ARTICLES

Before you embark on any interviews, you may want to test your knowledge of interviewing no-nos. How likely are you to ask these questions? Check your answers below.

1. What languages can you speak?
2. Have you ever been arrested?
3. Have you ever been convicted of a crime?
4. Are you a citizen of this country?
5. Do you have asthma? Epilepsy? Arthritis?
6. Are you are smoker?
7. How much do you weigh?
8. Can you e-mail me a color photo?
9. Are you in a position to entertain clients in the evening?
10. How old are you?
11. Who will take care of your children while you're at work?
12. Do you think you can handle the hours?
13. Are you dating anyone now?
14. What kind of people do you like to work with?
15. How do you pronounce your name?
16. How do you stay in such great shape?
17. Are you living with a man?
18. What organizations and societies do you belong to?
19. How many times have you been married?
20. Are you a religious person?
21. Where do you go to meet men/women?

Following are the answers:

1. Appropriate. You may need to know if the candidate speaks and writes Spanish, Vietnamese, or Chinese.
2. Inappropriate. Being arrested doesn't mean you've been convicted of a crime.
3. Appropriate. Many employers ask if the candidate has been convicted of a felony.
4. Appropriate. If the answer is "no," you may want to ask if the person is eligible to work in the United States, or if the person intends to become a citizen within a specific time period.
5. Inappropriate. Avoid asking about specific medical conditions. Instead pose a general question such as, "Is there anything that might prevent you from fulfilling the requirements of this position?"
6. Questionable. Ask this question if you have a policy for a no-smoking environment.
7. Inappropriate
8. Inappropriate
9. Appropriate
10. Inappropriate
11. Inappropriate
12. Inappropriate
13. Inappropriate. Avoid probes into the candidate's personal life.
14. Appropriate
15. Appropriate
16. Inappropriate
17. Inappropriate
18. Appropriate. However, focus on professional organizations and societies.
19. Inappropriate
20. Inappropriate
21. Inappropriate

The best advice is to focus questions on training, work experience, education, skills and personality traits. Try to exclude major references to gender, age, race, religion, physical appearance and ethnic group, unless, of course, you can demonstrate how these factors are essential to the position. Also avoid making comments about a candidate's physical appearance or relationship status, or making physical contact. The candidate might think you're heading toward something other than a business or professional relationship.
If a candidate volunteers inappropriate information, politely cut the person off. Explain that the information isn't needed and that your organization doesn't use such information in making hiring decisions. Then move on with the interview, focusing on experience, skills, professional achievements, education and training.

Also take care not to write, make notes or doodle on the candidate's resume or employment application. If you notice missing information, ask the candidate to fill it in. Or ask the candidate to initial and date the information you fill in. While these precautions may seem silly, realize that less enlightened organizations have relied on codes or even special colors to indicate candidates' race, religion, ethnic group or appearance.

Evaluate the needs of the position.
A first step is to identify and evaluate a position's professional qualifications. Among them are education, training, experience, skills, and social behavior. Always be ready to verify how and why a requirement is position related and an accurate predictor of job success.

The process involves two steps: Conduct a needs analysis to identify the tasks you need a candidate to perform. Perform a job analysis to pinpoint the behaviors needed to carry out these tasks. For example, your needs assessment may reveal that you need a marketing professional with a public affairs focus. Your position analysis may show that this professional must have enthusiasm, follow-though, flexibility, and ability to work with people in diverse divisions and departments.

Review candidate information.
If you work with a recruiter like BeechTree, you can save time, energy and money. Why? Because you have a chance to review screened, verified resumes and profiles --typically supported by a face-to-face personal interview. Whether you go it alone or join forces with a recruiter, follow these suggestions in reviewing candidate information:

