UNIT 6: PERSONAL A Lecture By: Dr.

Vagisha

INTERVIEW Mishra

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 PERSONAL INTERVIEW
▪ A personal or face to face interview is one that employs a standard structured questionnaire (or
interview schedule) to ensure that all respondents are asked the same set of questions in the same
sequences.
▪ It is a two-way conversation initiated by an interviewer to obtain information from a respondent. The
questions, the wording, and their sequence define the structure of the interview, and the interview is
conducted face-to-face.
▪Studies that obtain data by interviewing people are called surveys. If the people interviewed are a
representative sample of a larger population, such studies are called sample surveys.
▪ Thus, a sample survey is defined as a method of gathering primary data based on communication
with a representative sample of individuals.
▪The number of questions and the exact wording of each question incorporated in a questionnaire is
identical to all respondents and is specified in advance.
▪The interviewer merely reads each question to the respondent and usually restrains from providing
explanations of the questions if the respondent asks for clarification.
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 ADVANTAGES OF PERSONAL
INTERVIEWS
Flexibility
Flexibility is the major advantage of the interview study. Interviewers can
probe for more specific answers and can repeat and clarify a question when
the response indicates that the respondents misunderstood the question.
Response rate
The personal interview tends to have a higher response rate than the mail
questionnaire.
Illiterate persons can still answer questions in an interview, and others who
are unwilling to spend their time and energy to reply to an impersonal mail
questionnaire may be glad to talk.

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 ADVANTAGES OF PERSONAL
INTERVIEWS
Nonverbal behavior
The interviewer is personally present to observe nonverbal behavior and to assess the
validity of the respondent’s answer directly.
Control over the interview environment
An interviewer can standardize the interview by making certain that the interview was
conducted in privacy, that there was none to influence the respondent, nor there was
anyone to dictate.
He can prescreen to ensure that the correct respondent is replying, and he can set up and
control the interviewing condition.
This is in contrast to a mailed study, where the questionnaire may be completed by people
other than the respondent himself/herself under drastically different conditions.
The respondent is thus unable to ‘cheat’ by receiving prompting or answers from others.

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 ADVANTAGES OF PERSONAL
INTERVIEWS
Spontaneity
The interviewer can record spontaneous answers. The respondent does not have
the chance to retract his or her first answer and write another, while this is possible
in the mail questionnaire.
Spontaneous answers are generally more reliable and informative and less
normative than answers about which the respondent has had time to think.
Completeness
In a personal interview, the interviewer can ensure that all of the questions have
been answered.
This reduces the chances for item nonresponse, which refers to the collection of
incomplete or missing data for one or more (but not all) characteristics of the
individuals.
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 ADVANTAGES OF PERSONAL
INTERVIEWS
Scope to deal with greater complexity of the questionnaire
A more complex questionnaire can be used in an interview study. A skilled,
experienced, and well-trained interviewer can fill-in with a questionnaire that
is so full of skips, arrows, and detailed instructions that even a well- educated
respondent would feel hopelessly lost in a mail questionnaire.
Recording of time to conduct an interview.
The interviewer can record the time required to complete the interview. This
record can be of great help in subsequent surveys to prepare a budget,
particularly in the determination of the optimum size of the sample in terms of
cost.

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 DISADVANTAGES OF
PERSONAL INTERVIEWS
High cost
Interview studies can be extremely costly. Costs are involved in selecting, training,
and supervising interviewers; in paying them; and also in the travel,
accommodation, and time required to complete the fieldwork.
In many interview studies, even public relations personnel need to be paid for their
help.
Lack of anonymity
The interview offers less assurance of anonymity than the mail questionnaire study,
particularly if the latter includes no follow-up. The interviewer typically knows the
respondent’s name and address and sometimes information of all members of the
household.
This lack of anonymity is a potential threat to the respondent, particularly if the
information is damaging, embarrassing, or otherwise sensitive. This may lead to
refusal from the respondent to participate in the interview.
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 DISADVANTAGES OF
PERSONAL INTERVIEWS
Interviewer bias
The very flexibility that is the chief advantage of interviews may be a potential
source of interviewer’s influence and bias.
Although interviewers are instructed to remain objective and avoid communicating
personal views, they nevertheless often give cues that may influence respondents’
answers.
Sometimes even the interviewer’s sex, race, social class, age, dress, and physical
appearance or accent can influence respondents’ answers.
Prolonged time
Interviews are often lengthy and require the interviewer to travel miles. Further, it is
not uncommon that the interviewer has to make several callbacks before an
interview is finally granted.
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 INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
Research interviewing is not such an easy task as it might appear at the
beginning. Respondents often react more to their feelings about the
interviewer than to the content of the questions.
It is also very important for the interviewer to ask the question properly,
record the responses accurately, probe meaningfully, and motivate
unbiasedly.
To achieve these aims, the interviewer must be trained to carry out those
procedures that foster a good relationship.

