and comprehensive information. Throughout this chapter we examine five effective questioning techniques and learn how to relate best these techniques to the various interview stages. Since ineffectively worded questions can have as great an impact on an interview as choosing the most effective questioning technique, we will also examine two types of questions that should be avoided.

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COMPETENCY-BASED QUESTIONS After reading the preceding chapter on interviewing and legal concerns, you already know you should try to ask questions that are consistent in effecta that is, questions that do not have a greater negative impact on any one group. Also, simply because you avoid asking illegal questions does not preclude the applicant from volunteering information you have no business knowing. If such information is used, you are just as liable as when the illegal questions are asked directly. More significantly and to the point of this chapter, to be both legal and effective, questions must be directly related to the specific purpose of the interview, not just overall work-related. For example, during Corrine"s grievance interview, in which she alleged acts of sexual harassment by her supervisor dChapter 2e, all questions asked should have related to that specific incident or series of incidents that brought her to the point of filing a grievance. Nuestions raised concerning past jobs and whether she had ever filed charges of sexual harassment before would have been both inappropriate and ineffective. One of the most effective questioning techniques entails a competencybased approach to interviewing. Competency questions draw from past experiences and behaviors, and relate them to specific requirements, responsibilities, or parameters of a given job-related situation. While competency-based questions are generally associated with applicant- and employee-related interviews, they are also quite useful when asked during assessment and change-in-status interviews. Let"s take a brief look at these three categories of interviewing and see how competency-based questions fit in. Basically, the purpose of all three categories is to evaluate how well an employee is, or will be, performing on the job. During screening, campus, employment, and reference-check interviews, your job is to assess how a person"s demonstrated abilities from past and current employment relate to the requirements and responsibilities of a particular job. Competency-based questions stem from an understanding of the job"s specifications via a job description and a review of each candidate"s background by means of their application and resume. During employeerelated interviews, competency-based questions develop out of an understanding of the specific details of the matter requiring coaching or counseling, or the reason for the grievance or disciplinary interview. No reference should be made to any other aspect of the person"s employment. In evaluation interviews, your competency-based questions determine how well a person has met previously agreed-upon objectives. During job-change interviews, competency-based questions achieve the same objective as during applicant-related interviewsa that is, assessing a person"s demonstrated abilities as they relate to the requirements and responsibilities of a particular job. During termination interviews, your competency-based questions should identify the specific reasons for termination as they relate to the person"s job requirements and understanding of the job at the time of hire. And during exit interviews, your objective is to learn how terminating employees viewed © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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their employment with the organization by exploring various aspects of their employer-employee relations.

Key Competency Categories To understand what competency-based questions are all about, let"s begin with a definition of the term ,o=peten,G. For our purposes, a competency is a skill, trait, quality, or characteristic that contributes to a person"s ability to effectively perform the duties and responsibilities of a job. Competencies are the gauges for job success. While every job requires different competencies, there are four primary categories: tangible or technical skillsa knowledgea behaviora and interpersonal skills. Most jobs emphasize the need for one category over the others, but every employee should be able to demonstrate competencies, to some extent, in all four categories. Technical competencies demonstrate what people have done in past jobs. Having overall technical know-howa tailoring technical information to different audiencesa using technical expertise to solve business problemsa staying technologically currenta understanding the technologies of the organizationa optimizing technologya balancing multiple projectsa and communicating project status are all technical competencies that are critical to success in many jobs today. While these competencies are indisputably necessary, the other three categories need to be examined as well. The reason for this is simple: A person brings much more than technical skill to a job. Complex beings that we all are, we also bring an array of knowledge, behaviors, and interpersonal skills, all of which contribute to our success or failure on the job. This is true regardless of the type of job or grade level. Consider this situation: There are two openings for the same type of job and two people are hired, both of whom are technically proficient. One of them, Paul, has slightly more experience than ^ustine, but both possess outstanding technical know-how. After one year ^ustine"s performance review reveals that she is doing above-average work, while Paul"s review indicates borderline, barely adequate performance. Whyg Paul has trouble focusing on the key elements of a project and does not interact well with customers. In addition, while ^ustine responds well to feedback, Paul views suggestions as criticism. His poor performance evaluation derives from a number of nontechnical issues. What went wrongg Looking back, the interviewer in this scenario focused all of his questions on the candidates" technical capabilities, erroneously assuming that inquiries relating to the other competencies were irrelevant for a technical job. Had he asked questions about how Paul interacted with customers in past jobs, or asked for examples of how Paul handled past projects, he might not have extended a job offer, in spite of Paul"s technical expertise. The second competency!knowledge!concerns what candidates know and how they think. Included in this category are project-management skillsa problem-solving abilitiesa decision-making skillsa the ability to focus on key elements of a projecta time managementa and the ability to use resources effectively. These are considered intangible qualities, more difficult to measure and

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quantify than concrete skills, but no less important. Every job, regardless of level, requires a certain degree of knowledge. Even an entry-level position demands some degree of decision-making or problem-solving skill. Interviewers should ask knowledge-related questions appropriate to the level and nature of a job to determine not only what candidates know, but how they think. This is especially important when jobs do not require previous measurable experience, thereby precluding your ability to draw from past jobrelated experiences. The third competency concerns a candidate"s key behaviors, or how he or she acts under certain conditions. For example, suppose the position calls for a high level of client satisfaction. In past client-oriented jobs, was this applicant committed to developing lasting partnerships with clientsg Did he or she keep clients informed of key developmentsg Did the applicant follow-up to ensure client satisfactiong If the applicant worked as part of, or led a team, did he or she help team members focus on client requirementsg Did he or she incorporate client views in decision-makingg There are numerous questions you can ask candidates with regard to job-specific behaviors that will reveal whether they will function effectively in your company"s environment, meeting client needs. The fourth and final competency category involves interpersonal skillsa that is, how an applicant interacts with others. Does he or she actively listeng Can he or she exercise self-control when upsetg Is he or she able to motivate and work effectively with a wide range of peopleg Does the applicant respect the views and ideas of othersg Is he or she receptive to feedbackg Can the applicant manage conflict effectivelyg Every job requires some degree of interaction with others. Regardless of how proficient they may be at what they can do, what they know, and how they behave, if job candidates are unable to interact effectively with their managers, coworkers, employees, or clients, then their work and the work of others will suffer. Interviewers must ask questions, therefore, that focus on how the applicants interacted in past jobs in situations similar to those that are likely to occur in your organization.

How can focusing on one set of competencies at the expense of the other three negatively impact your role as a manager or HR representative? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________

List three benefits of exploring all four competencies during an interview. 1. __________________________________________________________________________

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2. __________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. __________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

Characteristics of Competency-Based Questions As stated, competency questions draw from past experiences and behaviors and relate them to specific requirements, responsibilities, or parameters of a given job-related situation. The process works because past behavior is an indicator of future behavior. Be careful not to translate this last statement as reading, #past behavior predicts future behavior$ or #future behavior is the same as past behavior.$ Past behavior is an indicator only: No one can predict with absolute certainty how someone will behave in a job. There are too many variables that can affect a person"s performance, including a significant change in the work environmenta the approach, attitude, or personality of a supervisor or managera difficulties in an employee"s personal lifea a long-term or degenerative illness or disabilitya the introduction of a new organizational philosophya what is perceived as being an unfair performance appraisal or salary increasea or being bypassed for a promotion. Any of these alone can alter how an employee approaches work, and even the most conscientious, dedicated workers can be affected. In particular, interviewers cannot anticipate these influences when first meeting a candidate. Therefore, they must develop a line of questioning that will project, as accurately as possible, how an employee is likely to behave once in a job. This is best accomplished by asking the applicant to draw from the past. For example, suppose you have an opening that is known for its emergency projects and unreasonable deadlines. You can find out if a person is up to the challenge by asking about similar experiences in the past: #Tell me about a time in your last job when you were given an emergency project with what you believed to be an unrealistic deadline. What did you do?$ Suppose the applicant"s response indicates a firm grasp of how to handle this type of situation. You still need to know whether the applicant was required to interrupt her normal workload to tend to emergencies frequently, or only once in awhile. In addition, you will want to know if the rest of her work suffered while she tended to the emergency project. Some follow-up competency-based questions, then, would be #How many times, in a typical month, did this sort of emergency occur?$ #Describe the system you had for effectively dealing with these emergencies and the impact it had on the rest of your work.$ #Who else was involved in meeting these deadlines?$ #What was your role vis-a-vis theirs?$ #Has there ever been a time when you felt the deadline could not be met? What did you do?$ Competency-based questions, then, seek specific examples. During applicant-related interviews, these examples will allow you to project how a candidate is likely to perform in your organization. If the environment, conditions,

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and circumstances are essentially the same in their current or previous company as in yours, then your task has been made simple. But, of course, this is rarely the case. That"s why you need to extract information about all four competency categories: You need to know not only if the candidate knew what to do and how to think, but also whether he or she knew how to act and interact. Answers to these follow-up competency-based questions will reveal how proficient the candidate is likely to be in all four categories when confronted with demanding emergency projects. Competency-based interviews, then, allow you to make decisions based on facts. They are structured, job-specific, and focused on relevant concrete and intangible competencies. In addition, they are legally defensible. For these reasons, competency-based questions should represent about 7$ percent of any interview, supplemented by other types of questions described in this chapter.

Competency-Based Lead-ins Competency-based questions are among the easiest to formulate. Each one is introduced by a lead-in phrase that alerts the applicant or employee to an important fact: You want specific information. Here are some examples of competency-based lead-ins: Describe a time when you... Give an example of a time in which you... Tell me about a time when you... Tell me about a specific job experience in which you... Give me an example of a specific occasion when you... Describe a situation in which you were called upon to... Describe the most significant... What did you do in your last job in order to... How often in the last year were you called upon to... Tell me about a time when you didn"t want to ______.What happenedg Describe a situation in which you felt ______.What was the resultg By the time you have asked the third or fourth competency-based question, interviewees will realize that they must respond with specifics whenever you begin with a lead-in phrase.

Imagine that you are interviewing Paul and Justine for the position described earlier in this chapter. Come up with three competency-based lead-in phrases that address the areas of customer relations, meeting deadlines, and teamwork. 1. __________________________________________________________________________

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2. ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. ___________________________________________________________________________

When ^ean prepared to interview Douglas for a training specialist position dChapter 1e, she knew that two of the primary skills required were the ability to line up outside consultants to conduct training workshops and to design course content. If she had asked competency-based questions as she explored Douglas" past experiences with regard to these two areas, she might have realized that Douglas preferred conducting workshops to developing them. This, in turn, could have prevented his resignation. Here are some of the competency-based questions ^ean could have asked Douglas: Tell me about a time when you were responsible for lining up outside consultants to conduct in-house training workshops: What did the task requireg What steps did you take to accomplish your goalg What aspects of the task did you enjoy the mostg The leastg Whyg How often in the last year were you called on to hire outside consultantsg How does that number relate to your expectations at the time of hireg What aspect of hiring consultants do you find the most rewardingg The least rewardingg Whyg Describe the contents of a course you"ve designed. Who else was involvedg Tell me about the best course you"ve ever designed. What made it your best courseg What about your least-favorite courseg Describe a time in which you were called on to complete the development of a course that someone else had started. What was the end resultg Give me an example of a specific occasion when you felt an existing course should be left unaltered. What happenedg Has there ever been a time when you wanted to deviate from the standard formula for course developmentg What was the end resultg Tell me about a time when you designed a program and were told to rework it. How did that make you feel and what did you dog Has there ever been a time when you wanted to conduct a course that you developedg What happenedg

Have you ever been asked competency-based questions during an interview to which you had to provide specific examples or information? _____ Yes _____ No If so, did you find the questions difficult to answer? _____ Yes _____ No Did you feel that your interviewer had a keener sense of your skills, abilities, and interests as a result of asking competency-based questions? _____ Yes _____ No

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ADDITIONAL DESIRABLE QUESTIONING TECHNIQUES While most of your questions should be competency-based, there are four other types also considered effective: open-ended, hypothetical, probing, and close-ended questions.

Open-Ended Questions By definition, open-ended questions require fall, multiple-word responses. The answers generally lend themselves to discussion and result in information on which the interviewer can build additional questions. Open-ended questions encourage interviewees to talk, thereby allowing the interviewer an opportunity not only to assess verbal communication skills, but also to actively listen to responses and observe the person"s pattern of nonverbal communication dChapter 4e. They also allow the interviewer time to plan subsequent questions. Open-ended questions are especially helpful in encouraging shy or withdrawn applicants to talk without the pressure that can accompany a competency-based question which requires the recollection of specific examples. Letks ask some open-ended questions of a candidate, ^ody, who is applying for a customer service representative"s job. One of the best open-ended questions that Russ, her interviewer, can ask is, #Would you please describe your activities during a typical day at your present job?$ Jody"s response is somewhat vague: #Well, let"s see. Each day is really kind of different since I deal with customers and you never know what they"re going to call about. But basically, my job is to handle the customer hot line, research any questions, and process complaints.$ This answer yields four categories for additional questions: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Her job involves dealing with a variety of people and situations. She #handles$ a customer hot line. She #researches$ questions. She #processes$ complaints.

