SURE FIT

PARTICIPANTS MANUAL
INTRODUCTION
The selection of a new organization member or employee in your business is a major
investment. Developing and maintaining a selection system yields solid returns productive
employees who enjoy their responsibilities and seek opportunities to continuously improve
their jobs which make it critical to the success of every organization.
Interviewing, so far, is still the most effective method of selection. By applying the concepts of
competency-based system (CBS) in interviewing, its viability as a selection tool is further
increased.

Program Objectives
At the end of the workshop, the participants will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to
create and implement a competency-based interviewing and selection process within their
organizations.
Specifically, they will be able to:

Know how to select the right person by applying competency-based interviewing skills;
Assess jobs based on its competency requirements;
Develop a competency-based interview assessment instrument;
Capture competency (knowledge, skills and attitude) level of each candidate during the
interviewing process;
Formulate behavioral and situational questions
Practice the four phases of successful interviewing
Identify the ethical and unethical interview practices
Know when to use panel interview
Explain how to remain objective and avoid interview pitfalls
Read favorable and unfavorable non-verbal cues
Practice rating and evaluating interviewees
Arrive at an action plan for the implementation of the competency-based interviewing

Course Outline:
I. Why Behavioral and Competency-Based Interviewing
Cost of Ineffective Interviewing
Common / Traditional Interviewing Pitfalls
Advantages of Behavioral vs. Traditional
II. The Behavioral / Competency-Based Interviewing Model
Features of Competency Based System
Assessing Jobs Based On Competency Requirements
Deciphering the Job Description
Setting Job Competency Requirements and Levels
Developing Competency-Based Interview Instrument
What is a Behavioral Interview?
Constructing Effective Behavioral Questions; The STAR and the SBOT Models
Identifying Behavioral Statements / Answers
III. Interviewing Essentials
Planning the Interview
Interview Etiquette
The Four Phases of Any Good Interview (Opening, Info Gathering, Info-Giving,
Closing Interviewing Techniques
Conducting the Competency-Based Selection Interview
Skills Practice on Competency-Based Probing Questions
Rating the Competency-Based Interview
Effective Note-Taking
Common Interviewer Errors
Behavioral Cues and Body Language
Evaluation and Giving Feedback to the interviewee
Action Planning and Closure

I. Why Behavioral and Competency-Based Interviewing

Competency-Based Interviews
Competency-based (or behavioral) interviews are based on the premise that past behavior is
the best predictor of future behaviour. Interviewers seek to obtain information about
candidates past behavior in certain situations. Competency-based interviews are structured,
with questions that relate directly to the essential criteria and competencies required for the
post. Research into recruitment and selection methodology suggests that structured,
competency based interviews can be one of the most reliable and accurate forms of
assessment.
Competency-based interview questions have been used for selection, but have not always been
labelled as such. This style of interviewing is usually only one part of the interview process and
often a more informal interview is held separately to discuss the CV in a chronological
approach.
A good recruitment and selection interview should assess candidates against each essential
criteria or competency, asking questions about:

Past behaviours and performance

Learning from past behaviours
Future adaptability to new post
Knowledge and understanding of issues in relation to the post

What does the interview focus on?

Most interviews will focus on six key areas. These will mostly be competencies, but may also
include other knowledge-based essential criteria for example leadership, teamwork, conflict,
motivation, creativity and technical skills related to the job spec. They will be focused on those
competencies which are most important for the particular job. You may also be required to
meet other, specific essential criteria. This could be an in-depth knowledge of a particular area
or experience of working in a similar role previously.
Competency-based interview questions are slightly different to the style you may be used to.
They will tend to focus on past situations and your behaviour in those situations. Questions are
likely to start with: "Please give me an example of when. . ." or "Please describe an occasion"
etc.

Example Questions include:

Leadership
Why are you a good leader?
What type of leadership style do you adopt?
How would those you have lead describe you?
Delegating
Explain a mistake you have made in delegating- what were the consequences?
In what instance would you delegate a task?
What are the advantages of delegating?
Conflict & Pressure
Give an example of an instance when you have had an argument with someone
at work?
What was the outcome?
How do you react if your boss asks you to do something which conflicts with your
own deadlines?
Team Work
Do you prefer to work alone or in a group?
When you joined your last company, how did you get on with your co-workers?
Staff Motivation and Development
What makes a good manager?
How you motivate staff?
Personal Motivation
What are the three most important events in your career to date?
What are your standards of success in your job?
Decision Making
What is the toughest decision you have had to make while at your present company?
Tell me about it.
What alternatives did you consider?
What has been the effect of your decisions on others and what was the wider impact?