• Scan candidate profiles and resumes for completeness. For example, did the candidate include all required contact information? What gaps in employment do you want to address in the interview?
• Check resumes and cover letters for unlawful information. Remember, you must not solicit, retain or use unlawful information to make hiring a decision. Delete any information related to age, marital status, physical characteristics, or national origin before forwarding the resume or profile to other members of your organization.
• Maintain a healthy skepticism toward reference letters. Few letters address a candidate's past and future performance.
• Use the candidate's past performance and work experiences to identify follow-up questions. For example, in interviewing a sales and marketing professional, you may want to address issues such as revenues, sales growth, awards won, or most challenging sale or client.
• Check out the individual's training and education. Make sure you understand the candidate's educational track record, including institutions attended, degrees, courses, credentials and certifications.
• Explore your organization’s relationship to the candidate. Has the candidate interviewed with you before? Does the candidate know people who work in or with the organization?
• Avoid trying to accomplish more through an interview than your timetable or schedule allows. Also try not to judge or stereotype a candidate before you've conducted the interview. Just because a candidate has attended a second-tier university in a part of the country you've never visited doesn't mean that he or she can't do a bang-up job. Set a positive tone in the first few minutes of an interview and you're more likely to get the positive outcome you want. If you view an interview as an invasion of time, it's best to cancel and reschedule the interview. Or find someone to take over your interview responsibilities.

Connect behaviors with questions.
Some organizations choose to identify behaviors critical to performance in a position. Reflect on a position you might try to fill in the short-term future. Then circle the most important attributes. Or if you prefer, add your own.

• Aggression
• Ambition
• Character
• Creative
• Commitment
• Clarity
• Communication
• Compassion
• Consistency
• Candor
• Competitiveness
• Discipline
• Dedication
• Decency
• Direction
• Drive
• Dependability
• Empathy
• Enthusiasm
• Flexibility
• Leadership
• Responsibility
• Self-confidence

Once you pick the top five to seven attributes, develop one or two questions that would lead the candidate to share a story or anecdote. For example:

• Decisiveness: Could you tell me about a situation where you had to make a quick decision under tough circumstances?
• Drive: Give me an example of a situation where you took an idea or concept through implementation.
• Compassion: Can you share a story of where you had to deliver really difficult news to customers, patients or employees?

Prepare for the interview.
As you prepare for candidate interview, keep in mind these suggestions:

• Realize that you--the interviewer--is the face of the company. If you make a bad impression in the interview, you've made a bad impression for the organization.
• Develop give-away materials that are timely, accurate, simple and written with candidates in mind. Speak to issues such as making a contribution--to the organization, profession and industry.
• Prepare to answer common queries. Candidates will often answer questions such as these:
  
  • How would the organization provide feedback on job performance?
  • What are the top five good things about working here?
  • How does this organization feel about involvement in politics?
  • What kind of performance appraisal system does the organization use?
  • How would you describe this organization's culture?
  • Where do you think this organization will be in the next five years?
    
• Develop application forms appropriate to the position. Forms that might be appropriate for hourly workers may not fit clinical and business professionals with high-level experience, education and training.
• Allow candidates to complete forms online--prior to their arrival for an interview. If you must ask candidates to complete forms in your office, provide a private conference room. Do everything possible to ensure candidates' privacy and confidentiality.
• Eliminate common employment form foibles such as height, weight, complexion, eye color, credit references, type of military discharge, age, marital status and arrest records.
• After identifying criteria for evaluation, coach all interviewers to obtain the same information from candidates.
• Structure interviews to search for examples of behaviors essential to job success.

Launch the interview.
Following are some steps you will want to take in making a good first impression on the candidate:

• Greet the candidate warmly with a handshake.
• Provide the candidate with your name and position in the organization.
• Advise the candidate on how the interview will move forward and how long each component will take.
• Provide the candidate with an agenda, as well as the names and titles of interviewers.
• Advise the candidate on whether you will be taking notes or recording the interview.
• Decide on how you want to open the interview. Some interviewers begin with "ice-breakers” related to weather, sports, transportation, or local events, while others choose to move to specific questions or with "throw-away" questions such as "Tell me about yourself."

