Turner - Behavioral interviewing guide: a practical, structured approach for conducting effective selection interviews: past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior

TWO GOOD REASONS FOR READING THIS GUIDE

First Reason: Your selection interviews are producing an unacceptable number of marginal or poor performers and you want to improve your selection interviewing practices to consistently select good performers.

Second Reason: You need to improve your knowledge about how to plan and conduct a structured, behavioral interview-the best type of interview to use.

Not sure about the above reasons? Assess yourself by reading the next section and completing the quiz that follows it.

ASSESSING YOUR CURRENT SELECTION INTERVIEWING PRACTICES

The following statements describe effective selection interviewing practices. How do your current practices compare?

Selection criteria for the vacant position are identified and defined in advance of the interview.

The identified selection criteria correlate with successful position performance. In other words, they are all bona fide occupational requirements/qualifications.

All interview questions focus on the success selection criteria.

A large majority of the interview questions are behavioral. Example: Tell us about a time in the last six months when you suggested an improvement idea to your supervisor.

Almost all of the interview questions are prepared in advance.

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The candidates application information is read before the interview and the behavioral questions are tailored to fit the information, when possible.

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Hypothetical or situational questions are not used. Examples: What would you do if.? If you were in the situation of , what would you do?

Leading questions are avoided. Example: Are you a team player?

No illegal/unacceptable questions are asked. Example: How old are you?

Stress questions are only used for gathering behavior about interpersonal stress tolerance and related criteria.

Follow-up questions are asked to obtain a complete behavioral answer. Examples: How did you handle the problem? What was the result?

Interviewers use techniques and methods that make candidates feel comfortable.

Interviewers take detailed notes throughout the interview.

Interviewees talk the majority of time.

Two or more interviewers interview and evaluate each candidate.

The same interviewers, interview all candidates for a specific opening.

A predetermined candidate rating procedure is used.

Enough time is scheduled for each interview and its evaluation; consequently, the interviews are not rushed.

Interviewers do not make quick judgments about candidate suitability. Judgments are made only after a thorough post-interview evaluation is completed.

Interviewers do not let biases and stereotypes distort their candidate evaluations.

Candidates are rated against the selection criteria and not against each other.

Interviewers reach a consensus evaluation on each candidate, after first making independent evaluations.

Pressure to fill the position leading to selecting unsuitable candidates, is resisted.

Behavioral background checks are completed on acceptable candidates.

Are you incorporating the above practices in your interviewing? If so, great, keep it up. If not, the information presented in this guide will help you improve your interviewing practices. As a result, you and your organization will benefit by hiring good performers more often. In addition, you will incur, less often, the very significant monetary and emotional costs associated with hiring or promoting marginal and poor performers.

QUIZ: TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEWING.

Are the following questions behavioral questions? Yes or No? Place a mark in the appropriate column.

Yes No

1. Describe your strengths and weaknesses.__________ _____

2. Why should we hire you?__________ ______

3. How many days were you absent last year?__________ ______

4. How resourceful are you?__________ ______

5. What is your dream job?__________ ______

6. Tell us about your future career objectives.__________ ______

7. Describe a time when you received recognition for a work improvement idea yousuggested.__________ ______

8. Do you show co-operation on the job?__________ ______

9. What would you do if you saw a fellow employeesteal?__________ ______

10. What do you think of the phrase no risk, noreward?__________ ______

11. Tell us about a time when you had a conflict with a co-worker.

12. Describe a situation where delegation is not anoption.__________ ______

Are the following statements True or False?_____True False

13. On average, a good worker does twice as muchwork as a poor worker.__________ ______

14. A structured interview means asking the questionsin exactly the same way for all interviewees.__________ ______

15. It is necessary to take verbatim notes in aninterview?__________ ______

16. The monetary value added of a high performer is equivalent to half of their yearly salary.__________ ______

17. Untrained managers, with good people skills,interview as effectively as trained interviewers. ___ ____

18. A company can be sued for not checking acandidates employment related background. _____ ______

19. Behavioral interviewing concentrates on observingthe interviewees behavior during the interview. _____ ______

20. A good interviewer should ignore his/her gut feelings about an interviewee.__________ ______

Correct answers: (1) N (2) N (3) Y (4) N (5) N (6) N (7) Y (8) N (9) N (10) N (11) Y (12) N (13) T (14) F (15) F (16) F (17) F (18) T (19) F (20) F

PLEASE NOTE: DONT WASTE YOUR TIME READING THIS GUIDE IF YOU ARE NOT REALLY TRYING TO HIRE OR PROMOTE THE MOST QUALIFIED PERSON FOR THE JOB.

Who wouldnt be interested in hiring or promoting the most qualified? Unfortunately, there are numerous situations where hiring or promoting the most qualified candidate is not the objective. Some of these situations are: