MA-ELEC 1- Comprehensive Interviews

Comprehensive Interviews
Applicants who pass the initial screening, application form, and required tests typically receive a comprehensive
interview. The applicant may be interviewed by HRM interviewers, senior managers within the organization, a potential
supervisor, colleagues, or some or all of these.
The comprehensive interview is designed to probe areas not easily addressed by the application form or tests, such
as assessing a candidate’s motivation, values, ability to work under pressure, attitude, and ability to “fit in” with the
organizational culture. Fit cannot be overstated. Ironically, in many cases, employees are hired based on their competencies
and how likely they are to be successful performers. The majority of those who fail do so because they cannot fit within the
organization’s culture. Accordingly, skills and aptitudes may get candidates in the door, but how well they adapt to the
organization frequently determines how long they’ll stay.
Types of Interviews
Interview processes can be time-consuming, so it makes sense to choose the right type of interview(s) for the
individual job. Some jobs, for example, may necessitate only one interview, while another may necessitate a telephone
interview and at least one or two traditional interviews. Here are different types of interviews:
a. Traditional interview
This type of interview normally takes place in the office. It consists of the interviewer and the candidate, and a series of
questions are asked and answered.
b. Telephone interview
A telephone interview is often used to narrow the list of people receiving a traditional interview. It can be used to
determine salary requirements or other data that might automatically rule out giving someone a traditional interview. For
example, if you receive two hundred résumés and narrow these down to twenty-five, it is still unrealistic to interview twenty-
five people in person. At this point, you may decide to conduct phone interviews of those twenty-five, which could narrow the
in-person interviews to a more manageable ten or so people.
c. Panel interview
A panel interview occurs when several people are interviewing one candidate at the same time. While this type of
interview can be nerve racking for the candidate, it can also be a more effective use of time. Consider some companies who
require three to four people to interview candidates for a job. It would be unrealistic to ask the candidate to come in for three
or four interviews, so it makes sense for them to be interviewed by everyone at once.
d. Information interview
Informational interviews are usually used when there is no specific job opening, but the candidate is exploring
possibilities in a given career field. The advantage to conducting these types of interviews is the ability to find great people
ahead of a job opening.
e. Meal interviews
Many organizations offer to take the candidate to lunch or dinner for the interview. This can allow for a more casual
meeting where, as the interviewer, you might be able to gather more information about the person, such as their manners and
treatment of wait staff. This type of interview might be considered an unstructured interview, since it would tend to be more
of a conversation as opposed to a session consisting of specific questions and answers.
f. Group interview
In a group interview, two or more candidates interview at the same time. This type of interview can be an excellent
source of information if you need to know how they may relate to other people in their job.
g. Video interviews
Video interviews are the same as traditional interviews, except that video technology is used. This can be cost saving if
one or more of your candidates are from out of town. Skype, for example, allows free video calls. An interview may not feel
the same as a traditional interview, but the same information can be gathered about the candidate.
h. Nondirective interview
Sometimes called an unstructured interview, in a nondirective interview, the candidate essentially leads the discussion.
Some very general questions that are planned ahead of time may be asked, but the candidate spends more time talking than
the interviewer. The questions may be more open ended; for example, instead of asking, “Do you like working with
customers?” you may ask, “What did you like best about your last job?” The advantage of this type of interview is that it can
give candidates a good chance to show their abilities; however, the downside is that it may be hard to compare potential
candidates, since questions are not set in advance. It relies on more of a “gut feeling” approach.
It is likely you may use one or more of these types of interviews. For example, you may conduct phone interviews, then do
a meal interview, and follow up with a traditional interview, depending on the type of job.

