Jean-Christophe MARCHIN’s blog

 What we want to achieve

• To project a professional image of the Company/Group in the recruitment effort.
• To try new methods and techniques in interview.
• To ensure that we find the “right fit” for the Company/Group.

Interviewing the Candidate

Good interviewing requires careful planning and preparation to reduce the chances of mis-matching. We can do this by;

• Defining very clearly what job requirements must be met.
• Ensuring that all candidates for a particular job are evaluated against the SAME standards.
• Covering only those areas of an applicant’s background and capabilities that are job related.

At the end of an interview, a good consultant would be able to assess the candidate’s;

•  Strengths.
• Weaknesses.
• Future objectives.
• Salary requirements.

In evaluating the candidate’s suitability, the Recruiter should focus on the following areas;

• Academic background and/or training – does the candidate meet the minimum requirement for the job.
• Practical experience – is it relevant to the job requirement.
• Specific skills – are they essential to the job.
• Remuneration – is the candidate’s expectations in line with the job.
• Location – is there a specific preference made by the candidate.

Interviewer’s Checklist

• Put the negatives on one side and concentrate on the positives.
• Put your personal opinions, bias and prejudices aside.
• Remember your role as a Recruiter.
• Your aim is to find the best match.
• You are accountable to the company.
• You represent your company.

The Steps to Conduct an Effective Interview

1. Familiarize yourself thoroughly with the job requirements
• Know what you are looking for.
• Know what approach you want to take in the interview.
• Prepare the type of question you plan to ask
2. Read the candidate’s resume before interviewing.
• Get a mental picture of the person you are going to meet.
• Identify the areas in the resume that you want to focus on.
• Check to see if there are any gaps in the resume.
3. Start the interview.
• Ensure that the surroundings are neat and conducive.
• Introduce yourself and SMILE, SMILE, SMILE!
• Thank the candidate for coming.
• Start with small talk, ease the tension.
4. Outline the proceedings
• Let the candidate know how the interview will be carried out.
• Set a time frame.
• Questions and Answers session.
• What is your role?
5. Maintain control throughout the interview.
• Gain the confidence and trust of the candidate.
• Seek clarification when necessary.
• Do not let the candidate ramble on, maintain the focus.
• Keep to the agenda, do not deviate, unless necessary
6. Listen MORE than you talk
• You are on a fact finding mission.
• Listen with both your eyes and your ears.
• Pay attention to the choice of words, tone of voice and body language.
• Remove distractions like the phone, pagers etc…
• Listen to the type of questions that the candidate asks.
7. Questioning Techniques.
• Ask open ended questions to solicit more information from the candidate.
• Closed ended questions are asked when you want to confirm information that you already possess.
• Allow for some silence after your questions, as the candidate may require some thinking time.
• Do not answer your own questions.
• Use leading questions to assist the candidate to understand what you are looking for.
• Practice courtesy when asking questions, do not appear interrogative.
• Nod positively; smile even if the answers given are not to your expectations.
• Let the candidate know in advance that you will be taking notes.
8. The Closure.
• Always close on a positive note.
• Thank the candidate again for coming.
• Give the candidate your business card.
• Tell the candidate what to expect.
• Set a time frame if possible, to respond to the candidate.

Some Things to Remember

• Greet your candidate with a smile, a handshake, and your undivided attention. The candidate is a visitor and deserves your attention. You represent your company as a quality place to work.
• Take notes and don't rely on your memory.
• Put the candidate at ease; use "small talk" to allow time for the candidate to relax.
• Allow the candidate to provide thorough, complete information. Don't interrupt; use pauses as a technique to get the interviewee to respond.
• Try to avoid "yes" or "no" questions. For example, instead of asking "Are you interested in analytical chemistry," ask "What chemistry disciplines are you interested in and why?"
• Be sure to confine your questions to those that will result in answers that will help you make a decision about the candidate. Do not ask questions that are personal in nature or that refer to the candidate's religion, ethnic background, race, or gender.

1.      Choose a setting with little distraction.

• Avoid loud lights or noises, ensure the interviewee is comfortable (you might ask them if they are), etc. Often, they may feel more comfortable at their own places of work or homes.

2.      Explain the purpose of the interview.

3.      Address terms of confidentiality.

• Note any terms of confidentiality. (Be careful here. Rarely can you absolutely promise anything. Courts may get access to information, in certain circumstances.) Explain who will get access to their answers and how their answers will be analyzed. If their comments are to be used as quotes, get their written permission to do so.

4.      Explain the format of the interview.

• Explain the type of interview you are conducting and its nature. If you want them to ask questions, specify if they're to do so as they have them or wait until the end of the interview.

5.      Indicate how long the interview usually takes.

6.      Tell them how to get in touch with you later if they want to.

7.      Ask them if they have any questions before you both get started with the interview.

8.      Don't count on your memory to recall their answers.

• Ask for permission to record the interview or bring along someone to take notes.

