Roger Hilton

With over 20 years experience as a successful Executive Recruitment Consultant, Roger has consulted with a number of large and small organisations throughout broad areas of industry and commerce.

From Both Sides of the Desk

From Both Sides of the Desk will significantly enhance your knowledge of the employment process.

'From Both Sides of the Desk'

ISSUE NO 7 - DECEMBER 2004

Now that you have the right candidates
. . . don't lose them!

Interviewing For Results

In our last issue, we discussed: Screening resumes and Letters of application, Selecting for Interview, and Responding to Applicants. In this issue, we move to the next stage of interview, and selection, and continue with:

The Interview

An opportunity for information exchange and analysis - between equal participants.

Preparing for the interview

Prepare for each interview by reviewing the position and the applicant’s details. In particular:

Treat every interview as important, no matter how routine. Make sure to plan your approach.
Review the applicant's letter of application, résumé or application for employment form.
Write your own summary notes on the applicant and commit important points to memory. This will help the interview flow, as you will be very familiar with key points. It also serves to show the applicant that you have taken the trouble to prepare for the interview.
Write down questions, which you must ask the applicant, to seek clarification on a particular matter. This discipline ensures that important points are not overlooked.
Treat any assumptions or judgments that you may have formed about the applicant as matters to be explored during the interview. To do this effectively you will need to devise questions that will provide enough information to satisfy your curiosity.
Prepare your questions so that they cannot be answered with a simple yes or no (unless you require one). This technique of asking open questions is invaluable in encouraging applicants to put their feelings, experiences and behaviours into their own words.
Open questions usually start with what, why, when and how and also, Can you tell me? How would you describe? And require answers based on the applicant’s actual experiences. These are also known as behavioural based or experiential questions.
Make sure that all your questions are relevant to the position and are non discriminatory.

For example, you should avoid focusing on irrelevant job aspects such as, family background, day care arrangements, and mannerisms of applicants and personality dispositions that are not manifested in the job. (See our comments regarding Unlawful Discrimination at the end of this section.)

Generally your questions will fall into two broad categories; those that relate to education, specific job skills and practical experience, and those that will indicate the degree of fit between the applicant’s behaviours/attitudes and the culture of your company.

Ask questions which are directed at the applicant’s:

Self-description
Strengths
Limitations
Preferred way of being managed
Management style

(See our suggested interview questions at the end of this section).

If you require samples of work to be performed such as reports or product samples, arrange to have these available.
Have a copy of the position description on hand for the applicant to read during the interview or at a later time.

As well as the preparation already discussed, there are a number of arrangements still to be made, which will streamline the process as well as demonstrate your concern for the applicant:

Advise your receptionist of the date and time of the interview so that they can welcome the applicant with a personal greeting of “Yes Mr Smith, Ms Brown is expecting you. “This is far more appealing than “yes Mr (?), can you tell me what your visit is in relation to?”
Have a comfortable and private interview area or office available and dedicate a realistic amount of time to the interview without distractions such as telephones, pagers or public address systems.
Have a clock available or some other method of time keeping without resorting to the distraction of checking your wristwatch.

A word on unlawful discrimination

By its very nature the employment process is one where both employers and job seekers discriminate in a number of situations.

However, this discrimination is healthy and one which leads to good decision making by both parties. For example employers must be able to discriminate between applicants and decide which should be placed on a short list.

Similarly, applicants need to be able to discriminate between comparable job offers or employers, to decide which is best for them.

The type of discrimination that is unacceptable is that which unfairly disadvantages an individual. This is referred to as unfair and/or unlawful discrimination.

Anti-discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity legislation exists at both Federal and State levels to ensure fair treatment of job applicants and employees.

Generally, it is unlawful to publish or display an advertisement or notice, or question a person that indicates an intention to discriminate on the following grounds or irrelevant characteristics:

Race
Sex
Marital status
Disability
Homosexuality
Transgender identity
Age
Religion
Carers’ responsibilities

When placing an employment advertisement, or conducting an interview, the following principles should be observed:

Avoid describing an occupation in terms of one sex or another. For example, salesperson should be used in place of salesman or saleswoman and tradesperson in place of tradesman.
Avoid pronouns such as he and she.
Members of any ethnic or national group should not be excluded.
Requirements that are not necessary for the performance of a particular job should not be mentioned. For example, a requirement that an applicant be able to read or write English should not be specified if that skill is not required for the performance of the job.
Do not use words such as young or mature, as these indicate preference for a particular age range.

Important note:

These are intended as general guidelines only. Legislation is constantly being amended and you should ensure your knowledge of the law is current. The relevant government department will provide you with the necessary information.

- A Recruitment Thought for the Month -

'To love what you do and feel that it matters. How could anything be more fun?'

Katherine Graham

'From Both Sides of the Desk' - written by Roger W Hilton and Les Brandis in a unique style, that allows both the employer andjob seeker to simultaneously look over each others shoulder - allowing each to better understand the motives and strategies of the other. . . . read more >>>

Roger W Hilton
Principal
Hilton Consulting Group P/L
Ph: (02) 9957 1513
Fax: (02) 9954 4528