Screening applicants makes sound sense. There is no point in wasting time interviewing
someone you will never give the job to. Screening is a paper exercise in which you review the
application form and/or resume to identify the candidates who seem to merit an interview.
Of course, this can be time consuming, but much less so than interviewing a candidate who
obviously does not meet your requirements.
Screening follows the golden rule of all recruitment processes. You are assessing application
forms and resumes against predetermined job requirements, usually expressed as
competencies. Don't make the mistake of assessing a candidate on some criteria that are not
job related, for example, handwriting or neatness of presentation. Screening has three steps as
follows:
1. The quick overview—This step will help you to remove the more obviously unsuitable
applicants. It will not require detailed reading of all the information you have and will
not remove all inappropriate candidates. Use one significant requirement—for
example, industry experience—for this sift.
2. Detailed screening—This is the core activity in screening and is time consuming. You
will need to go through each application in detail. Your intention is to reduce the
number of applicants to a small group, all of whom are worth interviewing.
3. Screening for the unknown—red flag— In other screening steps, you are comparing
an application form or resume against some predetermined standard. In this step, you
assess the information provided on its own merits. Therefore, this screening is
unpredictable, since each application form or resume will be unique.
Screening is a particularly effective technique when you are faced with a significant number of
application forms. The initial screening reduces them to a manageable number, which can be
looked at in detail. This should reduce the number of interviewees down to the very best.
Red flag screening does not necessarily reduce the number of applicants. Rather, it highlights
irregularities in the application forms and any serious anomalies, which may require further
investigation at the employment interview.
Creating the Right Interview Environment
The environment in which an interview is conducted will have a significant effect on both the
interviewer and the interviewee.
Any manager who is organizing an interview needs to consider three aspects of the interview
environment. These three aspects are listed below:
1. Micro environment—This means the immediate environment—usually the room and
close surroundings—in which the interview is conducted. It is worthwhile temporarily
adjusting the physical conditions in an office to optimize them for an interview.
Arrange the interview room to ensure privacy and lack of interruptions. Arrange the
room for comfort and have appropriate seating whenever possible. Check any mobility
or access issues, and organize accordingly.
2. Macro environment—This relates to the wider context of the organization as a whole.
The daytoday business of the organization has to continue, and the interview has to
be integrated into these proceedings in a way that does not adversely affect either side.
You should ensure that workers in the relevant areas of the organization are aware of
the interviews. Personnel, who will be involved, such as receptionists, need to know the
detailed schedule. Arrange a parking space and waiting area, if appropriate.
3. Stress factors—Interviews are stressful episodes for interviewers and interviewees.
This is unavoidable. But you can control the build up to the interview to make it as
stress free as possible for both parties. That way, unnecessary stress is avoided.
Control the interview timing to manage unnecessary stress. Can a manager allocate
sufficient time for the interview? Consider how far the interviewee has had to travel
and other personal factors, and accommodate these within your schedule.
These concerns, particularly the stress factors in the interview environment, are relatively
modern considerations. They are the result of the equalization in importance of the interviewer
and the interviewee in the process.
Some managers still argue that interviews are tests, and that they should, therefore, be stressful
for interviewees. But this may be an excuse for not spending time on managing the interview
environment.
To minimize the stressful nature of interviews, consideration of the stress factors of travel and
existing work commitments can help the interviewees. Pay close attention to the interview
environment. Not only is this indicative of a positive, organized approach to interviewing, it
also results in more effective interviews.
Stages and Timing of Interviews
The most important elements in conducting an interview efficiently are the timing of the
interview and the way that the interview moves through the necessary stages.
This means allocating sufficient time for preparation, and informing relevant colleagues
involved in this process. An effective interviewer plans to allocate time to all stages of the
interview, and does not miss out or hurry through any stage.
The timing and stages of an employment interview are likely to vary according to the nature
and complexity of the interview. What may be appropriate for a single interviewer filling a
straightforward position may not be appropriate for an interview team recruiting for a multi
skilled, highlevel position.
