The document provides guidance on effective interviewing techniques. It emphasizes the importance of structuring interviews by preparing questions in advance based on the job description and using the same process for all candidates. Conducting panel interviews with multiple interviewers is recommended to improve objectivity. Questions should focus on assessing past behaviors and abilities to handle hypothetical situations. The interview should be led by establishing rapport before diving into questions to evaluate fit for the role.

1. EFFECTIVE INTERVIEWING
TECHNIQUES
DR. BALAKRISHNAN MUNIAPAN
Email: bala.hrm@gmail.com

2. INTRODUCTION & ICE BREAKER

3. INTRODUCTION & ICE BREAKER
 Your name;
 Your current
knowledge and
experience in
interviewing;
 What do you hope
to achieve from
this workshop?

4. DR. BALAKRISHNAN MUNIAPAN
 Born and received early education in Sg Petani, Kedah.
 Holds BEcons (UKM), MSc (HRM) (Portsmouth, UK)
CIWT,(ACAP, AUST), DBA (Philippines).
 Brings over 18 years of experience from various fields such
as, manufacturing management, corporate training,
consultancy and education.
 Presented papers at seminars & international conferences in
several countries in Asia, Australia, Africa & Europe.
 Currently based in Kuching, Sarawak with an Australian
branch campus university involved in teaching & research in
HRM. Facilitates international DBA/MBA programs in OB
& HRM in Vietnam & Philippines.

5. WORKSHOP OUTCOME
 Analyze CVs and application forms for greater
understanding of the candidate;
 Gain the personal skills necessary to conduct interviews
effectively;
 Design appropriate questions for interview;
 Be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of interviews as
a selection process;
 Use basic procedures and protocol before, during and after
interview; and
 Use the appropriate criteria and select suitable employees.

6. WORKSHOP METHODOLOGY
 Short lectures, exercises, role plays, group
discussions & presentations, and case studies
approach will be used to enhance your learning
experience.
 You are encouraged to discuss, contribute & share
from your own knowledge & experience on issues
related to selection and interviewing.
 Research in adult learning shows that a deeper level
of learning occurs when there is active participation
on the part of the participants.

7. GROUND RULES FOR LEARNING
 Active listening (not just hearing)
 Appreciate others viewpoint
(diversity)
 Off your mobile or in silent mode
 Have fun as you LEARN

8. Effective interviewing techniques is
critical to hire the right person for the
right job to achieve your organizational
VISION & MISSION.

9. Vision & Mission Statement
The mission statement is “not a trophy
that decorates office walls, but an
organic body of beliefs and a
foundation of guiding principles we
hold in common.”
Howard Schultz, Founder of
Starbucks

10. ACTIVITY 1 - ASSESSMENT

11. ACTIVITY 2 – ROLE PLAY

12. INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE
 What is the best & worst
experience that you have
had as an interviewer
 What made these
experiences – best/worst?
 What would have
prevented the worst &
improved the best
experience?

13. MODULE 1: PRE-
INTERVIEW STAGE

14. RECRUITMENT & SELECTION
Recruitment is the process of
generating a pool of capable
people to apply for employment to
an organization.
Selection is the process by which
managers and others use specific
instruments to choose from a pool
of applicants a person or persons
most likely to succeed in the job.

15. RECRUITMENT & SELECTION
Most Hiring Managers make their selection decision within
the first 5 minutes of the interview. Source: Harvard Study
More than 75 % of turnover can be traced
back to poor interviewing and hiring
practices. Source: Harvard Study
If an untrained interviewer uses an
unstructured interview format, then the
probability of hiring the best applicant is less
than 15 %. Source: Michigan State University

16. IMPORTANCE OF SELECION
The Importance of
Selecting the Right
Employees
Legal
Costs of
Organizational Obligations
Recruiting and
Performance (Unfair
Hiring
Dismissal)

17. SELECTION PROCESS
 Job Analysis
 The process of identifying basic task and skill
requirements for a specific job by studying superior
performers.
 Job Description
 A concise document that outlines the role expectations
and skill requirements for a specific job.
 Job Specification
 The knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the job
incumbent.

18. SELECTION TOOLS
 Application forms, CV analysis
 Tests - General Ability, IQ, EQ, SQ, etc.
 Work Samples
 Personality questionnaires
 Reference Checks
 Handwriting Analysis etc.
 Astrology, Numerology, Face reading, etc
 Demonstration or presentation
 INTERVIEWS plus some of the above tools.