Advantages of Behavioral Competency-Based (Structured) Interview

Structured behavioral interviewing increase the likelihood of receiving honest and

revealing responses to structured, job-related questions.

The information obtained may be used to gauge candidates job-related competencies

and assist employers in determining which candidate is most qualified for a position.

Answers to structured behavioral interview questions should provide verifiable,

concrete evidence as to how a candidate has dealt with issues in the past.

This information often reveals a candidates level of experience and his or her potential
to handle similar situations in your organization.

The information may also be highly useful in conducting final reference checks, as one
may verify that the candidate actually did what he or she has claimed.

STRUCTURED VS UNTRUCTURED INTERVIEW

Structured Interview
All candidates are asked the same questions in the same order.
All candidates are evaluated using a common rating scale.
Interviewers are in agreement on acceptable answers.
Unstructured Interview
Candidates may be asked different questions.
A standardized rating scale is not required.
Interviewers do not need to agree on acceptable answers

Cost of Ineffective Interviewing

Typical costs:

Basic recruitment activities cost

Salary and benefits covering the period of time the poor performing individual was
employed
Training / Orientation Costs
Productivity Losses
Lost customers / market share

Other related costs:

Negative effect on co-workers morale and productivity (difficult to measure but can be very
significant)
Legal fees, severance pay
Additional recruitment and training fees which must be repeated with a new hire

Competency-based recruitment system

The introduction of Competency-Based Management (CBM) provides organizations with a
unique opportunity to create and shape a recruitment and selection system based
competencies that job experts within the organization have identified as being critical for
success in the targeted job or role.
Having established the competency profiles for groups and roles, organizations can use the
competencies as the standards for assessing candidates throughout the screening and selection
process as well as advertising and communicating the organizations requirements to potential
applicants.

Competencies support recruitment and selection by:

Providing bona fide, validated, fair and unbiased standards against which to assess
applicant competencies to perform in the targeted role / job.

Improving the transparency of the selection process by clearly communicating the

behaviors employees must display for success in the role / job.

Contributing to the design of a well-articulated, efficient and effective recruitment and

selection processes.

Creating efficiencies by providing re-usable selection tools and processes (e.g., question
banks for interviews and reference-checking organized by competency; template interview
and reference checking guides for roles / jobs within the organization; targeted role plays,
work simulations, in-basket assessments; etc.)

Providing explicit, clear and transparent criteria on which to give candidates feedback on
their performance in the selection process (e.g., input for future learning and development;
etc.)

Sample of Competency-based Interview Questions

Reference: www.exploreHR.org.

PERSUASIVENESS: Reason effectively to convince the other party. Achieve goals and alter views
by demonstrating shared benefits.
Behavioral statements:

Showing a cooperative attitude by convincing people that the decision is necessary

(rather than imposing the decision).
Get an idea of colleagues' counter-arguments and resistance in advance - act on this in
anticipation.
Relate the benefits of ideas or recommendations to the needs and interests of
individuals and clients.
Present compelling arguments to support positions.

Questions:

As a member of a staff department how have you gone about persuading line managers
in the past? Give an example.
What is the best suggestion you ever made that was accepted by your boss or
colleagues? How did you present it?
What is the best suggestion you ever made that was rejected by your boss or
colleagues? Why was it rejected?
In a discussion most people are usually convinced that their ideas are right. How
successful are you in getting others to accept your point of view? Can you give an
example?
What do you think is the best way of 'selling' an unpopular idea? How do you go usually
go about this? Example?

TEAM-WORK: Be active in realizing shared goals - even when you do not get a direct benefit.
Behavioral statements:

Dealing well with different viewpoints as part of a (multidisciplinary) team.

Work co-operatively with equals or other team members to set

responsibilities.
Share information, ideas and suggestions to accomplish mutual goals.
Support team decisions even if not in total agreement.