Some Additional Tips

1.      Send the job description to candidates before they come to the interview meeting.

2.      While interviewing candidates, always apply the same questions to all candidates to ensure fairness. All questions should be in regard to performing the duties of the job.

3.      Ask about their compensation needs and expected or needed benefits.

4.      Attempt to ask open-ended questions, i.e., avoid "yes-no" questions.

5.      Talk for at most 25% of the time - for the rest, listen.

6.      Don't rely on your memory -- ask permission from the interviewee to take notes.

7.      Find out when they can start if offered the job.

8.      Consider having multiple people at the interview; although this can be intimidating to the interviewee, this practice can ensure them a much more objective and fair presentation. Have the same people as interviewers in all of the interviews.

9.      Consider asking some challenging, open-ended questions, such as What skills do you bring to this job?, What concerns do you have about filling this role?, What was your biggest challenge in a past job and how did you meet it?

10.  Don't ask questions about race, nationality, age, gender, disabilities (current or previous), marital status, spouses, children and their care, criminal records or credit records.

11.  Have all interviewers share/record their impressions of the candidate right after the interview meeting.

12.  Explain to the candidate that you'll be getting back to them soon, and always do this.

13.  Ask if you can get and check any references.

14.  Always check references and share them with the interviewers.

15.  Be sure to tell candidates of any relevant personnel policies terms, such as probationary periods.

16.  The best way to deal with a poor performer is not to hire him or her in the first place. It is often wise to have a probationary period of, e.g., six months, wherein if the employee does not meet the responsibilities of the position, you can terminate the employee.

17.  If practical, look into the applicant's background to ascertain if they have a criminal record.

a.      "What responsibilities did the candidate have when s/he worked for you?"

b.      "In your opinion, how well do you think s/he performed?"

c.      "What do you think his/her greatest strengths were?" "Weaknesses?" (Well, you can try.)

d.      "Would you say that the candidate contributed anything to the company?"

e.      "Would you characterize him as a team player or one who works best by himself?"

Reference Checking

The main objectives of conducting reference checks are:

•  To verify if the statements made by the candidate in the resume or during the interview.
• To obtain the previous clients’ assessment of the candidate.
•  To obtain an overall appraisal of the candidate from people who have actually worked with him/her.

Steps to Conducting a Reference Check

• Inform the candidate that you will be doing a reference check.
• Never do reference check in the presence of the candidate.
• Identify the areas that you will be focusing on during the check.
• Identify the person with whom you will be checking with.
• Identify yourself and the purpose of the call with the referee.
• DO NOT reveal to the candidate any information gathered from the reference check.
• Try to solicit positive comments form the referee about the candidate.
• Thank the referee for their assistance. (Probe for business opportunities).

When a candidate indicates resistance to a reference check, it may mean;

• The employment details they have given you is not correct.
• There may have been problems in their last workplace.
• They may not have understood the need for a check.
• They may have been self employed for a period of time.

Reference checks serves as a closure to the interview process. It adds to the professionalism of the consultant’s role. It can also convey to the client that we are thorough in our process of finding the best candidate for them.

COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What do you do with your spare time?
2. What are you doing now to attain a goal you have set for yourself?
3. Can we contact your references, present/former employers?
4. I saw on your résumé that you enjoy __________. How did you get interested in this?
5. Tell me about your last position. What were your responsibilities?
6. How do you feel about your career progress to date?
7. What do you look for in a job?
8. Describe a major goal you recently set for yourself.
9. How do you define success?
10. What personal characteristic do you think will be needed to be successful in this position?
11. What is your greatest accomplishment?
12. Where do you hope to be professionally in five years?
13. Why are you interested in this position?
14. What is the most recent skill you learned?
15. What is your learning style (hands-on, research, by example)?
16. How do you keep informed professionally?
17. Why did you attend that particular school/college?
18. What important trends do you see in our industry?
19. Let me describe the work group you would be joining if we asked you to fill the position. How would you fit in? In this position, how would you see your role as team member/builder?
20. What would be your ideal work group?
21. Have you ever had to motivate or build team spirit with co-workers? Describe why this happened.
22. How do you plan and organize for a major/long-range project?
23. How many projects can you handle at one time?
24. Are you a persistent person? Describe an incident from your current/past job that supports your opinion.
25. Describe a situation where you needed to get an understanding of another's viewpoint before you could get your job done. What problems did you encounter and how did you handle them?
26. Tell me about a difficult situation when you pulled the team together.
27. When you begin to work with new people, how do you get to under-stand them? Are you successful in predicting/interpreting their be-havior? Give examples.
28. Describe a complex problem that you have had to deal with.
29. Describe circumstances where you had to work under and deal with deadlines.
30. Do you have any questions?