But it is possible to draw up some general guidelines such as the following that can be applied
in all situations to ensure effective control of the stages and timing of interviews:
• Timing—The more people involved in an interview, the greater the degree of
preparation required before the interview. Discussion time afterwards will also be
required. Five minutes for each interviewer involved before the interview, and ten
minutes afterwards is a generous allowance.
• Stages—A plan which gives sufficient and appropriate timing for each stage of the
interview would, for a onehour interview, allocate 10 minutes for introductions and
rapport building, 40 minutes for the core questioning, and 10 minutes to close and
confirm that all information has been gathered.
Both of the guidelines for the timing and stages of an interview are approximate, and would
need to be applied in organizations with this in mind. Nevertheless, what they both do is take
firm control of the interview process in such a way as to make it a more satisfactory
experience for all.
By following these guidelines, you will be in control of the interview. This is important for
your selfassurance in running the interviews, and will impress applicants and others with your
management skills.
Effective Interviewing
Interviewing, as a method for selecting new employees, has numerous critics, particularly in
the academic community. One major criticism is the discrepancy between the views of
interviewers about the same candidate.
Some people use this discrepancy to suggest that all interviews are ineffective, but others use it
to point to ways of conducting more effective interviews. They advocate two measures as a
way of improving the effectiveness of interviews. They are consistency and reliability.
This means knowing that the way an interview is organized is going to produce the same views
about the same candidate, whoever conducts the interviews. This means conducting the
interview in such a way that it is the most likely to identify the best candidate, time and time
again.
To achieve reliability and consistency in the organization of employment interviews, these
principles of conduct and design need to be followed:
• Ask each candidate the same initial or stem question—This means that each
candidate is treated in the same manner. The probing questions that follow the
candidate's answer, however, will be different in each case.
• Avoid unnecessary stress—If candidates are particularly nervous, they are less likely
to give their best interview. Success is based on handling nerves. This is not likely to
be a stated job requirement. So, avoid unnecessary stress and be sympathetic to get the
best information on each candidate.
• Eliminate vague and confusing questions—If the question is clearly phrased, it will
be understood and interpreted in a similar way by candidates. They will provide
answers, which can be fairly compared with each other.
• Ask a similar number of stem and probing questions—Reliability is not about
giving a nervous candidate an easy ride. Whatever the candidate's mental state, you
must be rigorous by asking him a similar number of questions—both stem and probing
questions—to ensure a reliable interview.
• Use questions of moderate difficulty—If they are too easy or too hard, they will
produce too many or too few correct answers. It is then much harder to distinguish
between candidates and be consistent.
• Allowing sufficient and equal time for each candidate—A long interview gives
more opportunity for the candidate to relax and respond. Its reliability will also
increase with length. This does not mean an openended discussion, but allowing
sufficient and equal time for each candidate.
By following these principles in your interviewing procedure, you are much more likely to
gain the consistency and reliability needed to help you to select the right candidate, every time.
Behavioral Questioning Strategies
Effective interviews have a clear purpose—to select the best candidate. But too many
interviews concentrate on technical performance without giving enough attention to other
important factors.
An effective worker will not only be technically competent to do the job, she will also be
motivated and enthusiastic to perform, and will also be a good team member. The questions
that are asked of candidates during an employment interview must be focused on getting
information to satisfy three themes: Can they do the job? Will they do the job? Will they fit
in?
This creates three question strategies which provide the framework for asking the questions
that will give you the most comprehensive picture of the candidate. The specific issues within
each of these questioning strategies are as follows:
1. Competency—Can they do the job?—This is the usual focus for interview questions.
But it is only a part of the whole picture. Here you will be concerned with establishing
that applicants have the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Ask questions to elicit concrete evidence about the candidate's past behavior,
specifically in relation to competence. Do not ask theoretical or hypothetical questions,
because these will not necessarily result in answers based on the actions of the
candidate.