Questions:

Can you recall a situation when you completely disagreed with the way your team was
working? What did you do then?
Have you ever been a member of a team that broke up because it was impossible to
work with one another? What was your position?
Do you work together with colleagues at the moment? How do you deal with conflicts /
disagreements / misunderstandings in this group?

PLANNING /ACTION: Deploy human and other resources to meet targets and standards. Do it
on time.
Behavioral statements:

Plan work so that it gets done on time.

Formulate work objectives clearly including a timetable and priorities.
Getting thing done by focusing on the implementation.
Anticipate and act to compensate for potential risks and problems.

Questions:

Have you ever had to readjust a timetable due to unforeseen circumstances? How
did you go about it? Examples, please.
What are your department's long and short term plans? Have they been put into
writing?
What were your work objectives last year? Were they achieved?
Can you give an example of how your department arrives at operational plans to
adjust to new situations?
How did you plan your time at work over the past week?
Describe a normal working day or week for me. How do you plan your daily
activities?

LEADERSHIP: Set challenges within own parameters. Then coach and motivate staff to realize
these. Welcome and delegate responsibility. Be forceful when appropriate.
Behavioral statements:

Practice and stimulate open and two way communication including frank and honest
feedback to co-workers.
Show interest and give support and coaching when necessary.
Involve subordinates in issues of company and department policy.
Develop ideas to improve departmental operations and take the appropriate actions
to implement change and ensure group acceptance.

Questions:

Have you ever had a subordinate who did not perform as well as you thought he
should? What did you do about it?
Have you ever had to arbitrate between two staff members who were unable to
work together? How did you get them to cooperate?
How often do you hold meetings with your staff? Why not more/less often? How did
you prepare for the last meeting?
Have you ever involved your staff in issues of company policy? How did you go about
this?
Have you ever lead a work group or project team whose members were not lowerplaced than yourself in the organizational hierarchy? How did you manage this?
Has it ever happened that targets were not met while you were in charge or had
final responsibility? What did you do then?

PROBLEM ANALYSIS: Identify problems; recognize significant information; gather and

coordinate relevant data; diagnose possible causes.
Behavioral statements:

Take well planned steps to gather and organize data for diagnostic purposes.
Distinguish the grade of problems and to indicate major issues.
Foresee problems and to judge their relevance.
Ask for questions and ensure they are answered.

Questions:

Describe a significant problem that you were confronted with during the past year?
What steps did you take to assemble and organize data? What do you consider to be
the cause of the problem?
Unforeseen problems sometimes arise. Have you ever been surprised by an
unexpected problem?
Have you ever been confronted with a situation which turned out to be very
different (and perhaps more complicated) than you had at first judged?
Sometimes a problem seems to have been solved when in fact only part of a far
more extensive, underlying problem has been dealt with. Have you ever experienced
a situation like this?
Can you describe a problem that you were unable to solve?

ACHIEVEMENT ORIENTATION: Set and meet the highest standards. Be discontented with
average performance.
Behavioral statements:

Set high standards and seek continuous improvements.

Input more than the required effort to realize predetermined targets.
Formulate realistic and challenging tasks for yourself and the team members.
Maintain quality and urgency towards desired results.

Questions:

When have you aimed for perfection? Concrete examples please.

What do you demand of yourself in your work? Do you demand the same things of
your staff?
If you have recently had to evaluate a staff member or colleague on job
performance, what for you was the difference between a good worker and a poor
one?
Can you remember ever demanding of others too much or too little?
Have you ever worked in a team? What did you expect of the other team members?
When have you been satisfied with your work? Can you give an example of a
situation in which you were unable to come up to your own standards? What did
you do about it?

8 key steps in developing a structured interview

1. Conduct a Job Analysis
2. Determine the Competencies to be assessed by the Interview
3. Choose the Interview Format and Develop Questions
4. Develop Rating Scales to Evaluate Candidates
5. Create Interview Probes
6. Pilot-Test the Interview Questions
7. Create the Interviewers Guide
8. Document the Development Process

1. Conduct a Job Analysis

The purpose of a job analysis is to identify the requirements of the job and the competencies
necessary to perform them. In many instances, a new job analysis will not need to be
conducted; however, the critical requirements and competencies should be re-confirmed by
subject matter experts. A thorough job analysis will:

Identify the job tasks and responsibilities.

