Interview Training

Module

Interviewing Tips

Read job description

Review the resume
Pick competencies that you want to assess
Prepare questions in advance
Be organized
Be attentive when the candidate is speaking.
Remember you are representing the company
Know that the candidate is also interviewing you
Contact the candidate after for clarification if
needed

Common Selection Problems

Interviewers miss important information

Interviewers overlook job motivation and

organizational fit

Interviewers ask illegal and/or non-job-related

questions

Interviewers cover the same areas

Biases and stereotypes affect judgment

Interviewers take insufficient notes

Interviewers misinterpret candidate information

Pressure to fill a position affects judgment

Questioning Techniques

Wording should be open-ended. Respondents should be

able to choose their own terms when answering questions.

Questions should be as neutral as possible. Avoid

wording that might influence answers, e.g., evocative,
judgmental wording.

Questions should be asked one at a time.

Questions should be worded clearly. This includes

knowing any terms particular to the program or the
respondents' culture.

Be careful asking "why" questions. This type of question

infers a cause-effect relationship that may not truly exist.
These questions may also cause respondents to feel
defensive, e.g., that they have to justify their response,
which may inhibit their responses to this and future
questions.

Questioning Techniques

Behavioral
Tell

me about a tough decision you

made recently and the analysis you did.

Open
What

you?

was the biggest challenge for

Probing
How

did you go about overcoming this

challenge?

Checking
What

software did you say that you used

at your previous company?

Questions to Avoid

Multiple - Can you tell me about a time you

worked on a project? Can you describe your
interaction with your teammates? Can you discuss
any difficulties you faced?

Limiting - Do you prefer working independently or

as part of a team?

Leading - Do you work well under pressure?

Hypothetical - How would you respond to a

colleague with an idea you didnt agree with?

Potentially Risky Interview Topics

Age
Race
Religion
Housing
Child care
Arrest record
Health details
Family details
National origin
Sexual preference
Health or disability status
Type of military discharge
Ensure that your topics specifically concern a candidates experience and the job at hand.

Review the Managerial Resources related to legal interview questions and ADA
compliance that are available on the Kettering Human Resources Website.

Risky Questions
Ask This

Not That
Affiliations

Do you belong to any professional

organizations that you consider
relevant tot his job?

To what clubs and organization do you

belong?

Nationality
Are you authorized to work in the
United States?

Are you a United States citizen? Where

were you born?

Disabilities
Are you able to perform the functions
as described in the job description with
or without reasonable
accommodations?

May I ask you to discuss your

disabilities and how they affect you in
the workplace?

Personal
Would you be willing to relocate?
Would you be willing to travel as
needed by the job? Would you be
willing to work overtime as needed for
the job?

I see you have a wedding band, how

would your wife feel about you
traveling? Do you have kids? What are
you child care arrangements?

Managing the Interview

Direct the discussion to areas you want to cover

Prevent confusion, misunderstandings, and the

need to go back and clarify details

Manage time so you can cover each section of the

interview completely

If a candidate reveals information you are not

allowed to discuss do not purse the topic further

On the Interview

Welcome
Thank

the candidate for his time

Make the candidate feel important

Gathering Information about the Candidate

The

facts
Knowledge and skills
Job Related Competencies
Values and Motivation

On the Interview

Giving Information
Provide

a summary of the position

Offer additional information about how
the role related to the bottom line of the
company

Selling the Company and Closing

See

of the candidate is still interested in

the role
Provide information about the processs
next steps
Thank the candidate for their time

Benefits of Good Note-Taking

Keeps impressions of different candidates from

blurring in your mind

Aids your memory

Gives confidence that hiring decision is fair and

accurate

Note-Taking Tips

Take notes openly

Note only pertinent information

Note behavior observed in the interview

Take notes on sensitive or negative information

carefully

Record key words

Use personal shorthand

Establishing Cultural Fit

It is important that candidate be evaluated not only for
their ability to complete the job but also their ability to fit
into the culture of the company.

Achievement
Center of
Attention
Coaching Others
Compensation
Complexity
Continuous
Learning
Creativity
Details
Diverse
Perspectives

Formal Recognition
High-involvement
Independence
Interaction
Interpersonal
Support
Leading Others
Promotional
Opportunities
Routine
Task Variety
Work Pace

Evaluation Errors
General leniency / A tendency to over or under rate across all
candidates.
harshness
Candidatespecific halo /
horns

The tendency to generalize good or bad

performance on one competency to other
competencies.

Contrast effects

Rating one candidate against another, instead

of
against the competency definition.

Central tendency

The tendency to avoid extreme ratings.

First impressions
/ recency

The recency effect is opposite to first

impressions since it is when one remembers the
last things the candidate
does or says.

Stereotyping

Judging a candidate based on unfair

generalizations.