Why interview is important

Name of Person-in-charge:. Company Name:. Contact Number:. Attach Job Description. Sign up here to receive regular updates on potential talents! An interview is essentially a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers. There are two primary types of interviews used by companies: screening interviews, and selection interviews. Some companies may require only two interviews while others may require three or more.

It is a chance to showcase your talent directly in a role-play kind of situation. Interviews are a standard part of qualitative research. What Is a Qualitative Interview? A qualitative interview is a more personal form of research compared to questionnaires. The interviewer can probe or ask follow-up research questions of the interview participant.

In some cases, subjects may start to interview the interviewer. An interview is generally a qualitative research technique which involves asking open-ended questions to converse with respondents and collect elicit data about a subject.

Interviews are conducted with a sample from a population and the key characteristic they exhibit is their conversational tone. Which of these is not a type of interview? Explanation: Interviews can be of nine types: They are Screening interview, stress interview, behavioural interview, the audition, group interview, telephone, lunch interview, video interview and sequential interview.

Interviewing is an important step in the employee selection process. This allows the interviewee to plan and to include relevant information which otherwise might be withheld. If the interview is terminated too abruptly, the probability of losing valuable information is very high. A time limit can be suggested by citing the next appointment or by noting, perhaps, a previously scheduled conference. Sometimes it may be in the best interest of both parties to set another date for an extended session or to plan on completing only one or two stages of progress at a time.

Certainly the general tone of the interview should be one of helpfulness and friendliness so as to minimize the immediate barriers to forthright communication.

In this connection it should be mentioned that privacy is a first prerequisite to good interviewing. An important component of this is freedom from distracting interruptions. The telephone many times is such a distraction. In order to establish the critically important element of rapport with the interviewee, a genuine attempt should be made to put the interviewee at ease—especially in job application, promotion, or other interviews where significant differences in status exist.

Normally, at the beginning of an interview an allowance should be made for the interviewee to adjust to the interview environment. The situation is new for the interviewee; it may be his or her first experience of this kind.

Unless there is a specified adaptation period, the interviewee may be unable to reduce his or her level of anxiety, with the resulting loss of the entire session. Part of this adaptive process is familiarization with the surroundings.

It is an often overlooked truism that whenever an individual is placed in a strange situation, he becomes apprehensive. Overcoming this fear is often a most difficult procedure. By explaining, for example, the need for commonplace objects such as pencil and note paper that are anxiety-provoking, the level of tension may be reduced. Also, it is well to remember that the manner and simple courtesies extended by the interviewer are greatly magnified in the eyes of the interviewee.

Thus, a limited amount of pleasantries may be condoned if they fulfill this useful purpose. By jotting down significant bits of information, the interviewer can readily reconstruct what actually took place. The record assists with details which would be hard to remember if not recorded. The time that would be needed to fix them in mind without benefit of notes can be used to greater advantage listening and thinking.

Then, too, writing down items compliments the interviewee; it means that his responses are considered important enough to be recorded. It is a convenient reinforcing mechanism; it may even be used to guide the path of the interview. Information of a picayune variety should naturally be avoided.

Similarly, allowing the interviewee to relate too much information can be dangerous. Any inadvertently revealed facts or incidents may bring about severe anxiety feelings when he or she reflects on them later.

Temptations to divulge information too freely should be sidestepped as lightly as possible so that continued rapport may be maintained. In addition, circumspection should be exercised at all times lest the interviewer become too emotionally involved in the exchange.

Disagreements tend to provoke planning for verbal counterattacks with the result that the informational content is lost. The interviewee is overly sensitive to all reactions by the interviewer. Taking advantage of this, the interviewer may easily steer the conversation along the most productive channels.

Small inflections in the voice give encouragement. By repeating phrases already expressed, one finds the respondent expanding with details on a relevant issue. Sometimes, merely restating the reply allows a time for reflection and quite natural expansion or clarification of a point perhaps lost in the first verbalization. Support given by nodding is most effective.

Other nonverbal means of rendering assistance are equally significant. Because such utterances provide no direct interpretation, they are received as the interviewee wants to receive them.

He then emphasizes or magnifies the point as he sees fit. If information needed about an applicant might fall into any of those categories, the interviewer should make sure that the question relates to a bona fide occupational qualification or is required by federal or state law to be asked. Employers should also be aware of some of the specific prohibitions contained in the ADA. Employers may never ask if an applicant has a disability. They may ask only if there is anything that precludes the applicant from performing—with or without a reasonable accommodation—the essential functions of the position for which he or she is applying.

State laws can be broader in scope than federal laws. For example, federal law does not cover sexual orientation, but many states do. In addition , all states have enacted at least one law pertaining to employment discrimination. Whether a particular state's law would apply to a particular organization, however, could depend on the size of its workforce.

In some states, employers with just one employee are subject to the state's anti-discrimination laws. By comparison, only employers with 15 or more employees are subject to the most complex and comprehensive federal anti-discrimination laws.

Thus, in some states an employer could be exempt from a federal law yet still be subject to a similar provision under state law. It is important for interviewers to be familiar with the employment laws of the state in which they are operating and to be well versed in the federal and state legal provisions regulating the types of questions permissible in an employment interview.

Some questions that appear innocent on the surface may be considered discriminatory. The way they are phrased is key. Employers should determine in advance of the interview if the information sought by each question is really necessary for assessing an applicant's competence or qualifications for the job.

Even if a particular question would not be barred under federal or state law, it should be omitted it if it is not essential. Asking irrelevant questions may offend an applicant or damage the organization's reputation. Following are examples of questions not to ask during an employment interview:. In addition, the interviewer should not ask questions about arrests that did not result in a conviction. Some states also prohibit employers from asking candidates about marijuana-related convictions that are two or more years old.