Jody"s response to the open-ended question allows Russ to ask a series of open-ended, follow-up questions: What is the nature of some of the situations you had to deal withg Who are the people who call youg What is the process that someone with a complaint is supposed to followg What is your role in this processg Exactly what is the customer hot lineg When you say that you #handle$ the hot line, exactly what do you meang What do you say to a customer who calls on the hot lineg What do you say to a customer who calls with a specific questiong What do you do when a customer is not satisfied with your answerg How do you prepare for each day, knowing that you will probably have to listen to several people complaining about a variety of problemsg © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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Open-ended inquiries such as these are most helpful when used to form a foundation for competency-based questions that direct the person to provide specific responses supplemented by examples. Take one of the open-ended questions just listed: #What do you do when a customer is not satisfied with your answer?$ That"s a perfectly legitimate question, relative to the responsibilities of a customer service representative. Jody may reply, #I tell them I"m sorry they are dissatisfied with my answer and that I wish I could be more helpful.$ That generic answer tells you very little about how this candidate interacts with customers!the essence of her job. Now is the time to follow up with a competency-based question: #Give me a specific example of when this happened.$ Jody must now draw from a real situation involving her interaction with a customera the information her answer yields will help Russ evaluate a critical job-related skill. Most open-ended questions, then, can be made more substantive when converted into competency-based questions. For example, #How would you describe your ability to deal with difficult customers?$ is open-ended. The competency-based version reads, #Describe a situation in which an irate customer held you responsible for something that was not your fault. What did you do?$ There can be two additional problems with open-ended questions. The interviewee"s response may provide information that is irrelevant or that violates EEO laws. As soon as this occurs, the interviewer must bring the person back to the focus of the question. One way to do this is to say, #Excuse me, but we seem to have strayed from the original question of why you left your last job. I would like to get back to that.$ Another effective response might be #Excuse me, but that information is not job-related. Let"s get back to your description of a typical day at the office.$ Another concern is that open-ended questions may be too broad in scope. The classic request #Tell me about yourself illustrates this point. Nuestions that require applicants to summarize many years in a single response are also not effective. An example of this would be #Describe your work history$ when you are addressing an applicant who has worked for over 30 years. Instead, say, #Please describe your work experience over the past two years.$ This is still open-ended, but it establishes useful boundaries. Following are farther examples of open-ended questions: Screening interview: Tell me why you decided to apply for this position. Campus interview: What made you decide to major in information technologyg Employment interview: What do you feel an employer owes an employeeg How about what an employee owes an employerg Reference-check interview: How would you describe Jason"s ability to meet deadlinesg Coaching interview: What will you do differently next time to make certain your report is completed on timeg Counseling interview: What can you do to ensure that you will get to work on time from now ong

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Grievance interview: What is it about this policy that you feel is unfairg Disciplinary interview: How can you keep from repeating this behavior in the futureg Performance evaluation interview: Why don"t you tell me what you will do to maintain the high level of performance you"ve achieved to date? Change-in-status interview: This job change does not offer greater income or responsibilitiesa why do you want to make a lateral moveg Termination interview: What, if anything, could we have done to keep you from resigningg Exit interview: On a scale of 1 to `, with ` representing the highest point value, how would you rate this company"s benefits plan?

Suppose you are conducting telephone screening interviews for the position of secretary. List three open-ended questions you would ask applicants to help you determine whether to bring them in for in-depth employment interviews. 1. _________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. _________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. _________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

Hypothetical Questions Hypothetical questions are typically asked during employment and changein-status interviews, and are phrased in the form of problems presented to the person for a solution. The questions are generally introduced with words and phrases like, #What would you do if...$; #How would you handle...$; #How would you solve...$; #In the event that...$; #If...$; #Assuming...$; #How would you avoid...$; #Consider this scenario...$; #What would you say...$; #Suppose...$; or #How would you go about....$ Hypothetical questions allow for the evaluation of reasoning abilities, thought processes, values, attitudes, creativity, work style, and approaches to different tasks. An important distinction between hypothetical and competency-based questions is that hypothetical questions require applicants to project what

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they might do in a fictitious dalbeit realistice scenario, whereas competencybased questions draw from the person"s actual experiences. The former are based on conjecture, the latter on fact. Consider the distinction between two differently worded questions on the subject of unreasonable work demands. The first example is worded as a hypothetical question: #If you were a manager, and your team complained about having to meet some rather unreasonable demands presented by one of the company"s top clients, how would you go about satisfying both the client and your staff?$ Now let"s reword the question to be competencybased: #Tell me about a time when, as a manager, your team complained about having to meet some rather unreasonable demands presented by one of the company"s top clients. How did you go about satisfying both the client and your staff?$ The wording of the first question directs the applicant into the realm of possibilities. She is likely to answer using words like, #I would$ or #I could.$ There is no way of knowing whether she is providing you with what she believes is a good answer and the one you want to hear, or what she actually would do. In the second question, however, she must draw from a real situation and describe what happened. Could she make something upg Sure, it"s possible, but interviewees cannot be certain about what you already know or what can be verified. It is more difficult to lie about something that can be referenced than it is to speculate about something that has not yet happened. Hypothetical questions are best suited for applicants and employees with limited work experience. Here are additional samples of hypothetical questions: How would you handle an employee who was consistently tardyg How would you go about discussing job dissatisfaction with your bossg How would you handle a long-term employee whose performance has always been outstanding, but who recently has started to make a number of mistakes in his workg What would you say to an employee who challenged your authorityg What would you do if an employee went over your headg Consider this scenario: You have just given a presentation and are asked a series of answers to which you do not know the answers. What would you dog Suppose you are a member of a team and disagree with the way the others want to approach a project. How would you go about changing their mindsg How would you solve the problem of an employee whose personal problems are interfering with her work performanceg If you were given a task that created an undue amount of pressure, what would you dog How would you avoid conflict with coworkersg Your employeesg Your managerg Clientsg

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When you were asked hypothetical questions during past job interviews, how did you respond? Did you feel such questions were worthwhile? _____ Yes _____ No Explain. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

Probing Questions Probing questions enable the interviewer to delve more deeply for additional information. Best thought of as follow-up questions, they are usually short and simply worded. There are three types of probing questions: 1. @at"ona0 proMes request reasons, using short questions such as: #Why?$; #How?$; #When?$; #How often?$; and #Who?$ 2. 80ar"/"er proMes are used to qualify or expand on information provided in a previous response, using questions such as: #What caused that to happen?$; #Who else was involved in that decision?$; #What happened next?$; and #What were the circumstances that resulted in that happeningg$ 3. Uer"/"er proMes check out the honesty of a statement. For example: #You state on your resume that you currently work closely with the officers from your customers" firms. Name three of these officers, and tell me about their areas of responsibility and exactly what you have done for them.$ Applicants and employees who have trouble providing full answers usually appreciate the extra help that comes from a probing question. These also show the person that you are interested in what she is saying and want to learn more. Be careful not to ask too many probing question consecutively, as they tend to make interviewees feel defensive. In addition, your accompanying body language should express interest, but not accusation: Maintain eye contact, but avoid staringa periodically nod and smilea avoid raising your eyebrows. Body language is discussed more fully in Chapter 4. Here are additional examples of rational probing questions: What kind of people do you find it difficult or easy to work withg WhGV Do you take over for your manager when she is awayg 7o( o/tenV What motivates youg WhGV What is the greatest accomplishment of your career to dateg WhGV © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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These examples farther illustrate clarifier probes: Who or what has influenced you with regard to your career goalsg 1n (hat (aGV You said earlier that your team failed to meet the last deadline. What ,aused that to happenV Before you said that you were part of the decision to revamp your company"s compensation structure. Who e0se (as "n'o0'ed "n that de,"s"onV You"ve described part of what took place when your company downsized. What happened nePtV Additional examples of verifier probing questions include these: What would your manager say about your last presentation to senior managementg How would your former employees describe your management styleg What would your coworkers say about your contributions to the last team project you participated ing Earlier you stated that you led a team from your company that had linked up with a team from World Energies, Inc., to work on developing a new communications device. Tell me about three specific members from World Energies. What were their roles and responsibilitiesg

Come up with one example of each type of probing question for the following interview situation. You are conducting a grievance interview with an employee, Sam, who feels that the company’s vacation policy is not applied fairly. Specifically, Sam believes that employees performing the same tasks in another department are receiving more vacation time than he is. 1. Rational ___________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 2. Clarifier ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 3. Verifier ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

Close-Ended Questions These are questions that may be answered with a single word, generally yes or no. Close-ended questions can be helpful in a number of ways: They give the interviewer greater controla put shy or nervous applicants at easea are useful

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when seeking clarificationa are helpful when you need to verify informationa and usually result in concise responses. Also, if there is a single issue that could terminate the interview, such as the absence of an important job requirement, then asking about it up front in a direct, close-ended way can disclose what you need to know quickly and succinctly. Interviewers should avoid relying on close-ended questions for the bulk of their information. Answers to close-ended questions provide limited information, resulting in an incomplete picture. Also, you will be unable to assess the person"s verbal communication skills, if relevant. Ask close-ended questions to serve the functions described above, but not as a substitute for open-ended or competency-based questions. Any question that can be answered by a single word can be converted into an open-ended question. For example, #Did you like your last job?$ can easily be changed to #What did you like about your last job?$ In most instances, the open-ended version will yield more valuable information. Close-ended questions can also be converted into competency-based questions. Asking #Have you done a good amount of public speaking?$ will result in a single-word answer and tell you little about the applicant"s experience with public speaking. The open-ended version of this question, while better, still does not tell you much: #What is your experience with public speaking?$ However, making this a competency-based question will provide you with a job-related, detailed response: #Tell me about a time when you had to address a large audience. How did you prepare for it?$ Here are examples of functional close-ended questions: Screening interview: Are you aware that the starting salary for this job is j1,4$$ per weekg Campus interview: It appears, from looking at your courses of study, that you enjoy working with computers. Is that correctg Employment interview: Earlier you said that the most challenging part of your job is conducting new-hire orientations. ^ust before that you indicated you favor conducting interviews!am I to understand that you consider the two areas to be equally rewardingg Reference-check interview: Did Karen Crimmons work for you from March, 1996 through September, 1999 as a claims adjusterg Coaching interview: You"ve been in this job for three months now. Is there any aspect of your work that you find especially difficultg Counseling interview: You said that you are having trouble getting to work on time because the railroad is doing track worka when is that work expected to be completedg Grievance interview: Am I correct in my understanding that you feel you were unfairly passed over for a promotiong Disciplinary interview: Do you understand that if you violate this rule again you will receive a formal, written warning that will go into your HR file g Performance-evaluation interview: Do you agree with my evaluation of your work so farg Transfer interview: Based on what you have told me so far, can I assume that your primary reason for wanting this transfer is that you prefer working independently rather than as part of a teamg © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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Termination interview: Do you understand why you are being terminatedg Exit interview: Is there anything else you would like us to know in terms of how senior management communicates with this company"s employeesg

Take the following close-ended question and convert it first into an open-ended question, and then into a competency-based question. How do you feel about working with outside consultants? 1.

Open-ended version: ________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________ 2.

Competency-based version: __________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Exhibit 3I1 identifies the five recommended questioning techniques and their respective purposes.

Recommended Questioning Techniques Type of Question

Purpose

Competency-based questions

Draw from past experiences and behaviors and relate them to specific requirements, responsibilities, or parameters of a given job-related situation.

Open-ended questions

Require full, multiple-word responses that generally lend themselves to discussion and result in information on which the interviewer can build additional questions.

Hypothetical questions

Phrased in the form of problems presented for solutions. Allow for the evaluation of reasoning abilities, thought processes, values, attitudes, "20!1'3'15,+4#2.+(15&0,+!-9+#-0’(+!%%2#!")+1#+9'//020-1+1!(.(*

Probing questions

Enable the interviewer to delve more deeply for additional information. Usually short and simply worded. Rational probes request reasons; clarifier probes are used to qualify or expand on information provided in a previous response; and verifier probes check out the honesty of a statement.

