Interview Skills

Interview Skills
Introduction
What is an Interview?
• Raman (2006) defines interview as a formal
meeting in which a person or persons question,
consult, or evaluate another person or persons.
Reporters and writers have meetings with
eminent persons to ask questions to gather
material for a media story or broadcast. An
interview reveals the views, ideas, and attitude of
the person being interviewed as well as the skills
of the interviewer. Both the interviewer and the
interviewee must be well prepared for an
interview.
Types of Interviews
• A job interview is your chance to show an
employer what he/she will get if you are hired.
That is why it is essential to be well prepared
for the job interview. Preparing means
knowing about the industry, the employer,
and yourself. It means paying attention to
details like personal appearance, punctuality
and demeanor. Knowledge is your best
weapon.
Types of Interviews
• Screening Interview: your first interview with a
particular employer will often be the screening
interview. This is usually an interview with
someone in human resources. It may take place
in person or on the telephone. He/she will have a
copy of your CV in hand and will try to verify the
information on it. The human resources
representative will want to find out if you meet
the minimum qualifications for the job and if you
do, you will be passed on the next step.
Types of Interviews
• Selection Interview: the selection interview is the step
in the process that makes people the most anxious.
The employer knows you are qualified to do the job.
While you may have the skills to perform the tasks that
are required by the job in question, the employer
needs to know if you have the personality necessary to
fit in. Someone who cannot interact well with the
management and co-workers may disrupt the
functioning of an entire department. This can
ultimately affect the company. Many experts feel that
this can be determined within the first several minutes
of the interview.
Types of Interviews
• Group Interview: in a group interview, several job
candidates are interviewed at once. The interviewer or
interviewers are trying to separate the leaders from the
followers. In any group there is a natural process that
takes place where the group stratifies into leaders and
followers. The interviewer may also be trying to find
out if you are a team player. The type of personality the
employer is looking for determines the outcome of this
interview. There is nothing more to do than act
naturally. Acting like leader if you are not one may put
you into a job for which you are not appropriate.
Types of Interviews
• Panel Interview: in a panel interview, the
candidate is interviewed by several people at
once. It can be quite intimidating as questions
are fired at you. You should try to remain calm
and establish rapport with each member of
the panel. Make eye contact with each
member of the panel as you answer his/her
question.
Types of Interviews
• Stress Interview: the stress interview is not a very
pleasant way to be introduced to the company that
may end up being your future employer. It is, however,
a technique sometimes used to weed out those who
cannot handle adversity. The interviewer may try to
artificially introduce stress into the interview by asking
questions so quickly that the candidate does not have
time to answer each one. Another interviewer trying to
introduce stress may respond to the candidates
answers with silence. The interviewer may also ask
offbeat questions, not to determine what the job
candidate answers, but how he/she answers.
Styles on Interviewing
• The two styles of interviewing used by
companies today are the traditional job
interview and the behavioral job interview:
• Traditional Job Interview: the traditional job
interview uses broad-based questions, such
as, ‘why do you want to work for this
company’ and ‘tell me about your strengths
and weaknesses’. Interviewing success or
failure is more often based on the ability of
the job-seeker to communicate than on the
truthfulness or content of his/her answers.
• Employers are looking for the answer to three
questions: does the job-seeker have the skills
and abilities to perform the job, does the job-
seeker possess the enthusiasm and work
ethics that the employer expects, and will the
job-seeker be a team player and fit into the
organization.
• Behavioral Interview: the behavioral job
interview is based on the theory that past
performance is the best indicator of future
behavior, and uses questions that probe
specific past behavior such as, ‘tell me about a
time where you confronted an unexpected
problem’, ‘tell me about an experience when
you failed to achieve a goal,’ and ‘give me a
specific example of a time when you managed
several projects at once’.
• Job-seekers need to prepare for these interviews
by recalling scenarios that fit the various types of
behavioural interviewing questions. Expect
interviewers to have several follow-up questions
and probe for details that explore all aspects of
given situation or experience. Recent college
graduates with little work experience should
focus on class projects and group situations that
might lend themselves to these types of
questions. Job-seekers should frame their
answers based on a four-part outline:
• i. Describe the situation
• ii. Discuss the actions you took
• iii. Relate the outcomes, and
• iv. Specify what you learned from it
General Preparations for an Interview
• Interviewing is a skill and, as with all skills,
preparation and practice enhance the quality
of that skill. Preparation can make the
difference between getting an offer and
getting rejected.
• a. Place/location: take a practice run to the
location where you are having the interview or
be sure you know exactly where it is and how
long it takes to get there. Do your research
and know the type of job interview you will be
encountering. Do prepare and practice for the
interview, but do not memorize or over-
rehearse your answers.
• b. Arrival: if presented with a job application,
do fill it out neatly, completely, and accurately.
Do bring an extra copy of your CV to the
interview. Do plan to arrive about 10 minutes
early. Late arrival for a job interview is never
excusable.
