9. Lynn Tulip
Assessment 4 Potential
07801 689801
Author: Get That Job and Can't Get That Job
Editor's Notes
1. Biggest decision for any business = like it or not recruiting someone is costly both in short and long term. You must get it right. How much time and money would you put aside to invest in for example a new computer system? 2.You can't spot a good one – intellectually demanding, you can kid yourselves 3. Ethically and sensibly a job interview has to be a two way process, not just for the interview but for the decision. It's only fair that you get best info on candidates and check their suitability but also that you give candidate as much info for them to make a decision as to whether they can work for you doing role you want them to do. 4. The magnitude of the decision means that you need to get through the rehearsed answers, the stock responses and understand your candidates. Can they do what they say they can do? What practical evidence do you have that proves they can do what they say they can and what makes them YOUR right candidate?
I nterviews remain popular because as well as providing information to predict performance, interviews also give an opportunity for the interviewer and interviewee to meet face to face and exchange information. For the candidate, the interview is an opportunity to: ask questions about the job and the organisation decide if they’d like to take the job. For the organisation, the interview is an opportunity to: describe the job and the responsibilities the job holder would need to take on in more detail assess candidates’ ability to perform in the role discuss with the candidate details such as start dates, training provisions and terms and conditions such as employee benefits give a positive impression to the candidate of the company as a ‘good employer’ (who they'd like to work for should they be offered the position). A poorly conducted interview may leave the candidate with an unfavourable impression of the organisation that they are likely to share with other potential applicants and customers. It is good practice to give feedback to candidates following an interview.
Plan – really important for all parties to plan properly for a recruitment and selection project Process – best to have a robust process that is fair and equitable, and transparent Prepare – all documents relating to the post should be reviewed and agreed Produce matrix documentation for true assessment of candidates Provide – documentation for candidates as well as interviewers Performance – be clear about the level of performance you are looking for Practice – rehearse questions where necessary, brief panel in the process and ensure there is synergy between Perfect – not perfect but Perfect but purrfect. Make sure it is a two-way process and that you give your best either as the employer or as the candidate and that you get the best information back to base a decision on
I'd just like you to pair up and ask each other one of the questions Are there any differences in the questions that you are asking or being asked? What do you notice? Open ended questions are meant to gather more information through elaboration and explanation. Closed ended questions, on the other hand, are asked to verify and confirm, usually eliciting only simple and specific answers. Then there are behavioural questions and situational/hypothetical questions Any combination of these questions can be used in interviews to illicit the best possible information about the candidate to match the job requirements What do you think is the best?
Situational questions and behaviour based questions Situation questions provide you with a hypothetical situation and ask how you would deal with it. Employers can check your understanding of specific processes as well as your interpersonal or working with others skills. How would you respond to a customer who isn't happy with the product? What would you do if a co-worker isn't pulling their weight? How would you organize a file directory system on our computer network? Behaviour based questions are used to assess similar skills and abilities to situational questions. In behaviour based questions the employer asks you to describe what you did in an actual experience. Past action is a predictor of future actions. How you've dealt with situations tells the employer a great deal about how you'll handle things in their organization. Before you select a situation to describe, think about what it says about your ability to work well with others, to solve problems, to provide good customer service. Behaviour based questions often start with tell me about a time when. Tell me about a time when you dealt with a customer complaint? Can you tell us about a school or work situation where you recognized a problem and took action to correct it? Give us an example of a presentation you made at work/school? How did you research it? What were your findings and conclusions? Can you describe a group situation where you were the only person who disagreed with a point of view or action? How did you handle it? What were the results?
It's important to have clarity in how you make your decision and what to base your decision on Setting up a job matrix and giving some weight to each part of the role helps with selection at the early screening stages And is essential at final interviewing See examples
The self-fulfilling prophecy effect . Interviewers may ask questions designed to confirm initial impressions of candidates gained either before the interview or in its early stages. The stereotyping effect . Interviewers sometimes assume that particular characteristics are typical of members of a particular group. In the case of sex, race, disability, marital status or ex-offenders, decisions made on this basis are often illegal. However, the effect occurs in the case of all kinds of social groups. The halo and horns effect . Interviewers sometimes rate candidates as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ across the board and thus reach very unbalanced decisions. The contrast effect . Interviewers can allow the experience of interviewing one candidate to affect the way they interview others who are seen later in the selection process. The similar-to-me effect . Interviewers sometimes give preference to candidates they perceive as having a similar background, career history, personality or attitudes to themselves. The personal liking effect. Interviewers may make decisions on the basis of whether they personally like or dislike the candidate.
Recruiting people with the right skills and qualities is essential for any organisation if it is to maintain and improve its efficiency. Not only the personnel manager but also the line manager/supervisor has a part to play in the selection process. It is crucial that both these people have training to enable them to carry out their roles effectively. Careful analysis of the job to be done, and of the competencies required to do it, is necessary if the right people are to be fitted into the right job. Having selected the best candidate for the job, the next stage is to ensure that the new recruit is successfully integrated into the organisation through a well planned induction programme