Job Interview Best Practices

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by Bridget Miller | BLR

Many of the items on this list are meant to keep the hiring team on the right side of the law and avoid situations in which an applicant could assume any type of discrimination or bias. Other tips are meant to ensure the hiring team is effective and consistent in order to find the best applicant for the role. Here are the tips:

• Be sure that anyone involved in the hiring process is trained in and fully understands the laws that relate to hiring and the implications for each step of the process.
• Avoid behaviors that could imply a discriminatory bias. For example:
  • Do not ask about disabilities. Focus on the ability to do the job.
  • Treat all applicants the same. in other words, don’t require some groups to meet higher criteria than others for consideration.
  • Don’t ask about medical issues or other personal information.
  • Don’t ask any questions that could serve to gather information about:
    • Marital status;
    • Whether the applicant has children; 
    • Race;
    • National origin;
    • Age (besides confirming the applicant is over 18, if necessary);
    • Religion;
    • Sexual orientation (in many states it is illegal to discriminate on this basis); or
    • Protected activities, such as past filings of workers’ compensation claims. 
  • Don’t imply there is any type of problem or bias related to the applicant (e.g., “Our customers may react negatively to a woman in charge”).
• Be consistent in how applicants are assessed. For example: 
  • If an applicant must prove his or her ability to perform the job (such as via a performance test), this should be required of all applicants, not just a few. Requiring it of some but not others can appear discriminatory.
  • Stick to enforcing minimum education and experience requirements that are truly consistent with job needs, and do not vary this assessment for certain individuals. If the minimums are realistic, it won’t be necessary to make exceptions.
  • Be consistent with the questions you ask to avoid the appearance of biases. It can seem biased if some interviewees are required to pass a higher threshold than others.
• Be well-prepared.Before interviewing a candidate, you should:
  • Have questions ready, and know what you’re trying to learn from each of the questions you choose to ask. The questions should be related to the job or the person’s ability to perform the job. 
  • Know what the next steps in the hiring process are and advise the applicant of such either during or at the conclusion of the interview.
  • Review all of the information available about the applicant, including the details of how previous interviews went (if applicable). 
  • Plan to be in a space that is appropriate for the interview, free from distractions, noise, and interruptions. 
• Be aware of subconscious biases. We all have biases that cloud our judgment, but it can help to simply be aware of this in order to take steps to ensure it doesn’t affect the interview process. For example, how an individual dresses or styles his or her hair may create an instant assumption, but it does not necessarily mean that person is not a good job candidate. 
• Allow silences. Sometimes interviewees need time to formulate an answer. By filling in silences too quickly, you may lose the opportunity to hear what the applicant has to say. Always give the applicant time to talk—in fact, he or she should do the majority of the talking—so that you can get a clear understanding about the applicant and how he or she will fit with the organization. 
• Ensure everyone involved in interviewing and hiring knows the next steps, knows who is authorized to make an offer to an applicant, and what processes must be completed before an offer is made (such as conducting background checks, reference checks, and so on). Know what applicable conditions the offer is subject to, such as passing drug screening. 
• Remain objective in your assessments.
• Remember to assess soft skills as well as specific skills required to perform the job tasks. The issue of cultural fit is often just as (or even more) important as skills that can be trained. 
• Be sure that the interviewing team, especially the person making the offer, knows to avoid making any kind of reference to a contract in terms that could be construed as an implied employment contract. (Unless, of course, you’re offering an actual employment contract, but this is the exception rather than the norm in the United States.) This might mean avoiding phrases like “permanent position” or “long-term role” or anything that implies that the applicant cannot be fired without cause. 
• Give the applicant the opportunity to ask questions.

What would you add to this list?

http://trendpersonnel.com/en/news/item/143-job-interview-best-practices

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7 Things You Should Never Say During a Job Interview

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by Catherine Conlan | Monster

1. “How much vacation time do I get?”

“How long do I have to be here before I’m eligible for a vacation?”

“How long before I start to accrue additional weeks of vacation?”

Consultant Barry Maher says he was involved in a recent interview in which these were the first three questions out of the applicant’s mouth. “What had looked like a great applicant now looked like someone who couldn’t wait to get out of work,” Maher says.

It’s important to ask questions during a job interview, but not ones about taking time off. And that’s not all. Even if you have all the right qualifications and show up looking your best, it’s easy to lower your chances of getting hired by letting the wrong words slip out of your mouth.

Before you head out to meet your next prospective employer, consider these six additional things you should never say in a job interview.

2. “Sorry I’m late.”

Even if you have to leave ridiculously early, find a way to be on time to your interview. “If you can’t be punctual while asking for the job, how late will you be after you get hired?” says career coach Alex Simon.

3. “Do you mind if I get this?”

Answering a call or a text during an interview is rude and gives the impression the interview — and the prospect of getting hired — aren’t your priorities. “Leave your cell phone in the car, at home, anywhere, but don’t bring it into the interview,” Simon says.

4. “I’m a perfectionist.”

If you get the question about your greatest weakness, don’t try to answer with a strength instead, says Jim Giammatteo, author of “No Mistakes Interviews.” “If you say you’re a perfectionist, or a workaholic, you might as well grab your briefcase and go home. Any good interviewer knows that all candidates have weaknesses. If you can’t admit it, or even worse, if you don’t know it, you’re not the person they want.”

5. “I’m applying for this job because it will give me …”

You may think talking about the skills or experience you’ll get from the job is a compliment to the company, but it just puts the focus on you. “Instead, talk about what you will contribute to a prospective new employer,” says leadership coach Susan Bernstein. “This is a very frequent and subtle mistake that often keeps otherwise great candidates from connecting with the interviewer.”