Prepare to ask questions.
Here are some guidelines you want to implement in framing questions:

• Pose open-ended questions, steering clear of questions candidates can answer with a "yes" or "no."
• Try not to invest time in questions already answered through a candidate's resume or profile.
• Choose questions that address professional qualifications.
• Ask one question at a time. Avoid getting tangled in a story or anecdote or posing multiple questions.
• Offer the candidate enough time to answer each question. Don't interrupt.
• Rephrase questions if a candidate seems confused or tries to answer a different question.
• Consider hypothetical questions, using phrases such as these: "How would you handle a situation where you were asked to cut staff by 20 percent? How would you address a crisis involving a breach of confidentiality? What if I asked you to create a healthcare product for first-time mothers?"
• Listen patiently to the candidate's answer. Then probe for additional information.
• Avoid responding--verbally or nonverbally--to a candidate's answer. Responses such as, "That's strange," or "People are going to think you've never had a full-time job" will set the interview in a negative direction.
• Get the candidate talking by asking probing questions early in the interview. Avoid jump starting the interview with highly specific “yes” or “no” questions.
• Test your interview IQ by studying and rewriting the following questions: Do you like to work with people? I guess you don't want to work in a rigid organization, do you? When are you going to have kids? How do you deal with being away from home? Where did you get your degree? What makes you think I want to hear you talk about your last boss? Do you belong to women's groups? We were looking for someone with a bit more energy, you know? Don't you think you'd be better off working for a not-for-profit?

Develop your inventory of questions.
No matter what type of candidate you interview, you can generate interesting questions that relate to the candidate's interest in the organization, education and training, job performance, compensation and benefits, career plans, and field or discipline.

Field, Discipline and Industry
For a healthcare CFO candidate, you may want to ask these questions.

• How do you view the history and legacy of healthcare finance?
• What do you see as the greatest challenges in healthcare finance?
• Where and when do you think we will see the next big breakthrough in healthcare finance?
• How do you view regulations and legislation in healthcare finance?
• Tell me how you view a typical day in the life of a healthcare CFO.
• How do you see the top five new and emerging trends in healthcare finance?

Work History and Management Style

• Tell me a bit about where you've worked.
• What do you see as your three greatest career accomplishments?
• What are your top three career disappointments?
• What specific work experiences prepare you for this position?
• Which one of your previous positions has been most satisfying? Which one has been most frustrating?
• How have you been supervised, managed or directed in previous positions?
• Tell me about your favorite boss.
• What type of management style would you use with employees in this position?
• What would your former employees say about your strengths and weaknesses?
• How do you view your top three strengths and weaknesses?
• Why are you looking for a new position?

Compensation and Benefits

• What kind of salary do you need to move?
• How would you like to see your performance evaluated?
• What kinds of incentives would you like to see?
• What benefits are most important to you?

Overall Performance

• How were you evaluated in your last position? What system was used?
• What did your evaluation say? What areas were you asked to enhance? What pluses were identified?
• What do you see as the most important criteria for evaluating performance in your job?
• When and if your performance ever slipped, how did you get it back on track?
• How would you work with an employee who always seems to be late or absent?
• Tell me about your ideal boss.

Future Career Plans

• How and why did you decide to get into this line of work?
• What people or events influenced or shaped your career choice?
• What are your short and long-term career goals?
• How do you plan to get ready to move forward?
• What factors are most important in determining a person's advancement within the organization?
• Where would you like to be in this organization in five years?

Education and training

• How has your formal education and training contributed to who you are today?
• If you could do it over again, where would you go to school? What degree would you pursue?
• What skills have you developed through education and training? Why are they important to this field and position?
• How do you pursue ongoing professional education and training?

At the same time, it’s important to be prepared to address a candidate’s questions:

Scope of the Position: What is the scope of the position? Who would the candidate report to and interact with? How would the candidate perform? What must the candidate be able to do and deliver? What is the primary focus of the position? For example, will the candidate chart organizational strategy, interact with vendors or recommend new product offerings?

Key accountabilities: What are the key accountabilities of the position? For which areas will the candidate assume responsibility? Who would the candidate manage and supervise? What would the candidate establish, build or sustain within the organization? What qualities must the candidate demonstrate?

Qualifications and experience: What qualifications and experiences are required for the position? What degree is required and preferred? What type of experience is required? How much experience is required and at what level? In what areas must the candidate have a track record or background? What must the candidate know or understand? What skills and abilities should the client be able to demonstrate or verify? Should the client have experience dealing with specific types of people, groups or positions?

