Interviewing Tools
Interviewing tips and techniques to make your interviews a powerful tool to evaluate candidates.

Behavioral Interviews
Behavioral interviews are a valuable tool for selecting candidates who best fit the behavioral traits and characteristics necessary for success in the role. Interview questions will ask the candidate to recall specific instances in which a particular behavior was exhibited.

Determine the characteristics required of the person you believe will ultimately succeed in that role. If you have other employees successfully performing the job currently, identify the traits, characteristics, and skills they bring to the role. Narrow the list to key behavioral traits required for role.

Examples of such traits might be:

• Problem solving
• Leadership
• Initiative
• Teamwork

Develop specific questions that will allow the candidate to demonstrate circumstances when they demonstrated the characteristic or the behavior. The trick is to ask the question, without them knowing what you are digging for so try to avoid using the exact words in the questions you phrase.

Behavioural questions usually begin with a statement like: 'Tell me about an occasion when...' or 'Can you describe a situation where...'

The following are some examples of typical behavioral questions and the characteristics they demonstrate:

Problem solving:
Describe a difficult problem that you tried to solve. How did you identify the problem? How did you go about trying to solve it?

Leadership:
Describe a time when you tried to persuade another person to do something that they were not very willing to do.

Initiative:
Describe a time when you decided on your own that something needed to be done, and you took on the task to get it done.

Teamwork:
Tell me about a successful team project that you have been involved in. What made it a success?

What not to ask
It is important when interviewing that you don’t discriminate with regard to race, physical, intellectual or psychological impairment, sex, marital status, parental status, or religious or political beliefs.

If you are conducting interviews, remember to ask questions that are only relevant to the skills, abilities, experience and knowledge required for the position.

Here are some to avoid:

• How old are you?
• What is your date of birth?
• Do you speak English at home?
• How many sick days did you take last year?
• Are you married?
• What is your maiden name?
• Do you reside with another person?
• Who cares for the children while you are working?
• Are you gay?

The above are all inappropriate. The answers could be used to discriminate against the candidate.

Interview formats and styles
There are a number of ways to interview a potential candidate.

Telephone interview (and videoconferencing)
These are typically used to screen candidates but may also be used to overcome distance barriers if a candidate is remote. They can be valuable time savers in ensuring you spend time wisely on only the most appropriate candidates. Remember that the opportunities for non-verbal communication are limited. You will need to listen and speak carefully, clearly and concisely.

Panel interview
A panel interview is frequently used when recruiting professionals or senior managers. The panel will typically consist of a representative of the Human Resource team, the Head of Department, a specialist in the area involved, and one or two representatives from other departments that are in some way connected with the role. The panel interview can be intimidating for the candidate so it is important to ensure they are relaxed and at ease in order for you to take steps necessary to assess their suitability for the role. The best person for the job may just be one who has not had experience in this type of interview and this is a barrier that must be managed if their true potential is to be discovered.

Group interview
A group interview is used to assess a number of candidates simultaneously. It allows interviewers to determine how candidates interact with each other and a given task, situation or problem. You as the interviewer will be looking for positive qualities such as teamwork, leadership, flexibility, initiative and communication. Each participant may be asked to present individually or a discussion topic may be given to the entire group.

Series of interviews
If you are an employer who has very formal recruitment programs (such as those offering graduate employment programs) there may be a number of phases to your selection process. Typically this will involve a a first screening interview followed by a second interview conducted by a senior staff member (Partner, Manager, or Human Resources Manager).

Typical interview questions
During the interview, you should ask a range of questions that relate to the selection criteria. The questions should elicit information about the candidate’s potential to do the job by verifying and expanding on the information provided in their resume

The questions may be based on the candidate’s past performance, hypothetical problem solving scenarios or case studies, interest in the job, knowledge of the organisation, ethics and commitment to the industry.

It is best to try and phrase questions in an open format so that the candidate has an opportunity to make a case for themselves. You can then follow up with probing questions if needed to delve further into the responses provided.

Some examples of commonly asked interview questions and how and when to use them follow:

Why did you decide to apply for a position in this field? What do you aim to achieve through a career in this field?
This will help an interviewer determine the candidate’s reasons for pursuing a career in this area; what attracts them to the job and what their career needs are. Interviewers should analyse responses to determine if the candidate’s interests match the needs of the organisation, and if their short and long-term career goals and expectations will be met by the role.

What do you want to be doing in your career five years from now?
This question allows the interviewer to assess the commitment of the individual to the vocation and will allow them to ascertain if the candidate intends to pursue other career options. Organisations recruiting graduates should probe this question well to ensure the candidate has the commitment to justify the investment that will be made in them. Questions of this nature allow you to screen applicants who might be just looking for basic experience before moving into another field.

What do you think is the single most important issue impacting on the … industry at the present time?
This question allows the interviewer to assess the candidate’s knowledge of the industry and their ability to think logically to solve a problem. The interviewer should be more interested in how the candidate approaches the question and what thought processes they use when working through the problem than the candidate’s conclusions.

Why should we hire you? What makes you a good applicant for this position?
Direct questions such as these will measure the candidate’s knowledge of the job requirements and the attributes expected of the successful applicant. It gives the candidate a good opportunity to stand out from the others competing for the job and allows them to identify unique experiences which make them a good applicant.

What have you learned from some of the jobs you have held? Which did you enjoy most and why?
This allows the interviewer to find out what the candidate has learned from their previous experiences. It is also an opportunity to explore the candidate’s workplace preferences, how they work with and without supervision, their perspective on teamwork and whether they are suited to a high-pressure environment.

What is your major weakness?
This will allow you to determine where the candidate feels they have an opportunity for further development. If they admit a significant weakness in an area where strength is required, their chances of success will be low. This also allows you to identify whether the candidate is prepared to work on those areas.