Normal Interview Format that is practiced by an

interviewer
1. Introduction/Opening
Provide candidates with copies of the complete job
description.
For candidates who submitted a resume only, ask
them to come to the interview a few minutes early
to complete an application form (and be sure you
have application forms available.)
Introduce the selection committee and describe the
campus, the unit, and this position's role within the
unit along with the reason for the vacancy.
Starting off with an easier question or two might
help put an applicant at ease.
General, overview questions may include: ..."We
have quite a few specific questions that will provide
you the opportunity to give us details about your
past experience, but to start off, please give us a
brief overview of your employment background as it
relates to this position"; or, ..."Briefly describe how
you might apply your educational and past work
experience to this position."
2. Selected Interview questions (see sample
questions below and/or additional interview questions for
specific positions at bottom of this document)
3. Closing
Ask for a list of individuals to be contacted for
references.
What is their availability.

 Ask if there is anything they would like to add or if

they have any questions.
You might want to encourage them to contact you if
they have any questions.
Explain the timeframe for the remainder of the
interviews and the selection process.
Discuss the designated schedule for this position, if
there is a furlough, etc.
Discuss any funding issues of this position (softfunded, anticipated end date, etc.).

Sample Questions- Generic

Being Supervised
What methods have you found to be the most
effective for you to receive feedback about your
work?
Describe the level of independence you have worked
with in the past.
What issues do you typically feel warrant involving
your supervisor?
Interpersonal Skills, Team Work and Diversity
With respect to your interpersonal skills, describe
the nature and frequency of interactions in your
previous positions and with whom you interacted.
Can you give us an example or two of a difficult
interaction, what made it difficult and how it was

resolved?
What type of interaction do you consider difficult,
why, and what is your approach in these situations?
How have you addressed conflicts in the work place?
Describe an experience in which you had to change
the mind of an uncooperative or difficult person.
How do you effectively explain technical things to
non-technical people?
Can you describe an environment in which you
worked as a member of a work group team (versus
an ad-hoc committee) and talk about what your style
is when working in this kind of situation?
Describe a past situation in which you worked as a
member of a team:
o what was your role in the team?
o what did or would you do to help the team
function at its best?
o if you perceived a problem within the team,
what have you done or what would you do?
o whose responsibility do you see it is to manage
a team effectively?
This position will be working with employees from
diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
o In what ways do you think culture and/or
ethnicity impact both verbal and non-verbal
communication?

o Can you think of any examples of how cultural

differences might come up in this job and how
you might have to deal with them?
o What, if any, has been your experience working
or living with individuals of diverse ethnic and
cultural backgrounds?
o The objective of this unit is to involve more
minority students in theoretical and
experimental research. In what ways do you
think you could contribute to the commitment
and spirit of such a program?
o Have you ever had the opportunity to live in a
culture different from the one into which you
were born? What was that experience like for
you and what did you learn about yourself?
o What, if any, has been your experience
explaining computer programs, general
procedures and/or policies to individuals who
do not speak English as their first language?
o What are some of the things that are important
for you to be aware of when providing
explanations to these individuals?
How do you determine who your customers are,
what their needs may be, and if those needs are
being met?"

Analysis, Problem-Solving, Decision-Making, and

Initiative
Describe a special project or ongoing responsibility
that has required analysis and discuss the scope of

the project, your role, and how you approached it.

Give an example in which you have been responsible
for developing, recommending, and implementing a
solution to a particular problem.
Do you have experience being involved with the
development of a program or special project, and if
so, could you explain your role in that process?
In the past, what percentage of projects have been
assigned to you versus left up to you to identify the
need for and initiate action? Can you give us an
example of each?
Describe the types of issues you have had authority
to make decisions on:
o have these decisions been made
independently?
o what are the factors you considered before
making a decision?
o what have been the ramifications of these
decisions?
There are a number of interdependencies between
this unit and other campus units. What issues,
problems or challenges do you anticipate might arise
between offices charged with responsibilities for
delivering different pieces of a process? Can you
describe your style of communication and managing
such interdependencies?
There is much attention these days to "quality
management" and "process re-engineering". Can
you describe your experience and philosophy with

regard to these issues?

Flexibility
Describe from your past experience how you have
approached situations that required flexibility in
terms of:
o coming in to a new environment and learning
all new processes, policies and systems.
o being in a familiar environment and needing to
adapt to new processes and systems.
o coming in to a new environment where some
overall processes may be familiar but
procedural details are new.
Can you provide an example of working in a rapidly
changing environment that may include changes in
what you had planned for any given day,
organizational changes, technology changes,
procedural changes, etc.

Computer Skills
Describe your typing or keyboard skills and the
nature of the word processing projects you have
done in the past.
Describe the computer systems you have worked on
and give us examples of projects in which you have
used the following:
o word processing

o spreadsheets
o data base management
o campus specific systems

Forms Processing and Attention to Detail

Describe your experience with forms processing
telling us about the types of forms and the volume
involved.
What do you do to ensure your final product is
thorough and accurate?
Give us an example of work you have done in the
past that required close attention to detail.
What have been the ramifications of errors you may
have made?
What has been the level of review of your work?
Can you give us an example or two when your work
may have been returned for corrections,
modifications, etc. and how often did this happen?
Organizational Skills, Setting Priorities, and
Working with Deadlines
What techniques do you use to organize your work?

Can you give an example where you may have

needed to organize materials and information for your own
reference use as well as used by others?

Can you give us an example where you may have recognized

organizational problems or inefficiency in your assigned job

or in the way others were working and what did or would you
do?

