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The ARS Guide to Interviewing

For all practical purposes, ARS Recruitment becomes an extension of your organisation during the recruitment process. With the right "mindset" jointly, we can be sure of achieving the best possible "fit" between applicant and position.

By the time you sit down to interview the shortlisted candidates for a position, ARS Recruitment will have assessed all applicants against the assignment specification, will have supplied a comprehensive final shortlist report assessing each candidate's suitability, and given you an in depth consultant briefing of each shortlisted candidate.

You will have been provided with qualified candidates and objective information on skills, experience and behavioural workstyle on which a quality recruitment decision can be based.

There is no need to use your interview time to get to know the candidate, you will already will have done that.

Here are some hints we consider you will find useful during your first interview with the shortlisted candidates to maximise the benefit to you of the interview in progressing your selection decision.

These notes are prepared to assist those of our clients who have not undertaken any formal interviewing skills training, or those who only occasionally recruit new staff.

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These Interviews Are Important To You

Before you start, we should recall that the interview is very important to both parties, and each has their own expectations;

• You are seeking a top performing new employee who will contribute to the success of your business over the next few years. You are both selecting the best applicant and influencing them to come and assist you in achieving your business objectives.
• The candidate has passed through some selection hurdles before being seen by you. He is interested in your job and your organisation and similarly hopes to gain the information necessary to make his own decision if the position is offered to him or her.

So you have to achieve the right balance between objective selection against the selection criteria and impressiong on the candidate the career benefits of working for you. Do not forget - the top performers always have a choice of good positions.

There is only one way to achieve all this - it is essential to professionally plan the interview and to ensure that you have prepared well in terms of allocation of time and consideration of the materials made available to you in the shortlist report.

Scheduling Interviews

It is important that you allow adequate uninterupted time for each interview, including a buffer between consecutive interviews to make notes and record your observations. This ensures you achieve the necessary depth in each of the interviews and that candidates are not kept waiting.

Initial Preparation

Whilst this is your first meeting with the candidate you do have a lot of knowledge available to you. Make sure you allow yourself 10 minutes before the scheduled interview to remind yourself of this particular candidate. This will ensure you get the most out of the interview time you have set aside. In particular re-read the consultants summary notes on the skills, experience and behavioural workstyle of the candidate as well as the resume.

First Impressions

The format for a "face to face" interview should be adapted to suit your personal style, but there are two very important Do's:

1. Make all applicants feel relaxed and able to be themselves, and

2. Keep control of the interview.

Remember that the successful applicant is going to become part of your company - your working "family". It is important that each applicant gets the right impression of what it is probably like to work with you and your colleagues.

Anyone who is going to have initial contact with an applicant, such as your secretary or receptionist, should be specifically reminded to make the person "feel at home" when they arrive. A friendly smile and the offer of a cup of tea or coffee can go a long way towards making a candidate feel more comfortable.

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Conduct Of Interview

Objectives

Commonly, the objectives of an interview are directed towards:

• Appraisal of the applicant's personality, motivation and character.
• Assessment of the applicant's presentation - communication skills, grooming, attitude.
• Determination of what the applicant is all about as an individual, why they are seeking a change of employer, where they want to go career wise, whether they will be happy and productive in this particular position at this particular point of time.
• Your analysis of the capacity of the applicant to fulfil your specific requirements.
• An understanding of the specific achievements of the candidate in previous positions.
• Assessment of how the candidate compares with other candidates.

In addressing these objectives, interviews should be structured in the way that questions are asked to achieve each of the above objectives.

Remember, to ensure that the interview is effective so both parties get the most out of it, you are the one who must stay in control. Part of that control is making sure the applicant is as relaxed as such a stressful situation allows.

To this end, many people prefer to remove the desk as a barrier by joining the applicant on the visitor's side of the desk, or at an informal seating arrangement, or a small table.

Getting Started

A lot is at stake during an interview - for both parties. However, it is the interviewee who is under most scrutiny. Therefore, it is in everyone's interest to humanise the situation immediately.

The best way of "breaking the ice" is to ask the applicant soft (non-demanding) questions about his or her background. For example:

Some applicants will still find it difficult to relax. However, you will find that a couple of soft questions will help you get onto their wavelength and reduce their fear of you.

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Setting the Structure of the Interview

It will also assist if you tell the candidate how you intend to handle the interview. This removes another uncertainty from their mind and will further relax them.

Let them know the sequence; what you are going to ask, when they will learn more about the position and the company and how things might proceed after the interview.

Core of the Interview

At this stage, it is a good idea to turn to the final shortlist report and look at the points you have highlighted. Discuss these with the applicant using broad open questions like those that follow. Never ask closed questions that invite a YES/NO answer or you will find that the interview rapidly gets into a pattern where you cannot properly solicit nor explore the information you need to assess the applicant.

Use the STAR process to gain in depth answers, and thereby test the depth of achievement of the individual. This is a simple process which starts with identifying a

Situation, or
Task. Then asking what specific
Action took place and with what
Result.

Suggested questions to ask are:

• What are your career objectives?
• Are your major responsibilities in your present job? Follow this up with questions on how these responsibilities are met.
• How much time do you spend on .... ( select one or more of the aspects of the present position that are important to you)?
• What problem areas do you encounter in your present position?
• What kind of satisfaction are you looking for in a new position that you are not getting presently?
• If I called your previous employer and asked him or her how you performed whilst you were there, what do you think he or she would say?
• What kind of people do you find most difficult to work with?
• What do you consider most important in a job? Why?
• What is your biggest weakness?
• If you think back on your career to date, what has been your worst moment? What have been the highlights?
• What are the major assets that you would bring to this position?
• What achievement in your working life are you proudest of?
• What is more important to you in a job - money, opportunity or job satisfaction?
• If you do not get this position, what are your prospects where you are now?
• Why do you want to leave your present company at this time?
• What do people criticise you most for?
• How has your present employer treated you?

Questions should be asked in a "matter of fact" way, without encouraging or discouraging the applicant.

AVOID TALKING TOO MUCH YOURSELF. It is the biggest trap in interviewing.

During the interview, try to avoid small talk and do not allow the applicant to digress or take control of the interview by asking too many questions. If you do, it is easy to lose sight of the goals of the interview.

Closing The Interview

Once you have gathered all the relevant information, and have a real feel for the suitablility of the applicant, make sure you give the applicant time to ask the questions which still remain in their minds.

Finally, thank the candidate for his or her time and interest and advise them of what happens next and in what timeframe.

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