Identify the competencies required to successfully perform the job tasks and
responsibilities.
Identify which of those competencies are required upon entry to the job.

To gather this information about a job, consider sources such as:

Performance appraisal critical elements

Position descriptions
Classification standards
Task statements

Interviews with subject matter experts (e.g., high-performing employees,

supervisors)
Organizational charts

2. Determine the Competencies to be Assessed by the Interview

After identifying the critical competencies, determine which will be assessed in the selection
process and how each competency will be measured (e.g., using a written test or interview).

The structured interview is typically used to assess between four and six competencies, unless
the job is unique or at a high level. Some competencies (e.g., Oral Communication,
Interpersonal Skills) are particularly well-suited to assessment through an interview.

SAMPLE COMPETENCY-BASED PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL

DECIPHERING THE JOB DESCRIPTION

Identify the job tasks and responsibilities.

Identify the competencies required to successfully perform the job tasks and
responsibilities.
Identify which of those competencies are required upon entry to the job

SAMPLE JOB-DESCRIPTION

3. Choose the Interview Format and Develop Questions

The format of the interview can focus on candidates past behavior, their anticipated behavior
in hypothetical situations, or a combination of the two approaches. An interview based on
questions about past behaviors is a behavioral description interview, also known as a
behavioral event interview. An interview based on questions about hypothetical behavior is a
situational interview.
The interview format will determine how the interview questions are developed. The two
interview formats measure different aspects of job performance. Therefore, deciding which
format to use depends upon the needs and resources of the company and on the other
assessments used. Your management may elect to include questions derived from both the
behavioral- and situational-interview formats.

Regardless of the format, the interview questions should be:

Reflective of competencies derived from a job analysis

Realistic of the responsibilities of the job
Open-ended
Clear and concise
At a reading level appropriate for the candidates
Free of jargon

Behavioral Interview Format and Questions.

Behavioral based job interviews are based on learning how the interviewee acted in
specific employment-related situations. The logic is that past behavior will predict future
performance.
The primary purpose of the behavioral interview is to gather information from job
candidates about their actual behavior during past experiences which demonstrates
competencies required for the job.
The underlying premise is the best predictor of future behavior on the job is past
behavior under similar circumstances.
For example, consider the competency, Interpersonal Skills, defined as: shows
understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others;
develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively
dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people
from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race,
gender, disabilities, and other individual differences. This definition could lead to a
behavioral interview question focused on a candidates past behavior such as:
o Describe a situation in which you dealt with individuals who were difficult,
hostile, or distressed. Who was involved? What specific actions did you take and
what was the result?

Writing Behavioral Interview Questions with SMEs

Convene a group of approximately 6 or 7 subject matter experts (SMEs).

These SMEs should be experienced, high-performing employees or supervisors who
possess knowledge of the job at the level of the position to be filled.
Typically, SMEs are at the journey level or higher.
Have SMEs familiarize themselves with the competencies (and their definitions) to
be measured by the interview.
Have SMEs work together to write interview questions.

o Each question should measure at least one of the specified competencies.

o Each question should be written to elicit specific details about a situation,
task, or context, the actions the person took or did not take, and the impact
of these actions.
SMEs should use superlative adjectives in the questions (e.g., most, last, worst, least)
to help the candidate focus on specific incidents.
SMEs should develop more questions than are actually needed to allow for
subsequent discarding of questions during review and tryout.

Situational Interview Format and Questions

In contrast to the behavioral interview, the questions in a situational interview are

based on future-oriented behavior.
Situational interview questions give the candidate realistic job scenarios or
dilemmas and ask how he/she would respond.
The underlying premise is a persons intentions are closely tied to his/her actual
behavior.
Can be an effective incident or
Can be an ineffective incident

Writing Situational Interview Questions with SMEs

Assemble a group of subject matter experts (SMEs) who have extensive knowledge
about the job.
Have the SMEs review the competencies (and their definitions) to be measured by the
interview and the job tasks linked to the competencies.
Have SMEs write examples of effective and ineffective behaviors (i.e., critical incidents)
which reflect the competencies and associated tasks.
Arrange for a separate group of SMEs to read each critical incident and identify the
competency they believe the incident best illustrates.
o This will confirm whether the critical incidents can be clearly linked to the
specific competencies to which they are supposed to be linked.
Have SMEs rewrite the retained critical incidents in the form of hypothetical situations.
o These hypothetical situations should still demonstrate the correct competency.
o The hypothetical situations should be as real as possible and reflective of the job.
As with the behavioral interview, have SMEs develop more questions than are actually
needed to allow for future elimination.

