Managerial Communication-5

Module -5 Employment Communication

What is Employment Communication?
Employment communication plays an important role between an applicant and the
employer. Employment communication is a conversation that candidates have with an
employer. Later the employer approaches candidates with more profound questions such as
what qualities do candidates have that will be suitable for the job position they have
applied.
It is a process of preparing for employment by considering relevant information about
candidates as it relates to job requirements.
Process of Applying for a Job
Following are th steps involved in process of applying for a job:
Step 1: Conduct research, analyze self, career, and job: Gathering relevant information for
decision-making. It includes
a) Self-Analysis: Emphasize the importance of understanding one’s own talents, abilities,
and interests. Salary will not provide sufficient job satisfaction for many.
b) Career Analysis: To enforce the value of the job analysis, emphasize the importance of
matching the characteristics of a job to the individual’s personal characteristics. A “bad fit”
will not be satisfying, no matter what the job entails or pays.
Step 2: Identify job listings using traditional and electronic sources: There are two
important sources of sources:
a) Traditional Sources: Following are the traditional sources:
• Printed sources
• Networking
• Career service center
• Employers’ offices
• Employment agencies
• Professional organizations
b) Electronic sources: Following are the electronic sources:
• Career guidance information
• Job listings
• Company web pages
• Résumé posting services
Step 3: Prepared targeted résumé and application messages in the required formats: After
collecting required information about the job candidate should prepare resume by adding
necessary information in specified formats. Formats include Print (designed), scannable, and
electronic postings.
Step 4: Consider supplementing résumé with a portfolio: Some candidates may feel their
career accomplishments are not appropriately captured in a standard resume. Two
additional tools for communicating qualifications and abilities are available, viz.,
a) Developing a professional portfolio: The professional portfolio can be used to illustrate
past activities, projects and accomplishments. It is a collection of artifacts that demonstrate
communication, people and technical skills.
b) Preparing and employment Videotape: A video tape can be used to visually extend the
impact of printed resume. A videotape can capture candidates stage presence and ability to
speak effectively and add a human dimension to the paper process.
 Managerial Communication-5

Step 5: Interview with the company: Most of the companies conduct various types of
interviews before hiring a new employee. The number and type of interviews vary among
companies. Candidates should attend such interviews to get job.
Composing application Messages
Write an application message that effectively introduces an accompanying print (designed)
or electronic résumé. (Please refer example given in Chapter-4)
Writing CV (Resume)
A resume is a written compilation of education, work experience, credentials, and
accomplishments that is used to apply for jobs. It is one of the most important pieces of any
job application.
Resume is a document used by persons to present their backgrounds and skills. Résumés
can be used for a variety of reasons, but most often they are used to secure new
employment. The résumé is usually one of the first items, along with a cover letter and
sometimes an application for employment, which a potential employer sees regarding the
job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview.
Standard Parts of a Résumé
Following are the standard components of Resume
1) Identification: Main objective of this part is to provide information that allow the
interviewer to reach candidate. It includes name of the candidate, current address, and
telephone/mobile number. It also includes email address to facilitate an interviewer’s
communication with candidate.
2) Job and/or Career Objective: Following the identification section, candidates should state
their job/career objective-the job they want. Interviewers can see immediately whether the
job that candidates are seeking matches the one they have to offer. A good job/career
objective must be specific enough to be meaningful yet general enough to apply to a variety
of jobs.
3) Summary of achievements: In the summary of achievements section candidates should
summarize their major achievements. By reading the career objective and summary
statement, interviewer can relate to achievements and job they offer. This section is
optional based on the requirements a candidate can add this component to his/her resume.
4) Qualifications: This section includes the information about the candidate’s education
experience.
a) Education: beginning with the most recent, candidate should list the degree, school,
graduation date and marks obtained. The education section could also include a list of
special skills and abilities such as foreign language and computer competency.
b) Work Experience: This section provides information about employment history. This
includes information related to job held, job title, company name, date of employment,
primary responsibilities, years of experience and key accomplishment. The jobs may be
listed in reverse chronological order or in order of job relatedness.
5) Honors and Activities: In this includes the information related to special awards received
by the candidate and special activities performed by the candidate. This section should
include only summary of honors and activities that are performed by the candidate.
6) Personal Information: This section includes personal information of the candidates such
as nationality, cast, driving license information, passport information, etc. While giving
personal information candidates should very careful because all these information may be
create adverse effect in hiring process.
 Managerial Communication-5

