Erbil polytechnic university

Erbil Health technical college

Physiotherapy Department

2019-2020

The interview

Supervised by: Awat M.Mustafa

Prepared by :Nur Dilshad

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents.......................................................................................................................................2
Abstract......................................................................................................................................................3
Introduction...............................................................................................................................................4
Interview Types.........................................................................................................................................5
The Impact of the Interview Process........................................................................................................5
Steps of the interview process...................................................................................................................6
1. Screening................................................................................................................................................6
2. First interview........................................................................................................................................6
3. Second interview....................................................................................................................................7
4. Third interview......................................................................................................................................7
5. The decision...........................................................................................................................................7
Stages of an Interview...............................................................................................................................8
1) Introductions.........................................................................................................................................8
2) Small Talk..............................................................................................................................................8
3) Information Gathering.........................................................................................................................9
4) Question/Answer...................................................................................................................................9
5) Wrapping Up.........................................................................................................................................9
Conclusions..............................................................................................................................................11
References................................................................................................................................................12

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Abstract

Making a new hire requires a lot of time and effort—which is no big secret if you’re a recruiter!
But it’s not just recruiters dedicating their resources to hiring: Everyone from hiring managers
and potential team members to senior leaders and receptionists can be called in to participate in
some aspect of the interview process. Yet for an activity that touches so many people,
interviewing is not always given the respect it deserves. Some interviewers treat the entire
process with disdain, as a waste of time that could be better spent doing almost anything else.
Others might not be so openly against interviewing, but they treat their time with candidates as
simply a chance to chat and casually discuss work history or common acquaintances. And yet
others walk into the interview room with no game plan whatsoever, figuring that they’ll just
wing it or let the candidate guide the conversation.

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Introduction
The employment interview is conducted thousands of times daily within the personnel services
industry. From screening interviews through hiring interviews, this process determines whether
or not we will be successful in hiring a temp or completing a search assignment. Because this
process plays such a pivotal role, we should have more than a passing familiarity with the
purpose of an interview, the types of interviews, the formats that can be used, and the impact of
the interview process.
The purpose of an interview is to identify and hire candidates who will perform well and want to
remain with their employer. To achieve this purpose, the interview process should assess the
candidate’s technical skills and abilities, personal preferences, and behavior patterns. The
purpose of an interview is basic – the interview needs to gather sufficient information in each
area from a candidate in order to form a hiring decision. The difficulty comes in selecting the
appropriate interview format.
The interview is the last step of the hiring process and the most important. It offers you and the
employer the opportunity to meet one another, exchange information and come to tentative
conclusions about “hiring” one another. The interview is the opportunity where you can describe
your experiences and skills and can get an idea of what is happening with the company. During
an interview, an employer’s goal is to gather additional information about you that is not
provided in your resume and cover letter. They will attempt to find out what motivates you, how
well you communicate and if you are a leader or a follower. The interview is a two-way process.
You evaluate the employer while he/she evaluates you.

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Interview Types
There are two types of interviews: the screening interview and the hiring interview. The
screening interview, conducted either by phone or in-person, pre-screens a candidate for general
suitability for a position. This interview is normally done by an experienced interviewer using
pre-determined questions. From the information gathered in the interview, a candidate is
screened into or out of the hiring process. The hiring interview is the process that will result in an
offer of employment being made to a candidate. The interview format used in this process will
determine whether or not the interviewer has sufficient information to make the right offer to the
best candidate.

The Impact of the Interview Process

The interview process has a significant impact on the personnel services industry because
nothing happens until someone is interviewed. While it may be easy to do a five-minute
screening interview for an industrial temp, you wouldn’t hire the temp without progressing to the
hiring interview. Although most search assignments require multiple interviews, an offer won’t
be made until the interview process is completed. Ultimately, we cannot succeed in our positions
until someone interviews somebody! We may view the interview process as a necessary evil but
our clients view it as part of their cost per hire. The client’s goal is, ultimately, to hire the right
people at the lowest cost. Their expectation is that we will assist them in achieving this goal. To
assist a client in managing his cost per hire, you will need to know what interview format he
uses. Questioning your client on this topic will require him to focus on the purpose of the
interview and whether the format he uses achieves this purpose. If your client uses an
unstructured format, the likelihood of a correct hiring decision being made is slim. This format
does not develop sufficient information to make a decision and drives up the cost of hiring. If
your client uses a structured format but still isn’t making correct hiring decisions perhaps he
needs to add behavior-based questions to his interview process.

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Steps of the interview process

Interview processes can vary depending on the company's practices and protocol, but most
interviews generally follow the same format, consisting of the following steps:

1. Screening
2. First interview
3. Second interview
4. Third interview
5. The decision

1. Screening

Many employers conduct a preliminary interview to determine whether you're a viable candidate
for the job. The screening can be conducted over the phone or in person and typically lasts
fifteen to twenty minutes. This conversation serves to curate the list of candidates to be called for
official first interviews.

2. First interview

Typically, the first interview is the first face-to-face meeting with your potential employer. Their
goal is to get to know you and assess your skills and experience in relation to their needs for this
particular role. They're also looking to get to know you to determine if you will fit in with the
company's culture. The following stages typically make up the first interview:

 Introduction: The first few minutes consist of meeting the interviewer and getting
settled into the interview space. This is also their first impression of you, so it's important
to make it a positive one by using good posture, eye contact and a firm handshake. The
interviewer generally takes the first several minutes of the interview to tell you about
their organization.
 Interview questions: The main part of the interview consists of the employer asking you
questions and listening to your responses, sometimes taking notes for later reference.
Most of the time, this part lasts around 20 minutes.
 Your questions: When the interviewer invites you to ask questions, you have the
opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, expertise and the extent of research you've

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 done on this company. Arrive prepared with three to five thoughtful questions, adjusting
as you go based on what you learn during the interview.
 Concluding the interview: As the interview ends, the interviewer will likely walk you
out. It's a good idea to ask all your questions before you rise from your seat. As you
leave, restate your interest in the position with enthusiasm and make sure to thank them
sincerely for the meeting, offer a firm handshake and maintain eye contact.

3. Second interview

If you've succeeded in impressing them in the first interview, you may be asked to return for a
second meeting. This meeting typically allows you to meet the different department heads and
sometimes tour the facility. The interviewer will ask deeper, more specific questions to follow up
on certain topics from the first interview and attempt to get a better idea of how you'd acclimate
to the work environment.

4. Third interview

Some employers prefer to conduct a third interview to help them make a final decision. For this
session, you should have gained some in-depth knowledge about the company and how it runs
day-to-day and maybe have an idea of how you'd fit into the existing workplace culture. You
may have the opportunity to meet potential coworkers during this time.

5. The decision

The final step in the interview process, if the company wants to hire you, is usually a job offer
contingent upon your background check and references. The offer will usually come in the form
of a typed letter, but in some cases you'll receive the offer in an email. Most employers offer a
verbal offer prior to presenting the hard copy to make sure you're happy with the terms or allow
you the chance to negotiate before signing on.

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Stages of an Interview

1) Introductions

One of the most important steps in the interview process just so happens to be the first. The
introduction is where both the candidate and the company will be making their first impression.
It may surprise some companies to learn that they too should be concerned about making a great
first impression. With unemployment at an all-time low according to the US Department of
Labor, the power lies in candidate’s hands. Because of this shift in power dynamic from an
employer driven market to a candidate driven market, companies must make sure they put their
best foot forward. So how does one make a great first impression? The good news is that it’s not
complicated: greet the candidate with a smile, shake their hand, and always remember to be
courteous. It’s a simple strategy, but it’s often all you need to do. When it comes to making a
great first impression, present the company in a positive light. If your company is known to be a
tough place to work, be honest, but not discouraging. Be as transparent as possible during the
interview process. With so many resources (such as Glassdoor) at candidate’s fingertips, it easy
to see if a company isn’t telling the whole truth when it comes to the inner workings and culture
of their organization.

