Job interview
The job interview is a face-to-face meeting that allows you to check the suitability of the application for a specific position. It is about seeing if you have certain skills, which make up the profile required for the position offered. It is also important to find out the personal style, temperament and social skills that the candidate has or has, as well as their strengths and weaknesses in the face of other candidates.
It is aimed at establishing a communication bridge that enables frank dialogue between both parties.
Work interview
Like a play, in life we are all the time playing roles. Social roles by themselves are defined in advance and everyone expects us to frame ourselves in them. This does not mean a lack of security or falsehood, but rather it is an adaptation to social demands.
For this specific interview case, there are 2 actors:
- Interviewer interviewed
In both cases, it can be one or more people who are going to meet a goal, which is the cornerstone of any action.
The objective of the interviewer will be to capture the qualities and capacities of the interviewee and he, in turn, will try to communicate his potentialities in the most crystalline way.
From the above, we can infer that the objective constitutes a very important aspect in the interview process, in this sense its achievement will depend on establishing a true communication bridge between them.
Communication
It can be described as the process of describing or expressing something about ourselves to another. Understood in this way, we see that it is impossible to be in front of another person without entering into communication, be it through words, gestures or simply silences. When we say that we have not been able to communicate with the person with whom we are in contact, generally what we want to express is that their language is not clear to us, or the signals we used were not clear enough to carry out this action.
When we want to express affection or coincidence to a person, we can achieve it if we listen to it. Man always manifests what he perceives, feels and thinks, and all we have to do is understand the other in his own reality.
Active listening
Trust has to do with "understanding the world", when both people see the world in the same way (the perception of the same reality).
The way you perceive any situation depends on your mood and experience based on information prior to the event. This information is what gives the keys to orient oneself in each new place in which one finds herself at that moment in her life. This is the natural way to use memory, and without this mechanism, it could not function. However, it can lead to erroneous conclusions if you are not open to receiving what each situation has new; or especially, if it is intended to box everything in the molds that are brought from the past.
In the process of listening to this openness, it means that you should voluntarily put aside the interpretation of the messages received and focus on understanding how the person who is speaking perceives the situation. To achieve this, it is necessary to listen with respect and attention, place yourself in the other's reference arc and accompany him in the experience he is telling.
It helps a lot to listen to being in the present. When attention is paid to the past, the situation of refusing to accept everything that is not in accordance with previous experiences can arise: "things can only be like that, I know it because they have happened to me"; "You have always been that way." If you are worried about the future, you do not pay attention to what is happening now because you are thinking about what is going to be said or done or what the other is going to say or do.
Communication barriers
- Social and cultural differences between sender and receiver (when one realizes, recognizes ethnocentrism) Passions: one of the two parties is disinterested or violent The complexity of the message Channels: they can be complex, bureaucratic or even confusing Factor time: we can consider some niches or interruptions during the conversation and the magnitude of the time appropriate to said communication. The context, the physical environment: these are usually extremely large barriers to communication. Intentional behaviors to interrupt communication:
- Interrupt (let him speak and when he finishes, break in firmly: “are you tired of interrupting…?”) Confront (let him speak and counterattack: calmly ask for fundamentals) Chusmerío (emphasize who said what he heard) Dominate: speak up tiring, questioning: bombarding with questions, advising, judging, interpreting, putting words into the mouth of another.
Behaviors that facilitate communication
- Cozy silence. It should be the best show of interest but it should not cause tension. Body language. It is heard from the front, not in profile or half profile; my body can smoothly follow their movements, my face reflects the feelings of the other person (“mirror” behavior) Eye contact. Make gentle eye contact that shows interest but is not pushy. Friendly noises. There are noises, expressions (yes… ah…) that mark the continuation of the conversation. Summarize or paraphrase. In circumstances it is very convenient to summarize what the other person spoke, showing that everything that was said was listened to and understood.
When I communicate
Facilitating communication with others is just as important as communication itself. While we can take the same principles and foundations seen to facilitate communication, there are some that are specific to our communication.
To talk to myself, I also need time and space to open up to my experience. A climate of acceptance and respect to be able to hear my emotions and know my needs around criticism that is fully constructive and that at the same time I get used to achieving the development of rigid behavior in this communication.
The most outstanding aspects to take into account as conditions that can give clarity to my message are:
- Find the right time and place Stay on a topic Fill a reasonable time for what I want to say, trying to be concise Do not give a double message (there is only one person in the world that we cannot deceive: ourselves) Speak in the first person sharing my experience and my information without any hidden intention to manipulate or pressure others Use simple language Only if necessary, use a tone of voice that is only audible to myself, otherwise speak out loud Try to learn to listen.
About empathy
Achieving empathy in particular cases such as achieving communication between an interlocutor and his audience is a complex task, because the degrees of receptivity are not similar in all members of the audience. The message is not always perceived in the same way, with the same intensity or having the same receptivity among all listeners.
It is there where the fiber of the communicator appears, who must perceive and direct the message to where he perceives that he achieves the greatest empathy.
A very particular application of the achievement of the development of empathy is precisely the interview. This can be individual or group but it is a skill of the interviewer to create and maintain such empathy.