4. Developing a Rating Scale for Behavioral Interview

Set Job Competency Requirements and Levels

Decide on one proficiency-level range for all competencies (e.g., a range of 1-5 with
5 being the most proficient and 1 being the least proficient).

Create at least three proficiency levels, but aim for five to seven levels.
Label at least three proficiency levels (e.g., unsatisfactory, satisfactory, and
superior).

Sample Rating Scale

For a behavioral interview, develop example behaviors for each proficiency level of each
competency. The purpose of these example behaviors is to clearly differentiate between
proficiency levels for each competency. This will ease the rating process by giving interviewers
concrete behaviors to refer to as they are considering how proficient each candidate is on each
competency. The example behaviors will provide a common framework for assessing
candidates responses in a consistent manner.

Subject matter experts (SMEs) should assist in developing the behavioral examples for each
behavioral interview question.

Reconvene the panel of SMEs who developed the behavioral interview questions.
For each question, have SMEs individually determine how actual employees at each
proficiency level would respond (i.e., what their answers would be).
These hypothetical responses are behavioral examples for the proficiency levels.
Have the SMEs discuss their behavioral examples.
For each proficiency level, retain behavioral examples which the SMEs agree best
reflect the competency at that level.
Instruct interviewers to use these behavioral examples as a general guide (not an
absolute) in making their ratings, as candidates responses may differ depending on
their unique experiences

The following table presents an example behavioral interview rating scale for a question based
on the competency Interpersonal Skills. This rating scale has been supplemented with
behavioral examples to illustrate differences between the proficiency levels.
Example of a Behavioral Interview Question and Rating Scale

Rating Scale and Behavioral Responses for a Situational Interview.

As with behavioral interview questions, the first step in the development of a rating scale for
each situational interview question is
1. Specifying the range of proficiency for each competency being assessed.

Decide on one proficiency-level range for all competencies.

Have at least three proficiency levels, but aim for five to seven levels.
Provide labels for at least three proficiency levels (e.g., unsatisfactory, satisfactory,
and superior).

2. Next, develop a representative response for each competency proficiency-level for each
hypothetical job-scenario question. A representative response illustrates how someone with
the given proficiency level on the given competency might behave. To develop the
representative responses for proficiency levels of each situational interview question, follow
these steps:
Reconvene the panel of subject matter experts (SMEs) who developed the interview
questions.
For each hypothetical scenario, have each SME individually determine how actual employees
at each proficiency level might behave (i.e., what their answers would be).
- These answers are representative responses for the proficiency-level ratings.
Have the SMEs discuss their representative responses.
For each proficiency level, retain the representative responses which the SMEs agree are the
best.

The table below shows an example proficiency-level rating scale for a situational interview
question with representative responses for each proficiency level. The situational interview
question is derived from a job task and reflects a particular competency. This linkage needs to
be present for all questions.

5. Next step is creating interview probes

A probe is a question asked by the interviewer to help clarify a candidates response or ensure
the candidate has provided enough information. When probes are necessary, interviewers
should use very similar probes for all candidates to ensure candidates are given the same
opportunities to excel. While probes may need to be tailored to address each candidates
specific response, the general meaning of the probes should not change.
Prior to the interview, establish the desired range of probing (for example, no probes, a
limited number of probes, unlimited probes).
If probes will be used, determine the specific probes for each question the interviewer is
allowed to use.

Example probes for behavioral- and situational-interview questions are presented in the next
table.

6. Pilot Testing the Interview Questions and Evaluate the Interview Process
Prior to using the newly developed behavioral interview and/or situational interview questions
in an actual interview, give the questions to colleagues for a trial run. This trial run (i.e., pilot
test) will ensure questions are clearly worded and draw an appropriate range of responses. The
pilot test will indicate if and where revisions need to be made. To the extent possible, the pilot
test should mirror the actual structured interview.