19. CV ANALYSIS
 Start with the JOB DESCRIPTION & JOB
SPECIFICATION
 Know the ESSENTIAL & DESIRABLE job
criteria's
 Experiences – Where, When, What, Duration,
Achievements?
 Review the CVs against the criteria (Essential &
Desirable)
 Check the QUALIFICATIONS (VERY
IMPORTANT)

20. MISREPRESENTATION ON
QUALIFICATION
Facts of the Case
 The Claimant (CL) had misled his employer on his
professional qualification when applying for employment
with the latter. Upon discovery of this fraud some nine
years later, the company, invoked the condition in CL’s
declaration form and summarily dismissed CL from his
position as Head of Internal Audit Department. CL
challenged his dismissal being without just cause or
excuse.

21. MISREPRESENTATION ON
QUALIFICATION
Held By the Court
 CL had stated in his application form that he had
obtained the ICMA qualification. Further, he had also
signed the declaration form that stated that he was
liable to summary dismissal if any of the information
contained in his application form was found to be
untrue. CL could not tender any proof that he actually
had the ICMA qualification in question. CL had thus
misled the company about his professional
qualifications and was therefore properly and justifiably
dismissed - Mohamed Noordin Mohamed v. Malaysia
International Shipping Corporation Bhd [2006] 1 ILR 57.

22. MISREPRESENTATION ON
QUALIFICATION (COMMENTS)
 What saved the company was the declaration by CL in his
Application Form which stated “I hereby certify that the
particulars furnished by me are true and accurate in every
detail. If employed, in the event of a discovery of any
misrepresentation of acts, willful or otherwise I will be
subjected to summary dismissal.”
 One wonders after nine years working in the company and a
promotion to the head of department whether qualification
is a matter for consideration or the employee’s work
performance. Obviously, what mattered here was the
“questionable” integrity of the employee which resulted in
his dismissal.

23. PRELIMINARY INTERVIEW
(TELEPHONE)
 Use phone interviews as a way to quickly assess a pool of
applicants and identify applicants to pursue further.
 Prepare before making the call. Review the applicant's CV
and know the ESSENTIAL & DESIRABLE criteria’s.
 Have the applicant's CV in front to clarify information and
to refer to his or her experience as needed.
 Communicate clearly about the position and what it will
entail.
 Assess the applicant's skills and experience and get a feel on
how these will translate into work environment.
 Find out how serious the applicant is to know if it is worth
proceeding to a future interview.

24. EMPLOYMENT TEST
What Tests
Measure
Physical Intellectual Emotion Spirit
(BQ) (IQ) (EQ) (SQ)

25. WORK SAMPLES &
DEMONSTRATIONS
Measuring Work
Performance Directly
Work Leadership Situational
Demo
Samples Assessment Testing

26. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION
Former Employers
Current
Supervisors
Sources of
Google Search
Information
Written References
Social Networking
Sites

27. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION
1. Include on the application form a statement
for applicants to sign explicitly authorizing
a background check.
2. Use telephone references if possible and be
persistent in obtaining information.
3. Ask open-ended questions to elicit more
information from references.

28. ONLINE BACKGROUND
INVESTIGATION

30. LIMITATIONS OF BACKGROUND
INVESTIGATION
Legal Issues:
Defamation
Employer
Background Ethical
Investigations Issues:
Guidelines
Privacy
Supervisor
Reluctance

31. INTERVIEWING
 An interview is a procedure designed to
obtain information from a person through
oral responses to oral inquiries
 A selection interview is a selection
procedure designed to predict future job
performance on the basis of applicants’ oral
responses to oral inquiries

32. TYPES OF INTERVIEWS
Selection
Interview
Types of
Appraisal Interview
Interviews
Exit Interview

33. INTERVIEW FORMATS
Interview
Formats
Unstructured or Structured
Nondirective or
Interview Directive Interview

34. INTERVIEW FORMATS
 Structured Interview :
directive interview
following a set of
sequence of questions
 Non-structured
Interview: non-
directive ask questions
as they come to mind

35. INTERVIEW CONTENT
Types of
Questions
Situational Behavioral Job-Related Stress
Interview Interview Interview Interview

36. INTERVIEW CONTENT
 Situational Interview: questions focus on the
individual’s ability to project what his/her
behavior would be in a given situation.
 Behavioral interview: ask questions to describe
how they reacted to actual situation in the past.
 Stress Interview: in which applicant is made
uncomfortable by a series of rude questions.