As we see, it is in the interview when all these details seen about communication are developed and, in order not to get lost, it is important to take into account the following:
Objectives of the interviewer and the interviewee
From the interviewer:
- Detect if the candidate has the characteristics required by the job profile Identify if the applicant is motivated to perform Find as many weaknesses as strengths the interviewee has Find the candidate with the greatest potential and capacity to fill the position Provide the candidate the information and clarification of the organization and the position to be filled. Achieve hiring.
From the interviewee:
- Demonstrate that you are the right person to carry out that position Satisfy the needs and expectations of the interviewer, providing them with useful and relevant information Obtain information about the position and the company Check if the position they offer meets your expectations Get hired
Selection process
The strategic tool par excellence is KNOWLEDGE of people, which begins in the Recruitment and Selection process.
In order to define a selection process that truly becomes a tool for efficiency within my organization, we are going to order and give it a frame within what HR actions mean.
ARH is a process that consists of 5 subsystems:
- PowerApplicationMaintenanceDevelopmentControl
Selection Mechanics
- Job analysis (DP and EP) Profile definition Vacancy information CVE classification Examinations Final selection
1. Job analysis (DP and EP)
The job analysis is the procedure by which the duties and nature of the job and the type of person who should fill it are determined. The data obtained regarding the position will then be used to formulate the PD and EP.
- Description of the Position: it is the process by which the tasks or functions that make it up are listed and that, therefore, differ from other positions. It lists the functions (what it does), the periodicity (when it does it), the instruments (what it does it with) and the objectives (why it does it). In addition, it sets duties and responsibilities. A PD will indicate what to do, when, how and why. It is the sum of conclusions that must be reached in order to contribute to the achievement of the organization's objectives. Job Specification: it refers to the skills of the personnel and the definition of human characteristics added to the experience they must have to perform a person in correct form in office. It is a detail of the intellectual, physical,responsibilities and experience that each person has to carry out different positions. When all these questions are stated, we are in a position to define the profile.
2. Definition of the profile
It is a description of the different functions and responsibilities that, according to the consensus and also of the business organization, will allow to determine the characteristics and abilities of the person capable of successfully fulfilling the requirements in that position.
3. Vacancy information
This is achieved after the definition of the position and there are 2 methods to do it:
- Internal recruitment External recruitment
4. CV classification
Selection of CVs is a preliminary step that you should never stop doing. Doing this means having an advantage such as prior knowledge of the person you are going to interview. It is important to read and interpret the resumes, taking the important aspects of it and knowing how to discard the filler.
Most common causes of failure in the selection process
- Poor design of the profile sought Insufficient number of alternatives (too targeted) Making mistakes in the selection interview Neglecting the verification of references Not containing or losing sight of the final objective of the interview
The emotional factor
The group consensus, the solidity of the business policy, all the procedures for determining the profile and the preventions against negativity that may affect the definition of the profile, are processes that tend to guarantee an objective knowledge of the applicant and reach the final choice with a shortlist that we can solidly sustain in objective knowledge and fighting the emotional decision.
Preparation of Suitability Table
This table must contain data that allows us the following:
- Event identification: name of the person, date, position, circumstance, summary of the interview. It must also contain 2 aspects that may cease to be:
- Statement of the criteria of the position: of the Analysis and Description of the Position, where the key is for the interview to be good. Preparation of the interview taking into account the time it will take (between 20 and 30 minutes)
Aspects to be developed for the execution of the interview
A. Create a good environment
We must not forget that we are the image of the company and the first contact that the interviewee has with the organization is through us and the environment we have created.
Once the candidates to be interviewed have been selected, we must take them to an environment that is optimal to achieve the best use of the interview. The selected space must provide adequate comforts in order to be functional and minimize discomfort.
It is advisable that the waiting room be comfortable, bright and ventilated. The location chosen for the interview should avoid the normal work areas of the organization. The furniture for conducting the interview should be consistent with it, that is, for example, the interviewee should never be seated in a seat that is lower than that of the interviewer.
For a formal interview, the furniture should be arranged so that the interviewer is face to face with the interviewee, interposing a surface (desk) to the advantage of the interviewee, so he can keep his knees covered.
For an informal interview it is more advisable for the candidate to sit to one side of the interviewer, since the lateral disposition implies cordiality.
B. Create a good climate
Avoid letting the candidate suffer any kind of distraction and try to make him feel calm and relaxed as this will help him to give his best; Care should be taken to discard anything that causes distraction, such as telephones, the PC monitor, people coming and going, etc.
C. Listen carefully
The ability to listen carefully is one of the skills that the interviewer must possess (rule 80 - 20: 80% listen, 20% speak)
If you seem attentive, the interviewee will be encouraged to keep talking. Learn to focus and be mindful of your body language.
Interview start
The first few moments of an interview are very important, as this is when the first impressions are formed. Greet each candidate with the same disposition, effusiveness, and warmth to all equally.
It is important that the greeting is appropriate. When the interviewee arrives, stand up, go out to meet him, look him in the eye, smile and shake his hand. Greet him on his behalf and immediately identify yourself by making sure he clearly understands who you are.
If the interview is a panel interview, introduce the other people and pronounce their names clearly, if necessary repeat the names again later to ensure that the interviewee records them; Tell him to take a seat and buy him something to drink.
Remember that no matter how nervous you are as an interviewer, the interviewee is much more so.
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