How to conduct A JOB INTERVIEW: A note to the INTERVIEWERS:
Recently, I read an article (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/over-50-candidates-fumble-during-interviews-report/articleshow/51698670.cms),
which noted how many of the interviewees fail to crack the interviews.
Though that article was based on a survey, and my article and that one
has no direct connection, it did prompt me to write about the other side
of the story.
See, they say that cracking a job interview is an art. And a lot has been written (and should be written) about how to crack a job interview. But, probably, enough attention seems not to have been paid to on how to conduct an interview.
Once again, based on my personal experience, I would like to point out a few errors that interviewers may be making. Of course, those, who conduct interviews are in that position purely due to their merit and experience and this article, by no means, implies even fractionally that those who conduct interviews are not qualified or intentionally indulge in the behaviours mentioned in this article. It seems like it is just a natural way of behavior and we all seem to be suffering from these behavioural shortcuts. The only humble intention (in good faith) to write this text is just to create awareness among the interviewers.
So, here are the mistakes that interviewers might make:
1. First impression is the last impression: I read somewhere (mostly in the book of HRM by Garry Dessler) that result of any interview is generally decided in the first two minutes only. If that were to be true, it implies that interviewers are not giving enough chance to the interviewees. Some candidates may not feel composed during first two minutes due to anxiety or pressure of interview. Or some candidates may just have reached to venue in time by rushing through the corridors of the building and they may not have settled down for interview. In short, the idea is to listen to the candidate for more time (at least more than two minutes) to avoid the mistake of making “the first impression as the last one”. Sometimes it may cost company a high performing future employee.
2. Asking irrelevant questions: The interviewers must ask only questions which may be able to help in predicting the future performance of the candidate. At times, as a student, a decade back, I had seen some students getting selected from the campus interview, because the interviewer would have asked about a novel, which the student (appearing for interview) may have also ready. Subsequently, they end up discussing the book and the job is offered! Although, this is just one of its kind observation and it would not be reasonable to universalize it, the interviewers must not ask questions which are not related to job performance.
3. Prepare well before conducting interviews: At least make sure to study the CVs of the interviewees in advance to grab an idea of their qualifications, experience etc. Ideally, the interviewers should do it in 24 to 48 hours advance. The interviewer, though may be well experienced and expert, must still study the job description and specification keenly—to avoid end up selecting a wrong candidate for the job.
4. Perceptual Short Cuts: We all use perceptual shortcuts – or ways to judge others which are fast but WRONG! You pick up any reasonable text book of OB (of authors like Luthans, Robbins / Neharika Vohra, Keith Davis, Udai Pareek…to name a few), you will find this topic under the chapter of perception or decision making. Let us take example of one or two such shortcuts that the interviewers may be wrongly using in an interview – e.g. Contrast Effect. Say, you interview an A grade student with excellent contents, etiquettes, manners and communication skills. After that, a B grade student is interviewed. In general, you will not be much impressed by the B grade student’s performance (though he / she may have performed reasonably) because you subconsciously compare his / her (B grade student’s) performance keeping in background the A grade student’s performance. That will be an injustice to B grade student. Same way, if the same B grade student were to be interviewed after the interview of a C grade student, the B grade student might receive “OVER JUSTICE”! For more such perceptual shortcuts, please refer to any good book of Organizational Behaviour mentioned above in bracket.
5. No Time: Generally, the interviewers take too much time conducting interviews of the students at the start of the interview round. But, post lunch, as the afternoon nears, the speed of conducting interviews may rise and sometimes, the students who are interviewed last receive only two to three minutes. This is wrong—absolutely wrong. The interviewers must plan and execute time management professionally and must give equal chance to all the candidates aspiring for the job.
6. Ego…here you go…: Well, you are supposed to conduct the interviews and not make sure that the interviewees agree to your ideas! Some interviews (Not ALL, of course) try to impose their ideas on interviewees. That is wrong. The interviewees are expected to hold views that are based on facts, logic and common-sense even if these views or ideas are totally opposite to the interviewers’ ideas.
7. Distracting the Interviewees: Talking constantly over the phone during the interviews may be an insult to the interviewee. Unless it is a conscious effort of the interviewer to check the temperament of the interviewee or anything else, constantly checking phone or talking over phone is not reasonable. It will not allow the interviewer to focus on the core task: conducting the interview!
8. Trying to plan a psychologist: Studying / Judging someone psychologically is a serious business (and a science up-to some extent) which better be left to the experts (MA with psychology minimum). If the interviewer feels (s)he wants to play the psychologist, (s)he must receive training prior to trying out this in an interview.
Conclusion: Conducting an interview is as much difficult as cracking the interview. The interviewers must take their job very seriously and must plan for it in advance by reading CVs of the candidates, Job Description and Specification. The interviewer must do proper time management too. If the interviewer fails to do this, it may lead to both types of errors -Type 1 and Type 2 probably affecting the efficiency and profitability of the firm in the long run.
See, they say that cracking a job interview is an art. And a lot has been written (and should be written) about how to crack a job interview. But, probably, enough attention seems not to have been paid to on how to conduct an interview.
Once again, based on my personal experience, I would like to point out a few errors that interviewers may be making. Of course, those, who conduct interviews are in that position purely due to their merit and experience and this article, by no means, implies even fractionally that those who conduct interviews are not qualified or intentionally indulge in the behaviours mentioned in this article. It seems like it is just a natural way of behavior and we all seem to be suffering from these behavioural shortcuts. The only humble intention (in good faith) to write this text is just to create awareness among the interviewers.
So, here are the mistakes that interviewers might make:
1. First impression is the last impression: I read somewhere (mostly in the book of HRM by Garry Dessler) that result of any interview is generally decided in the first two minutes only. If that were to be true, it implies that interviewers are not giving enough chance to the interviewees. Some candidates may not feel composed during first two minutes due to anxiety or pressure of interview. Or some candidates may just have reached to venue in time by rushing through the corridors of the building and they may not have settled down for interview. In short, the idea is to listen to the candidate for more time (at least more than two minutes) to avoid the mistake of making “the first impression as the last one”. Sometimes it may cost company a high performing future employee.
2. Asking irrelevant questions: The interviewers must ask only questions which may be able to help in predicting the future performance of the candidate. At times, as a student, a decade back, I had seen some students getting selected from the campus interview, because the interviewer would have asked about a novel, which the student (appearing for interview) may have also ready. