Interviewing today's workforce Thomas Edison had a unique way of hiring engineers. He’d give the applicant a light bulb and ask, “How much water will it hold?” Some applicants used gauges to measure all the angles of the bulb. Then with the measurements in hand, the engineer would calculate the surface area. This approach normally took 20 minutes. The second choice was to fill the bulb with water and then pour the contents into a measuring cup. Total elapsed time was about a minute. Engineers who took the first route, and performed their measurements by the book, were thanked for their time and sent on their way. Edison hired the individuals who took the second route. Most of us would agree that Mr. Edison had an effective hiring method. Like Edison, you need a technique that gives you the ability to make the right hiring decisions and avoid costly legal mistakes. One powerful tool at your disposal is effective interviewing. Listed below are several different processes associated with interviewing. Each process presents an opportunity for you to gather more information that will help with your final hiring decision. Cover letters and resumes You can assess a candidate’s attitude toward the vacancy by carefully reading his or her cover letter and resume. Consider its overall appearance.
Telephone screening interviews Telephone screening calls can be a practical defense for handling the sheer numbers of applicants applying for your position.
In-depth interviewing Every hiring supervisor has his or her own style when conducting an interview. The primary purpose of the interview process is to decide which candidate is best qualified for a position. Be prepared to start the interview on time. Greet the applicant with a handshake and smile. Conduct the interview in private. Don’t dominate, but do control the interview. Keep the interview headed toward obtaining the information necessary to make a decision. Ask the question, and then let the candidate answer. Use silence to your advantage. If you keep silent, the candidate may reveal more than he or she had intended. If you find a time gap in the resume, ask specifically about that interval. “I can’t seem to determine where exactly you were working in March 1998. Can you help me out?” If the applicant claims that he or she has “managed” or “supervised” others, probe a little deeper. Ask, “When you say supervise, what did your duties involve?” Be sure to save time for the candidate’s questions. The quality of the questions will tell you a lot about the strength of his or her candidacy. At the end of the interview, determine the candidate’s level of interest. Finally, thank the candidate for taking the time to meet with you. Don’t assume that candidates are eager to go to work for you! If you like this person, chances are other employers will be favorably impressed also, so you need to highlight the benefits of working for you. Emphasize positive points relating to your department, the University, and the community. Potential questions Every question you ask a job candidate should relate to how he or she is qualified to perform the job. Hiring supervisors usually get into trouble when they start asking for information that’s irrelevant to a candidate’s ability to do the job. Open-ended and behavioral questions elicit the most useful responses. The more you can get candidates to elaborate on their experiences and how they would handle various job scenarios, the better you’ll be able to evaluate them. When formulating questions, remember that past and present behavior is the best predictor of future performance. For legal purposes, you need to ask all candidates the same questions. That will not only help you treat them fairly, but also will give you comparable information for comparison. The “Interview Questionnaire Guide” can be used as a resource from which to select questions that will help identify the candidate who will be most successful in the position. Legal minefields in the interviewing process The interviewing process is somewhat intimidating if you are unfamiliar with the legal parameters within which you must operate. Do not allow biases and stereotypes to affect your judgment. Federal and state laws forbid discrimination based on an individual's race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, or disability. Following are examples of appropriate and inappropriate interview questions by subject matter. During the interview process, you should take care not to ask questions that may elicit inappropriate information about the candidate.
Caution: Danger ahead Pay attention to the following warning signs that may come up during the interview process.
Notes and evaluation As soon as the candidate leaves, you should complete your notes and evaluation. Remember the more time you wait, the less you remember. Document the interview with notes that will not only jog your memory, but also provide a paper trail that can help you defend hiring decisions. Such notes should focus more on what candidates say, rather than on how they say it. Use some type of rating scale. It can be as simple as rating each candidate as excellent, good, fair, or poor. Or, prepare a simple balance sheet to record your reactions. List the left side “Reasons for Hiring” and the right side “Reasons for Concern.” Closing Just as Thomas Edison wanted the brightest and the best, so does Purdue University. Failing to make educated hiring decisions can result in turnover, which is very expensive. Even low turnover, for any reason, can have a negative and costly effect on the work unit. Significant costs are associated with recruiting, training, lost productivity, etc. Making good hiring decisions will significantly lower turnover in your operation, which will result in higher productivity and better employee relations - Pam
Nesbitt |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
