Starter Question

Starter Question • Think about a job you have had. How did you learn what was expected of you? How did you know who to talk to and how to behave? • Activity: Discuss a way to make the instructions provided before an airplane takes off (the safety card information talk) more engaging and useful.

Goals of Interviewing • Employer’s goals Screening • Determine if you are their company’s “type of person” • Determine Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other characteristics (KSAO) • Figure out job assignment and salary • Skills testing • Assess your interpersonal and communication skills • Find out if you are open to change and criticism • Start assimilation • Introduce company norms • Cost effective and legal Potential employee’s goals Learn about the corporate culture, management, co-workers Better understand the job and requirements Determine growth opportunities and company’s potential

Many of these steps are completed by recruiters and not hiring managers

Recruiting • Effective recruiting should: • Get the attention of the public • Motivate qualified applicants and screen out unqualified ones • Be cost effective • Be timely • Ways of recruiting: • Media advertisements • Point of purchase • Employment agencies • Recruiters/Recruiting fairs • Web databases – 56% of all resumes sent via the internet • Employee referral programs Only 10% of all jobs are advertised

Interviews Variations • Type • Questioning - who you are and how you think • Behavioral - what you do in certain situations • Simulations - actual performance in mock situations • Style • One-on-one • Serial or Return • Panel • Group • Medium • Face-to-face • Mediated (Telephone or Video conference) • Written

Interview Question Types Clarifiers • I noticed a three-year gap between two of your jobs, could you tell me a little about that? Disqualifiers • Can you work at least one weekend a month? Past-focused • This job involves persuading employees to follow our safety rules. Tell us about a time in the past when you had to persuade an employee to do something. Future-focused • Suppose that you were scheduled to work on Saturday. A friend calls on Thursday and says that you get to use a condo at the beach for free—but it has to be this weekend. What would you do? Skill determiners Several months after working with a client, he calls and says that nothing works. What could be going on? Organizational fit What type of work pace is best for you?

Interview Questions Part II • Illegal questions include those about: • Biology- pregnancy, disabilities, gender, etc. • Age • Partnering - sexual orientation, marital status, etc. • Religion • Military service • Guideline for handling questions • Catalog your strengths and successes • Identify weaknesses that are common or not damaging • Try to determine what is really being asked • Have a few clear examples that you can use • Rehearse answering likely questions

What you can do to increase success • How to prepare for interviews • Write a resume • Use active verbs • Detail relevant experience • Keep it short; one page is ideal • Compile a list of relevant references • Look professional - clothing and grooming • Develop themes you want to cover • Before DuringAfter • -Research company -Avoid over selling -Send thank you • -Come up with questions -Ask for next step -Reflect • -Find where interview is -Answer questions • -Arrive early -Address employer’s needs

Reasons for not being hired • Most frequent reasons for not hiring a candidate include*: Poor personal appearance “Know it all” and overbearing attitude Lack of interest and enthusiasm Inability to express ideas clearly Rudeness Did not listen well Evasive and dodged questions *According to a Northwestern University survey

Starter Question