IO

• Types of Interviews


  • Structure
  • Style
  • Medium
• Structured interview


  Interview with job-related questions, same questions asked to all applicants, and standardized scoring

  
• Unstructured interview


  Interview where interviewers are free to ask anything they want and assign points at their own discretion
• Examples of unstructured interview questions

  • Tell me about yourself
  • What is your greatest strength?
  • What is your greatest weakness?
  • How will our company benefit by having you as an employee?
  • Are you married? Single? Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?
  • What is your favorite...?
  • What was the last book you read?
  • Where do you see yourself 5..10… years from now?
  • Why did you leave your last job?
  • What do you really want to do in life?
  • Give an example of an occasion when you used logic to solve a problem
  • Give an example of a goal you reached and tell me how you achieved it
  • Describe a decision you made that was unpopular and how you implemented it
  • Have you gone above and beyond the call of duty? If so, how?
  • What do you do when your schedule is interrupted? Give an example of how you handle it
  • Have you had to convince a team to work on a project they weren't thrilled about? How did you do it?
  • Have you handled a difficult situation with a co-worker? How?
  • Tell me about how you worked effectively under pressure
• One-on-one interview


  Interview with one interviewer and one applicant
• Serial interview


  Series of single interviews
• Return interview


  Similar to serial interview but with a gap in time between the first and subsequent interviews
• Panel interview


  Interview with multiple interviewers asking questions and evaluating the same applicant

  
• Group interview


  Interview with multiple applicants answering questions during the same interview
• Face-to-face interview


  Interview where interviewer and applicant are in the same room, allowing use of visual and vocal cues
• Telephone interview


  Interview conducted over the phone, not allowing use of visual cues
• Videoconference interview


  Interview conducted remotely at different sites
• Written interview


  Interview where applicant answers written questions and sends back responses
• Problems with unstructured interviews

  • Poor intuitive ability
  • Lack of job relatedness
  • Primacy effects
  • Contrast effects
  • Interviewer-interviewee similarity
  • Interviewee appearance
  • Nonverbal cues
• Types of interview questions

  • Clarifiers
  • Disqualifiers
  • Skill-level determiners
  • Past-focused
  • Future-focused
  • Organizational fit

  
• Clarifier questions


  Questions that allow the interviewer to clarify information and fill in gaps

  
• Disqualifier questions


  Questions that must be answered a particular way or the applicant is disqualified
• Skill-level determiner questions


  Questions that tap an applicant's level of expertise
• Past-focused questions


  Also called patterned behavior description interviews, ask for specific examples of how applicant demonstrated job-related skills

  
• Future-focused questions


  Situational questions that ask what the applicant would do in a particular situation
• Organizational fit questions


  Questions that tap the extent to which an applicant will fit into the organization's culture or a supervisor's leadership style
• Conducting the structured interview

  1. Build rapport

  2. Set the agenda

  3. Ask interview questions and score answers

  4. Provide information about the job and organization

  5. Answer applicant's questions

  6. End the interview on a pleasant note

  
• Training can increase an applicant's score on structured interviews
• There is a negative correlation between interviewee anxiety and interview performance
• Arriving late will drastically lower an applicant's interview score
• Learning about the company is important as one of the most commonly asked questions is "What do you know about our company?"
• Desired nonverbal behaviors


  Firm handshake, eye contact, smiling, head-nodding
• Desired verbal behaviors


  Asking questions, subtly pointing out similarities with interviewer, not asking about salary, not speaking slowly, not hesitating before answering
• First impressions are the most important
• Immediately following the interview, briefly thank the interviewer
• Cover letter


  Tells an employer you are enclosing your résumé and would like to apply for a job, should be no longer than one page
• Parts of a cover letter

  • Salutation
  • Opening paragraph
  • Second paragraph
  • Third paragraph
  • Closing paragraph
  • Signature
• Salutation


  Get the name of the person to whom you want to direct the letter, and address them properly (Mr./Ms.)
• Opening paragraph


  One or two sentences communicating the job you are applying for and how you know about the opening
• Second paragraph


  States that you are qualified for the job and provides about three reasons why
• Third paragraph


  Explains why you are interested in the particular company
• Closing paragraph


  Closes the letter and provides information on how you can best be reached
• Signature


  Use words like "sincerely" above your personal signature
• Tips for cover letters

  • Avoid sounding desperate
  • Avoid grammar and spelling errors
  • Don't discuss personal circumstances
  • Ensure you have used the correct company name
• Résumé


  Summary of an applicant's professional and educational history