7. Create the Interviewers Guide

After finalizing the questions and rating scales, create an interviewers guide. The interviewers
guide should provide general instructions about the interview process, a summary of common
rating biases and rating mistakes to avoid, and general tips for good interviewing. The guide
should also provide information specific to the particular interview, including:

Definitions of each competency being assessed

Proficiency levels of each competency
Interview questions
Rating scale (with behavioral examples and/or representative responses) for each
question
Example probes

8. Document the Development Process

You should maintain records of the entire interview development process. The documentation
should include:

Descriptions of all participants, including subject matter experts and those in the
pilot study (e.g., name, job title, race, national origin, sex, and level of expertise).
Interview development materials (e.g., reference materials, previous manuals).
A description of the development of the interview, including the job analysis, the
question and rating scale development process, and the pilot test.

SBOT (Also Known as STAR or EBOT)

SBOT has the following structure:
Situation (Situation/Task/Event)
What was the situation, task, event, etc?
Behavior (Action)
How did you handle it?
Outcome (Results)
What was the outcome?
Timeframe (Date)
When did it happen (recent is better)?

Developing Questions The STAR and the SBOT Models

1. The situation/task/event is important because it explains why the behavior/action took
place
2. The behavior is important because it explains how the behavior/action took place
3. The outcome is important because it helps determine whether the behavior/action was
effective or not
4. The timeframe is important because it lets us know how recently the behavior/action was
used. All of these factors are necessary for a complete behavioral interview.

The STAR Approach Interview Example

Situation: Give an example of a situation you were involved in that resulted in a positive
outcome.
Task: Describe the tasks involved in that situation.
Action: Talk about the various actions you took.
Results: Explain the positive results that directly followed because of your amazing
actions and decision-making skills.

Example of a STAR Answer

Situation: During my internship last summer, I was responsible for managing the social
media accounts.

Task: I noticed that the company didnt have many Twitter followers and their fan page
had very little activity on it. I wanted to find a way to strengthen their online presence.

Action: I began participating in Twitter chats, promoting helpful links to articles, and
updating the about sections with keywords, among other things.

Result: Within a couple of months, our following on both sites had more than tripled.
Our Twitter page now has more than 1,000 followers.

ARRANGE TO SBOT/STAR APPROACH

1. ___Describe for me the steps you had to make to answer peoples objections on
some idea that you are selling.
2. ___Give me an example of a time when you had to persuade people to do
something they really didn't want to do.
3. ___Tell me how the people who opposed your ideas reacted to your ways of
handling them.
4. ___Tell me the different tactics you did to convince people who disagree with your
ideas.

Identify the SBOT in this answer

Q: Describe a Time Where You Had to Train a coworker with a critical Task.
A. My coworker Bill needed to make a presentation to a potential customer about
Widgets300, a new product. Bill was unfamiliar with the product and came to me for advice
since I was considered an expert on Widgets300.Over the course of five days, I trained Bill on
Widgets300. At the end of the five days, I asked Bill to do a dry run of his presentation to me
to make sure that he had mastered what I taught him.
Bill presented to the potential customer and was able to answer all of their questions about
Widgets3000. The customer decided to buy the product and is now very pleased with their
relationship with our company.

8 major personality types that companies look for

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Boss - Leadership
Superstar - The high achiever, drives themselves to top spot.
Expert - Deep knowledge on one or more important subjects (could be IT for example).
Good Citizen - High integrity, helps others, mentor.
Team Player - Selfless, does whatever is required to help the team.
Juggler Multi-tasker, can handle multiple simultaneous tasks or projects, and make
wise decisions.
7. Self Developer - Takes responsibility for their own learning and personal growth (a
fantastic trait to demonstrate, and to use to lessen potential weaknesses).
8. Problem Solver - Ideas person, creative, problem solver.

