This article will provide you insightful information about interview conduct, comprehensive information that comes from inside of HR office which supposed to be hidden from any candidates. Get know what is inside, read it and reveal the secret from A to Z, utilize it to make you well prepared for a job interview even better.
Know Structure of a Job Interview
A Job interview would contain:
Firstly, an introductory phase when the candidate is welcomed and introduced; the ice is broken; the form of the interview explained; basic information is imparted and obtained; and details of curriculum vitae clarified (sometimes necessary sometimes not).
Secondly, the main working phase will follow during which specific information relating to the candidate's experience, etc., is sought.
Thirdly, candidates should be able to ask questions; although they should not be put under pressure to do so.
The final section, it will be the conclusion. The interview would be brought to a close at the end of the time allowed, and care should be taken to avoid significant discrepancies in the time allowed to different candidates. Not only could this be perceived as being unfair to some candidates, but also the imbalance would make consistent comparisons between candidates difficult.
Approaches That Used By a Strong Interviewer
While discussions in different interviews for the same post may take different directions depending on the candidate's interests and responses, it is important for the interviewer that there is consistency in the type of questions asked. For example, it would be entirely unacceptable and improper to ask only female candidates about their domestic circumstances or childcare arrangements. If there is a requirement to travel as part of the duties of a post, interviewer will make it sufficient to make each candidate aware of this requirement and to ask each candidate how he or she would be able to undertake those duties. It is also very important for the interviewer that the selection criteria remain the same for all candidates and are not allowed to change as the interviews proceed.
Information Obtained from a Candidates
General/Standard
Interviewer will take it necessarily to obtain some basic information from you as a candidates covering areas such as your availability to start work, expectations as to salary (if any), and, where applicable, allergy to substances commonly found in the proposed working environment. Interviewing panels or interviewers may find it easier to note the type of information on a written check-list.
Other general information, concerning the candidate's personal circumstances relating to an important selection criterion, such as flexibility to work irregular hours, will more usefully be pursued as the interview progresses and would be asked equally of male and female candidates. For example, where irregular working hours are involved, it would be reasonable to explain this and to ask, i.e.: "would this cause you any problem?" or "would you be prepared to work late on occasions if this was required?".
This means of questioning will elicit information not only concerning domestic responsibilities (where these are relevant to the post) but also reveal other commitments which might preclude the candidate being able to fulfill the duties of the post. All questions of this kind would be addressed to all candidates (you are inclusive).
Interviewer would not ask you any inappropriate questions, i.e.: "would your husband/wife mind if you worked late on occasions?" or "do you have children? How would you look after them if you had to work irregular hours?".
You would be assessed solely on your qualifications, relevant knowledge, experience, and personal qualities in the light of the job-related selection criteria for the post. Care needs to be taken with questioning in this area to avoid the impression that marital status or domestic responsibilities are being taken into account in the decision as to whether or not to appoint.
Care would be taken in the phrasing of questions on communication skills and the candidate's ability to get on with colleagues, since in some circumstances they could be construed as implying stereotypical judgments of ethnic minority candidates.
Specific/individual
Interviewers will need to seek further information concerning your previous career and experience. The areas for further exploration maybe identified by reference to the selection criteria. More information will be obtained from the use of 'open' and 'probing' questions.
For example:
(-). "What ... ?" "tell me about ..." (i.e. questions which cannot be answered with a "yes" or "no")
(-). "Why did you do/choose ... ?", "can you give me an example to illustrate/ support what you have just said?"
rather than using leading or assumptive questions imposing the questioner's assumed answer.
It is useful for interviewers to be aware of the different types of question they may be asking, and of the contexts in which certain types of question may be most appropriate.
As stated above, open questions are useful to begin the process of probing the candidate, and should be based on the selection criteria for the post. This could be followed up by various types of probing questions, which may include the following:
(1). Quantifying questions, for example to assess how much experience, how many staff managed, how often a task performed, how big a budget managed, how much sick leave.
(2). Behavioural questions, inviting you to give specific examples from your own experience.
(3). Hypothetical questions, asking you to describe your reaction to an imagined situation. These are useful for you with limited experience
(4). Closed questions (inviting a short answer, usually 'yes' or 'no'), which should be avoided at the beginning of the probing, but which are useful for checking information towards the end.
Certain types of question are less useful but are often inadvertently used, especially if the interviewer is nervous or inexperienced. These include 'multiple' questions, for instant; “what do you think makes a good administrator? do you consider yourself to have those qualities and what evidence can you show us in support of this?”. Most of you will often answer that part of the question with which you feel most comfortable. To address those, interviewer would ask each part separately, instead. Similarly, multiple-choice questions (i.e.: did you leave that job because you wanted to widen your experience or because you wanted promotion?) this will invite answers from a restricted range, possibly excluding what may be your real answer.
Leading and rhetorical questions
Leading and rhetorical questions both tend to be signaled by an exposition of the interviewer's point of view and expect either answer 'yes' or no answer at all. Such questions are commonly, and appropriately, used in other area of interview, but interviewer will not find this method as useful in a job interview, where some candidates may not feel able to challenge the point of view being put forward by the interviewer. Since what is being sought are the candidate's views or experience, an open question followed by probing is likely to be more effective for the interviewer.
Your self-confidence or otherwise of you will to some extent determine how you answer leading and rhetorical questions; it will also affect their response to 'self-assessment' questions such as “do you think you are good at ...?” or “what are your greatest strengths?” Self-confidence may or may not be one of the qualities sought and in the latter case questions of this kind may be best avoided; in either case, interviewer will essentially follow up any self-assessment questions with effective probing.
Information to impart to candidates
There will be certain information to be communicated to you as a candidate. Interviewing panels or interviewers may deal with this as part of the introductory phase of the interview. Alternatively, interviewer may be easier to issue-further particulars- to you before your interview, and at the interview simply check whether the candidate has any queries. Examples of issues which might be dealt with in these ways are:
(1). Medical questionnaire: the department's procedure for the use of the medical questionnaire would be explained.
(2). Probationary period: brief details of any probationary period and the review procedures would be outlined to you.
(3). Need for work permit (if applicable): you may be asked about eligibility to work (to any certain country if you a foreigner), providing that this question is asked of all applicants.
You would be given the opportunity to ask questions about the post and to be given information about what the next stage in the process will be, or when you will be notified of the result of the interview process and how this will be done.
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