And employers should never ask an applicant to submit a photograph—even if the request makes clear that providing a photo is optional, not mandatory. Interview training presentation. Guidelines on Interview and Employment Application Questions. Federal Laws Prohibiting Job Discrimination. The manner in which human resource professionals and hiring managers interview applicants can be pivotal in identifying the top candidates for a job.

A successful and effective interview is one in which both the interviewer and the interviewee receive accurate information and can make informed decisions about the applicant's suitability for the job. See Basics for Effective Interviews training presentation. The interview process can be stressful for both the interviewer and the interviewee.

It is normal for an applicant to be nervous, so interviewers should try to put the person at ease from the moment he or she enters the room.

By helping the interviewee feel relaxed and comfortable, the interviewer stands a better chance of obtaining a clear idea of the applicant's abilities and personality.

Before commencing with prepared questions, the interviewer could ease tensions by encouraging the applicant to talk about a particular interest—perhaps something on the person's resume. At this point the interviewer might also want to recap the position and what it entails. This can help the applicant answer questions more knowledgeably and consider again whether he or she is genuinely interested in the job.

For an interview to be as useful as possible in the employment-decision process, the interviewer must maintain complete control over the interview at all times. Establishing and maintaining control requires, in addition to good questioning techniques, effective listening skills. Effective listening is challenging, partly because people are often more focused on what they're saying than on what they're hearing. The key for the interviewer is to speak as little as possible. One approach to effective listening is a paraphrase of the golden rule: Listen to others as you would have them listen to you.

Here are some tips for listening effectively:. To gain as much information as possible from an applicant, the interviewer should create an atmosphere that promotes communication. Following are suggestions for building rapport and fostering discussion:. Asking follow-up questions—also called probing—can be necessary when the interviewer does not fully understand a response, when answers are vague or ambiguous, or when the interviewer require more specific information from the applicant.

Probing questions inviting more detail often begin with "what" or "how. Reflection questions are designed to help the interviewer achieve a deeper understanding of the applicant's responses. Such questions rarely evoke defensiveness; applicants want the interviewer to understand their responses.

Reflection questions might begin with phrases such as:. A popular method of closing the interview is to say the interview is ending and to offer the candidate the opportunity to ask questions.

This will enable the candidate to gain clarification on aspects of the position and on employment conditions such as hours, salary and benefits. The interviewer should answer the candidate's questions as frankly as possible. If it is not an appropriate time to discuss compensation—perhaps others are present—the interviewer can suggest a follow-up discussion. Interviewers should be prepared to provide documents describing the company and its benefits.

Such steps can ensure the applicant is left with a positive impression of the interviewer and the organization. After interviews, the interviewer should update the assessment grids for all active candidates. See Candidate Evaluation Form. In addition to the general aspects of preparing for and conducting employment interviews already discussed, a few other issues bear consideration.

These include the possibility that a candidate can be over prepared for an interview, thus affecting the impressions he or she creates; the question of whether and how to take notes during an interview; and methods of following up with candidates after initial interviews.

The overly prepared applicant can be a puzzle for hiring managers who are trying to determine if the applicant would be a good fit for the position and the organization. Job seekers can learn from books, magazine articles and websites not only what questions to expect but also what answers to give to those questions.

Determining whether an applicant is providing a truthful response to specific questions can be equally as challenging for interviewers. There are, however, several techniques that may be useful:. There are various schools of thought on note taking during employment interviews. Some experts say it distracts the interviewer; others say that notes should be made both during and after the interview for documentation purposes.

While there seems to be no consensus on this topic, many experts do advise employers to avoid the practice of writing notes directly on applications or resumes because they might be used to support an applicant's claim of discrimination. Notes about an applicant's skills or experience that are related to the job in question can be recorded on a separate interview evaluation sheet to accomplish the goal of accurately recording information from an interview.

However, notes should never be made about the physical characteristics or appearance of an applicant or any other area of potential legal liability. Note taking should be restricted to unobtrusive commentary about the applicant's qualifications and skills relative to the position.

Organizations often bring certain applicants back for second or even third interviews for a number of reasons. Sometimes the employer may want to confirm that an applicant is the ideal candidate for the position, or the employer may be trying to decide between two or more qualified applicants. An interviewer conducts first interviews to screen applicants based on their general qualifications. Once the interviewer narrows the selection to specific candidates, he or she then needs to apply additional screening methods at a follow-up interview level to further ascertain a candidate's specific qualities and potential cultural fit.

A follow-up interview is also an opportunity for candidates to do further research on whether the company is an organization they want to work for. During the follow-up interview phase, the interviewer should have specific goals in mind and may want to invite other staff members to take part in the interview. The follow-up interview is usually the final step before extending an offer of employment to a candidate.

If the candidate passes muster, the employer will then extend an offer orally and in writing. Following up with candidates who were not selected for a position, particularly those who were interviewed, is a professional courtesy that should not be overlooked.

Providing those candidates with a respectful rejection letter can maintain goodwill and increase the likelihood a candidate will consider future job openings with your company that may be a better fit.

You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Page Content. Overview The candidate interview is a vital component of the hiring process. Business Case Interviewing is an important step in the employee selection process. Types of Interviewing In implementing an accurate and fair selection method, the employer can select from a variety of interviewing techniques. The most widely used types of interviewing are: The telephone prescreen interview.

The direct one-on-one interview, which can take a behavioral, competency-based or situational approach. The panel interview. Telephone prescreen interview A telephone prescreen interview can be useful for assessing whether an applicant's qualifications, experience, skills and salary needs are compatible with the position and the organization. Telephone prescreen interviews can help the employer: Assess the applicant's general communication skills.

Clarify unclear items on the applicant's resume. Ask about frequent job changes or gaps in employment. Have a candid conversation with the applicant about salary requirements.