DOCUMENTING THE

INTERVIEW
THE ROLE OF DOCUMENTATION IN THE
SELECTION PROCESS
 Notes taken are a permanent record of your interview and
should be written
 Whether you use a separate preprinted form or a blank piece of
paper, the same guidelines relating to documentation apply
 This is considered a legal document and should bear the
handwriting of the applicant only.
 Documentation enables interviewers to measure each
applicant’s job suitability against the requirements of the job.
 Documentation may also be used to compare applicants in the
final running
 Simply compare your notes about the applicant’s relevant
experience, skills, and accomplishments with the requirements,
duties, and responsibilities of the available opening.
AVOIDING SUBJECTIVE LANGUAGE
 all language that is written down should be objective.
 objective language generally takes longer to write and
requires greater effort.
AVOIDING RECORDING
UNSUBSTANTIATED OPINIONS
 Interviewers are cautioned against recording their
opinions without sufficient job related backup.
 Opinions that stand alone without concrete support
imply that the interviewer has drawn some conclusions,
but fail to identify what information these conclusions
were based on.
REFERRING TO JOB-RELATED FACTS
 This is a rather simple process, especially if the job
descriptions are well written and if you practiced active
listening techniques throughout the interview.
 It refer directly to each duty and requirement of the
position and then indicate whether the applicant has the
necessary skills and experience.
BEING DESCRIPTIVE
 enables interviewers to better recall specific applicants.
 It entails recording a description of the applicant’s
behavior, speech, attire, or appearance.
 limited to identifying the person and aiding you in
remembering the particular interview
TWO PRIMARY
REASONS OF USING DESCRIPTIVE
 First, descriptive phrases can easily become subjective;
and

 second, even though factual, they’re not job-related.

HERE ARE ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES OF
OBJECTIVE DESCRIPTIVE PHRASES
 Hair extended below waist
 Wore black nail polish
 Wore pearl cuff links
 Twirled hair through entire ninety minutes of the interview
 Played with paper clips
 Tapped fingers
 Taller than six-foot-six (the same height as the office
doorway)
 Laughed frequently
 Chewed gum
 Rocked in chair
NOTES VERSUS FORMS

 the applicant’s resume and/or

application;
 the corresponding job
description; and
 either a blank piece of paper
THERE ARE FOUR PRIMARY PROBLEMS
WITH THIS KIND OF SYSTEM
 The accompanying point value form may contain factors
that are subjective and not job-related—for instance,
appearance, personality, awareness, maturity, tact, and self-
confidence.
 Using subjective terms such as outstanding or poor to judge
someone is meaningless.
 Busy interviewers who are relying on forms with several
preprinted categories tend to check off boxes quickly,
without giving ample thought to each person’s actual skill
level.
 Without written details concerning each applicant, it will be
extremely difficult to distinguish one person from another
at a later date.
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF
EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION
• the act or process of orienting or the state of being oriented.
• position or positioning with relation to the points of the
compass or other specific directions.
• the adjustment or alignment of oneself or one's ideas to
surroundings or circumstances.
WHY IS ORIENTATION IMPORTANT?
• Provides the new employee with concise and accurate
information to make him/her more comfortable in the
job;
• Encourages employee confidence and helps the new
employee adapt faster to the job;
• Contributes to a more effective, productive workforce;
• Improves employee retention; and
• Promotes communication between the supervisor and the
new employee.
ORGANIZATIONAL ORIENTATION
 is a process—not an event to be accomplished in a day or even a week

Purpose:
 Give new employees an overview of the organization’s history, products, and
services
 Describe how the organization sets itself apart from its chief competitors

 Explain the organizational structure

 Describe the organization’s philosophy, mission, and goals

 Explain how vital each employee is in helping to achieve company goals

 Discuss the organization’s culture (e.g., its commitment to work/life balance)

 Explain career development opportunities, including available training,

mentoring programs, tuition assistance, and promotional opportunities
 Describe the benefits and employee services offered
EMPLOYEE HANDBOOKS
 the most important documents to be discussed during
organizational orientation.
 It provides a written declaration of a company’s
commitment to fair employment practices and equal
employment opportunity with regard to all employees in
all work-related instances.
DEPARTMENTAL ORIENTATION
 Introducing a new hire to others with whom she’ll be
working should be one of the first objectives of any
departmental orientation.
 These introductions should include individuals from the
same department as well as employees in other units.
HERE ARE SOME TOPICS CONSIDERED RELEVANT
FOR INCLUSION IN THIS STAGE OF A DEPARTMENTAL
ORIENTATION

 Departmental Responsibilities. Discuss the department’s

origins, overall function, and long- and short-term goals.
 Interrelationship Between the Employee’s Department
and Other Departments. Talk about the flow of work
between departments and key individuals to contact in
other departments.
 Department Structure. Identify specific functions by task
and incumbent.
 Departmental Culture. Describe any unique features of
the department, including ‘‘rituals’’ such as birthday
celebrations.
HERE ARE SOME TOPICS CONSIDERED RELEVANT
FOR INCLUSION IN THIS STAGE OF A DEPARTMENTAL
ORIENTATION

 Job Duties and Responsibilities. Together, review the

new employee’s job description, discussing her specific
areas of responsibility and how these tasks interrelate
departmentally and intradepartmentally.
 Confidentiality. Identify areas of work considered
confidential and the ramifications of violating
confidentiality.
 Performance Expectations. Discuss the concepts of
ongoing coaching and counseling when warranted. Also
define regularly scheduled performance evaluations and
salary reviews.
HERE ARE SOME TOPICS CONSIDERED RELEVANT
FOR INCLUSION IN THIS STAGE OF A DEPARTMENTAL
ORIENTATION

 Hours of Work. Remind the employee of starting and

quitting times and any alternative schedule options.
 Meal and Break Periods. Describe how meal times are
scheduled, as well as the frequency and duration of
breaks.
 Payroll. Explain how often the employee can expect to
get paid (e.g., monthly, weekly) and any information
relevant to direct payroll deposit. Also, if the employee
will spend a significant amount of time in the field,
explain the company’s travel and entertainment policy,
as well as its expense reporting procedures.
HERE ARE SOME TOPICS CONSIDERED RELEVANT
FOR INCLUSION IN THIS STAGE OF A DEPARTMENTAL
ORIENTATION

 Personal Telephone Calls and Personal Use of the

Computer. Identify circumstances under which personal
telephone calls are permitted and stipulations concerning
the use of company computers for personal use (e.g.,
sending and receiving personal e-mails, surfing the Internet,
playing computer games, or entering chat rooms).
 Reporting Relationships. Define direct and indirect
reporting relationships through the department and
organizationwide, as well as who’s typically in charge
when key personnel are out of the office.
 Vacation Scheduling. Explain how vacations are scheduled,
who approves vacation requests, and how far in advance
requests should be made.