The science or art of interviewing
The company wants its workers to be the most suitable. That is why it carries out selection processes to meet the candidates and "keep" the best. The most important test of the selection process is the interview in which an interviewer will decide by the behavior and the responses of the applicant to see if he is a good candidate for the position.
The main objective of the interviewer is clear: to obtain as much information as possible, without revealing the data that he considers most appropriate to reveal in a second contact. To do this, he will ask a series of questions that will confirm his suitability for the position offered or, if there is no vacancy at that time, to the future needs of the company.
The coach looks for a motivated person, who convinces him, and who shows him that he is making the right choice.
Given the known shortage of suitable candidates, it is necessary to be very good interviewers to detect them. Our task can be defined with the phrase "separate the chaff from the wheat". Our challenge is to see beyond appearances. Good selections thrive on good candidates and good recruiters. To be so, the latter must know and comply with all the steps. The biggest errors occur when:
- The profile is not adequately relieved. It is necessary to reflect on all the necessary aspects. The applicant's previous career is not analyzed. In-depth interviews are not carried out. Appropriate techniques are not tested. It is selected in a single instance. The safest methods are those that consist of several stages (iterative). No references are requested. People who do not correspond to the level of the position are accepted, due to lack or excess.
Success requires time, dedication, people trained in interviews, a process with several selection steps, and a deep confrontation of the preselected candidate with the search profile.
Interview concept
The interview is the tool par excellence in the selection of personnel; It is one of the factors that most influences the final decision regarding the acceptance of a candidate.
It is a dialogue that is sustained with a defined purpose and not for the mere satisfaction of talking. There is a mutual correspondence between the interviewer and the interviewee and much of the reciprocal action between the two consists of postures, gestures and other modes of communication. The words, gestures, expressions and inflections concur in the exchange of concepts that constitutes the interview.
During it, each participant has his role and must act within it, establishing a communication standard within a framework limited by time and topic to be discussed.
Types of job selection interviews
Direct interview
The interviewer is the one who asks the questions from the beginning and asks them in a very concrete way.
Mixed interview
A very frequent type of interview. It allows the interviewer to ask specific questions but also to raise opinions and comments.
Free Interview
This type of interview requires having done a good preparation. The interviewee, after asking a couple of details of the CV and perhaps briefly told the reasons for the meeting, will launch the well-known "Tell me about yourself, why are you interested in this position?" This interview, perhaps more stressful for some people, however has many more possibilities and expectations of being more profitable for both parties. On the one hand, the applicant gains more confidence by being able to actually say what he wants and on the other hand the interviewer only has to ask pertinent questions from time to time.
Group interview
This type of interview is used in selection processes where a large number of candidates attend.
The coach, who is present together with one / two other colleagues or observing through a glass, presents a case to be solved. It can be a case of conflict resolution, production expansion, etc. in which each of those present must present their solution to the problem posed and discuss it together with their peers. Each participant is assigned a seat. The fact is that each person will act as they really are without realizing it.
The resolution of the case itself does not matter. What the coach will value will be the development of each one in a group: the position that they adopt (leader, conciliator, organizer, etc.), the way in which they faced the situation and how they tried to resolve it.
Panel Interview
This interview can be carried out with several interviewers at the same time in a single session or through a series of meetings with different people who will interview the candidate from the perspective of the different positions they occupy.
This type of interview is usually carried out to determine from different points of view if its incorporation is positive for the company and, if so, in which position would it fit the most. The advantage for the candidate is that he will meet the heads of different areas and therefore the company in greater depth. They tend to be more technical interviews.
Telephone interview
Increasingly, coaches conduct interviews over the phone. They are usually used to confirm Curriculum Vitae data and delve into the most relevant aspects for the position they want to fill.
They are important and are often decisive in whether or not to quote the candidate for a personal interview.
Different types of questions for the interview
Closed questions
Those that can be answered with a single word, generally yes or no. Another question usually derives from the answer.
Polling questions
Simple and short such as: why ?, what was the cause ?, what happened next ?, etc…
Hypothetical questions
The interviewee is presented with a hypothetical situation, a case, for example. That it is related to the position or the company, so that it can be solved: what would you do? yes… how would you handle…? How would you solve…? In case of….
Malicious questions
They force the interviewee to choose between two undesirable options. They are neither useful nor advisable.
Provocative questions
They are very useful in evaluating the reaction of the candidate. They are formulated suddenly, so that the surprise factor also intervenes.
Questions that suggest the expected answer
Those where it is clear what the interviewee is expected to answer, for example: “You. he intends to finish his career, right? ”
Open questions
They induce the interviewee to expand on the subject and allow them to obtain a lot of information and evaluate other aspects of their performance: modality of expression and relationship, use of language, capacity for synthesis, logic of the exposition, body expression, etc.
