Conducting an Interview by HR Expert
When conducting the interview, the interviewer should use the following outline:
Establish Rapport Help the candidate relax with brief, casual conversation.
Maintain appropriate eye contact.
Listen sympathetically.
Avoid direct criticism.
Reassure the candidate after an awkward disclosure by commending the openness, honesty, and willingness to face up to a problem.
Remain neutral; do not speak approvingly of questionable conduct.
Control the Interview
Keep the purpose of the interview clearly in mind.
Decide in advance what questions to raise in light of the job requirements and the candidate’s résumé.
Keep to the planned agenda and allocate time appropriately.
Politely return to the original question if the candidate’s answer was evasive.
Persuade the candidate to elaborate on suggestive or incomplete responses by:
Asking follow-up questions.
Repeating or summarizing the candidate’s statements in a questioning tone.
Maintaining silence.
Make smooth transitions from one topic to another.
Document the Interview Take notes for reliable recall. Note points to follow up on later in the interview.
Note dress, behavior, or facial expressions, if relevant.
Wait until after the candidate has left to write down evaluative comments.
Elements of Good Interviewing
Meeting the interview goals requires the following on the interviewer’s part:
Interpersonal skills, which put a job candidate at ease and elicit the most accurate responses.
Preparation helps an interviewer cover all job-related questions and avoid saying things that might violate antidiscrimination laws, create an implied employment contract, or misrepresent the job.
Objectivity requires the interviewer to be impartial and unbiased. Interviewers must evaluate a candidate based on the factors that predict future job performance.
Good recordkeeping supplies the information needed to compare different candidates and documents the screening process in case a rejected candidate challenges the hiring decision.
Interview TypesInterviews may be structured and unstructured where structured interviews generally provide the interviewer with the information needed to make the hiring decision. All candidates are asked the same questions, rather than tailoring the questions to target a specific individual.
Interview questions should accomplish the following goals: Determine a candidate’s qualifications and general character, in relation to the job
Expose undesirable traits
Clarify information
Provide other job-related data
Reveal inconsistencies
Job-Related QuestionsDevelop interview questions by examining the job description and determining job demands in each of these following areas:
Skills and abilities, including technical skills, communication ability, analytical ability, and specialized training
Behavioral factors: motivation, interests, goals, drive and energy, reliability, stress tolerance,
Evaluating candidate responsesAs important as it is that questions are job-related, it’s even more important to know how to evaluate the candidate’s response.
The interviewer should not feel that a candidate’s first answer to any of the questions must be accepted as the only answer. When the interviewer feels an answer is lacking, the interviewer should ask layered questions until reaching an answer with a satisfactory amount of information.
Questioning TechniquesThe best interviewers employ a flexible questioning technique to elicit pertinent, accurate information
Close-ended questions are most commonly asked in interviewing and are the most commonly misused questions.
Open-ended questions often yield better results than close-ended.
Behavioral questions are open-ended and request specific examples of past behavior.
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Negative-Balance QuestionsInterviewers often assume, albeit incorrectly, that a candidate who is strong in one area is equally impressive in all areas. This is not always the case.
Reflexive QuestionsReflexive questions help interviewers calmly maintain control of the conversation no matter how talkative the interviewee.
Mirror Statements
Mirror statements function as a subtle form of probing in conjunction with silence
Loaded QuestionsLoaded questions are inappropriate as they may lead to manipulation by the interviewer. Obviously, the interviewer should avoid absurd, loaded questions.
Half-Right Reflexives
Half-right reflexives can be utilized to glean specific answers and determine an individual’s propensity for specific work-related incidents.
Leading QuestionsLeading questions allow interviewers to lead the listener toward a specific type of answer. Leading questions are often useful, but like closed-ended questions, the interviewer must use leading questions appropriately.
Question LayeringA good question poorly phrased will be ineffectual and provide the interviewer with incomplete or misleading information. However, question layering allows an interviewer to thoroughly probe and answer on many different levels.
Additional Input Questions
Additional Questions
Employers should try to include questions that go beyond a candidate’s technical competence or knowledge.
The interviewer should probe for qualities needed to succeed at the job:
Organizational skill
Willingness to put in the extra time and effort necessary to complete a project
Relevant and job-related questions might target the following:
Incomplete information on application form
Work experience or education
Gaps in work history
Geographic preferences
Normal working hours
Willingness to travel
Reasons for leaving or planning to leave previous job
Job-related achievements
Signs of initiative and self-management
Specialized knowledge or expertise
Meaning of former job titles
Improper Interview Questions
following:
Race
Religion
Creed
Sex, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions
Marital status
National origin
Ancestry
Other laws prohibit questions about military background, age, disability, or union membership. Generally, do not ask about:
Medical or mental health history
National origin and citizenship status
Height, weight, or physical characteristics
Disability
Membership in professional or civic organizations that would reveal national origin, race, gender, religion, or any of the other protected classes under fair employment practice laws
Military service history
Marital status
Sexual orientation
Age
Receipt of unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, or disability benefits
Child care situation, family planning, or number of children
Religion or religious beliefs
The following are samples of questions which should be avoided. This is not an all-inclusive list.
Personal Data
"What is your maiden name?"
"Do you own or rent your home?"
"What is your age?"
"Where do you live?"
"What is your date of birth?"
"Are you married?"
Questions which tend to identify an applicant's age as over 40.
Education
The dates of attendance or completion of elementary or high school.
Citizenship
Birthplace of applicant or of applicant's parents, spouse or other relative.
"Are you a BD Citizen?" or "What is your citizenship or that of your parents, spouse or other relative?"
Questions as to race, nationality, national origin, or descent.
"What is your mother's tongue?" or "What is the language you speak at home?"
Family
Applicant's marital status.
The number or ages of children or dependents.
Provisions for child care.
Pregnancy, childbearing or birth control.
Medical
Questions which indicate an applicant's sex.
The applicant's height and weight.
Applicant's general medical condition, state of health, or illness.
Questions regarding HIV, AIDS, and related questions.
"Have you ever filed a workers compensation claim?"
"Do you have any mental or physical disabilities or handicaps?"
Associations
"Have you ever been arrested?"
Applicant's credit rating.
Ownership of a car.
Organizations, clubs, societies or lodges which an applicant belongs to.
Religious obligations that would prevent an individual from being available to work on Friday evenings, Saturdays, Sundays or holidays.
Asking an applicant the origin of their name.
"Do you speak __________________?" (unless a requirement for the job).
"Do you have any physical or mental disability/handicap that will require reasonable accommodation?"
Note: I am neither expert nor researcher, just learning from you all. You are welcome to share your comments (as I am in learning stage).
Source: Linkedin Post by S M Altaf Hossain Commander,BN (Retd)
Head of Admin, The Cityscape International Ltd, Gulshan, Dhaka