II Interview Skills
What is an Interview?
The word interview comes from Latin and middle French words meaning to “see between”
or “see each other”. Generally, interview means a private meeting between people when
questions are asked and answered. The person who answers the questions of an interview is
called in interviewer. The person who asks the questions of our interview is called an
interviewer. It suggests a meeting between two persons for the purpose of getting a view of
each other or for knowing each other.
According to Gary Dessler, “An interview is a procedure designed to obtain information from
a person’s oral response to oral inquiries.”
According to Thill and Bovee, “An interview is any planed conversation with a specific
purpose involving two or more people”.
According to Dr. S. M. Amunuzzaman, “Interview is a very systematic method by which a
person enters deeply into the life of even a stranger and can bring out needed information
and data for the research purpose.”
Types of Interview
Most of the companies conduct various types of interviews before hiring a new employee.
The number and type of interviews vary among companies. Candidates should attend such
interviews to get job. Depending on the goals of the interviewer, interviews can be classified
into two categories:
1) Structured Interview: In a structured interview, generally used in the screening process,
the interviewer follows a predetermined agenda, including a checklist of items or a series of
questions and statements designed to elicit the necessary information or interviewee
reaction.
2) Unstructured Interview: An unstructured interview is a freewheeling exchange and may
shift from one subject to another, depending on the interests of the participants. Some
experienced interviews are able to make structure interview seem unstructured. The goal of
many unstructured interviews is to explore unknown areas to determine the applicants’
ability to speak comfortably about a wide range of topics.
a) Stress Interview: A stress interview is designed to place the interviwee in an anxiety
producing situation so an evaluation of the interviewee’s performance under stress may be
made. In all cases, interviewees should attempt to assess the nature of the interview quickly
and adjust behavior accordingly.
b) Group Interview: A group interview is a screening process where interviewer interviews
multiple candidates at the same time. The point of a group interview is to see how
candidates choose to stand out from each other, how well candidates function in a group of
people they do not know and if candidates show the teamwork attributes that you need.
c) Video Interview: video interview is a job interview that takes place remotely and uses
video technology as the communication medium. As the name implies, a Video Interview is
a face-to-face meeting that occurs with the participants in different locations. Video
Interviews facilitate the need to quickly and easily interview remotely-based job candidates
without the expense and time needed to travel. Video Interviews can also support panel
conference-style meetings that bridge multiple participants together.
Preparing for an Interview-Steps
 Managerial Communication-5

Pre-interview planning involves learning something about the company or organization,

doing something about self and making sure appearance and mannerisms will not detract
from the impression candidate hope to make.
a) Research the Company and position: Nothing can hurt the candidate more than knowing
little about the organization. Candidate should collect information related to company and
job such as name of the company, status in the industry, stock market position, scope of the
company, corporate offers, job title, job qualification, salary range, and career path etc.
b) Study yourself: This section includes systematic comparison of candidate’s qualification
and the job requirements. If candidate cannot see a relationship between him and the job
or company, candidate may have difficulty demonstrating the interest or sincerity needed to
sell him.
c) Plan a professional appearance: Applicant’s personal appearance is critical; fingernails
must be clean and neat, shoes shined or at least clean, and the hair clean and well groomed.
General guidelines include being clean and well groomed and avoiding heavy makeup and
large, excessive jewelry.
d) Plan your time: Candidate should plan their plan to arrive early so candidate can unwind
and review mentally the thing he/she can plan to accomplish.
e) Practice: The job Interview may be the most important face-to face interaction candidate
ever have. Candidate will be selling himself in competition with others. Practicing for an
interview will help candidate to handle the nervousness that is natural when interviewing.
Conducting a Successful Interview
The way candidate handle an interview will vary somewhat depending on candidate’s stage
in the hiring process. Regardless of whether candidates are being screened by a campus
recruiter or have progressed to an on-site visit, an interview will have following parts
a) The Beginning: Following are the opening formalities to be followed by Interviewee:
• Use the interviewer’s name and pronounce it correctly
• Apply a firm handshake
• Wait to ask to be seated
• Make appropriate eye contact
• Be conscious of nonverbal messages
b) Exchanging Information: Following are the elements to be considered in information
exchanging
• Select five or six key points to emphasize
• Answer standard and behavioral interview questions effectively
• Demonstrate logical thinking and creativity
• Display a professional attitude
• Know about salary and benefits
• Recognize possible discriminatory questions
c) Nonverbal Messages: Following nonverbal cues to be followed during the interview:
• Smiling
• Making eye contact
• Do not Crossing legs
• Moderate hand movements or gestures to animate your speaking
• Leaning a little bit forward
d) Closing: The interviewer will provide cues indicating that the interview is completed by
rising or making a comment about the next step to be taken. At that point, candidate should
 Managerial Communication-5

not prolong the interview needlessly. Candidate should simple rise, accept the handshake,
thank the interviewer for the opportunity, and should close by saying look forward to
hearing from the company.
Skills Needed in the Interview: Balance of Hard and Soft Skills
Following are the skills needed in crashing the interview:
1) Soft Skills: Soft skills is a synonym for "people skills." The term describes those personal
attributes that indicate a high level of emotional intelligence. Soft skills is a term often
associated with a person's "EQ" (Emotional Intelligence Quotient), the cluster of personality
traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits, interpersonal skills,
managing people, leadership, etc. that characterize relationships with other people. Soft
skills contrast to hard skills, which are generally easily quantifiable and measurable.
Following are the different types of soft skills:
 Emotional Intelligence
 Communication skills
 Team skills
 Flexibility
 Creativity and entrepreneurial skills
 Ability to cope up with responsibility
 Social sensitivity
 Interest in lifelong learning
2) Hard skills: Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities that may be required in a given
context. Hard skills are part of the skill set that is required for a job. Employers typically
require both soft skills and hard skills when considering applicants for a job. Hard skills are
teachable abilities or skill sets that are easy to quantify. Following types of hard skills
 Discipline specific skills
 Technical skills
Standard Interview Questions: following are standard interview questions to be handled by
the Interviewee:
• Tell us about yourself.
• What are your career plans (short and long range)?
• What led you to select your college major?
• What are your greatest strengths? Weaknesses?
• What interests you most about this job?
• What determines a person’s progress in an organization?
• Why do you want to work for us? Why should we hire you?
Behavioral Question: following are some of the behavioral questions asked by the
interviewer:
• Describe a time when you (a) worked well under pressure. (b) worked well with
others, or (c) organized a major project.
• Describe something you have done that shows initiative and creativity.
• How have your extracurricular activities and/or work experience prepared you for
work in our company?
• Describe a time when you faced frustration. How did you deal with it?