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 INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
The first goal in an interview is to establish a friendly relationship with the respondent.
Three factors help in motivating the respondents to cooperate:
•The respondents must believe that their interaction with the interviewer will be
pleasant and satisfying. Whether the interaction will be pleasant and satisfying
largely depends on the interpersonal skills of the interviewer.
•The respondents must think that answering the survey is an important and
worthwhile use of their time. To ensure this, some explanation of the purpose of the
study is necessary. It is the interviewer’s responsibility to ascertain what
explanation is needed and to supply it.
•The respondents must have any mental reservation satisfied. This arises when
respondents have misconceptions and thus might have reservations about being
interviewed. The interviewer’s responsibility is to remove these misconceptions.
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CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL
INTERVIEWS
Three broad conditions must be met to have a successful personal interview:
They are
•Availability of needed information from the respondent;
•An understanding of the interviewer’s role by the respondent, and
•Adequate motivation by the respondent to cooperate.
Motivation, in particular, is a task for the interviewer. Good rapport with the
respondent should be quickly established, and then the technical process of
collecting data should begin.
The latter often calls for skillful probing to supplement the answers
volunteered by the respondent. In addition to these precautions, a few more
strategies must be followed for a successful interview.
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 Glossophobia, also known as stage fright or the fear of public speaking, is an intense fear or anxiety associated
with speaking in front of an audience. It is a common fear and can range from mild nervousness to severe anxiety
and panic.

Ever Experienced Glossophobia?

Glossophobia is a very common phobia
characterized by a strong fear of public speaking.
Individuals with glossophobia may avoid
speaking in public, as they typically experience
fear and anxiety when speaking in front of a
group of people.
Fear of public speaking can prevent you from
taking risks to share your ideas, to speak about
your work, and to present your solutions to
problems that affect many people — and as a
result, it can affect how much you grow
personally and professionally, and how much
impact you can have.
At the same time, any negative public speaking
experiences will make it less likely that you will
speak in public in the future — fear teaches you
to protect yourself from risky situations.
 Why Are We Afraid of Public
Speaking?
“I don’t like being watched.”
“I don’t like the eyes on me.”
“I don’t like being in the spotlight.”
 Things Which Hold Us Back To
Speak Confidently!
Lack of experience: As with anything else, experience builds confidence. When you
don’t have a lot of stage hours under your belt, you are more likely to experience fear
of public speaking.
Degree of evaluation: When there is a real or imagined evaluation component to the
situation, the fear is stronger. If you are speaking in front of a group of people who
have the evaluation forms ready to fill out, you may feel more anxious.
Status difference: If you are about to speak in front of people of higher status (e.g.,
people at your workplace in higher positions, or groups of accomplished
professionals in your line of work), you may feel a higher dose of fear tingling
through your body.
New ideas: If you are sharing ideas that you have not yet shared in public, you may
worry more about how people will receive them. When your public appearance
involves presenting something new, you may feel more uncomfortable stating your
position, taking questions from the audience, or dealing with those audience members
who try to poke holes.
New audiences: You may already have experience speaking in public and presenting
to familiar audiences. You may, for instance, be used to speaking in front of
professionals in your area of expertise. Fear may arise, however, when the target
audience shifts. If you are standing in front of an audience that is very different from
the people you usually speak to, your confidence may be a little shaky.
 First Things First!
1. When you’re preparing, think about your audience.
2. Right before you speak, refocus your brain.
3. While you’re speaking, make eye contact.
 WHAT THE INTERVIEWER
WANTS TO KNOW
By asking personal questions, interviewers will get to know you. Personal questions can
touch on your passions and motivations, as well as inquire about your personality and how
you work. For interviewers, the main goal behind these questions is to determine if you're a
good match for both the job and the company culture.
For example, if the role requires someone who is flexible and can work as many hours as
needed to get the job done, but you can't commit to the overtime, you may not be the right
person for the position. Other companies might be looking for a certain personality type to
join the team; they may ask questions to try to uncover if you're passionate or more
even-keeled, or if you're introverted or extroverted.
There aren't any right or wrong answers to these interview questions, but make sure your
responses match what you know about the job and the company. The company is looking
for candidates who suit its requirements; the closer you fit the job description, the more
competitive you'll be.

