Focus Questions on…

1. Focus Questions on… • Candidate’s competencies • How they would translate those skills to this setting • How they see themselves fitting into the position and accomplishing the tasks • Strengths, weaknesses, & future perspectives…without asking directly

2. Interview Questions should… • Stay away from “yes/no” responses • Avoid illegal subject matter • Be professional & consistent

3. Age Race & ethnicity Religion Number of children Sexual orientation/marital status Credit ratings Arrests, court records Political affiliation Union activity Disability Gender Illegal Subject Matter…

4. Legal Military experience Photo required after hiring Name of emergency contact No religious questions Illegal Type of discharge Photo required prior to hire Relationship to the emergency contact Holy observances, name of minister Illegal Subject Matter…

5. Tie ?’s to Competencies Don’t ask strengths & weaknesses Push for details….

6. Competency: • Possess an understanding of customer service practices • Question: • Describe a time when you delivered superior customer service. • What was the most embarrassing customer service situation you have had? • Tell me about a situation when you had to deal with an angry patron.

7. Competency: • Ability to manage multiple tasks & set priorities • Question: • Describe a situation in which your workload was too heavy. How did you handle it. • What system do you use to establish priorities and manage tasks?

8. Putting Questions in Order • Begin with general questions about the individual and their experience • relax the individual • Then focus on specific tasks/skills • probing for knowledge • Increasingly focus the questions • Be prepared to respond to individual questions from candidate General Questions First level focus questions Narrowly focused questions