What are the things you consider when prioritizing your

work?

What types of deadlines have you worked under in the past?

How did you ensure you would meet those deadlines?

Can you give us an example of working with frequent

interruptions while meeting deadlines?

When given conflicting deadlines or competing demands,

what have you done or what would you do?

This position involves both "people" and "paper" tasks. Give

us an example of how you have handled, or would handle, a
position that requires the ability to do both, often
simultaneously.

Please give us an example of your normal workday: ongoing

tasks, special projects, deadlines, interruptions, etc.

Describe the most recent situation in which you had more

tasks than you could successfully fulfill? What did you do?

Writing Skills

Describe your writing skills and experience in terms of:

who is your audience normally?

are you writing under your own signature or others?

o what is the nature of the writing?

Budget

Describe your budgetary experience, giving examples of

preparing and managing budgets and the types of reports
prepared.

Confidentiality

Based on your experience and judgment, what types of

information and situations do you consider confidential?

Can you give us an example of working with confidential

information?

Can you give us an example of a sensitive or confidential

situation in which you had information and had to decide
what action should or should not be taken?

Policy Interpretation

Describe a situation in which you have interpreted policies or

procedures:
o to whom did you provide the interpretation?
o where did you find the information that needed to be
interpreted?

Can you give an example of working with a variety of

complex and frequently changing policy and/or procedural
information, including how you organize rapidly changing
information that you may use routinely as well as
infrequently?

Technical/Position Specific Requirements

Describe your general clerical skills with respect to:

o 10-key calculator.
o bookkeeping/accounting.
o standard office equipment.
o record keeping, filing.
o knowledge of correct spelling, grammar, punctuation.
Note: Supervisor, along with Personnel/Payroll
Representative, may develop additional appropriate

technical and position specific questions.

Supervisory

Describe your supervisory experience including the number

and types of staff you have supervised.

Give us examples of how you have structured/managed the

work of others relative to workloads and delegating ongoing
and special projects.

How do you ensure that others are working in an organized

manner and setting appropriate priorities for their own work?

Can you give us an example of a disciplinary problem you

have handled?

Have you ever experienced a conflict with a subordinate and

how was that resolved?

How have you or might you resolve a conflict between two

subordinates?

What do you think are the key factors to effectively

supervising people?

In supervising staff, what things have you learned that have

made you a better supervisor?

Describe some things you have done to develop the skills of

your staff? What was the outcome of this effort?

Have you prepared staff evaluations? Do you think they are

useful and if so, why?

How do you handle the situation of a staff member who might

not be capable of performing an on- going, expected
responsibility?

What is the style of supervision that works best for you?

Hypothetical Questions

While asking hypothetical questions is fine, please keep in mind

that you are more likely to get accurate information if you ask a
person to describe their actual experience in a particular area since
many people turn out to behave differently than they claimed.
Essential Functions- interviewing applicants with disabilities
fairly.

Ask about a person's abilities, not about his or her disabilities.

You may ask ALL applicants the following (do not just ask this
question of applicants who appear to have a disability if you
have not asked it of all applicants): Outline the essential
functions and expectations for the position and then ask "Can
you perform this task, either with or without
accommodation?"
For example: "The essential functions for this position include
working 8-12 and 1-5 Monday through Friday, working at
one's desk and, specifically, in front of a computer, for
extended periods of time; working in a large office with a
great deal of noise and frequent interruptions, and processing
a large volume of work to meet fixed deadlines. Can you
perform these tasks, either with or without accommodation?"

You may ask ALL candidates to describe or demonstrate how

they would perform a task.
Physical requirements for positions
o Example of qualification: ability to unload and lift boxes
and pallets weighing up to 50 lbs. would be better
phrased by stating "ability to repeatedly move or
transport" vs. "lift" (shift in thinking about ways to
accomplish tasks).
o You cannot ask candidates about any disabilities, prior
injuries, workers comp, medical information.
o Practical tests are not good; don't know what adaptive
equipment/accommodations someone might need;
would have to ascertain that in advance; not practical
or useful.
o During interview, you can describe work environment
(ex: this is a warehouse environment where most items

weigh between ___ and ___ pounds; in the course of a

___ hour day, one can expect to repeatedly transport
boxes weighing up to ____ pounds) and ask "With or
without accommodation, are you able to repeatedly
transport such items and can you describe for us the
manner in which you would accomplish this".
o DO NOT ask any question that would elicit information
about someone's disability or what accommodation
they may or may not need. If the candidate should
introduce this topic, indicate that the interview is not
the appropriate forum for that kind of discussion but
confirm it is the University's policy to provide
employment accommodations, and if they are the
successful candidate, you can discuss that with them
before or when they start work. If they say they can do
this, interviewer has to believe them.
o To try and confirm there are no prior problems in this
area:

review written application materials to see if they

have demonstrated ability to repeatedly transport
heavy objects;

also in reference checks, describe work

environment and physical requirements, asking if
candidate did similar work for them and if it was
done efficiently, effectively.

o If after someone is hired, they are clearly unable to do

this work and we're unable to reasonably
accommodate, then can look at release during
probation (if already career, then have to look towards
possible medical separation).
o To protect against possible injury or reinjury if after
hired, individual begins to disclose history of physical
limitations/problems, would need to engage in
interactive process to ensure work is being done safely,
possibly involve SHR's Employee Accommodation &
Rehabilitation Coordinator to obtain medical
information and job assessment.

You may also refer to additional interview questions used in actual

recruitments for:

laboratory position

clerical position

managerial position

computer support position