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 COMMON PERSONAL
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND
BEST ANSWERS
Before you head out to a job interview, review these personal interview questions
and sample answers to get an idea of what you'll be asked and the best way to
respond.
Interviewing works both ways, so you can also use these questions as a way to
determine if the job is what you're looking for in your next position. These types of
interview questions can help you—as well as the hiring manager—determine if the
role is a good match for what you're looking for in your next job.
Once you have sat down and come up with honest answers to these questions, you
can feel confident in your ability to answer almost any question that will be directed
your way during a professional job interview.

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 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
ABOUT YOUR PERSONALITY
What They Want to Know: Your interviewers know the personal strengths and quirks of their
current team members, and thus they will be most interested in hiring the candidate they feel could
enhance their team dynamics. Your tone and body language in answering these questions are as
important as your actual responses—use them to express your enthusiasm and demonstrate how you
would be a personable and dedicated colleague.
•What are you passionate about?
•Are you easy to talk to?
•How do you handle stress and pressure?
•What makes you unique?
•What motivates you?
•When was the last time you were angry? What happened?
•More job interview questions about you.

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 TIPS FOR GIVING THE BEST
RESPONSE
▪ Research the company
▪ Take a quiz
▪ Do a mock interview
▪ Have questions ready to ask the interviewer

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 Things to keep in mind
1. When they are sitting across from you, they are observing things like vocal inflections,
tones, tendencies and personal leanings that suggest strong character. Truly listen to the
question. Give an answer that is honest and shows how your qualifications make you a
great addition to the company.
2. Interview questions are designed to be more than a “yes” or “no” answer. These
questions are meant to be open-ended, allowing hiring managers to see the flow and
organization of your thoughts, in addition to the substance of your answers.
3. Hiring managers are listening to you. But what exactly are they listening for? They are
listening for a demonstrated competence as it relates to the job. They will hear moments
of hesitation as well as signs of uncertainty.
4. Listen for signs of genuine enthusiasm. The conversation might not present a perfect
moment for you to announce, “I love this kind of work!” So listen for those hints in
everything that is said. Signs of genuine enthusiasm are something every hiring manager
is interested in. Even if the conversation does not present a “perfect moment,” you can
still insert signs of eagerness and joy into the answers you give.
 Listen for the hidden question!
During an employment interview, interviewers want to know three main things:

▪ CAN you do the job? This addresses your skills, knowledge, experience and
accomplishments, learning potential, and the ability to handle the physical aspects
of the job.
▪ WILL you do the job? This relates to your interest in the position, company, and
industry; your work ethic; your energy level and any outside influences that might
affect your willingness or availability to do the job.
▪ Do you FIT? This is your personal chemistry, communication skills, values, style
(work and management), general interests, and appearance.
 THE MUST’S!
An interview can be a true conversation when job seekers engage in active listening. And the
only way to be memorable is by engaging the interviewer, which can only be done if the job
seeker is paying close attention. If you are prepared for the interview, active listening will
take you closer to acing the job interview.

✔ Do not focus your answers on the obvious, and find ways to demonstrate that you are
the best person for the job.
✔ Whenever possible, use the Situation, Action Taken, and Results Achieved (SAR)
model to respond to interview questions.
✔ You have to listen with your ears, eyes, and brains to understand what is really being
said. Pay attention to the tone of voice of the interviewer, the facial expression and body
language because they enable you to interpret what is expected from you.
✔ Place yourself in the interviewer’s position, if you were asking the question, what
answer would you expect?
 How to answer when asked
about your strengths and A Lecture By: Dr. Vagisha
Mishra

weaknesses in a job interview? 23

Why Do Interviewers Ask: What Is Your
Greatest Strength and Weakness?
▪ This question is an excellent way for an
interviewer to learn about how self-aware you
are.
▪ If you can come up with an effective answer, it
means you are willing and able to reflect on
yourself and your traits.
▪ Many people will try to hedge questions like
this or provide a dishonest answer.
▪ You’ll be much better off giving an honest
account of your greatest strengths and
weaknesses than trying to fool the interviewer.
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 “How do I say what I'm not good at without
looking terrible and say what I am good at
without bragging?”
❖ Emphasize a positive quality or skill that's needed for the job
❖ Minimize, but be truthful about the negatives
"My strength is that I'm a hard worker. My "I really can't think of a weakness. Maybe I
weakness is that I get stressed when I miss could be more focused. My strength is
a deadline because someone else dropped probably my ability to deal with people. I am
the ball." pretty easygoing. I usually don't get upset
easily."

Say “NO” to vague words: maybe, probably, pretty and usually.