37. MODULE 2: THE
INTERVIEW STAGE

38. INTERVIEW
An interview is a “presentation of
self” for the interviewer, the
interviewee, and the
organization.

39. INTERVIEW
Interview is a selection
procedure designed
to predict future job
performance on the
basis of an
applicant’s responses
to oral inquiries

40. INTERVIEWING CHALLENGE
What are the steps and factors
necessary to conduct an effective
interview?

41. OUTCOMES OF POOR
INTERVIEWING
 Bad image
 Bad job fit and
eventual firing (legal cost)
 Compounding turnover
 Loss of productivity
 Lowering morale
 Costs to recruit again
 Costs to train

42. CASE STUDY
 Ali was feeling pleased with himself as he had been
called to attend an interview for the vacant post of
Market Research officer in ABC Sdn Bhd. He had
put on his new white shirt and colorful tie which he
had bought especially for the interview. According
to the company’s letter, his interview was to start at
10.00 am but when he arrived at 9.45 am, he found
there were 10 other candidates waiting to be
interviewed. The receptionist told him to take a seat
and apologized for the delay. His interview was now
scheduled for 12.00 noon.

43. CASE STUDY (CONT’D)
 At 12.15pm, he was called into the interview room where he
found himself faced by there stern-looking interviewers. The
man in the middle said, “Are you Ali bin Bakar?” Ali
confirmed his information. There was some confusion while
the other two interviewers looked through some papers,
exchanged files and whispered together. Ali stood patiently.
Eventually, the man on the right said, “Don’t you want to sit
down? We can’t interview you while you’re standing, you
know!” Ali immediately sat on the seat facing the interview
panel and said, “I would like to thank you for calling me for
this interview. I would be pleased to explain why I think I
can contribute to your organization as a Marketing Officer.”

44. CASE STUDY (CONT’D)
 Upon which, one of the interviewers said, “Young
man, just answer our question, please. Why are you
wearing such a colorful tie? Don’t you think it is
important to dress conservatively in the office?” Before
Ali had a chance to respond, the interviewer seated in
the middle asked, “What do you think of our
company’s product?”Ali’s heart sank. This was not
what he had expected at all. He began to regret having
applied to this company for a job.
 Identify the mistakes made by the interviewers in the
case and how might the interview process be done
more professionally?

45. LESSONS
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47. EFFECTIVE INTERVIEW
Suggestions:
1 Structure Your Interview
2 Prepare for the Interview
3 Establish Rapport
4 Ask Questions
5 Close the Interview
6 Review the Interview

48. EFFECTIVE INTERVIEW
 Structure the Interview:
1. Base questions on actual job duties.
2. Use job knowledge, situational or behavioral questions,
and objective criteria to evaluate interviewee’s
responses.
3. Use descriptive rating scales (excellent, fair, poor) to
rate answers.
4. Use multiple interviewers or panel interviews.
5. If possible, use a standardized interview form.
6. Take control of the interview.

49. INTERVIEW STRUCTURE
1. Job interest
2. Current work status
3. Work experience
4. Educational
background
5. Self assessment

50. STRUCTURED INTERVIEW
All candidates go through the same interview
process (i.e., same opportunity to perform)
 Same questions
 Same process (e.g., time, interviewers)
 Same evaluation criteria

51. MAJOR BENEFITS
STRUCTURED INTERVIEW
1. Increased interviewer comfort
2. Improved documentation
3. Viewed as professional
4. Reduced likelihood of litigation
5. Improved job performance

52. NUMBER OF INTERVIEWERS
Single Interviewer
Sequential Interviews
Panel Interview

53. PANEL INTERVIEW - TIPS
 3-5 Interviewers
 Knowledgeable about target job
 Well prepared
 Be diverse

54. OPENING THE INTERVIEW
 Welcome the candidate, introduce
yourself, the panels and the positions
 Provide the candidate with an overview
of how the process will be conducted
 Don’t spend a lot of time
“warming the candidate up”

55. TOP FOUR WARMING UP
QUESTIONS
1. Tell me a little about yourself.
2. What is your greatest strength?
3. What is your greatest weakness?
4. Where do you want to be in 5
years?

56. NUMBER OF QUESTIONS
Number of
Interview Length Questioning Time Questions
40 minutes 20 minutes 4 or 5 questions
60 minutes 40 minutes 8 or 9 questions
90 minutes 70 minutes 14-15 questions
120 minutes 100 minutes 20-22 questions
 Estimate 5 minutes per question
 20 minutes for other activities

57. EXAMPLES OF QUESTIONS
Situational Questions
1. Suppose a co-worker was not following standard work procedures. The co-worker Is more
experienced than you and claimed the new procedure was better. What would you do?
2. Suppose you were giving a sales presentation and a difficult technical question arose that you could
not answer. What would you do?
Past Behavior Questions
3. Based on your past work experience, what is the most significant action you have ever taken to help
out a co-worker?
4. Can you provide an example of a specific instance where you developed a sales presentation that was
highly effective?
Background Questions
5. What work experiences, training, do you have for working in a teamwork environment?
6. What experience have you had with direct point-of-purchase sales?
Job Knowledge Questions
7. What steps would you follow to do a brainstorming session with a group of employees on safety?
8. What factors should you consider when developing a television advertising campaign?
Note: These questions provide structure, insofar as they are job-related and the employer can
be consistent in asking them of all candidates.

