The Planning Stage

• Identify and Analyze the Other Party

• This goes both ways (interviewer vs.
interviewee). Knowledge is power!
• Research the company
• Mission statement, goals, values, hierarchy,
departments, etc.
• Prepare a list of topics
• This is important if you are interviewer or
interviewee
 The Planning Stage

• Choose the best structure

• Highly structured interview—standardized
list of questions, usually takes less time,
provides quantifiable results
• Non-structured interview—topical agenda,
open ended questions, takes more time,
results harder to quantify, high flexibility
in exploring responses
• Moderately structured interview—
combines features of both types
 Types of Questions

• Consider possible questions

• Open vs. closed questions
• Closed questions restrict response. Ex: How
many hours do you work in an average week?
• Open questions allow for a broader range of
responses. Ex: Why are you interested in
working for our company?
• Factual vs. opinion questions
• Factual questions investigate matters of fact
Ex: Have you taken any marketing courses?
• Opinion questions ask for judgment Ex: What
does our mission statement mean to you?
 Types of Questions

• Primary vs. secondary questions

• Primary questions start a new topic Ex:
How did you hear about the opening?
• Secondary questions ask for additional
information on a previous topic (also
known as the follow-up question or
probing question) Ex: What do you mean
by integrity?
• These are often used: when answers are
incomplete, vague/superficial, irrelevant,
inaccurate.
 Types of Questions
• Direct vs. indirect questions
• Direct questions are the best way to get
information Ex: What area of our business interests
you most?
• Indirect questions elicit information without directly
asking for it Ex: If you were the manager of this
department, what changes would you make?
• Hypothetical and critical incident
• Hypothetical questions seek response to what-if
scenarios Ex: Suppose you discovered an employee
skimming the books, what would you do?
• Critical incident questions ask about a specific
account of a real situation Ex: Tell me about a time
you had to handle conflict between two employees.
 Types of Questions

• Leading questions
• These attempt to force the respondent to answer
in a particular fashion
• Often unfair and manipulative
• Ex: How committed are you to our company’s
philosophy of customer service?
• Illegal questions
• These are areas that are off limits and do not
need to be answered if asked
• Age, appearance, marital status/family, physical
disabilities, race/ethnicity, religious and political
beliefs
 Preparing for the Telephonic
Interview

• “fail to prepare means prepare to fail”

• Minimize distraction

• Sharpen your verbal skills

• Know the Organization and the Job & Prepare

in advance for important questions

• Follow-up
 The Interview Process

• Opening
• 50% of decision is made within the first
30-60 seconds (Dave Deaver—nat’l mgmt
recruiter).
• Greeting/building rapport, orientation (given
by interviewer)
• Question and answer section
• Interviewer—control and focus, listen actively,
use secondary questions when necessary
 Process Continued

• Interviewee
• Give clear/detailed answers, correct
misunderstandings, cover your own agenda
• Closing
• Review and clarify results of interview,
establish future actions, conclude with
pleasantries
During the Telephonic Interview
During the Telephonic Interview
 During the Telephonic Interview

• Get the interviewer's name and correct title

• Emphasize the positive
• Do not interrupt the interviewer
• Use the interviewer's questions to sell your
strength
• Take a moment to think about the answer
 During the Telephonic Interview

• Speak at average level of speed

• Avoid talking about salary and benefits
• Give short answers
• Back up answers with evidence if asked
• Be enthusiastic
• Be prepared to ask questions to interviewers
• Stay calm and relaxed!
 Types of Interviews

• Information gathering
• Assess situations, events, persons
• Employment Interview
• Prepare for possible formats
• Telephone—often used when candidate is out
of state (can use notes in front of you!)
• Panel—candidate questioned by several people
at one time (saves company time and $)
• Behavioral—focus primarily on past experience
(often these questions are used in many types
of interviews… phone, panel, etc.)
How to deal with tricky Interview
Question?????????

1. What problems did you have at

previous jobs?
2. If you are hired, what salary would
you like to start at?
3. Where do you see yourself in five
years?
4. Why do you want to work for us?
5. Why should we hire you?
Thank you