Close-ended questions

May be answered with a single word, generally yes or no. Can give the interviewer greater control, put shy or nervous applicants at ease, are useful when seeking clarification or verifying information, and usually result in concise responses.

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How TO R ELATE D IFFERENT Q UESTIONING TECHNIQUES TO VARIOUS STAGES OF THE INTERVIEW As you learned in Chapter 1, there are five stages to an interview: rapport-building, introductory, core, confirmation, and closing. Each has a specific purpose and should take up an approximate percentage of the interview dExhibit 1I4e. The brief rapport-building stage dapproximately 2 percente, which is intended to put the interviewee at ease and allows the interviewer to identify the format for the rest of the interview, sets the tone for the rest of the meeting. Close-ended questions that are casual in nature and focus on topics not related to the job can accomplish this goal. Here are some examples of neutral, rapport-building, close-ended questions: Did you have any trouble getting hereg Were you able to find parking nearbyg How was the traffic getting hereg Were the directions we gave you helpfulg Isn"t it a beautiful day? When do you think it will stop rainingg What do you think about this string of 8$-degree days we"re having in late Octoberg Do not worry about being repetitious in asking the same set of rapportbuilding, close-ended questions of every applicant or employeea they are not likely to compare notes with one another after their interviews.

Can you recall a time when you were interviewed and your interviewer skipped the rapportbuilding stage? _____ Yes _____ No Did that impact the rest of the interview? _____ Yes _____ No If so, how? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

The introductory stage represents about 3 percent of the interview and is intended to help still-nervous applicants and employees feel at ease as well as allow interviewers to start assessing their job suitability. These objectives are best accomplished by posing two or three open-ended questions. This is the most effective type of question to ask at this stage because the interviewee will begin talking and relax more, while you actively listen to their responses and start making some preliminary decisions. Introductory questions should be about topics familiar to the interviewee, so as not to create undue pressure, and broad enough to generate additional questions by you. Earlier in this chapter we read about an employment interview during which Russ asked ^ody the classic open-ended question © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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that satisfies both of these criteria: #Would you please describe your activities during a typical day at your current job?$ This question actually accomplishes a great deal: It helps to relax a still-nervous applicant by allowing him to discuss a familiar subject. The open-ended nature of the question encourages the applicant to talk, giving you an opportunity to assess verbal and organizational skills. It allows you time to begin observing the person"s pattern of body language. It provides information on which you can build additional questions. The question is not foolproof, however. An applicant could respond with, #Well, that"s kind of hard to do. No day is really typical.$ If this happens, be a little more specific in your wording to help the applicant get started. Try adding, #I can appreciate that. Why don"t you just pick a day!say yesterday! and describe what you did?$ Once the applicant begins to outline specific tasks you can interject, #Do you do that every day?$ By breaking the question down and encouraging the applicant to talk, you should be able to get the required information and move on to the next question. Additional effective open-ended questions to start off an employment interview with include the following: Can you give me an overview of your past experiences with benefits administrationg Why don"t we begin with your current job. Would you describe your involvement in the day-to-day operation of your departmentg In your job as a public relations manager, how do you go about preparing press releasesg Working as a legal assistant sounds very challenging. What are your primary responsibilitiesg If you were asked to write a summary of your primary duties and responsibilities, what would you includeg I"m interested in learning more about what being an internal consultant entails. Can you tell me what you do in that capacityg

What other effective open-ended questions can you think of to start off the introductory stage of an interview? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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The core stage is the most substantive segment and represents about 8` percent of the interview, with as much as 6` percent of it devoted to competency-based questions. That leaves about 2$ percent of the time to be divided between the four other types of questions: open-ended, hypothetical, probing, and close-ended. Open-ended questions should receive about 8 percent of the emphasisa probing and hypothetical questions should receive shared emphasis of about ` percent eacha and close-ended should carry the balance. Now let"s look at the role of each type of question. Competency-based questions allow interviewers to gather information about specific technical skills, knowledge, behavior, and interpersonal skills. They allow for an examination of specific examples from past experiences and behavior and relate them to specific requirements, responsibilities, or parameters of a given job-related situation. This allows interviewers to make decisions based on facts, as opposed to intuitive feelings or bias. Open-ended questions generally focus on how an applicant approaches tasks. They serve as effective setups for subsequent competency-based questions, testing out the validity of preceding answers. Hypothetical questions lend balance to the competency-based questions: Remember, while the latter focus on specific examples from past job experiences, hypothetical questions present realistic job-related problems for solution. Where one is founded on facts, the other is based on supposition. Interviewers can compare what a person has done with how they might act, looking for similarities and further examining situations that stand out. The probing questions asked during the core of the interview will allow you to ascertain additional information from answers to competency-based, open-ended, and hypothetical questions. Their main function, whether rational, clarifier, or verifier probes, is to allow you to delve deeper. Asking too many consecutive probing questions can come across as interrogation. It also means you are not asking a sufficient number of substantive questions. Close-ended questions allow you to zero in on specific issues, usually for purposes of verification or clarification. They are useful when you need a tightly worded response in order to proceed with the interview. Consider this example representing a partial core stage of an employment interview between ^ohn, the interviewer, and Sarah, the applicant: ^OHN:

HOW would you describe your skills in checking references on candidates under serious hiring considerationg dopen-endede SARAH: Good. ^OHN: Tell me about a time when you checked a reference on a candidate the department wanted to hire, only to find that the person"s former employer had several less than favorable things to say about himg dcompetency-basede SARAH: That"s never happened. ^OHN: Imagine that happening, if you will. How would you handle the situationg dhypotheticale SARAH: Well, I"m not sure. ^OHN: Okay. Let me ask you this: Have you ever received information from an applicant that conflicted with what was on the resumeg dclose-endede © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

NUESTIONING TECHNINUES

SARah: ^ohn: Sarah:

^OHn: Sarah:

79

Yes. Think about one of the times that occurred and tell me what did you did. dcompetency-basede Oh, sure. Okay. I see what you"re going for. I did a lot of probing and comparing of information till I uncovered the truth. In the situation you described, I guess I would ask a series of questions to determine whether the former employer was being factual or had a bias. What are some of the questions you would askg dprobinge I"d ask for specific examples to back up his statements. Then I"d compare what he said with what I learned during the interview. I"d also try to contact more than one former employer to see if there was a pattern.

The combination and balance of open-ended, hypothetical, probing, and close-ended questions in support of competency-based questions in this example allows the interviewer to better evaluate the candidate"s job suitability. The confirmation stage allows the interviewer to verify what has been learned thus far. It represents about ` percent of the entire interview and should be divided between open- and close-ended questions, with a slightly heavier emphasis on open-ended. A competency-based question occasionally may be appropriate. Consider these close-ended examples based on Douglas" exit interview with ^oel from Chapter 1: Based on what you have told me thus far, may I assume that you view yourself as being qualified to conduct training workshopsg Am I correct in understanding that during your two years of employment, you have not been permitted to conduct training workshopsg Are you telling me that you have not felt fulfilled designing course contents and lining up outside consultants to conduct workshopsg The single-word answers to these questions will verify whether ^oel has drawn accurate conclusions. Douglas will also have an opportunity to clarify any misunderstood points, if need be. Sample open-ended questions during the confirmation stage for this same interview include the following: I"m interested in learning more about your reasons for leaving us. Would you please be specific about what you mean when you say you don"t feel you"d ever be allowed to grow here? You stated that you are resigning for a better job opportunity. I need a clearer understanding of what that means. Would you please elaborateg Tell me more about how your responsibilities at your new job will differ from what you"ve done here as a training specialist. Not only do these open-ended questions help clarify and confirm preceding information, they inform the candidate that you have been paying attention. The closing is the last-chance stage of the interview. Here, the interviewer can ensure coverage of all relevant areas. It represents approximately © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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How to Relate Different Questioning Techniques to Various Stages of the Interview

Rapport-building

Close-ended (2%)

Introductory

Open-ended (3%)

Core

Competency-based (65%) Open-ended (8%) Hypothetical (5%) Probing (5%) Close-ended (2%)

Confirmation

Open-ended (3%) Close-ended (2%)

Closing

Competency-based (5%)

` percent of the interview and should be devoted to competency-based questions such as the following: What else can you tell me about your decision to enter the field of human resourcesg What additional examples of your work with difficult customers would help me make a hiring decisiong What more can you tell me about Pam"s inability to work unsupervised while she worked for youg What additional examples of violation of the company"s vacation policy can you offer to support of your grievanceg Exhibit 3I2 highlights questioning techniques in relation to the various interview stages.

QUESTIONING TECHNIQUES TO AVOID Now that you know about the five desirable questioning techniques, you should also be aware of two types of interview questions to avoid: multiple choice and leading.

Multiple-Choice Questions Have you ever been asked something like the following: #Do you want to go to the movies, visit a friend, or would you rather stay home?$ or #Do you like this sweater in red, green, or yellow?$ or #Can I have that when you"re done or do you think you"ll still need it?$ or #What do you think, should I order steak, chicken, or fish?$ or #Did you like my presentation or did I sound dumb?$ At the very least, being limited to a choice of alternatives someone else provides can be annoying. In an interviewing situation, the limited choices

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impact what you can learn about the applicant or employee. Interviewees should never feel they must choose between two or more alternatives. That kind of setup implies that the correct answer is among the options you have offered, negating any additional possibilities. The interviewee is likely to feel inhibited, and you could miss out on valuable information. Sometimes interviewers resort to loaded questions because they have lost control of the interview. If you want to regain control, ask a series of closeended questions, then return to more meaningful competency-based questions or one of the other types of questions described earlier in this chapter. Consider these examples of multiple-choice questions!ones not to ask. Each one is paired with a rewording of the question that is more meaningful. Multiple-choice format: How do you go about delegating tasks: according to what a person has proven he can do, demonstrated interest, or random selectiong More meaningful format: Describe how you go about delegating assignments. G"'e me an example of when you last did this. Multiple-choice format: Would you describe your management style as being akin to theory l, Y, or mg More meaningful format: How would you describe your management styleg Give me an example of when you applied this style. Multiple-choice format: Would you say the greatest motivator for working is money or the pleasure one derives from doing a good jobg More meaningful format: What would you say is the greatest motivator for workingg Why do you think this is sog Multiple-choice format: Would you describe your former employee as lazy or self-disciplinedg More meaningful format: How would you describe your former employee in terms of his work styleg Multiple-choice format: Would you like to stay in this field for the rest of your career or do you think you would like to do something elseg More meaningful format: What are your short- and long-term goalsg

Have you ever been asked a multiple-choice question during an interview and felt restricted in how you could answer? _____ Yes _____ No What other types of questions would have made the interview more effective? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

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Leading Questions The another type of question to avoid is the leading question. These imply that there is a single correct answer. The interviewer sets up the question so that the applicant provides the desired response. Here are some examples: You do intend to finish college, don"t you? Don"t you agree that most workers need to be watched very closely? When you were in school, how much time did you waste taking art and music classesg It is obvious from the wording of these questions that the interviewer is seeking a particular reply. The interviewer cannot hope to learn anything substantive from leading questions.

Carefully worded questions can make the difference between an effective and an ineffective interview. Always ask yourself which questioning technique will yield the most relevant, valuable, and comprehensive information. There are five effective questioning techniques which, when appropriately applied to the various interview stages, will help accomplish your objectives. The most significant of these is the competency-based question. Competency-based questions draw from past experiences and behaviors, and relate them to specific requirements, responsibilities, or parameters of a given job-related situation. They should represent the majority of the core stage and most, if not all, of the closing stage. Open-ended questions require full, multiple-word responses and are asked during the introductory and confirmation stages. Hypotheticals are phrased in the form of problems and allow for the evaluation of reasoning abilities and one"s approach to various tasks. They are best asked during the core stage, to lend balance to the competency-based questions. Probing questions enable the interviewer to delve more deeply for additional information. They are usually short and simply worded, and are posed during the core stage. Finally, close-ended questions are answered with a single word. They can give the interviewer greater control as well as put shy or nervous interviewees at ease. Close-ended questions usually comprise the rapport-building stage and may be asked during the core stage to a limited extent, also. There are two types of interview questions to avoid. Multiple-choice questions imply that a correct answer is among the options you have offered, negating any additional possibilities, and leading questions imply that there is a single correct answer.