III. Interviewing Essentials

Planning the Interview

PRACTICAL DETAILS
PLANNING THE QUESTIONS

Practical Details
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Interview time and date

Interview room
Access requirements
Options if people are unable to attend
Panel members and roles
Interview time and date

Planning the Questions

1. Traditional Questions
2. Competency-Based Questions
a. Behavioral Questions
b. Situational Questions

Interview Dos And Donts

Dos
1. Review the candidates resume and other assessment files.
2. Start the interview on time.
3. Tell the interviewee how long the interview will take.
4. Notify the interview that you will take notes.
5. Introduce yourself properly (handshake).
6. Ask relevant questions only.
7. Eye contact.
8. Give the candidate an idea about the company and the job responsibilities.
9. Answer relevant
10. End on time.
Donts
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Avoid asking questions that may be offensive (eg, marriage, sexual orientation, etc).
Avoid questions about race, religion, politics, etc.
Dont stare.
Dont write notes on the resume.
Avoid interruptions such as texting or answering phone calls and other mannerisms.
Avoid having the candidate to wait for too long

Four Phases of Any Good Interview

1. Opening
a. Greeting
b. Rapport building
2. Info Gathering
a. Getting background information
b. Traditional questions
c. Behavioral and situational questions
d. Note-taking
3. Info- Giving
a. About the job, company, office, boss, team
4. Closing
a. Thanking

Panel Interview
Advantages

They're more objective.

You have a chance to think more about the candidate's.
You don't make instant judgments.
It's a great way for subordinates to meet the candidate without the typical
awkwardness.
You'll also see more of the candidate's true personality.
It saves time.
It allows secondary interviewers to be involved.
The assessment is more accurate and consistent .

When to Use Panel Interviews

For target positions that require collaboration with other teams/department.

When key stakeholders need to be a part of the panel
If you want to ensure objectivity and democratize the selection process
To save time

SKILLS PRACTIVE GUIDELINES

Describe the interview situation

o Position
o Candidates profile
o Anticipated questions from the candidate
Interview Structure
o Your planned Behavioral Probing Questions

Guidelines for Taking Notes

Tell the candidate up-front that you are going to take some notes

Use a clip board or portfolio

Put your note pad in your lap or at an angle to the candidate. Remove your note taking
from the candidates direct view so your writing doesnt distract the candidate. A pad of
paper without a clipboard or portfolio may be too flimsy.
Dont record information that is already available
Research shows that 80% of what most interviewers write down is already available on
the application or a resume. Dont waste your effort nor distract the candidate if the
information is available elsewhere.
Avoid taking word-for-word notes
Record the essence of what the candidate says. Use their words but dont write full
sentences. Write word phrases that will remind you of the candidates response. Go
back after the interview to complete your notes.
Don't take notes on non-job related information - even if it is volunteered
Dont take notes on a candidates response that is not job related. The interview record
should only reflect information needed to make a selection decision. If the information
isn't job relate, then it is only cluttering the record. Remember that your interview
notes can be subpoenaed if legal action is taken. Make sure your notes only reflect job
related information and behavior.
Use the Telegraph Technique
Write down key words, symbols or quick messages that telegraph a reminder to you
about key points. For example, write down investigated procedure. Then leave some
space. After the interview you can go back and make a few notes about how the
candidate took the initiative to investigate the text and intent of questioned procedure.
Write key words not conclusions
Conclusions from candidate examples and stories can only be drawn when you have had
time to think and reflect on all that the candidate said. During the interview, just write
the key words that will allow you to draw conclusions once the interview is completed.
Make note taking only 10% of your interview activity
Write memory joggers then work to maintain eye contact, ask appropriate probes, and
maintain rapport.
Immediately, take 510 minutes to record conclusions
If the decision were up to you, right now, would you hire immediately, interview again,
or decide not to hire? Write job-related reasons that support your decision. Dont be
bashful call it like you see it...Yes, No, or Maybe and why.

Rating the Interviewees

Arrival of the Candidate

o Late
o Too early
o Professional bearing
o Initial impressions
Rating Each Candidate
o Background information
o Competency-Based Rating form
Behavioral Questions
Situational Questions
Documenting the Interview Process
o Note-taking
o Recording
o Video-Taping

Common Interview Errors

Snap Judgment:
Do not jump to conclusions during the first few minutes of an interview.
Contrast Effect:
The applicant is likely to receive a more favorable evaluation if preceded by an
average candidate and a less favorable evaluation if preceded by a strong
candidate.
Too Much too Little Talking:
Dont let the applicant dominate the interview to the point where you could ask
only too few questions. Don t' talk too much and give the applicant a chance to
fully answer the questions.
Negative Emphasis:
In an interview don t' make your purpose a search for negatives of the applicant.
Halo Effect:
Dont draw a general impression on the basis of a single positive or negative
characteristic, i.e.: Being impressed with the candidate's speaking ability, does
not mean that this candidate is good in all other aspects such as analytical
thinking or problem solving