Personal and Professional Factors: What personal and professional attributes should the candidate demonstrate? What about personality traits? Work habits? Communication and social skills? Appearance and presentation? Be prepared to list your top ten personal and professional traits or factors. Among them may be integrity, vision, leadership, strategic thinking, profit orientation, professional development, coaching and mentoring, and relationship building.

Organizational background: What does your organization do? Where has your organization been? What does your organization believe? What is your organization's role, function and destiny? Who do you serve? What are the top five reasons people want to work for your organization? Why would people want to move to your location?

Close the interview.
As the interview comes to an end, provide the candidate with some idea of what happens next. Unless you have authority to hire on the spot, explain what the candidate should expect once all interviews are completed. You may want to tell the candidate that you're planning on interviewing several candidates with the idea of recommending a smaller group to move on to a second series of interviews. Tell the candidate when your office--or your recruiter--is likely to make a decision.

While you might be enthusiastic about a candidate, maintain an attitude of neutrality. Try to avoid comments such as, "I think you're perfect for this position. I think it's just a matter of going through the motions to get you in here." All too often, circumstances change and that once "perfect person" fails to end up on the short list for follow-up interviews.

At the same time, avoid sharing any negative conclusions with the candidate. You may feel confident about telling the candidate, "I enjoyed meeting with you, but I don't think you'd really fit in here. Plus, your education doesn't quite hit the mark." Three weeks later the candidate--who has written off your organization and moved on--is shocked to receive a job offer.

The best approach is to tell the candidate what's likely to happen next. Thank the
candidate for his or her time and enthusiasm. Provide the candidate with your contact information and a business card. Encourage the candidate to call or e-mail if they have questions or comments on the position. Above all, leave the candidate feeling positive and enthusiastic. While you might not be in a position to hire the candidate right now, remember that the candidate may be perfect in three to five years.

Be sure to follow up with every candidate. Your recruiter can help with this task. Never resort to rubber-stamp form letters. Taking a personal approach could turn into a future relationship with the candidate, as well as positive recruitment buzz for your organization.

Evaluate each interview.
Once you've completed an interview, take time to evaluate the candidate, as well as your own interview performance. In evaluating a candidate, consider using a rating scale, as well as a series of more open-ended questions. You may want to use a five-point scale or labels ranging from poor and fair to good, very good and excellent. Choose factors that relate to position requirements, skills, abilities and personal traits.
For example, you may want to deliver scores on the candidate's self-confidence, motivation, people skills, appearance, organizational knowledge, knowledge of industry and discipline, maturity, education, degrees and training, and professional experience.

As an alternative or as a double check on factor ratings, consider a list of open-end questions such as the following:

• What are the candidate's top-five strengths?
• What are the candidate's top-five weaknesses? Or what areas call for enhancement, improvement, or additional education and experience?
• How does the candidate compare to others who have already interviewed for this position?
• How would this candidate fit in with others in the organization, as well as those in specific divisions and departments?
• How well would the candidate grow and develop professionally?
• What type of work or assignment would this candidate do especially well?
• What is the candidate's self-concept? Is it mature and rooted in reality?
• Does the candidate have an accurate, informed and realistic view of the position and the organization?
• What factors argue in favor of a hiring decision? What factors argue against a hiring decision?

After you've evaluated the candidate, take a second look on how well you performed in the interviewed. You may want to evaluate yourself on a five-point sale. Among the relevant questions are these:

Research: How thoroughly did I review the candidate's information prior to the interview?
Opening: How well did I help relax the candidate and create a positive atmosphere for the interview?

Attitude: How well did I encourage the candidate to speak up and share professional experiences?

Agenda: How well did I cover and look at factors such as candidate appearance, communication skills, maturity, motivation, character, professional experience, knowledge, and education?

Information: How well did I answer the candidate's questions and provide information on the organization and position?

Closing: How well did I close the interview?
Follow-up: How well did I follow up on any commitments made to the candidate?