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1. Open-ended questions:

1.

dce

2. Asking multiple-choice or leading questions is not a good idea

2.

dae

3. Of the three forms of probing questions, the one used to qualify or

3.

dbe

4. An example of a competency-based question would be:

4.

dce

5. A significant characteristic of hypothetical questions is that they:

`.

dae

dae should constitute most of the core stage of the interview dbe are always better than close-ended questions dce encourage interviewees to talk, thereby allowing you to assess verbal communication skills, actively listen to responses, and observe nonverbal communication dde are more effective when they are converted into close-ended questions because they:

dae imply that the correct answer is among the options offered dbe give the interviewee control of the interview dce keep the interviewee from going off on a tangent dde give the impression that you don"t know how to ask more effective questions

expand on information provided in a previous response is the: dae rational probe dbe clarifier probe dce qualifier probe dde verifier probe

dae What kind of a supervisor are youg dbe Are you always conscientious about meeting deadlinesg dce Tell me about a time when you had an employee with an attendance problem. How was the situation resolvedg dde Suppose you were left in charge in your bosses" absence and there was an emergency. What would you dog dae dbe dce dde

project into the future allow you to see how a person operates under pressure reveal whether the person can provide the correct answer are best suited for professional-level employees and applicants Do you have questions? Comments? Need clarification? Call Educational Services at 1-800-225-3215, ext. 600 or email at [email protected].

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How to Get the Most Out of Every Interview Learning Objectives By the end of this chapter, you should be able to: Identify techniques for encouraging interviewees to talk. Practice active listening skills. Interpret body language. Define the role of contrary evidence.

INTRODUCTION Knowing which types of legal questions to ask during the various stages of an interview is the main ingredient of effective interviewing, but it"s not the whole picture. To get the most out of every interview, you should encourage interviewees to talk, actively listen when they ask or answer questions, understand and interpret their body language, and explore contrary evidence!that is, seek information to balance a one-sided picture. Consider Michael"s interview with Sonia, the director of human resources, when she interviewed him for a promotion from compensation analyst to compensation manager. She properly identified the five stages of the interview and effectively posed legal competency-based, open-ended, hypothetical, probing, and close-ended questions. However, she failed to encourage Michael to elaborate on sparsely worded answers, did not listen closely when he talked, disregarded body language dhis and herse, and did not examine which of his traits required improvement. Had she focused on the

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whole interview process, she would have observed the following as being significant: When she asked why he wanted to move into management, Michael provided a brief, #canned$ response: #It"s time for me to move up in the organization.$ Michael asked several times whether moving into a manager"s position meant he would acquire an officer"s title and more vacation time. Michael shifted uncomfortably in his chair whenever the subject of his relationship with his current manager came up. When Sonia asked about his most recent performance evaluation, Michael said that his overall rating was above average. Michael said he didn"t feel his manager listened to his ideas. If Sonia had concerned herself with the supportive components, she would have determined that Michael was more interested in the status of becoming a manager or officer and with increased vacation time than he was with the responsibilities of the position. She also would have observed a pattern of body language that revealed itself each time she asked questions about his relationship with his manager. dIt turns out that Michael disagreed with his manager"s analysis and implementation of their most recent salary surveys.) In addition, Michael"s last review, while very good overall, indicated that he had trouble following up with department heads who were delinquent in submitting performance reviews for their employees. He is also somewhat rigid in how things are done. Having this information might have dissuaded Sonia from recommending Michael for a promotion.

ENCOURAGE INTERVIEWEES TO TALK Many interviewees are well-prepared, self-confident, and more than willing to converse with you. Indeed, it is difficult to prevent some of them from talking too much and for too long. With others, however, talking to an interviewer can be intimidating and unnerving. Here are some ways in which you can encourage an applicant or employee to speak freely.

Repetition Repetition encourages the person to continue talking and also helps to clarify certain points. Repeating the last few words or a few key words of the interviewee"s statement and letting your voice trail off as a question mark should encourage the person to elaborate. When Michael stated, ##It"s time for me to move up in the organization,$ Sonia could have followed up by saying, #It"s time for you to move up in the organization...?$ Michael might then have replied, #You know how it is!I"ve been an analyst for two years so it"s time. I mean, that"s the way it"s supposed

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to work, rightg I have to make this move or the folks up in senior management will think I"m not management material.$ Sonia might then have repeated: #So, you"re concerned that senior management will think you"re not management material if you don"t apply for this position...?$ Michael might then state, #Yes, that"s correct, although that"s not the only reason I want to move up!I know I can do the job!I might as well have the title and money that goes along with it.$ This dialogue presents a far more accurate picture of Michael"s reason for wanting a promotion than did his original statement. Using repetition encouraged him to provide valuable additional information.

You will need a partner for this brief exercise. Role-play an interview, with you enacting the role of the interviewer. Each time your partner makes two or three statements, repeat the last few words or a few key words of his or her statement and let your voice trail off as a question mark. Continue practicing until you feel comfortable using this technique of encouraging interviewees to talk. Record your observations of this exercise below. For instance, did you find the technique useful? How did it make your partner feel? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

Summarization Like repetition, summarizing allows you to clarify the points made thus far in the interview, and to elaborate as necessary. It further ensures an accurate understanding on your part. Summarization may be used at specific time intervals in the interview, such as every ten minutes or after a new topic has been discussed. For instance, Sonia and Michael may have just devoted approximately ten minutes to reviewing his prior work experience as it relates to the available position. At that point, Sonia may say, #Let me make certain that I understand what you have said thus far. For the past six months you have expanded your scope of work to include some of the responsibilities that the compensation manager performs. In fact, in the manager"s absence, you have taken over his job on a number of occasions without difficulty. You enjoy performing the manager"s job and want to continue in that capacity now that the position is available. Is all of this correct?$ Michael can now confirm all or part of what Sonia just summarized. He can also correct or add information, as needed. Be careful not to include more than four or five statements in your summary. This way, if part of it is inaccurate or requires clarification, it will not be difficult to isolate. Summarization also © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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helps ensure that you are actively listening to the other person dactive listening is discussed later in this chaptere.

N!30+ 5#6+ 0302+ ?00-+ '-1023'0409+ ?5+ (#$0#-0+ 4)#+ 9'9-’1+ (00$+ 1#+ )!30+ )0!29+ #2+ 6-902(1##9+ cer1!'-+%#'-1(+5#6’9+$!90+962'-A+1)0+'-1023'04G _____ Yes _____ No Do you think summarization would have helped your interviewer better understand what you were saying? _____ Yes _____ No Could it have made you aware of any possible omissions or corrections? _____ Yes _____ No

Key Phrases Key phrases are expressions such as #I see,$ #How interesting,$ #Is that right?$ #Really?$ and #I didn"t know that.$ It is important to note that none of these phrases express an opinion or show agreement or disagreementa they merely show interest and understanding. Sonia could have employed some of these phrases when Michael said that his overall rating was above average. Had she replied, #Is that right?$ chances are he would have continued, #Yes. Of course I"m not perfect! There"s always room for improvement, I guess.$ Sonia could then have followed up with, #Like what?$ The dialogue could ultimately have revealed the trouble he has following up with department heads who are delinquent in submitting performance reviews for their employees.

List three additional phrases that are likely to encourage an interviewee to continue talking. 1. __________________________________________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________________________________________ 3. __________________________________________________________________________

Silence Most people find silence awkward and uncomfortable. Consequently, interviewers often feel compelled to talk whenever the applicant or employee stops. However, unless you are prepared to ask another question, talking when you need additional information from the applicant will not help with © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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your hiring decision. When the applicant stops talking and you want him or her to continue, try silently and slowly counting to five before speaking. This pause often compels a candidate to go on. Of course, you must be careful not to carry silence too far. The interview can easily become a stressful situation if you simply continue to stare at a person who has nothing more to say or needs your encouragement to continue. However, if you combine silence with positive body language ddiscussed later in this chaptere, the applicant should continue taking within a few seconds. Silence very clearly conveys the message that more information is wanted. Let"s see if Sonia could have employed silence in her interview with Michael. When he said he didn"t feel his manager listened to his ideas, he became uneasy and did not volunteer any additional information. Moving on to another topic would have been a mistake!Sonia needed to learn more, such as what ideas Michael was referring to, why he felt his boss didn"t listen, and what, if anything, he had tried to do about it. She could have asked these questions directly, such as, #Tell me about a time when you feel your boss did not listen to your ideas.$ This, however, might have made Michael feel defensive, causing him to shut down further. Instead, Sonia could have employed silence, leaning in and nodding, encouraging Michael to continue. Michael might then have added, #I mean, take this thing with the salary survey we conducted. We got the survey results in last month and he knows I disagree with how he presented them to senior management. But he just wouldn"t listen to my ideas. I thought we could create a system similar to the one Jackson, Inc., has. They don"t have the turnover problems we"ve got and I believe it"s because of their compensation program. But he just turned a deaf ear to my idea and went ahead and recommended his own plan, which I personally don"t think will work as well.$ That additional information gave Sonia a much clearer picture of what Michael meant when he said his boss didn"t listen to his ideas. It could have helped her make a final decision about promoting him to manager.

Ask the person who helped you with the repetition exercise to help you with this one, as well. This time you should play the role of the interviewee to experience the effect of silence. Answer a question posed by your partner. Your partner should react with encouraging silence. Let him or her know when you feel the silence has gone on for too long. Experiment, until you reach a point of comfort. Record your observations here. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

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ACTIVE LISTENING You cannot make an effective interview-related decision unless you listen to what the interviewee has to say. The type of listening technique you use will determine how well you absorb what the person is saying. There are three different types of listening: casual, selective, and active. Casual listening is essentially detached and unfocused. For example, listening to what a candidate says in response to icebreaker questions at the beginning of an interview does not require concentration or any real attention. In fact, how the person responds to queries such as, #Did you have any trouble getting here?$ requires only that you hear what they are sayinga listening to their actual response is not necessary. This differs from selective listening which may occur during business meetings where, say, a number of different topics are being discussed. Selective listening allows you to listen in spurts, tuning in and out as need be. When not selectively listening, you may be making judgments, forming rebuttals, or thinking about unrelated matters. Active listening, on the other hand, requires the greatest degree of concentration. It involves being aware of, and present in, the moment, and remaining focused keenly on the person who is talking. Active listening should be practiced during all stages of the interview, with the exception of the rapport-building stage. Following are some guidelines for effective active listening.

Talking Versus Active Listening Most people don"t know if they talk too much during an interview. Try taking this Talk/Listen Quiz, rating each statement with a 1 for #almost never,$ 3 for #most of the time,$ and 5 for #almost always.$ 1. I enjoy hearing what other people have to say. ____ 1 ____ 3 ____ ` 2. I wait until someone else finishes talking before I talk. ____ 1 ____ 3 ____ ` 3. I listen to what a person has to say, even when I don"t find what the person is saying to be interesting. ____ 1 ____ 3 ____ ` 4. I try only to interrupt the other person when they go off on a tangent, just to get them back on track. ____ 1 ____ 3 ____ ` 5. I give each interviewee my undivided attention. 6. I recognize that the interview is not about or for me, so I try to keep my share of talking to a minimum. ____ 1 ____ 3 ____ ` 7. I respect the other person"s views and avoid disagreeing with them during the interview. ____ 1 ____ 3 ____ ` 8. I listen to the interviewee"s questions and supplement my answers with additional information at the end of an interview. ____ 1 ____ 3 ____ ` 9. I think it"s important to let the interviewee do most of the talking during an interview. ____ 1 ____ 3 ____ ` 10. I listen for points about which I can ask questions after the interviewee finishes making his or her point. ____ 1 ____ 3 ____ `

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A perfect score is 50. If you achieved that score, you"re an excellent listener and understand that you will gain more from the interview by listening to what the other person has to say. If you scored between 30 and 49, you"re a fair listener, but probably missing out on a lot of valuable information during the interview because you"re talking instead of listening. And if you scored below a 3$, you talk too much! The most effective talkingbactive listening ratio for any interview situation is 30/70; that is, 30 percent of an interviewer"s time should be devoted to talking dExhibit 4I1 more specifically identifies how the interviewer"s 30 percent talk time should be spent during various interview situationse, with the remaining 7$ percent spent actively listening to the employee or applicant. Many interviewers talk entirely too much, going so far as to reverse this ratio. This typically occurs when the interviewee is uninteresting to listen to, talks too slowly, goes off on a tangent, or has trouble organizing his or her thoughts. The result of this reversal is that the interviewer fails to acquire the information needed to make an effective decision. If you find yourself talking more than 3$ percent of the time, remind yourself that this is not your interview. Your job is to get information from the other person so that you can draw certain conclusions and make a decision. That can"t happen if you"re talking instead of listening.