Pressure to Hire:
If you are pressured to hire a new candidate be careful not to evaluate the
applicant much more highly than he/ she really is.
Stereotyping:
Do not build initial judgments on a candidate just because he/she belongs to
a certain group, e.g.: older employees aren't good at learning new skills
Non-Verbal Bias:
The interviewer places emphasis on non verbal cues that are unrelated to job
performance, i.e.: hair length. body movements. Etc.
Similar to Me Error:
Choosing candidates based on personal characteristics that they share with
the interviewer rather than job related criteria.

Behavioral Cues

Body Language

Facial Expression

Palm and hand gestures

(open palm, closed, in pocket, folded arms, hands rub)
Hand to face gestures
(mouth guard, nose rub, eye rub, neck scratch, collar pull)
Head gestures (nod, shake)
Mouth and breathing
(rate of breathing, dry mouth)
Position shift and feet fidget
(crossing, fidgeting, twitching toes, shuffling feet)

Eye contact
Fleeting
Suppressing
Fake/genuine smile
Facial muscles

Speech Patterns

Speed
Tone
Pitch
Volume
Inflection

What are Decision-Making Criteria for Hiring?

Relevant Experience Has the candidate worked in your industry before? Have they
demonstrated a deep understanding of your business? How recent is their relevant
experience? What are their academic credentials?
Skill Set does the candidate have the leadership, communication, problem-solving,
analytical, project management, technical, performance measurement, and general
management skills required for the position?
Professionalism - did the candidate offer references? Were they on-time and
professionally dressed? Was their attitude calm and confident? Do you feel that the
answers to your questions displayed honesty and integrity?
Knowledge of Position - do you feel that the candidate really understands what it will
take to be successful in this job? Did they provide a plan of attack to take your
organization from its current state to the goal state?
Personality & Fit is this candidate a good fit for your company culture? Did everyone
else agree that this person would be well received by staff? How enthusiastic and selfmotivated do you believe this candidate will be?

Decision Analysis for Selecting the Best Candidate

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Determine the must criteria (non-negotiable).

Determine the want criteria (optional).
Eliminate the candidates who fail in any one of the must criteria.
Assign relative weights to each of the wants criteria.
Determine the score of each remaining candidate against wants criteria.
Rank them according to score. The highest scorer is the best balanced choice.

GIVING FEEDBACK TO CANDIDATES

It is good practice to give unsuccessful interviewees feedback if they require it. This can be
done at the time of notifying them that they were not successful or you may wish to
arrange a mutually convenient time to feed back, either in person or by telephone. In
addition, managers have a responsibility to give constructive feedback to all internal
applicants who were either not shortlisted or unsuccessful at interview.
Prior to the discussion make sure that you are familiar with the candidates documentation
and the outcome of the decision. Look upon the feedback as an opportunity for you to help
the candidate to review their performance and make their own judgements.
When starting the discussion check that the candidate knows the outcome and also tell
them how much time you have if this is limited.
Open the discussion by asking them what they want from the feedback. For example, they
may have another interview or may be considering applying for a similar post. This should
allow you to tailor the information to their needs remember that the feedback is for their
benefit.
Ask them for their self-assessment what they believe they did well and less well. Listen
for clues in what they say as this will allow you to focus more easily on difficult areas.
Begin your responses by reminding them what key criteria you were looking for. Focus on
actual behaviour by giving examples of things they actually wrote, or said, and how this
affected the outcome. Avoid judgement and stick to facts. This is most powerful for the
candidate and is less likely to be misunderstood.
Remember to balance the less positive information with the more positive and allow them
to ask questions. Dont collude with unrealistic aspirations or ideas. For example, if they
performed poorly across the range of areas specified in the person specification it would be
unhelpful to agree that they should apply for any other similar post. Of course, they can still
choose to do so if they wish.
For feedback on psychometric testing and other ability tests, only those who are qualified
are eligible to feed back this information. Therefore, if you have received a request for
feedback from someone relating to any testing that was undertaken for them please
contact a member of the recruitment team to arrange this.