6. “I’m not sure if I’m a good fit for this job, but…”

“Everyone is unsure until they’re hired,” says Bernstein. “You’re not actually expected to be able to perform 100 percent of the job on the first day. If you can do 75 percent or more, go ahead and apply. Then spotlight your strengths, rather than your doubts or deficits.”

7. “I want to talk to dolphins.”

TalkToCanada CEO Marc Anderson is often involved with interviewing prospective employees and says one candidate he met was eager to talk about his love of dolphins. “He said that he wished for us all one day to communicate with dolphins as they can awaken our spirituality.” The revelation didn’t help him win the job.

Information about odd aspects of your personal life can make the interviewer feel awkward, which is bad for your job chances, says Anderson. “Have all the weird hobbies you want, but don’t share them if they’re too far out there.”

http://trendpersonnel.com/en/news/item/141-7-things-you-should-never-say-during-a-job-interview

Interview Take-Along Checklist

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By Christine F. Della Monaca | Monster

You’re interviewing for a job tomorrow, and you think you’ve done all the interview preparation you need to do. You’ve practiced your answers to a multitude of common interview questions and have thought up some questions to ask the interviewer. Your interview suit is pressed and ready. But what do you bring to the interview?

We’ve created this handy checklist, with the help of Interview Expert Marky Stein, so you won’t forget a thing.

Interview Checklist Items for Your Briefcase

• Your Resume and Job/Professional References: But don’t just throw these crucial documents in your bag. According to Stein, linguists and psychologists have found that 93 percent of all communication is nonverbal. How you present this information says a lot about you.

To that end, Stein recommends you buy an inexpensive two-pocket folder in blue, since this color appeals to both men and women and conveys a business feel. On the left side, place your resume, and on the right, your letters of recommendation and list of references. When you get to the interview, say, “I wanted to bring an extra copy of my resume — here it is,” and open the folder, turning it around for the interviewer to read.

“This is a sign you are open and honest as well as organized,” Stein says. “The more you show you are prepared, the more you are showing respect.”

• Pad and Pen: Taking a few notes during your interview (while being careful not to stare at your notepad the whole time) is another sign of respect. “It makes them feel you are listening,” Stein explains.
• Business Card: People either take in information visually, audibly or through touch. “The more you give them to touch, the more real it seems to them,” she says.
• Directions: “These lower your anxiety,” Stein says, adding that it’s preferable to drive to your interview location in advance and park so you can see how long the journey takes.
• Cellphone: You can always leave this bit of modern life in your car, but if you must take it with you, make sure it stays turned off and in your briefcase; it’s a huge sign of disrespect to be interrupted during an interview or give the appearance you’ll be interrupted. “If you’re a man, don’t even wear it on your belt,” Stein recommends. “Keep it hidden.”

The Intangibles

• Company Research: In almost every interview, you’ll be asked what you know about the company, Stein says.
• A Smile: It may sound sappy, but this nonverbal clue is an immediate rapport-builder. Interviewers are often nervous, too. “In one-sixteenth of a second, we assess whether someone will harm, help or hurt us,” Stein says. “(A smile) immediately tells someone that you’re not going to hurt them.”

http://trendpersonnel.com/en/news/item/134-interview-take-along-checklist

What Interview Questions Reveal About the Interviewer

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by Dona DeZube | Monster

Interview preparation most often focuses on the job requirements and the candidates.

Equally revealing are the interview questions that you choose to ask during the interview process. These questions often reveal something of your company culture, your management style and your perception of the job.

We asked interview experts to flip the most common interview questions and explain what they say to job seekers.

Consider these interview questions:

Tell me about a time in which you helped others to succeed at a project.

Tell me about a time when you innovated at work.

“The first question lets the applicant know that the company cares about collaboration and teamwork, the second that the company cares about creativity and motivation,” says Professor Angelo Kinicki, an expert in organizational culture at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business.

Tell me about policies or standards you’ve developed.

This inquiry tells the candidate your company is inclusive and is interested in the value the candidate can add, Barry Drexler of Drexler Coaching, New York.

What procedures do you follow in your current position? Tell me about a time when you didn’t follow policy. What happened? How structured is your current workplace?

These types of interview questions tell the job candidate that you’re keen on structure, procedures and standards, Drexel says. They say you need someone who can follow instructions and comply with rules.

What’s your vision? Where do you think our company should go in the future? How would you shape this role?

These types of interview questions signal that the job is strategic and likely high-level. “They show your company is interested in organic growth,” Drexler says.

How many ping pong balls would it take to fill a 747 Jet?

If you’re conducting an interview for an analytical job, you’ll likely include this type of question.

If you want to show that you respect careful thinking and analysis, say nothing to fill the silence that often follows analytical interview questions. “You’re demonstrating you’re comfortable in your own element and you need someone who can think through an issue before jumping in,” Peterson says.

Are you willing to work overtime? Are you okay with being contacted in off hours?

This interview question alerts candidates to the fact that this isn’t a 9 to 5 position. “It’s a good question if the job requires extensive overtime,” Drexler says. But, this question can also be a turn off, so don’t ask about overtime unless the job requires it.

Tell me about ideas that you’ve generated and how you shared them. What do you contribute to your current team that’s added value?

This question says your company culture is collaborative — people are willing to share ideas — and the job requires teamwork, Drexler says.

What’s the biggest misconception that people have about you and why?

This is a “zinger” question that can throw people off, Peterson says. They show you’re looking for people who don’t mind being uncomfortable — and that you value the ability to think on the fly.

What’s the takeaway from all this analysis?

When conducting an interview, think about your interview questions from the job seeker’s viewpoint. 

By considering your choice of interview questions before you conduct an interview, you’ll be certain that your final list of questions accurately reflects the job opening, your company and your own management style.

http://trendpersonnel.com/en/news/item/121-what-interview-questions-reveal-about-the-interviewer