Key Information Many interviewers think active listening means that they should listen to every word a person says. That"s not realistic, since many people muddy their statements with irrelevant thoughts and sentences. If you try to focus on every word, you can easily get lost in a sea of verbiage, thereby losing track of the main point. Instead, concentrate on key information. Looking back on her interview with Michael, Sonia realized that she should have employed some key phrases like, #I see,$ #How interesting,$ #Is that right?$ and #Really?$ to ascertain fuller responses. In one instance, we saw how employing some of these phrases when Michael said that his overall rating was above average could have resulted in additional information. Had she replied, #Is that right?$ chances are he would have continued: #Yes. Of course, I"m not perfect! There"s always room for improvement, I guess.$ Sonia could then have followed up with, #Like what?$ Michael may have gone on to say, #Well, I suppose it all depends on who you ask. I mean, my boss would probably tell you that I don"t always follow up with department heads who are delinquent in submitting performance reviews for their employees. But I doubt if he would add that it"s not my fault. I call them, I leave them e-mail reminders, I tell them face to face when I see them in the cafeteria!I even ran into one department head over the weekend at my daughter"s soccer game!his kid was on the other team!and reminded him then! Although I"m not sure he heard me since his team lost 5 to 0 and he was kind of upset!it was their fifth loss in a row. Where was Ig Oh, yes. I mean, what else can I do? I can"t stand over them and make them write the evaluations, can Ig He should try doing this and see if he gets better results!$ © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

"ntervie)er’s -. /ercent 1alk 1ime

Type of Interview

Talk Time Devoted to:

Screening

Asking questions to determine preliminary job suitability and continued interest; describing the job; providing an overview of benefits and salary; answering questions

Campus

Asking questions to identify areas of interest, determining preliminary job suitability, continued interest, and potential; providing an overview of benefits, salary, and career opportunities; answering questions

Employment

Asking questions to match people with jobs in terms of prior work experience, formal education, skills, abilities, and interests; providing information about benefits, salary, and growth opportunities; answering questions

Reference-Check

Asking questions to confirm the employment interview

Coaching

;90-1'/5'-A+!-+0$%Ǵ’(+!""#$%&'()$0-1(P+#//02'-A+!((istance; making suggestions for improvement; asking questions about an 0$%Ǵ’(+'-1020(1(+!-9+!(%irations

Counseling

Commenting on specific work-performance problems or policy infractions; making suggestions for improvement

Grievance

Summarizing employee’(+"#-"02-(+!?#61+"#$%!-5+%#&'"'0(,+%2#"edures, or practices to ensure accurate understanding

Disciplinary

Verbally warning or describing written disciplinary warnings concerning specific work-performance problems or policy infractions; describing the next step in the disciplinary process

Performance-Evaluation

<6$$!2'='-A+1)0+0$%Ǵ’(+#--the-job performance; participating in establishing goals with the employee

Change-in-Status

Asking questions about skills, knowledge, and interests to match people with internal jobs; providing information about changes in benefits, salary, and growth opportunities; a nswering questions

Termination

Defining circumstances surrounding the termination; describing termination-related processes; answering questions

Exit

Asking questions about how a terminating employee viewed his or her employment; answering questions

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Wow! In this instance, Sonia would have gotten more than she needed or wanted to hear. Still, it would have been wise to let Michael talk without interruption. He went off on a bit of a tangent when he mentioned his daughter"s soccer game, but the rest of the information would have been helpful in conveying Michael"s frame of mind. Trying to focus on every word, however, would have made Sonia"s head spin. The relevant information that came out of Michael"s monologue was that his boss believes Michael needs to work on following up with department heads regarding delinquent reviews, and Michael believes he has done all that he can in this regard.

Filter Out Distractions As mentioned in Chapter 1, distractions can include people coming into your office, the phone ringing, and having your thoughts focused elsewhere. The latter can easily occur when applicants or employees are not interesting to listen to. Maybe the work they do strikes you as being dull, or perhaps they speak in a monotone. When this occurs, you may find yourself thinking about your vacation in Mexico and how you would prefer to be there right now. If you find this is happening, tell yourself that it is unfair to judge people on the basis of how well they are able to hold your interest. Remind yourself of the objective of your interview dExhibit 1I1e, and that by not listening actively, you are likely to miss important information that could influence the final decision. A former colleague of mine once posted the following notice on his office door: #I"m interviewing. Unless there"s a bomb threat in the building, go away and come back when I"m done!$ His message was a bit dramatic, but it had the desired effect. No one bothered him when they saw that sign. Let"s look at some less startling but equally effective techniques for dealing with common distractions. Post a sign outside your office door whenever you are conducting an interview. It might say, #Interview in progress. Come back later.$ Having a notepad and pencil on your door and ask that people write you a message. Ask someone to intercept visitors when you are interviewing and take a message. Set your phone on silent voice mail. Ask someone to take and hold your calls. If you typically conduct interviews during a set time each day, make it known throughout the office that you are not to be disturbed during those hours. Discipline yourself to focus on the person in the room by telling yourself that you would want the interviewer to pay attention to you if you were the interviewee. Of course there will always be exceptions, and certain interruptions will occura however, you can create an atmosphere more conducive to active listening by cutting down on the number of distractions.

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Think of three additional techniques for filtering out distractions in your office. 1. __________________________________________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________________________________________ 3. __________________________________________________________________________

Thought Speed Thought speed is a wonderful tool available to everyone. Most people think at a rate of approximately 4$$ words per minutea we speak at a rate of approximately 12` words per minute. Obviously, this means that we think faster than we speak, but there is much more to thought speed than this. While the other person is talking, you can use thought speed to accomplish the following: Prepare your next question. Analyze what the interviewee is saying. Piece together what the other person is saying now in relation to something said earlier in the interview. Glance down at the application, resume, or other relevant paper work to verify information. Observe body language. Consider how this candidate"s background relates to the job requirements. Take notes. Thought speed can also work to your detriment. For example, there can be repercussions if you anticipate how applicants are going to complete their responses before they finish speaking. This can happen if you typically ask each applicant one or more of the same questions, and you typically receive the same or a similar response. Suppose one of your favorite employment questions is #Why do you want to leave your current job?$ Now let"s say you"ve asked that question of your last 1` applicants, and every one of them has replied, #There"s no room for growth.$ It"s not hard to understand why you would assume applicant number 16 is going to answer the question the same way. But everyone is different, and there is no way of predicting absolutely how someone is going to respond. If you go ahead and assume this last applicant is going to answer, #There"s no room for growth$ you could prevent yourself from hearing his actual answer, which might be, #I was bypassed for a promotion I feel I deserved.$ This answer could yield significant information relevant to the person"s objectives for wanting to join your organization.

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Thought speed can also work to your detriment if you jump to conclusions too soon, compare a person"s responses to those of a previous applicant, get too involved in note taking, or just tune out the interviewee.

Think of a time when you jumped to conclusions. What happened? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Do you believe knowing that you can think considerably faster than a person can talk would have helped you in this situation? _____ Yes _____ No Explain why or why not. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

EFFECTIVE BODY LANGUAGE When asked by her interviewer, Michelle, why she was leaving her current job, Sandra, a seasoned operations manager, replied without hesitation, #Growth opportunities are limited.$ Not satisfied with that response, her prospective employer continued to probe until Sandra finally acknowledged that a disagreement with the operations vice president over departmental procedures had led to her resignation. After the interview, Sandra wondered what she had said that prompted the interviewer to pursue the issue. Sandra did not realize that her verbal response was not the problem. Rather, her body language indicated she was being less than forthright. Until that point in the interview, Sandra had been sitting with her right leg crossed over her left leg, hands resting in her lap, eyes focused directly at her interviewer"s face. When Michelle posed the question about leaving her current employer, Sandra unconsciously shifted slightly in her seat, crossed her left leg over her right, leaned forward slightly and placed her hands on the desk before her. The specific gestures were of no particular significancea however, the change in her body language was enough to suggest to her savvy interviewer that she was not being completely forthright. © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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The Five Critical Dimension of Body Language

Dimension

Reference

Kinesics Proxemics Chronemics Oculesics Haptics

All body movements Use of interpersonal space Amount of time between verbal exchanges Eye contact or lack of it Actual body contact

Nonverbal communication, commonly referred to as body language, is a vital aspect of the employment process. While not a science and subject to misinterpretation, body language can tell interviewers as much about applicants and employees from their nonverbal messages as from their verbal ones. In fact, experts have determined that people respond to body language `` percent of the timea tone of voice 38 percent of the timea and words a mere 7 percent of the time.

What Constitutes Body Language Body language consists of five critical dimensions dExhibit 4I2e. The first dimension is kinesics. This term was coined by an American researcher, Ray Birdwhistell, in the late 194$s. A k"ne is the smallest observable unit of body movementa k"nes",s refers to all body movements that have communicative value. Facial expressions, head movements, posture, and hand motions all fall into this category. Birdwhistell estimated that we make and recognize nearly 2`$,$$$ distinct facial expressions. Most researchers recognize the following as the most common: interest, excitement, enjoyment, surprise, distress, anguish, shame, contempt, anger, and fear. Michael demonstrated kinestics when he shifted uncomfortably in his chair each time the subject of his relationship with his current manager came up. That should have indicated to Sonia that something was wrong, and that she should pursue the subject further. Sonia might have asked a series of competency-based questions concerning his relationship with his manager to confirm the nonverbal message Michael was sending: Tell me about a time when you and your boss disagreed on how to approach a project. What happenedg Has there ever been an instance when your manager asked you to follow up on something and you felt it was unnecessaryg What happenedg Give me an example of a specific occasion when your manager left you in charge. Did you do anything differently than your boss would have doneg Please be specific. © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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The second dimension, proPe=",s: involves the use of interpersonal space, or the distance we maintain from one another. There are four zones in interpersonal space: 1. The intimate zone, in which people are actually touching or are easily able to touch each other, is from zero to one and a half feet apart. 2. The personal zone, in which people are able to shake hands or are, at most, no more than arm"s length from each other, positions people from one and a half to four feet apart. 3. The social-consultive zone, which is the most commonly used in everyday social or business encounters, puts people at from four to ten feet apart. 4. The public zone, which is rarely used, positions people from ten feet and beyond. Our culture recognizes a distance of from two to five feet as being an appropriate distance between interviewer and interviewee dan overlap of the personal and social-consultive zonese. A candidate or employee from a culture that regards this as too much distance might immediately pull his chair up much closer to the interviewer. This might be interpreted as a violation of space or as an act of aggression or intimacy, leaving the interviewer with feelings of discomfort, hostility, or intimidation. Some interviewers may go so far as to move their chairs back or get up during instances of excessive proximity.

Can you think of a time when someone violated your space? _____ Yes _____ No happened?

What

___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ How did the event make you feel? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Why do you think you felt the way you did? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

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The third dimension is ,hrone=",s: the amount of time between verbal exchanges in a conversation or discussion. In our culture we expect people to respond to our questions immediately. In other cultures people deliberately wait before answeringa to do otherwise would be considered inconsiderate. Chronemics sometimes refers, also, to speech rate, vocal tone, pitch, and enunciation, even though these technically constitute verbal aspects of communication. The fourth dimension is o,u0es",s: this refers to eye contact or lack of it. In our culture we expect people to make direct eye contact with a person when conversing. We might go so far as to assume the other person has something to hide if they do not look us right in the eye when speaking. In some cultures, particularly Asian cultures, it is considered rude or intrustive to look directly at someone for whom you have regard.

Have you ever been bothered by someone who refused to look at you while you spoke to them? _____ Yes _____ No What did you do?

The final dimension of body language is hapt",s: or actual body contact. Have you ever reached out and gently touched someone on the arm when speakingg Perhaps someone has done this to you. This nonverbal expression, when consistent with a verbal message, is considered acceptable, although some people are uncomfortable with it. In addition, due to the potential for misinterpretation and the possibility of perceived harassment, employers and employees are advised against touching anyone in the workplace, especially when they are alone in a room with someone. Any of these five critical dimensions of body language on their own can send a powerful message. When combined, the impact can be even greater, often overriding simultaneous verbal messages. When a contradiction exists between what is stated verbally and what is being expressed nonverbally!as in Sandra"s case!the silent message often is the one that speaks the loudest. Translations Differ Analyzing body language is complicated by the fact that no single aspect of nonverbal communication can be universally translated. That is, a gesture © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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made by one person may mean something entirely different when made by someone else. For example, just because you have a tendency to avoid making eye contact when you are hiding something does not mean that an applicant is avoiding your eyes for the same reason. It may very well be a sign that she is deep in thought. Each person develops his or her own pattern of nonverbal messages and tends to react to a particular situation in the same nonverbal way each time that it occurs. The applicant who nervously clasps his hands while waiting to be interviewed, then, is likely to do the same thing each time he is nervous. Therefore, although there are no universal interpretations to body language cues, each of us has our own nonverbal pattern that may be consistently translated if observed over a period of time. Different cultures also tend to translate body language differently. In the United States, for example, nodding the head generally indicates an affirmative answer or understanding. In the Middle East, however, a single nod means #no.$ Such differences in interpretation occur not only among cultures, but as a result of individual socialization processes. Our patterns of nonverbal expression, then, are attributable to a combination of cultural and environmental factors. Be careful not to draw conclusions too early in the interview process, based on an interviewee"s nonverbal messages. Allow time for the individual"s patterns to emerge, and then relate these patterns to the other factors involved in making a selection.