58. SAMPLE QUESTIONS
1. How did you choose this line of work?
2. What did you enjoy most and what did you like least about your last job?
3. What has been your greatest frustration or disappointment on your present job? Why?
4. What were the circumstances surrounding your leaving your last job?
5. Why should we be hiring you?
6. What do you expect from this employer?
7. What are three things you will not do in your next job?
8. What would your last supervisor say your three weaknesses are?
9. What are your major strengths?
10. How can your supervisor best help you obtain your goals?
11. How did your supervisor rate your job performance?
12. What are your career goals during the next 1–3 years? 5–10 years?
13. How will working for this company help you reach those goals?
14. What did you do the last time you received instructions with which you disagreed?
15. What are some things about which you and your supervisor disagreed? What did you do?
16. Which do you prefer, working alone or working with groups?
17. What motivated you to do better at your last job?
18. Do you consider your progress in that job representative of your ability? Why?
19. Do you have any questions about the duties of the job for which you have applied?
20. Can you perform the essential functions of the job for which you have applied?

61. INTERVIEWER &
INTERVIEWEE
 What happens between
the interviewee tends
to have a greater
influence on the
interview dominates
the interview session?

62. PROBLEMATIC CANDIDATES
Profile of a Problematic Candidate
 May not answer questions accurately
 May want to talk all the time
 May contradict your views
 May be argumentative
 May have strong views on a number of things
 May use rude language and disrespectful
 May not keep eye-contact
 May like to show off connections

63. BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW
 Based on the principle that critical behaviors
contribute to job success
 These critical behaviors can be broken down into
three components: descriptions of tasks; actions
taken; results or outcomes
 In Behavioral Interview (BI), the candidate can be
directed to describe specific situations in past jobs
that demonstrate these key behaviors
 The interviewer can assess the success of those
key behaviors and how they match to the job

64. BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW
Shooting for the STAR
S = Situation T = Task
A = Action R = Results

65. BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW
STAR
S - Describe the situation you were in
 T - Describe the task for which you
were responsible
 A - Describe the specific action you
took
 R - Describe the results of your actions

66. SAMPLE BI QUESTIONS
 Describe a situation in which you were able
to use persuasion to successfully convince
someone to see things your way.
 Give me a specific example of a time when
you used good judgment and logic in
solving a problem.
 Give me an example of a time when you set
a goal and were able to meet/achieve/
exceed it.

67. THE BEST USE OF BI
 When looking for specific
behaviors tied to KSAs
 When the interviewers
have time and resources
to develop good
behavioral questions
based on job and
organizational analysis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI16yjQ_K50&NR=1

68. BI ON EXCELLENT SERVICE
Here are Sample Questions
1. How do you know if your customers are satisfied?
Please give a specific example.
2. Please describe a situation when you didn’t have
enough time to completely satisfy a particular
customer. How did you handle the situation?
3. How have you handled a difficult customer
interaction? [dissatisfied/angry customer]
4. What do you think your customers would say
about your work?

69. PRACTICAL ACTIVITY

70. MODULE 3: EFFECTIVE
LISTENING

71. Listening implies a
choice. You must
choose to participate
in the process
of listening.

72. EFFECTIVE LISTENING
 Control the Environment
 Be Alert
 Be Mentally Prepared
 Be Emotionally Prepared
 Provide feedback

73. EFFECTIVE LISTENING
 Analyzing key points
 Looking for unspoken messages
 Keeping an open mind
 Asking questions that clarify
 Reserving judgment
 Taking meaningful notes

74. BODY LANGUAGE
Positive Signals Negative Signals
 Leaning forward = interest  Crossed arms = defensive
 Smiling = friendly  Tapping feet = nervous or
 Nodding = attentive and bored
alert  Lack of eye contact =
 Eye contact = curious and untrustworthy
focused  Leaning back= discomfort

75. CLOSING THE INTERVIEW
 Ask the candidate if they have any
final questions
 Determine interest in continuing the
process
 Inform the candidate of “next steps”
in the process
 Thank the candidate
 DO NOT MAKE ANY PROMISES