2) Small Talk

After introductions are finished, it is a good idea conduct a bit of small talk with the candidate.
Small talk is important because it’s one of the best methods to foster a healthy working
relationship and build rapport. When it comes to picking topics for this stage of the interview
process, try to find something that the candidate is interested in. This can be as easy as taking a
quick look at their LinkedIn or Facebook profiles and seeing what their interests are. It’s
amazing how much of a difference it can make by taking just a few minutes to connect with a
candidate on a personal level. Do not attempt to talk about anything serious, like religion or
politics, as the interview will likely turn into an awkward mess as a result. Not to mention the
legal ramifications that come along with discussing these topics. Keep the discussion positive:
remember, you’re just trying to gauge if the candidate will be a pleasant person to work with and
help them to see themselves working at your company.

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3) Information Gathering

After small talk comes a bit of information gathering, or, in other words, asking the candidate to
give you their elevator pitch. This is an important step because it showcases just how prepared or
unprepared the candidate is and tests their ability to think on their feet. While the candidate is
giving you their elevator pitch, it’s important to pay close attention: is their speech organized? Is
it concise? Does the candidate sound confident about their abilities and qualifications? What’s
their body language like when they’re speaking? These are all important items to keep track of,
as they will often provide you with all you need to know about what kind of employee this
candidate will be.

4) Question/Answer

An interview is essentially a two-way exchange of ideas, and the candidate will be interviewing
your company just as much as you will be interviewing them. Come up with some standardized
questions that all of the interviewers ask the candidate. This helps in two ways: first, it makes
sure there is at least some common ground between the different interviewers when it comes
time to evaluate the candidate. And second, you will know how truthful (or well-rehearsed) the
candidate is in their responses by seeing how much their answers change between interviewers.
In addition to having questions prepared beforehand, it is useful to think about how you might
answer a tough question from a candidate, as fumbling with your words during an interview will
make your company look incompetent and dishonest. During this stage, if the candidate does
have any tough questions about the company, it’s always a safe bet to be honest and to present
the company in a positive light while still being truthful. Just like when you ask a candidate what
their biggest weakness is and they spin it into a positive, you can also do this with questions
about your company.

5) Wrapping Up

Closing out an interview is just as important as the other stages. Just as having a great first
impression is important, leaving the candidate feeling good about the company and its culture is
key to hiring the top talent in your industry. At the very least, always end the interview with a
handshake and thank the candidate for their time. It is also a good idea to give them a quick tour

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of the office if you didn’t do that when they first came in. Be sure to walk the candidate out. Not
only does this ensure they don’t get their nose into anything they aren’t supposed to, it can be
very frustrating and embarrassing as a candidate to have to mindlessly wander the office trying
to remember where the exit is. Last but not least, send a follow up email. Whether you are
interested in the candidate or not it is important to be courteous and thankful that somebody took
time out of their day to interview at your company. Candidates can leave a bad review of the
interview process on Glassdoor, so be sure everybody walks away from your interview process
feeling respected.

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Conclusions
Finding candidates who have the right skills and who are also great culture fits with the ability to
weather adversity, manage stress, deal with ambiguity, work constructively as part of a team and
demonstrate resourcefulness will serve you well in both the short and long term. Glassdoor's
recruiting solution is a perfect tool to attract high-quality candidates to make your interview
process more productive. After you attract high-quality candidates, it takes a little planning
ahead — choosing which interview format you’ll use, what questions to ask and who will ask
them — but the payoff is high.

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References
Doyle, A., 2020. Steps in the Job Interview Process. [Online]
Available at: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/steps-in-the-job-interview-process-2061363
[Accessed 30 Sep 2020].

Indeed, 2020. The Steps of the Interview Process. [Online]

Available at: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/interview-steps
[Accessed 30 Sep 2020].

paycor.com, 2020. 5 Stages of a Job Interview – Process Steps. [Online]

Available at: https://www.paycor.com/resource-center/5-stages-of-a-job-interview-process-steps
[Accessed 30 Sep 2020].

Suzuno, M., 2019. Here's How to Structure Your Interview Process to Maximize the Chances You'll Make
the Right Hire. [Online]
Available at: https://www.themuse.com/advice/heres-how-to-structure-your-interview-process-to-
maximize-the-chances-youll-make-the-right-hire
[Accessed 30 Sep 2020].

walter, R., n.d. HOW TO MANAGE THE INTERVIEW PROCESS EFFECTIVELY. s.l.:www.robertwalters.co.za.

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