• c. Self-assessment: when one is unemployed
need to reassess current skills, talents,
abilities, strengthens, weaknesses, interests
and work values. One needs also to clearly, re-
examine accomplishments and achievements
particularly those that may be relevant to a
prospective employer.
• d. Track and leverage your accomplishments:
accomplishments are the points that really
help sell you to an employer. You might be
asked in the interview, ‘what accomplishments
are you most proud of?’ and you freeze up
because you do not remember any. You know
you have had accomplishments in your career,
but you just cannot dredge them up. Try to
remember your accomplishment in the
following guiding questions:
• i. In each previous job, what special things did you do
better than anyone else did or could have done?
• ii. How did you go above and beyond what was asked
of you in your job description?
• iii. Were you promoted?
• iv. Did you win any awards?
• v. Have you received any complimentary memos or
letters from employers or customers?
• vi. What tangible evidence do you have of
accomplishments – publications you have produced,
products you have developed or software applications
you have written?
• e. Updating your CV: the accomplishments file
serves as springboard to reassessing your CV.
The file contains content for selective CV
inclusion. A CV must be accomplishments –
based rather than descriptive of one’s
responsibilities.
• f. Re-assessing your CV: even if you have sent
your best-yet CV, review it thoroughly and know
everything that is on it. Be prepared to discuss
supplementary experiences that might be
important to this employer. Focus on experiences
you feel are most relevant and match them to the
employer’s needs. Practicing typical and targeted
interview questions is essential.
• Be able to answer the following basic question:
• a. Why are you interested in this
field/company/position?
• Be prepared to discuss anything on your CV. Be
prepared to answer questions/issues you really
do not want to answer. For example:
• a. Your greatest weakness
• b. Your lack of related experience
• c. Your lack of leadership experiences
• d. Your record of job-hopping (very lively or busy)
•
• Because interviewing is a skill, you can only
improve your style and acumen (ability to
understand things quickly and well) with
practice.
Fundamental Principles of
Interviewing
• In order to conduct more effective interviews the
following principles should be used:
• a. Ask questions that allow the candidate to do at least
70% of the talking. Avoid questions that can be
answered by a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ answer. The best
questions are ones that make the candidates recount
the past experience.
• b. Phrase the questions so that the desired or right
answer is not apparent to the applicant.
• c. Ask only one question about one subject at a time.
• d. Ask the easy questions first so as to make the
applicant feel comfortable.
Interviewing
• e. All questions should be directly related to
finding out about the applicant’s ability to do the
job, not about his/her personal life.
• f. Spend the entire time writing and recording the
candidate’s answers and any assumptions you are
making.
• g. While you are writing, nod occasionally to let
the applicant know you are listening.
• h. If the applicant does not respond right away to
a question, wait. Give him/her time, while you
add to your notes.
Interviewing
• i. Follow up: ask the person to tell you more, to give more details.
• j. Ask the candidate to describe his/her past behavior in the kind of
situations he/she will encounter on the job.
• k. Alternate between easy non-threatening questions and more
difficult pointed ones.
• l. After you have asked the candidate all your questions, allow
him/her time to ask you any questions he/she might have about the
job.
• m. Close the interview by asking the candidate if there is anything
he/she regretted saying, any answer they would like to change, or
anything he/she would like to add to his/her previous statements.
• n. Spend at least 30 minutes reviewing your notes after the
interview and identifying any key qualities that you feel you have
not adequately tested. These become objectives for the subsequent
interviews or for assessment experience.
Types of Interviewing Questions
• Skilled interviewers use a variety of types of questions
to draw the most information from the candidate.
• Permission Questions: permission questions
demonstrate concern for the other party. They are
used at the beginning of the interview to put the other
person at ease. Examples include:
• a. Are there any questions you have about the process
before we begin the interview?
• b. Is there anything I can do to make you more
comfortable before we begin?
• c. Okay, should we start with question one?
• Factual Questions: factual questions are low-
risk attempts to obtain objective data about
the applicant. They are intended to give you a
picture of the status of the other party. These
questions can be used to help make the
applicant feel comfortable and are good to use
at the beginning of the interview and after a
particularly difficult or threatening question.
Examples include:
• a. What do you do in your present job?
• b. How long have you worked there?
• c. What attracted you to our company?
• ‘Tell me about’ Questions: these questions are
the most important during a hiring interview.
They ask the candidate to describe their past
experience. Examples include:
• a. Tell me about a recent important decision you
made and how you went about it.
• b. Walk me through the first and last half hour of
your most recent normal workday. What did you
do first, second, e.t.c.
• c. Tell me about a recent work assignment that
made you look forward to going to work.
• Feeling Questions: feeling questions are designed
to obtain subjective data on the other party’s
feelings, values, and beliefs. They are useful as
follow-ups to ‘tell me about’ or factual questions.
Make sure that the applicant responds by
describing an emotional state, not by describing
what they thought. Examples:
• a. How did you feel about that reaction?