Interview Issues
The interview has proven an almost universal selection tool—one that can take numerous forms. It can be a one-on-
one encounter between the interviewer and the applicant (the traditional interview) or involve several individuals who
interview an applicant at once (the panel interview). Interviews can follow a predetermined pattern that identifies both
questions and expected responses (a situational interview). The interview can also be designed to create a difficult
environment in which the applicant is “put to the test” to assess his or her confidence levels. This is frequently referred to as
the stress interview
Although the job interview is probably the most common selection tool, it has often been criticized for its poor
reliability and low validity. Countless studies have found that interviewers do not agree with one another on candidate
assessments. Other criticisms include human judgment limitations and interviewer biases. For example, one early study
found that most interviewers make decisions about candidates in the first two or three minutes of the interview. Snap
decisions can adversely affect an interview’s validity because they are made based on limited information. More recent
research, however, indicates that interviewers may not make such hasty decisions.
Another criticism is that traditional interviews are conducted in such a way that the interview experience is very
different from interviewee to interviewee. For instance, it is very common for the interviewer to open with the following
question: “Tell me about yourself.” The interview then proceeds in a haphazard fashion depending on the applicant’s answer
to that first question. Essentially, each applicant experiences a different selection method.

Interviewer Bias
Seeing the candidate’s résumé, application form, test scores, or appraisals from other interviewers may introduce
interviewer bias in such cases, the interviewer no longer relies on data gained in the interview alone. Data received prior to
the interview creates an image of the applicant. Much of the early part of the interview, then, becomes an exercise wherein
the interviewer compares the actual applicant with the image formed earlier.

Impression Management
Impression management is directly related to the applicant’s actions. It refers to an applicant’s attempt to project an
image that will result in a favorable outcome. Thus, if an applicant can say or do something the interviewer approves of, that
person may be viewed more favorably for the position. For example, suppose you find out that the interviewer values workers
who are willing to be available via BlackBerry 24/7/365. Accordingly, you make statements of being a workaholic, which
conform to this interviewer’s values and may create a positive impression.

Structured Interview
Dissatisfaction with the traditional unstructured interview has led to an alternative approach called the structured
interview. The structured interview is based directly on a thorough job analysis. It applies a series of job-related questions
with predetermined answers consistently across all interviews for a particular job.
 Given below are examples of the three types of questions commonly used in structured interviews:
Type Example
Situational You are packing things into your car and getting ready for your family vacation when you realize that you
promised to meet a client this morning. You did not pencil the meeting into your calendar and it slipped
your mind until just now. What do you do?
Job knowledge What is the correct procedure for determining the appropriate oven temperature when running a new
batch of steel?
Worker Some periods are extremely busy in our business. What are your feelings about working overtime?
requirements

Interview Effectiveness
Interviewing is often the responsibility of managers with little experience or training in how to interview or what to
look for in an interview. Entrepreneurs, managers in retail, or small businesses often find themselves without an HR
department to handle the process or give advice. Too often this results in a hiring decision that is a poor fit. There may not be a
job description, inexperienced interviewers may ask off-topic questions, or spend more time talking than listening. They may
like an applicant so much that they skip reference checks. And an employer may be so eager to fill the position that they hire
someone they know isn’t completely qualified and hope for the best. Managers and HR professionals need to learn all they can
about effective interviewing to increase the odds of a successful hiring decision.

Steps for Effective Interviewing

1. Review the job 2. Prepare a 3. Review the
4. Open the
description and structured set of application form
interview
job specification. questions and résumé

5. Ask your
8. Write your 7. Close the 6. Take a few
questions and
evaluation interview notes
listen carefully

Effective Interview Questions

Most interviews consist of many types of questions, but they usually lean toward situational interviews
or behavior description interviews. A situational interview is one in which the candidate is given a sample situation and is
asked how he or she might deal with the situation. In a behavior description interview, the candidate is asked questions
about what he or she actually did in a variety of given situations. The assumption in this type of interview is that someone’s
past experience or actions are an indicator of future behavior. These types of questions, as opposed to the old “tell me about
yourself” questions, tend to assist the interviewer in knowing how a person would handle or has handled situations. These
interview styles also use a structured method and provide a better basis for decision making. Examples of situational
interview questions might include the following:
1. If you saw someone stealing from the company, what would you do?
2. One of your employees is performing poorly, but you know he has some personal home issues he is dealing with. How
would you handle complaints from his colleagues about lack of performance?
3. A coworker has told you she called in sick three days last week because she actually decided to take a vacation. What
would you do?
4. You are rolling out a new sales plan on Tuesday, which is really important to ensure success in your organization. When
you present it, the team is lukewarm on the plan. What would you do?
5. You disagree with your supervisor on her handling of a situation. What would you do?
Examples of behavior description interview questions might include the following:
1. Tell me about a time you had to make a hard decision. How did you handle this process?
2. Give an example of how you handled an angry customer.
3. Give an example of how you handled an angry customer.
4. Do you show leadership in your current or past job? What would be an example of a situation in which you did this?
5. What accomplishments have given you the most pride and why?
6. What plans have you made to achieve your career goals?