The profile and the resume
Any search starts from something elementary:
INTELLIGENT READING OF THE REQUIRED PROFILE AND THE CV OF THE PERSON TO BE INTERVIEWED
When starting a selection process, you should start by reading a considerable amount of CV, either because an advertisement was published or because a pre-selection has been made with the help of a database.
Background analysis
The first and fundamental point is that before starting the CV reading, you have absolutely clear the requirements for the position. This will be very useful to you. From these, you can quickly make three “stacks” of cvs, those that DO comply, those that DO NOT comply and the doubtful ones.
From simple criteria such as:
- SEXOLA AGE SUITABILITY
Preparation for the interview
You have to deal with the profile of our client, internal or external. From there you have to take the necessary time to review the background and conditions of all applicants before receiving them personally.
1. Set aside enough time for the interview
Don't put your agenda together by overlapping commitments or with very little space between interviews; Keep in mind that the interviewee may be late, that you may take time to attend to her, that the interview may be longer, or that you may need to use extra time to analyze the data obtained from it.
2. Prepare an appropriate environment
Observe the following rules:
- Make it private. This is very important so that applicants can speak freely. There is a minimum of distractions. These include a phone that rings without anyone answering, people suddenly walking into the office, or their own distraction if you are thinking about all the work you have to do. That the applicant can be comfortable. Your behavior and your general attitude as an interviewer will largely determine the degree of comfort of the visitor. Do what you can to create a cozy atmosphere. If the applicant is comfortable, you will ensure a more productive interview, that both occupy appropriate places.
Remember that anything you face will work better if you spend a little time preparing.
3. The interviewer's attitude
- Avoid dogmatic posture Show sincerity and frankness instead of cunning and sagacity Give the interviewee the opportunity to express all their answers Before entering fully into the subject it is advisable to appeal to kindness with questions such as:
- Did it cost you a lot to get here? Did you find a place to park the car?
The time used for this type of question should not take more than 30 seconds. Then the conversation should be directed towards what interests us.
EXAMPLE: "I am very happy that it was not difficult for you to arrive, because I would like us to start talking about your interest in our vacancy…"
Encourage the applicant to speak
It is very important to start well, because this will help us in the rest of the interview, since the interviewee will focus his attention on us, creating a cordial atmosphere and sincere sympathy.
It is worth noting that you should not be a new friend of the interviewee, but only a cordial person, who should make the interviewee feel comfortable so that they tell him everything you need to know to form a decision. Remember that a good decision is good for both parties, not only for you.
What you should NOT forget:
- Re-read the CV to know before the interview who you are going to interview. Be clear about the profile requirements. Have a list of unacceptable questions (depending on each country and its uses and customs). Prepare three or four key questions that should not omit in relation to CV and profile.
Before the interview
- Analyze the candidate's CV Plan the questions to ask Based on the job description, add additional questions if necessary
During the Interview
- Introduce yourself and reassure the candidate. Explain how the interview will be conducted: "I ask the questions first, and then it will be your turn." Use the questions provided. These are designed to get general and specific information about the candidate's skills. Take notes Give the candidate the opportunity to ask questions Explain future steps and follow-up processes.
After the interview
- Analyze all relevant information and conduct your analysis immediately after the interview Complete the necessary forms
How to develop accurate, fair and effective job interviews
On many occasions, those of us who work in the areas of business management have to select and interview people for different positions and most of us have not received any type of training on how to correctly carry out the selection process. Within this process, the interview usually has a fundamental role, although its use has been widely criticized recently.
Some of the objections to job interviews are:
to. Inaccuracy
Although it is true that the personal interview is a fundamental part of any selection process, it is considered one of the least accurate or reliable. Furthermore, research has shown that the personal interview is only accurate 14% of the time to predict the success of a person in a position. Still, the same research shows that 90% of hiring decisions are made during the interview.
b. Propensity to Discrimination
In the way that personal interviews are normally conducted, it is very easy for the interviewer to introduce questions that can be considered discriminatory, offensive and totally irrelevant to the specific job that the person would carry out. For example, when a young woman is asked if she plans to marry and have children.
In the United States there is the «Equal Employment Opportunity Council», which is an organization aimed at guaranteeing objectivity in the recruitment, selection and hiring processes, to prevent discrimination. US law specifically attempts to prevent any type of discrimination based on sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, and many other aspects. Only those questions that are directly related to the job and the person's performance in it are accepted as valid. In light of this type of legislation, the personal interview carried out according to the traditional method, is normally totally indefensible as an objective selection process.
Obviously, in our country -as well as in most Latin American countries-, it is not common to worry about having a totally objective selection process with which, it is very easy to find inappropriate or acceptable questions.
It is important to avoid discrimination, not only because it is the most correct thing, but because it is the most beneficial for the organization. If we want our companies to compete effectively worldwide, it is absolutely necessary that we have the best human resources and that we constantly worry about increasing their productivity.
Therefore, we must avoid as much as possible the existence of nepotism, favoritism, political settlements, favors between friends and so many other practices that are so common in our organizations and that undermine their productivity.
c. Little Standardization
In normal interview processes, each interviewer uses a list of questions as a general "guide", but applying the most appropriate questions depending on how the interview "feels". This definitely does not help objectivity.
d. Differences Between Different Evaluators
When a large selection process is in progress, it is common to spread the work among several interviewers. In these cases, it is very difficult to share notes to make an objective decision. The same questions have not been used and there are different criteria to determine what constitutes a good answer.
and. Too Much Trust in the Interviewer's Instinct
Research has shown that, in most hiring decisions, the interviewer makes his decision about the applicant in the first three to five minutes of the interview and spends the rest of the time confirming his decision with rational arguments.
Now these problems are avoidable and most research shows that the effectiveness of interviews can be greatly improved by using a properly developed and structured method. This method is known as the "Structured Interview".
The structured interview consists of a series of questions that are applied uniformly to all candidates, under standardized conditions. To these questions, a series of possible answers are generated and a score is assigned according to the quality of the answer. This allows to avoid differences in criteria between different interviewers and to avoid asking questions according to how the interviewer "feels" the interview.
Obviously, one is not going to be able to predict all the possible answers, but most of them are going to be able to avoid differences of opinion between the different interviewers.
The application of structured interviews requires much more preparation and training on the part of the interviewers, but it generates a much more objective process, which allows us to leave only those who can truly contribute to the performance in the specific position and, ultimately, company results. That has to be the final criterion.
How to Hire Employees
Most of you have worked for someone else at some time. Now, you are considering how to hire someone to work for you. You need to take into account the rules, responsibilities, and difficulties that the employer faces when making decisions about when to hire a person, what talents you need, how to find a trustworthy and cooperative person, if the person has the qualities that you Search, and how to train the new employee. When you employ one person, you are taking responsibility for the livelihood of another.
Six steps to hire employees
1st measure: Find good candidates
- Write a detailed job description clearly indicating what the job is and what it requires. Include the number of hours you work and the salary you offer. (You may find the need to change this description as you interview candidates.) Ask your family, friends, neighbors, and business acquaintances if they know of someone looking for a job.
BE CAREFUL: You shouldn't employ family members or friends just because they need work.
Be sure you need an additional employee and that the person you are considering has the skills and experience you are looking for.
- Advertise the job in the newspaper Post a job description in a local school, in churches, clubs, with training programs as well as in your business Give job applications to people interested in working for your company.
- The application asks for the candidate's work and educational experience. You can add questions that test the candidate's skills to see how they read, write, and add. By law you cannot ask them anything that relates to your sex, race, religion, physical condition, or marital status. Get the application in a commercial stationery
2nd measure: How to interview the candidates
The purpose of an interview is to give the applicant information about the job and what it requires as well as to learn about the job customs and skills that the job has.
- Give a brief presentation of what the job is about, about the company, and about yourself. Make the applicant feel as comfortable as possible. Talk for a few minutes about what you expect from your employees. The most important thing is to let the applicant talk about the most of the time
REMEMBER: The law does not allow you to ask questions about race, religion, health, age, marital status, arrests without conviction, or other personal matters.
- Ask simple and specific questions:
- What did you do in your last job? What did you like and dislike about that job? What is the most important thing for you about a job? What skills will you bring to this job?
3rd measure: The final selection
- Call those who have accessed references about the applicant, especially their past employers, teachers, clergy, and others who have worked with the applicant. Ask those who have recommended the applicant:
- What are the applicant's strengths and weaknesses? Why did he or she leave their last jobs? Would you employ them? For what position?
- The skills you seek Your past work experiences Self-motivation Ability to get along with others Offer the position to which you consider the best candidate
Measure 4: How to train the new employee
The purpose of a training period is to give the employee an opportunity to learn his new job and meet other employees. This "investment" in training a new employee can save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
- Welcome your new employee and make him feel at ease Explain to him how the business is operated and who is in charge of each task Describe in detail what he or she will be doing Give a summary of how the employee is evaluated and when Clarify the work for employees in detail Let the new employee know who you can consult with when you have a problem
Measure 5: Review of the employee's work record
Make it clear to your employees how and when their job performance will be judged. You should evaluate each employee twice a year.
Speak frankly and honestly to employees about your performance, good and bad. Also give them a chance to evaluate you as a supervisor.
Make your assessments based on:
- Quality and quantity of work Own initiative If you can trust him Common sense when handling certain work situations Ability to get along with others <
Measure 6: Obtain the necessary permits
The law requires all employers to pay withholding taxes and to have Work Hazard Coverage (ART) for all of their employees. In addition, business managers must consider various government labor regulations.
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