Interpreting Body Language To say that nonverbal communication cannot be universally translated, however, is not to say that specific gestures or expressions do not typically convey a particular meaning. As a result, misinterpretation of body language frequently occurs in the workplace, sometimes with a negative impact on employer-employee relations. For instance, Elliot had a minor fender-bender accident on his way to work. That morning he had a counseling interview with Tara, who was experiencing several work-performance problems. Elliot did not realize that the body language he projected as a result of his frustration over the accident suggested to Tara that he disapproved of her work overall. He sat with his eyes narrowed, biting his lower lip and tapping his fingers on the desk. How many people are so self-confident to think, #Oh, I know it couldn"t possibly have anything to do with me?$ Even though there are no universal translations of any one gesture, people tend to interpret certain movements in a given way. Exhibit 4I3 illustrates this point. Rather than focusing on how specific movements and gestures probably carry a certain message, interviewers should be aware of any sudden changes in nonverbal communication. For example, if an employee has been sitting quite comfortably for 2$ minutes or so, then suddenly shifts in his seat when you ask why he wants to transfer out of his department, this is a clue that something is amiss. Even if the person offers an acceptable response without hesitation, the sudden change in body language should tell you that something is wrong. © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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Nonverbal Messages and Their Typical Interpretations in Western Cultures

Nonverbal Message

Typical Interpretation

Making direct eye contact Avoiding eye contact Shaking head Yawning Patting on the back Scratching the head Smiling Biting the lip Tapping feet Folding arms Raising eyebrows Narrowing eyes Flaring nostrils Wringing hands Leaning forward Slouching in seat Sitting on edge of seat Shifting in seat Hunching over Having erect posture

Friendly, sincere, self-confident, assertive Cold, evasive, indifferent, insecure, passive, frightened, nervous Disagreeing, shocked, disbelieving Bored Encouraging, congratulatory, consoling Bewildered, disbelieving Contented, understanding, encouraging, nervous Nervous, fearful, anxious Nervous, impatient Angry, disapproving, disagreeing, defensive, cold, comfortable Disbelieving, surprised Disagreeing, resentful, angry, disapproving Angry, frustrated Nervous, anxious, fearful Attentive, interested Bored, relaxed Anxious, nervous, apprehensive Restless, bored, nervous, apprehensive Insecure, passive Self-confident, assertive

Additional probing is necessary. Do not ignore the conflict between the verbal and the nonverbal. Also be careful not to erroneously interpret a personks body language according to his reaction to you. If you are not aware of your own body language, you may incorrectly assume that an applicant is initiating a nonverbal message, instead of reacting to your own. It is critical to be aware of your own body language in terms of how you react to certain emotions or situations.

Consider each of the following emotional responses and record how you typically respond to each of them nonverbally. Emotion

Typical Nonverbal Response

Agreement

__________________________________________________________

Anger

__________________________________________________________

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Anxiety

___________________________________________________________

Apprehension

___________________________________________________________

Disagreement

___________________________________________________________

Excitement

___________________________________________________________

Fear

___________________________________________________________

Gratitude

___________________________________________________________

Joy

___________________________________________________________

Resentment

___________________________________________________________

Surprise

___________________________________________________________

Understanding

___________________________________________________________

Could you control these responses if you wanted to? _____ Yes _____ No How? Be specific. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

By being aware of your own nonverbal communication, you can consciously choose to project certain nonverbal messages to applicants and employees. For instance, by knowing that nodding one"s head is generally interpreted as a sign of understanding, you can use this gesture to encourage the other person to continue talking. If you are aware that leaning forward in one"s chair implies interest or attentiveness, you can assume this position when interviewing in order to indicate interest in whatever the interviewee is saying. Your nonverbal responses can be controlled once you are aware of them. It is important to do this during an interview, since your goal is to evaluate the other person as objectively as possible. It is difficult enough to make a value judgmenta adding elements that may not be valid can only serve to make your job harder.

SEEK CONTRARY INFORMATION To avoid getting a one-sided picture of a person, either all positive or all negative, seek contrary information. When an interviewer begins to get a onesided impression of an employee or applicant, the natural tendency is to ask questions that will confirm that impression. If the initial impression is good, the interviewer will probably ask questions that confirm his or her positive views. Likewise, if the first impression is bad, he or she may explore areas

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that validate those negative feelings. The result can be an incomplete, lopsided picture. If you find yourself doing this, stop. No one person brings all positive or all negative traits to a job. Whenever you feel you"re getting a one-sided picture of a person, ask questions that will seek contrary information. For example, if all your questions have focused on situations in which the candidate excelled, ask questions that target instances or projects that the applicant feels he or she could have done differently or better. Sometimes asking for contrary information can change your evaluation of a person. Or it may confirm your earlier views. Whatever the case may be, seeking contrary information will help you make a more informed decision

Techniques There are three helpful techniques for seeking contrary information: asking direct questions, creating scenarios, and posing #what if...$ questions. Let"s apply these techniques to Michael"s interview with Sonia. When Michael applied for the opening, Sonia was pleased. She"d known Michael for two years and always found him to be pleasant and helpful. She believed he performed his duties as a compensation analyst competently and assumed that if he could do the job of an analyst, he should be ready to perform the tasks of a compensation manager. She didn"t recall hearing anything negative about him and knew there were no warning notices in his file or any disciplinary action taken against him. Consequently, she didn"t bother reading his most recent performance review. She also assumed derroneouslye that he was applying with his manager"s approval. In fact, she went so far as to assume his manager had encouraged him to apply and had groomed him as a replacement. When Michael"s appointment rolled around, Sonia believed she was interviewing him with an open mind. In reality, she was leaning in favor of his selection and targeted her questions to confirm her positive impressions of him. Sonia needed to seek contrary information. She could have done so in any one of three ways. First, she could have asked direct questions. Let"s look at some of the questions she might have asked. I"ve gotten a really good idea of what you do well, but we all know no one is perfect, so, if you would, tell me about a time when a project or assignment didn"t turn out the way you had hoped. I"m impressed with all your accomplishments. Now I"d like to take a few moments to discuss areas where you feel you could improve. This has been really interesting, Michael, but it would help me now if you could think of a time when something you were working on didn"t turn out the way you expected. Describe a situation at work that you"re not especially proud of. Tell me about a time when something at work got out of hand!what happenedg Pick a project or situation that you would like to redo. What would you do differentlyg © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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Asking direct questions to seek contrary information is a excellent technique if the other person cooperates and responds. Note that these are usually competency-based questions. If the applicant or employee is evasive, however, you could end up with something like this: SONIA: MICHAEL: SONIA: MICHAEL: SONIA: MICHAEL: SONIA: MICHAEL: SONIA: MICHAEL:

SONIA: MICHAEL:

I"ve gotten a really good idea of what you do well, but we all know no one is perfect, so, if you would, tell me about a time when a project or assignment didn"t turn out the way you had hoped. I don"t think that"s ever happened. I"m impressed with all your accomplishments. Now I"d like to take a few moments to discuss areas where you feel you could improve. I guess I could try not to be such a workaholic! This has been really interesting, Michael, but it would help me now if you could think of a time when you were disappointed with the results of something you were working on. I can honestly say that hasn"t ever happened!not because of anything I"ve done, that is. Describe a situation at work that you"re not especially proud of. I take pride in everything I do! Tell me about a time when something at work got out of hand!what happenedg Well, this year, for Secretary"s Day, I thought it would be a great idea if we surprised the secretaries in the department by having a lunch catered by that new restaurant that opened down the block. My manager thought it was a good idea and told me to go ahead. Unfortunately, the food was such a hit that nobody wanted to return to work. Not much got done the rest of the day. Pick a project or situation that you would like to redo. What would you do differentlyg I can"t think of anything...

Clearly, even though Sonia is asking a series of good, direct questions to seek contrary information, Michael is not providing much in the way of answers. That sometimes happens, either because the other person doesn"t have anything to offer, or because he is trying to dissuade you from probing negative areas. If this occurs after asking a few direct questions, try the second technique: creating a series of specific scenarios. Creating scenarios compels the other person to provide a more specific response. Here are some scenarios Sonia might have presented to Michael: Imagine, if you will, the following situation: You are trying to get a department head to submit the performance reviews for her staff on time. You feel you are being diligenta she, on the other hand, describes you as being overbearing, and complains to your manager. How would you respondg What would you do if you lost your temper with a department head who had failed to submit a performance evaluation on one of his workersg

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Try to picture the following scene: Your manager reveals his plans for implementing the organization"s new compensation plan. You disagree with his selection and tell him so. He acknowledges your views, but says he believes it is the best plan for the company. You persist in disagreeing and say, #You"re not doing what"s best for the company!you"re doing what"s best for you!$ What happens next? Where Michael was evasive in answering Sonia direct questions, he will have a harder time avoiding responses to the scenarios she"s created. He might try saying, #I don"t know.$ But he"s going to come across as weak and ineffective. He may come up with an answer that he thinks she wants to hear, but he still has to give a full response. Let"s see how Michael handles the scenarios posed by Sonia. SONIA:

MICHAEL:

SONIA: MICHAEL:

SONIA:

MICHAEL:

Imagine, if you will, the following situation: You are trying to get a department head to submit the performance reviews for her staff on time. You feel you are being diligenta she, on the other hand, describes you as being overbearing, and complains to your manager. How would you respond?$ Well, I"d explain to my manager that it"s my responsibility to collect the performance reviews by a certain date so we can evaluate them and determine the appropriate amount of increase in time for the employee"s anniversary date. When department heads don"t cooperate, the employees suffer, and that"s not fair. What would you do if you lost your temper with a department head who had failed to submit a performance evaluation on one of his workersg I suppose I"d end up apologizing, but I wouldn"t think it was the right thing to do. I mean, it"s the department head who should apologize to the employee, for failing to submit a performance evaluation so that person can get a raise! Try to picture the following scene: Your manager reveals his plans for implementing the organization"s new compensation plan. You disagree with his selection and tell him so. He acknowledges your views, but says he believes it is the best plan for the company. You persist in disagreeing and say, #You"re not doing what"s best for the company!you"re doing what"s best for you!$ What happens next? Here we go again, with me apologizing. That"s what I"m supposed to say, right? I mean, you can"t go around openly disagreeing with the boss and get away with it.

These answers are better than those Michael provided in response to Soma"s direct questions, in that Sonia is beginning to get a clearer picture or some of the areas Michael needs to work on to balance his attributes. But they are still somewhat generalized. With an interviewee like Michael, Sonia may be better off employing the third technique for seeking contrary © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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information; that is, posing a series of #what ifd$ questions. These are questions that are verifiable, such as the following. Michael, what if I were to ask your manager how you react to department heads who fail to submit performance reviews on time, what do you think he would sayg Select three of the department heads who are supposed to submit performance reviews to you in a timely manner. What if I contacted them and asked how you react when they are late with the reviews, what do you think they would sayg What if I asked your manager to describe a time when a project or assignment didn"t turn out the way you had hoped, which project would he tell me aboutg Let"s talk a bit about some of the areas in which you could use some improvement. What if I asked your manager about this. What do you think he would tell meg I"m sure you"ll agree that sometimes our intentions are good, but things get out of hand. What if I were to ask your colleagues about a time when this happened with you!what incident would they describeg Upon hearing these questions, Michael is likely to realize that Sonia could easily check with whomever is referred to. If he is less than candid, Sonia could conclude that he is hiding something or lying. Therefore, in response to these #what if...$ questions, Michael provides comprehensive responses that provide Sonia with the contrary information she needs to make an effective decision: SONIA: MICHAEL: SONIA:

MICHAEL:

SONIA: MICHAEL:

Michael, what if I were to ask your manager how you react to department heads who fail to submit performance reviews on time, what do you think he would sayg I know exactly what he would say! Knowing I feel strongly about department heads who delay their employees" salary increases, he"d say sometimes I lose my temper. Select three of the department heads who are supposed to submit performance reviews to you in a timely manner. What if I contacted them and asked how you react when they are late with the reviews!what do you think they would sayg If you call John Selden, he"ll tell you he"s late once in a while, but that it"s his fault and he always says so. Shelby Brown is pretty good, too. She"s late sometimes, and when I remind her she says, #Anything to get you to stop calling me!$ Then we both laugh, and she usually gets the review in to me within a couple of days. That"s two. How about a third department head? Hmmm. Well, I guess I wouldn"t be able to keep you from checking with Joan Trinity. She"s the worst!in terms of getting reviews on time,

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SONIA: MICHAEL: SONIA: MICHAEL: SONIA: MICHAEL: SONIA: MICHAEL:

that is. She gets annoyed when I remind her. I avoid calling her, actually. I e-mail her, to avoid hearing her reaction. What is her reactiong She threatens to call my manager if I continue to bother her. She did, too, at least twice. What if I asked your manager to describe a time when a project or assignment didn"t turn out the way you had hoped? Which project would he tell me aboutg Probably the most recent salary survey we conducteda I had hoped we would end up using it to recommend a different salary program for the company Let"s talk a bit about some of the areas in which you could use some improvement. What if I asked your manager about thisg What do you think he would tell meg I"m sure he"d say I need to work on my temper. He thinks I have a short fuse. I"m sure you"ll agree that sometimes our intentions are good, but things get out of hand. What if I were to ask your colleagues about a time when this happened with youg What incident would they describeg Probably the time I had lunch catered for secretary"s day. The food was so good and plentiful, no one wanted to go back to work.

Chances are, if Sonia used a combination of these techniques to seek contrary information she would have a achieved a more balanced picture of Michael and been able to make a more effective hiring decision.

Think about an interview you conducted recently in which you could have practiced the three techniques for seeking contrary information. Come up with one example for each technique. 1. __________________________________________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________________________________________ 3. __________________________________________________________________________

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To get the most out of every interview, concern yourself with the supportive components of encouraging interviewees to talk, actively listening when they ask or answer questions, understanding and interpreting body language, and exploring contrary evidence. For some applicants and employees, talking to an interviewer can be intimidating and unnerving. They can be encouraged to speak freely through repetition, summarization, key phrases such as #I see$ and #I didn"t know that,$ and silence. Of course, techniques such as these are useful only if you are prepared to actively listen to what interviewees have to say. Of the three types of listening!casual, selective, and active!active listening will allow you to absorb the greatest amount of information. In this regard, interviewers should devote approximately 7$ percent of the interview actively listening to key information. Active listening is easier to do if there are a minimum number of distractions. One tool that will help you focus more on what the applicant or employee says is thought speed. Knowing that you can think faster than the other person can speak will enable you to prepare your next question, analyze what the interviewee is saying, take notes, and observe body language. Body language, which includes all body movements, the use of interpersonal space, the amount of time spent between verbal exchanges, eye contact, and body contact, can send powerful and meaningful messages during an interview. When a contradiction exists between what is stated verbally and what is being expressed nonverbally, the silent message often is the one that #speaks$ the loudest. Interviewers are cautioned against attempting to universally translate nonverbal communication. Everyone has their own pattern of body language and tends to react to a particular situation in the same nonverbal way each time that it occurs. Even though there are no universal translations of any one gesture, people tend to interpret certain movements in a given way. Finally, to avoid getting a one-sided picture of a person, either all positive or all negative, seek contrary information. Sometimes asking for contrary information can change your evaluation of a person. Or it may confirm your earlier views. Whatever the case may be, seeking contrary information by asking direct questions, creating scenarios, and posing #what ifd$ situations will help you make a more informed decision.

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1. If an applicant avoids making eye contact during the interview

1. dbe

2. The three techniques for seeking contrary information are:

2. dae

3. Silence is a good way of:

3. dde

4. The most effective talkblisten ratio for interviewers is:

4. dde

5. The critical dimension of body language that involves the use of

`. dce

each time you talk about why he wants to leave his current job, it probably means that he: dae is hiding something dbe is expressing his own pattern of body language dce is lying dde is deep in thought dae posing #what if...$ situations, asking direct questions, and creating scenarios dbe asking competency-based questions, asking hypothetical questions, and posing #what if. . .$ questions dce asking probing questions, posing #what if...$ questions, and creating scenarios dde observing the other person"s body language, creating scenarios, and asking competency-based questions dae dbe dce dde dae dbe dce dde

taking the necessary time to observe body language letting thought speed work seeking contrary information encouraging interviewees to talk

2$b8$ `$b`$ 7$b3$ 3$b7$

interpersonal space is called: dae haptics dbe kinesics dce proxemics dde oculesics

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Applicant-Related Interviews Learning Objectives By the end of this chapter, you should be able to: % Identify the occasions for and ingredients of telephone and face-to-face screening interviews. % Define what areas to cover in campus interviews. % Focus on job-specific tangible and intangible qualities in employment interviews. % Recognize who to talk to and what areas to concentrate on in reference-check interviews.

INTRODUCTION There are four primary types of interviews associated with applicants: screening, campus, employment, and reference check. In Chapter 1, we followed ^ordan Saunders through 12 different types of interviews in 18 months. Four of the interviews were applicant-related, beginning with when he was a senior in college, interested in the field of information technology. He subsequently interviewed with representatives from several companies who visited the school for campus interviews. Later, ^ordan met with recruiters from several firms, who questioned him in general about his accomplishments and aspirations during screening interviews. Three of those recruiters set up appointments back at their respective companies to continue questioning him in depth in a series of employment interviews. Then ^ordan learned that both his school and the local office where he worked part-time had been contacted and questioned about his grades and work performance as part of a reference-check interview. While each of these applicant-related interviews © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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has its own specific objective, they all share the common goal of matching people with jobs. Generally, applicant-related interviews take place in a logical, sequential order. If employers are not conducting campus interviews, telephone or faceto-face screening interviews can provide the information needed to determine whether to proceed with an employment interview. When they are interviewing graduating students, prospective employers may conduct campus interviews in lieu of or in addition to screening interviews. Sometimes, applicants are granted full employment interviews #cold$: that is, without a screening interview. In all instances, if the candidate is under serious consideration, the applicant-related interview process should conclude with reference checks.

SCREENING INTERVIEWS As stated in Chapter 1, screening interviews are intended to determine preliminary job suitability and establish continued interest in a job, both on the part of the interviewer and the candidate. While screening interviews can result in a decision not to consider someone further, under no circumstances should they be viewed as a sufficient basis for extending a job offer. Screening interviews may take place on numerous occasions and may be conducted by telephone or in person.

Occasions Screening interviews are appropriate in many instances. Typically, they are conducted with applicants who have expressed an interest in a specific opening, with #walk-ins$!candidates who literally walk in to a company without an appointment, to explore either specific or general employment possibilities!or applicants who come through a third-party employment agency or search firm, internal job posting, job fair, open house, or other places where you have to see a number of candidates in a short period of time. Let"s look at some of the occasions on which Marcus, a human resources specialist for his company, conducts screening interviews. He currently has an opening for a training manager. The last time this position was available, it took nearly three months to find the right person. Not wanting to spend that long looking, Marcus decides to explore a variety of sources for candidates. He has already posted the opening internally and rejected the one employee who applied, based on her insufficient management skills. He continues his search by running an ad in two newspapers and an HR periodical. The ad describes the general responsibilities of the position, including ... managing the overall training program to support the achievement of company goals. This includes developing and managing training budgets, long- and short-term training plans, and development partnerships with local schools, colleges, and universities to meet the educational needs of the company"s population. Additional responsibilities consist of writing grants, negotiating with government agencies for training incentive funding, developing training manuals, and making sure that all OSHA, EPA, and other governmental requirements are met. © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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The ad also identifies the requirements, including #... an M.A. in human resource development or organizational development highly desirablea extensive training management experience required, preferably in a service-oriented environment.$ Interested applicants are invited to mail, fax, or e-mail resumes to Marcus" attention. After reviewing more than two dozen responses, Marcus is disappointed to see that there is only one that he would consider further as a viable candidate, a woman named Nell, who lives out of state. He contacts her and sets up telephone screening interviews. Marcus has also told the receptionist at the front desk to include the position of training manager on her list of openings, complete with a description of the duties and requirements. That way, if any walk-in applicants express an interest, she can call Marcus and see if he is available to conduct a face-toface screening interview. One such candidate does walk in, a man named Richarda Marcus is in his office and agrees to talk with Richard. In addition, Marcus has contacted two search firms and told them about the opening. One of them has sent over a stack of resumes for consider ation. Marcus peruses them and feels that only one, ^ohn, might be a possibility. He calls the search firm and arranges for a screening interview later in the week. Finally, Marcus considers adding the opening to the list of positions the company will promote at its open house, scheduled for the end of the following month. He will do this if he has not found anyone suitable by that time.

Telephone Screening Interviews Telephone screening interviews are typically conducted with applicants who have expressed an interest in a specific opening, as in response to a job ad. In particular, telephone screening is an essential pre-interview activity for professional candidates who will be traveling some distance, usually for a series of face-to-face interviews. Successful telephone screening depends on establishing and following a certain format. To begin with, it is usually wise to contact candidates at their home during nonworking hours. Identify yourself, explain the purpose of your call, and confirm the individual"s interest in the specific job. Suggest that the candidate allot approximately 1` to 4` minutes for the call, with 1` to 2$ minutes being considered sufficient for a nonexempt-level candidate and 3$ to 4` minutes being set aside for a professional-level candidate. When the specified time arrives, be prepared to describe the available position, being careful not to identify the qualities being sought in the desired candidate. Encourage the applicant to ask questions related to the specific opening or the company. Have ready a series of questions to assist you in determining whether continued interest is warranted. Some questions to ask nonexempt-level applicants are: Why they are leaving their present dor laste employerg What they do dor dide in a typical dayg © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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What they like dor likede most and least about their present dor laste jobg Why they are applying for this particular positiong In addition, ask questions relative to any significant aspects of the job. For example, if it requires standing for long periods of time, ask applicants to describe jobs where they have had to do this. In addition, describe a typical situation that is likely to occur with this job and ask the candidates to describe how they have handled similar situations in the past. Appropriate questions to ask exempt-level applicants include: Why they are leaving their present dor laste employer and why they are applying for this particular positiong What they know about your organizationg What they have contributed in past positionsg What contributions they anticipate being able to make in this positiong What they expect from your companyg How this position fits into their long-term goalsg Then, based on the particulars of the job, ask a series of competencybased questions regarding how they have handled certain situations in past positions. As candidates respond, remind yourself of the purpose of the call: You are deciding whether a face-to-face interview is in order, not whether the person should be hired. Take notes as they talka if the conversation itself is not determinative, reviewing their responses after the call in relation to the job description can help you decide whether to schedule an interview. If you do decide to bring them in, the notes can be used as a point of reference and comparison as you repeat some of the questions asked on the phone, seeking more in-depth information. Be careful not to judge the quality of a candidate"s telephone presentation if effective verbal communication skills are not a job-related criterion. On the other hand, some people, especially those in sales or marketing, do very well communicating on the phonea consequently, you must be able to separate style from substance. Before concluding the conversation, go over a brief checklist: Does the applicant understand the jobg Did you ask questions that will enable you to determine whether further interest is warrantedg Did the applicant ask pertinent questionsg Has the applicant expressed interest in the jobg Does the applicant meet the basic qualifications for the jobg Is there consistency between the information on the resume or application and what the applicant has told youg If there is no doubt in your mind that the person should be invited in for an interview, do so before the conversation is completed. If you are not certain © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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and want to review your notes before making a decision, thank the candidate for his or her time, describe the next step, and estimate when the candidate may expect to hear from you. If you are absolutely certain that the candidate is not suitable for the job, you have one or two choices: Be honest and say that his or her qualifications are not suitable or that there is a lack of specific expertise or knowledge necessary for the job, or say that you will be reviewing the results of your conversations with all the candidates before taking any farther action. If you do reject the candidate outright, be certain to explain your policy on keeping applications and resumes on file and encourage the candidate to apply again in the future for other openings. If you have handled the situation tactfully, the person can hang up feeling good, even though no job interview is forthcoming. Telephone screening offers numerous benefits. The process enables you to weed out those candidates not qualified, thereby allowing more time to devote to viable potential employees. It is also an impartial processa that is, neither party can be influenced or distracted by such visual factors as appearance, clothing, or grooming. While these can be important job-related intangibles, they are irrelevant at this screening stage. Now let"s see how Marcus made out with the Nell, the candidate he decided to contact as a result of her response to his ad for a training manager. He arranges to speak to her in the evening, after working hours, and has allotted about 4` minutes for the telephone screening interview. When the specified time arrives, he begins with some pleasantries. #Good evening, Nell. How are you? I appreciate your willingness to talk with me this evening. As you know, this is a screening interview, to determine whether there is interest on both our parts to continue with an employment interview. I"m going to talk to you about the available position, ask you some questions and answer any questions you might have about the opening or the company. Why don"t we get started?$ After highlighting the responsibilities of the job as identified in the ad, Marcus proceeds to ask some general questions, such as #Tell me what you know about our company.$ #Why are you interested in working for usg$ #Why are you interested in this particular opening?$ #Why are you leaving your present employer?$ #What contributions do you anticipate being able to make in this position?$ #What are you looking for from your next employer?$ #Tell me about your long-term goals.$ Marcus then asks some specific, competency-based questions regarding how Nell has handled certain situations in past positions. #Describe a time in your current job as training manager when the training program you managed did not support some of the organization"s goals. Please be specific.$ #Tell me about your experiences in developing partnerships with local schools to meet the educational needs of your company.$ #Have you ever written a grant? Tell me about a time when you didn"t get the grant money you were after. What happened?$ Marcus observes from Nell"s resume that she has a B.A. in human resources management and a total of six years" experience in training, two of which are as a training manager in a service-oriented environment. © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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Marcus then gives Nell an opportunity to ask him some questions. She says she only has one: #How much of the job involves budget preparation?$ Marcus replies, #Budgets are prepared once a year.$ #Good,$ replies Nell, #That"s not something I especially enjoy doing.$ Finally, Marcus goes over his checklist: Nell appears to understand the job. She asked pertinent questions that enabled him to determine that further interest is warranted. She possesses many of the qualifications for the job. There is consistency between the information on her resume and what Nell has told him. Marcus then asks, #Based on our conversation, do you feel you are still interested in our opening for a training manager?$ Nell says that she is. He states that based on her responses and the contents of her resume, he feels that an in-depth, face-to-face interview would be the appropriate next step. Nell agrees. They proceed to set up an appointment and arrange for her travel.

;/+5#6+4020+L!2"6(,+4#6&9+5#6+)!30+?00-+%61+#//+?5+1)0+/!"1+1)!1+Q0&&+9#0(+-#1+)!30+!+$!(102’(+ degree? _____ Yes _____ No Explain. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ B#+5#6+1)'-.+Q0&&’s question and statement about budget preparation should concern Marcus? _____ Yes _____ No What kind of emphasis should he place on budget preparation during the employment interview? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

Face-to-Face Screening Interviews Face-to-face screening interviews may be for a specific opening or may focus more on the candidate"s general job suitability. While no less important or revealing than telephone screening interviews, they are often bypassed. That"s because interviewers may erroneously assume that if the candidate is there in front of them it means they have to conduct a full employment interview. © American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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The objective of face-to-face screening interviews is the same as for telephone screening interviews: to establish continued interest on both sides and to determine preliminary job suitability. Assuming these two conditions are satisfied, the next step is to set up a job-specific interview. During face-to-face screening sessions, interviewers should focus on key job-related issues, usually in a period of time ranging from 1` to 2$ minutes for a nonexempt-level applicant and about 3$ to 4` minutes for a professional-level candidate. Under these conditions, interviewers often feel pressured into making a decision based on what they perceive to be limited information. Consequently, it can be tempting to dismiss a person for giving an inappropriate answer, or even because of the way he dresses or shakes your hand. Using such non-job-related reasons as the basis for rejection, especially at this early stage in the interview process, can be counterproductive for a number of reasons: You may be passing up a viable candidatea the applicant may leave with negative feelings about your organization dand may well share those feelings with othersea and it could lead to claims of discrimination based on #intent$ (that, say, the minute you saw that the candidate was black, you excluded him from further consideratione. While time is limited in a face-to-face screening interview, you can still make decisions based on solid, job-related information if you plan your format and the types of questions you will ask. Begin by explaining the purpose of the meeting, verify the available position, and ask what the applicant currently does. Then, based on the tasks and requirements, ask a series of about five to ten competency-based and open-ended questions to determine the level and nature of expertise. Wind down with, #What else should I know about you in relation to your application for this job?$ Marcus has three opportunities to conduct face-to-face screening interviews for the training manager"s opening: one employee, Debbie, who posted for the positiona one walk-in, Richarda and one applicant, ^ohn, sent by a search firm. Here is a sample of the questions he asked one of these applicants, the walk-in candidate, Richard. Good morning, Richard. Thank you for stopping by today. I understand you are interested in our opening for the training manager. Is that correctg (answer) That"s fine. Richard, as the receptionist explained to you, this is a screening interview. That means we"ll spend a few minutes discussing your interest and qualifications. Then, if it appears that there is a sufficient match between your skills and the position requirements, and you are still interested in continuing, we can arrange a more in-depth interview for another time. How does that sound to you? (answer) Okay, good. I"m going to ask you a few questions now. First, why don"t you begin by telling me about your activities in a typical day at your current job as a senior trainer. (answer) I"m interested in learning more about your managerial responsibilities. danswere Tell me about a time when your management of some aspect of the training program contributed to achieving a specific company goal, danswere What is your involvement with local schools or colleges in

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relation to meeting the educational needs of the companyg Please give me a specific example, danswere Tell me about a training manual you were instrumental in developing. danswere Your resume indicates that you have an M.A. in human resource developmenta is that correctg danswere I am also correct in understanding that all of your training experience has been in a manufacturing environmentg danswere What else should I know about you in relation to your application for this jobg danswere All righta thank you again, Richard, for your time and interest. I need to review your answers and will get back to you no later than Friday. Enjoy the rest of the day. Regardless of the outcome, Richard should leave feeling that he had an opportunity to present his qualifications and will be judged on his abilities in relation to the job requirements. Marcus, too, can leave the interview knowing he has asked enough relevant questions to make a preliminary decision whether to reject the candidate or continue with a fuller, job-specific employment interview.

Have you ever had a screening interview? _____ Yes _____ No If so, did you feel your interviewer asked you questions that determined whether you should continue with a detailed employment interview? _____ Yes _____ No If so, what were some of the questions he or she asked? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ If not, what were some of the questions he or she could have asked? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

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CAMPUS Campus interviews are usually conducted by recruiters who, in addition to looking for specific skills, are especially interested in finding students with potential who want to join their company for a career, not just a job. Once preliminary skills are established and mutual interest is established, campus recruiters will schedule in-depth interviews to be held back at the company at a later date. As with screening interviews, campus interviews should not be used as the sole basis for offering someone a job.

Traditional Versus Videoconference Interviews Traditional campus interviewing usually takes place after company representatives peruse the placement office"s resume book for students whose skills, traits, and qualities seem to fit in with their organization. They then schedule and conduct back-to-back on-campus interviews of approximately 1` to 3$ minutes each. Increasingly, however, employers are turning to videoconferencing campus interviews. Used by employers unable to commit to extensive on-campus recruiting, this technology allows recruiters to interview students #live$ through audio and visual contact on large-screen monitors. The communication is interactive, allowing the candidate to observe the image being viewed by the recruiter via picture-in-picture technology. The areas covered and questions asked are usually the same as in traditional campus interviews. Employers report that the two greatest advantages of videoconference campus interviews are the time and money they save. After the initial investment for equipment dwhich is often also used to deliver corporate training programse, there are no travel expenses to various colleges and universities or time wasted visiting campuses with limited results. Videoconference interviews also allow employers to expand the scope of campuses visited. This is especially significant for organizations that cannot compete for the top students from prestigious institutions and must recruit from lesser-known schools. On the other hand, the process lacks the personal face-to-face element of traditional interviews. Applicants are basically alone in a room, talking to a screen and camera. Many students report feeling uneasy about being scrutinized on camera, knowing that recruiters can pan and zoom via a control pad. It can also be unnerving to see yourself as the recruiter sees you. One student reported that she preferred a traditional interview because she felt on more equal footing with the interviewer, after all, when you"re both sitting face-toface in a room, the interviewer can"t change the viewing angle. The cost of videoconferencing equipment ranges from j`,$$$ for a basic system to j2`,$$$ for a system that provides broad videoconferencing capabilities. Additional information regarding videoconferencing is available in the brochure, #Power User"s Guide!Tips for Better Videoconferences$ (1-8$$b 716-6$$$e.

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Have you ever been interviewed via videoconferencing? _____ Yes _____ No If yes, describe what it was like. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ How would you compare the videoconferencing experience with a traditional face-to-face interview? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ If you have never experienced a videoconference interview, how do you imagine it would feel to ?0+1!&.'-A+4'1)+(#$0#-0+4)#+4!(-’1+'-+1)0+2##$G ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Do you think the advantages of videoconference interviews outweigh the disadvantages? _____ Yes _____ No Please explain. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

Areas of Focus Since most students have limited work experience, campus interviewers must face the difficult task of selection for in-depth interviews based almost exclusively on intangible factors. Although a student"s chosen field of study is useful, recruiters must still concentrate on evaluating potentiala that is, the probability of a particular student becoming an asset to their organization. When effective interviewing skills are applied, however, many candidates

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selected through school recruiting efforts will develop a keen sense of company loyalty and go on to become valued, long-term employees. That said, let"s look at what campus interviewers should focus on. ^ordan Saunders dChapter 1e met with recruiters from several firms, who questioned him in general about his accomplishments and aspirations. One of them, Sam Watkins, represents a high-tech firm on the West Coast and conducted an interview that resulted in an employment interview. Here is an excerpt from their campus interview: SAM:

^ORDAN: SAM: ^ORDAN: SAM: ^ORDAN: SAM: ^ORDAN: SAM: ^ORDAN: SAM: ^ORDAN: SAM: ^ORDAN: SAM: ^ORDAN: SAM: ^ORDAN: SAM: ^ORDAN: SAM: ^ORDAN: SAM:

Hello, ^ordan, I"m Sam Watkins, vice president for IT Plus. I"m interested in talking to you about possibly joining our firm. I"d like to explore your background and areas of interest for a few minutes. Then, if we both agree, we can set up an appointment back at IT Plus for a fuller interview. What do you say we get startedg Sounds good. Great! Let"s begin by talking about your interest in information technology and why you decided to major in it. How did that come aboutg As far as I"m concerned, it"s the only major worth having these days. IT is the future!the only future. How are your grades in your IT coursesg My IT grades have always been A"s. They make up for my other grades which are more like B"s and C"s. How do you see yourself applying your major in IT when it comes to workg I figure grads with IT skills can pretty much write their own ticket. What would you describe as your greatest assetg I"m analytical. Can you give me an example of a time when you applied this assetg I approach everything I do analytically. It"s just the way I think. Tell me about the subjects in which you require the greatest amount of improvementg I suppose I"d have to say I don"t do very well in some of the #softer$ subjects, like art and music. I just don"t have much use for those subjects. What do you think an employer owes its employeesg Opportunities for growth, a good work environment, a good benefits package!I guess that"s it. Oh!and cutting edge technology to work with!that"s a given. What about what employees owe an employerg They should do the work they were hired to do. What will you bring to IT Plusg My analytical skills and knowledge of IT Have you given any thought to your future!that is, what you might be doing five years from nowg I don"t know exactly, but it"ll have to do with technology, for sure. I imagine I"ll be running a division of a large company, or maybe even running my own firm. Do you have any questions you"d like to ask meg

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^ORDAN: SAM: ^ORDAN: SAM:

Yes. I"d like to know about IT Plus" career paths, training programs, benefits, salary, and information about the city I"d be living and working in. Of course. I think you"ll find all the answers you need on this CD-ROM. Great!thanks. All right, then. I"d like to go ahead and schedule you to come on in for a series of in-depth interviews with our team back at IT Plus. Let"s take a look at our calendars...

As you can see, many of these questions are open-ended, focusing on some of ^ordan"s intangible qualities and views.

Do you think Sam had enough information about Jordan to schedule an in-depth employment interview? _____ Yes _____ No Based on the answers Jordan provided, would you have scheduled an in-depth employment interview with him? _____ Yes _____ No Why or why not? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEWS In employment interviews, the focus should be on identifying candidates who possess job-related qualifications, including prior work experience and formal education, relevant skills and abilities, and a demonstrated interest in the type of work they are applying for. Employment interviews are often conducted in stages: A human resources representative conducts a general jobsuitability interviewa the manager asks detailed job-specific questionsa and the department head or some other official of the company focuses on broader, goals-centered issues. In each instance, interviewers should practice the five effective questioning techniques described in Chapter 3. Let"s examine each of these stages more closely.

General Job-Suitability Stage In many work environments, HR representatives conduct this first, critical step in an applicant"s interview process. Indeed, if this stage does not go well, it is unlikely that the candidate will move on to the next step, for it is here

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that interviewers are able to zero in on three categories as they relate to the opening: education, work experience, and skills and abilities. The