• b. What do you like best (least) about your
present job?
• c. How would you feel if this were to occur?
• Checking Questions: checking questions allow
you to make sure you have understood the other
parson’s answer. They are useful at any point in
the interview, but most useful at the end to help
you check any assumptions you have made about
the applicant. Examples include:
• a. Is this what you mean?
• b. As I understand it, your plan of action is this.
Am I right?
• c. Are you saying that was a negative experience?
Success in an Interview
• Many factors contribute towards success in an
interview. Some of them are:
• Dressing for the Interview: appearance is very
important and good grooming is essential. Your
hair should be neat and stylish. Your nails should
be well manicured and clean. Men’s nails should
be short. Women’s nails should be of a
reasonable length and polished in a neutral
colour. Also for women, the makeup should not
be heavy. Perfume or cologne should be avoided
as some people find certain scents offensive.
• Establishing Rapport: since the interviewer’s job
is to make sure that not only your skill but your
personality as well is good match, you must
establish rapport with the person or persons
interviewing you. That begins the instant you
walk in to the door. Do greet the interviewer (s)
by title (Ms, Mr, Dr, etc.) and last name if you are
sure of the pronunciation. If you are not sure, ask
the receptionist about the pronunciation before
going into the interview. Let the interviewer set
the tone.
• Nothing is as awkward as offering your hand
and having the gesture not returned by the
other person. Therefore, you should wait for
the interviewer to offer his/her hand first, but
be ready to offer your hand immediately.
Some experts suggest talking at the same rate
and tone as the interviewer. For example, if
the interviewer is speaking softly, so should
you.
• Body Language: body language gives more away
about us than speech. Eye contact is very
important, make good eye contact with your
interviewer (s), but make sure it looks natural. A
smiling, relaxed face is always inviting. Hands
resting casually in your lap rather than arms
folded across your chest also are more inviting. If
you normally move your hands around a lot when
you speak, tone it down some. You do not want
to look too stiff, but you do not want to look like
you are a bundle of nervous energy.
• Speaking: speak slowly and clearly. Don’t be soft-
spoken (gentle and quite voice). A forceful (firmly and
clearly) voice projects confidence. Do have a high
confidence and energy level, but don’t be overly
aggressive. Also do not say anything negative about
former colleagues, supervisors, or employers. Do make
sure that your good points come across to the
interviewer in a factual and sincere manner. Do stress
your achievements. Don’t offer any negative
information about yourself. Don’t inquire about salary,
vacations, bonuses, retirement, or other benefits until
after you have received an offer.
• Answering Questions: pause before you
answer a question. Your answers will seem
less rehearsed and it will give you a chance to
collect your thoughts. Keep in mind that a
very brief pause may seem like an eternity to
you. It is not. Prepare answers to some basic
questions. Do not memorize the actual
answers, but become familiar with how you
will answer the questions.
• Asking Questions: usually towards the end of the
interview, the person conducting it will ask you if
you have any questions. You may have some. You
should ask about what a typical day would entail.
You could ask also what special projects you
would be working on. This is trying to show the
employer how you can fill their needs. Do not ask
about salary, benefits or vacations because this
implies as asking ‘what will you, the employer, do
for me?
Importance of Non-verbal Aspects
• Many interviews fail because of lack of proper
communication. Communication is more than
just what you say. Often it is the non-verbal
communication that we are least aware of, yet
it speaks the loudest. Following are the top
non-verbal signals, ranked in order of
importance, when it comes to interviewing:
• Eye Contact: if you have a habit of looking away while
listening, it shows lack of interest and a short attention
span. If you fail to maintain eye contact while speaking
it shows lack of confidence in what you are saying; it
may also send the subtle indication that you may be
lying. Do not just assume you have good eye contact.
Ask. Watch. Then practice. Ask others if you ever lack
proper eye contact. If they respond that they have
noticed, ask if it was during speaking or listening. Take
note. Then sit down with a friend and practice until you
are comfortable maintaining sincere, continuous eye
contact.
• Facial Expressions: take a good, long, and hard
look at yourself in the mirror. Look at yourself as
others would. Then modify your facial
expressions. First eliminate any negative overall
characteristics that might exist, then add a simple
feature that nearly every interviewee forgets –
smile, a true and genuine smile that says that you
are a happy person and delighted to be
interviewed by the company.
•
• Posture: posture sends the signal of your
confidence and power potential. Stand tall, walk
tall, and most of all, sit tall. This is not said to
offend short people. Height is not what is
important, posture is. When you are seated,
make sure you sit at the front age of the chair,
slightly leaning forward, intent on the subject at
hand. Your best posture is to always be leaning
forward slightly.
•
• Gestures: contrary to popular belief, gestures
should be very limited during an interview. So
do not use artificial gestures to supposedly
heighten the importance of the issue at hand.
It will merely come off as theatrical. When you
do use gestures make sure they are sincere
and meaningful.

Interview Skills

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