76. INTERVIEWING DON’T’S!!
 Stereotyping
 Inconsistency in questioning
 Snap judgment
 Halo/horn effect
 Nonverbal bias
 Projections
 Contrast effect
 Recency effects

77. ACTIVITY 3 – ROLE PLAY

78. MODULE 4: POST
INTERVIEW DECISION

79. RATING/RANKING
Points to consider about applicant:
 Arrived on time
 Was appropriately dressed, well groomed, neat, etc.
 Had effective communication skills … was articulate
 Maintained effective eye contact, posture, body language, etc.
 Used effective active listening skills
 Asked reasonable and applicable questions
 Answered questions completely … answers adequately
described applicable past work and life experiences

80. RATING/RANKING
Points to consider about applicant:
 Answers focused on skills, knowledge and accomplishments when
describing past work experiences
 Seemed well informed about the industry, organization, business and the
actual advertised job/position
 Demonstrated how his/her background would contribute to the advertised
job/position
 Remarks about past managers, supervisors and colleagues were positive,
neutral, or negative
 You will have to interpret these based as much on the former
employer/colleague as on the applicant – “there’s two sides or more to
every story”

81. RATING/RANKING
Points to consider about applicant:
 Past work style compares favorably to the advertised
job/position (e.g., works well in teams; can work
independently; creativity; customer service; etc.)
 Past work history is logical and typical
 Career moves
 Promotions
 Reasons for leaving past employers
 Has experienced logical salary and responsibility progressions

82. RATING/RANKING
Points to consider about applicant:
 Salary history, if volunteered by applicant, is typical of industry norms for
positions he/she held (e.g. from salary.com, salaryexpert.com,
monster.com, datamasters.com, local wage reviews, etc.)
 Provided objective references, if requested for background and reference
checks
 Seemed genuinely enthused and interested in the advertised job/position
 Is available now or within acceptable timeframe
 Needs to give current employer reasonable notice

83. RATING/RANKING
INTERVIEW WORKSHEET
INTERVIEW ELEMENT WEIGHTING
RATING VALUES: NOTES:
SPECIFIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (X) Total
1. N
5 4 3 2 1 x
A
2.
N
5 4 3 2 1 x
A
3.
N
5 4 3 2 1 x
A
4.
N
5 4 3 2 1 x
A
5.
N
5 4 3 2 1 x
A
Additional notes/comments:

84. POST-INTERVIEW
 Tabulate rating/ranking scores
 Discuss interviews
 Select “best qualified”
 Document choices / recommendations
 Communicate top choice(s) to the hiring
official
 Give documentation to HR representative

85. SELECT WISELY
 Matching process
 Outcome is best fit to:
 organizational values
 job objectives
 job specifications
 competencies
 proven record of performance

86. LOOK FOR THE ABILITY TO….
 Cooperate and negotiate
 Handle range of tasks
 Respond to changes in direction and
priorities
 Accept new challenges, responsibilities,
assignments & ideas

87. CASE STUDY

88. CASE STUDY
 Ali began his first day at ABC Sdn Bhd with some
trepidation. It was such a huge place. He had reported to the
Administration office which was positioned conveniently at
the main door. One of the officers there had taken down his
personal particulars and sent him straight to the Market
Research Department where he was to be employed as a
Trainee Officer. When he got there the Head of Department
was on leave and the office was almost deserted as a major
survey was being carried out by the staff which had required
them all to go outstation. Ali was shown to a desk which
obviously belonged to another officer and told to read some
magazines and brochures until the Head of Department
came to brief him.

89. CASE STUDY (CONT’D)
 The next morning the manager arrived very early and was
surprised to find Ali already at his desk. She was a bit
shocked because Ali’s clothing looked crumpled and
somehow he did not seem smart as he had been during the
interview. She walked over to Ali and said, “Good morning.
I am Margaret, the Head of Market Research. You’re here
very early.’ Ali looked sleepy and replied, ‘Actually, I ‘m not
really early, I slept here in the office last night.’ Margaret was
astounded. ‘Why did you do that?” Ali admitted his
problem. ‘Last night I couldn’t find the exit. All the doors led
to other offices or cupboards so in the end I had no choice. I
slept on the floor!’

90. LESSONS
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91. WORKSHOP OUTCOME
 Analyze CVs and application forms for greater
understanding of the candidate;
 Gain the personal skills necessary to conduct interviews
effectively;
 Design appropriate questions for interview;
 Be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of interviews as a
selection process;
 Use basic procedures and protocol before, during and after
interview; and
 Use the appropriate criteria and select suitable employees.

94. DR. BALAKRISHNAN MUNIAPAN
Email: bala.hrm@gmail.com
http://www.freewebs.com/balakrishnanmuniapan/