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 Assessing your weaknesses: The
Hardest part!
Everyone has weaknesses, but who wants to admit to them,
especially in an interview?
Some examples of weaknesses you might mention include:
▪ Being too critical of yourself
▪ Attempting to please everyone
▪ Being unfamiliar with the latest software

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 How to talk about your weakness?
❖ The best way to handle this question is to minimize the trait
and emphasize the positive.
❖ Select a trait and come up with a solution to overcome your
weakness.
❖ Stay away from personal qualities and concentrate more on
professional traits.
"I pride myself on being a 'big-picture' guy. I have to admit I
sometimes miss small details, but I always make sure I have
someone who is detail-oriented on my team."

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 Assessing your strengths
Assess your skills to identify your strengths. This is an
exercise worth doing before any interview. Make a list of
your skills, dividing them into three categories:
1. Knowledge-based skills: Acquired from education and
experience (e.g., computer skills, languages, degrees,
training and technical ability).
2. Transferable skills: Your portable skills that you take
from job to job (e.g., communication and people skills,
analytical problem solving and planning skills)
3. Personal traits: Your unique qualities (e.g., dependable,
flexible, friendly, hard working, expressive, formal,
punctual and being a team player).
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 How should you script your answer?
"My strength is my flexibility to handle change. As customer
service manager at my last job, I was able to turn around a
negative working environment and develop a very supportive
team. As far as weaknesses, I feel that my management skills
could be stronger, and I am constantly working to improve
them."

▪ Remember the interviewer is looking for a fit.

▪ They are forming a picture of you based on your answers.
▪ Put your energy into your strengths statement—what you have
to offer.
▪ Then let the interviewer know that although you may not be
perfect, you are working on any shortcomings you have.

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 Lets have a look at some of the strengths
mentioned by the candidates in
interviews! I have strong communication skills. I I am a very detail-oriented worker.
have been a marketing associate for four When I work on a project, I keep a
years in two different industries. During close eye on all the details and
that time, I have been responsible for remain familiar with high-level and
I would say one of my greatest
writing clear and concise marketing copy low-level tasks associated with the
strengths is my ability to work as part
for my employers. This has required a project. In my last job, this attention
of a team. Toward the end of my last
high degree of creative thinking and I to detail helped me identify a
job, my manager gave me the
believe good writing makes or breaks a problem in one of our core marketing
opportunity to lead our efforts to
marketing campaign. campaigns before it was released.
streamline our email campaigns. On
this project, I motivated other members This allowed us to mitigate
of the team and we were able to meet embarrassment that could have been
our goal of streamlining email associated with the error being
campaigns on time. Our efforts led to a published to our marketing channels.
15% increase in engagement on our
email campaigns.

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 Lets have a look at some of the
WEAKNESSES mentioned by the
candidates in interviews!
My greatest weakness would be not Last year, I was assigned to a major
asking questions to clarify the main restructuring of our company’s calendar
points associated with an assignment. practices. Instead of working with a team, I
In my last job, I would sometimes not restructured my boss’ calendar by myself, in
ask for help because I was scared it accordance with the guidelines written by
would mean I did not pay attention other assistants. This was an ineffective
when the assignment was issued. Since approach as I was not able to voice my
then, I have been working to become concerns with others. Since then, I have been
more proactive in asking questions working to make sure I volunteer to contribute
when an assignment has been issued. to teams when I think I can add value.
I often focus too much on the details of
a project which can result in working at
a slower rate. For instance, in my last
job, I spent too much time trying to
optimize my boss’ schedule. This
resulted in me becoming distracted
from other assignments that required
my attention. After my boss missed an
important meeting as a result of my
perfectionism, I started to become more
aware of this tendency. I am presently
working on finding a balance between
being efficient and detail-oriented.
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How Should You Introduce
Yourself?

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 10 Ways To Introduce Yourself
1. Stick to The Context
2. Talk about who you are and what you do
3. Make it relevant
4. Talk about your contribution
5. Go beyond what your title is
6. Dress the part
7. Prepare what you are going to say
8. Body language
9. The before, during, and the after
10. Wrapping It Up

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 Now Would You Re-Introduce
Yourself?
Good morning sir/ madam. Thank you for shortlisting me for this interview. I am
Nikitha Sangareddy. I have completed my graduation from Osmania university in the
year 2019. Since then I have been working as an associate in Wipro. I have been
associated with my current company for the last 2 years, and I'm now looking for new
opportunities that can help me grow. I have been mostly involved in resolving customer
queries through tickets, redirecting tickets to onshore team and sending emails to the
customer. I am an optimistic person. I tend to be team oriented and trust worthy as I
never miss deadline. After having worked hard in the same place for so long, I feel that
I'm ready to take my career to the next level, which is why I'm looking for a new
opportunity. Thank you.
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