Questions that should not be asked

As you already know, there are many types of interview questions that would be considered illegal in most countries. Here are
some examples:

1. National origin. You cannot ask seemingly innocent questions such as “That’s a beautiful name, where is your family
from?” This could indicate national origin, which could result in bias. You also cannot ask questions about citizenship,
except by asking if a candidate is legally allowed to work in the United States. Questions about the first language of the
candidate shouldn’t be asked, either. However, asking “Do you have any language abilities that would be helpful in this
job?” or “Are you authorized to work in this country?” would be acceptable.

2. Age. You cannot ask someone how old they are, and it is best to avoid questions that might indicate age, such as “When
did you graduate from high school?” However, asking “Are you over 18?” is acceptable.

3. Marital status. You can’t ask direct questions about marital status or ages of children. An alternative may be to ask, “Do
you have any restrictions on your ability to travel, since this job requires 50 percent travel?”

4. Religion. It’s illegal to ask candidates about their religious affiliation or to ask questions that may indicate a religion-
affiliated school or university.

5. Disabilities. You may not directly ask if the person has disabilities or recent illnesses. You can ask if the candidate is able to
perform the functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodations.

6. Criminal record. While it is fine to perform a criminal record check, asking a candidate if they have ever been arrested is
not appropriate; however, questions about convictions and guilty pleadings are acceptable.

7. Personal questions. Avoid asking personal questions, such as questions about social organizations or clubs, unless they
relate to the job.

Guideline for Interviewees

This are just some tips for you for when you have to sit for an interview as an interviewee.
1. Be prepared: Before appearing at the interviewer, you should take sufficient preparation to boost up your
confidence. For this purpose, you can prepare a list of probable questions and can practice them at home. Research
common questions asked in the industry you are applying.

2. Make good impression: There is a popular saying that “first impression lasts long.” If you can create a positive
impression at the first sight or first conversation, the interviewer is likely to shoal a positive attitude towards you. Creating
a favorable impression requires the following:
a. Grooming: The interviewer gets first impression about you from your appearance. Therefore, you should be
well-groomed through neat and well-trimmed hairs, shining shoes, clean and trimmed fingernails.
 b. Appropriate clothing: Your dress or clothing should be gentle looking. Dress indicates your personality, choice,
sincerity, and interest for the job. Dress should reflect your knack or liking for the profession or job.
c. Punctuality: Your punctuality is a factor that interviewer observes very keenly. In a job interview, you should
never be late. Rather, you should arrive at least 15 minutes before the interview. This will help you to be
relaxed and to be familiar with the situation.
3. Listening carefully: You should listen to the interviewer very carefully. When Interview starts, you should wait for
interviewer’s cues, both verbal and nonverbal. For instance, you should not sit until invited to do so.
4. Giving concise answer: Questions should be answered concisely and directly. Unnecessary talking or responses should
be avoided.
5. Clear Speaking: Clear speaking is an integral part of creating good impression. Whatever you say, it should be clearly
voiced and pronounced.
6. Confidence in speaking: You should have confidence in speaking. While answering the questions, you should believe
that the answer is correct.
7. Interest in the employer’s business: Interviewers try their best to select the committed candidates. For this purpose,
they want to know the extent to which the applicant is interested to get the job. Therefore, you should show your interest
in such a way as if you are already working in the company. Familiarize yourself with their philosophy, vision, mission, and
goals.
8. A firm handshake: The you should shake hands firmly rather than loosely. A firm handshake reflects your level of
confidence and mental strength.