2. Motivation—Will they do the job?—Applicants may be competent, but are they able
to work hard when things aren't going so easily. Here you will be concerned with how
the applicant has overcome barriers at work, shown initiative, and made extra effort
when required.
A motivation question should pose a specific problem in the job and ask the candidate
how he has overcome that problem. If he has not met with this problem before, then it
is permissible to ask how he would overcome it, if he was to meet it.
3. Appropriateness—Will they fit in?—It is difficult to establish evidence for this
because you are dealing with not only the applicant's personality, but how it will
impact on the other personalities on the team. You will be looking for examples of
teamwork and working style.
Ask questions about behavior in similar situations based on the team's working style, to
see if the applicant's natural style fits in. Describe the style neutrally to get a true
reaction. Do not ask how he would change his style. You want his true behavior.
If the questioning strategy employed during interviews is not as comprehensively focused as
the competence, motivation, and appropriateness framework, then the consequences in terms
of the person hired can be significant.
The general method used in all of these strategies is behaviorbased questioning—sometimes
referred to as situational questioning. This suggests that past behavior is a good predictor of
future behavior. It is not an absolute guarantee—nothing can be—but it offers the best chance
to discover real and specific examples with plenty of evidence of the competency, motivation,
and appropriateness of the candidate.
If you use these three question strategies in your employment interviews, you will ensure a
wellrounded and effective interview process.
Behavior-based Questioning Methods
Behaviorbased questioning starts with a variety of opening questions about evidence of the
applicant's previous performance. This establishes whether the applicant can do the job,
whether he will do the job, and whether he will fit in with the existing team members.
But these opening questions may not be sufficient to provide you with the information that you
need. You will usually need to supplement them with other questioning methods as the
interview progresses.
There are three important questioning methods that you must use to complement the behavior
based, tell me about a time... approach. These are open questions, probing questions, and
contrary evidence questions. Each has a specific format and rationale as follows:
1. Open questions—These questions put no restrictions on the answer. Use them when
you want to encourage the applicant to speak, or when you want to see how the
applicant responds, without direction, toward giving a specific example of her
behavior.
Openended questions are nonspecific and phrased in such a way that the applicant has
to provide a narrative answer. For example, "What will you bring to the company?" If a
question can be answered yes or no it is not an open question.
2. Probing Questions—These are supplementary questions, used after an initial
question. Use them to obtain more collaborative detail, or if you are dissatisfied with
the original answer.
These generally follow a Why? How? When? How often? and Who? pattern.
Interviewers repeat an element from an applicant's answer and use it as a lead to
request reasons, clarify information, and verify details related to the original question.
3. Contrary Evidence Questions—These are questions about failure. Use them when a
candidate seems to be too prepared for your questions, or you feel she may be
exaggerating. This is particularly important in jobs that require problem solving and
initiative.
These questions seek negative information and are usually straightforward to phrase. They
should be behaviorbased questions but the information they seek is focused on a time when
the applicant was not successful.
By using these three questioning methods, as necessary, you will be given more useful
information, and you will make your interviews even more effective.
Effective Social Skills for Interviews
Even confident people can find interviews daunting, and some people who may be able to
perform well at work, can't show their qualities in an interview. They dry up and become
tonguetied.
The skilled interviewer does not let a shy applicant mumble or say nothing. She encourages
and develops the applicant's ability to express himself.
To be effective in helping applicants to express themselves as well as they can, you need to
develop the following three skills:
1. Rapport building—Set candidates at ease, especially at the start of the interview. The
interviewer must communicate a feeling of openness and trust. This is essential for
nervous candidates who fear interviews. If you relax them at the start of the interview,
they can then usually perform well.
Employ social pleasantries, which allow the candidates to settle down and find their
feet. At the beginning, preview the interview process simply, to show what is coming,
and specify briefly and simply what will happen after the interview.
2. Empathic listening—This is attentive listening, which makes the candidates feel that
you are solely and truly concentrating upon them and what they say. Such listening is
active, not passive. This is particularly useful with a candidate who dries up and begins
to offer only minimalist answers.
Use supportive comments to show that you are listening. These can be encouraging
noises like, "uh huh," or reinforcing like, "go on." Use reflective summarizing
comments to check understanding, and show active listening.
3. Nonverbal communication—Effective nonverbal communication must combine with
all other techniques to reinforce the message. Used incorrectly, it can undermine the
message. Emphasize nonverbal communication when you feel a candidate does not
understand your statements or questions.
Nonverbal communication must be congruent with verbal communication. Match your
gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language with the statements that
you are making.
Using your social skills in an interview will ensure that you succeed in getting the best out of
all candidates.
Handling Manipulative Candidates
All interviewees try to present themselves as positively as possible in an interview. This
process, usually named impression management, consists of interviewees predicting and
preparing for the questions they think they will be asked.
There are also tactics and tricks applied by some candidates, which are more manipulative and
are intended to fool the interviewer. You need to be able to recognize these tricks so that you
don't make any false judgments.
The techniques used by manipulative applicants are mainly designed to psychologically
ensnare the interviewer and get him to look more favorably on the interviewee than a rational
examination of the facts would allow.
The following methods are far more subtle than simply exaggerated statements made by
applicants about their experiences or qualifications:
• Mirroring attitudes—Manipulative interviewees listen carefully to the interviewer
and interpret his behavior. Then they can deliberately express beliefs and attitudes
similar to those of the interviewer. This tends to create an attractive impression of the
candidate in the interviewer's mind.
• Accepting failure—If applicants have some unfavorable incidents in their careers, they
can prepare the interviewer to forgive these problems. An applicant can influence an
interviewer and make him forgive the applicant's past behavior by relating how the
applicant has forgiven others in the past.
• Supplication—By deliberately acting helpless in the interview, the applicant places
himself at the mercy of the interviewer. The intention is to make the interviewer feel
sympathy for the applicant. The interviewer then becomes responsible for the success
or failure of the candidate.
Beware of these manipulative tricks. They can have a subtle influence on your judgment about
candidates, unless you are aware that they are happening.
Impressing Applicants in Interviews
All employers face a major challenge finding and retaining employees who will be effective
within their organizations. This is particularly true when low rates of unemployment enable
workers to have plenty of choice about who to work for. One element that will significantly
influence applicants about their choice of employer is the impression made upon them by the
management of the interview.
The interview is a twoway process. The applicant is receiving and evaluating a considerable
amount of information about the organization from the way the interview is managed. This
first meaningful contact with the organization will create a powerful impression on candidates.
The impression gained from the interview comes from the three following factors:
1. Preparation—The efficiency of the interview is crucial in creating an impression of
the organization as a good place to work. Organization and preparation are the key
words. A disorganized interview indicates a disorganized organization.
All administrative details must be covered so that the applicant is handled efficiently.
Any questions that an applicant may have about the job must be anticipated and an
answer prepared.
2. Attitude—An attitude which expresses the view that the applicant is lucky to be
interviewed by this organization is not effective. A more effective attitude is one which
treats the interviewee as a customer and explains the benefits of working for this
organization.
Market and sell the organization to the candidate as though she was a customer. This
means communicating positively factors like special employee programs and benefits,
which add particular value to the working relationship.
3. First impression—The recruiter is seen to represent the organization. The recruiter is
the first representative that applicants meet, so the recruiter personifies the
organization. His characteristics are taken as representative of all of the organization's
staff members.
The recruiter must be warm, personable, and caring, and demonstrate this in the
interview. The recruiter must also be well informed about the candidate. Candidates
gain a better impression of the job when they are interviewed by recruiters closely
related to the position.
Any organization which wants to recruit the best employees should take account of the factors
that impress candidates, and build them into the design and conduct of its interviewing regime.
To see what the organization needs to do to manage interviews effectively,
When the talent pool is limited, you need to make sure that not only are you recruiting the best
people, but also that they are choosing to be employed by you. As the saying goes, you never
get a second chance to make a first impression.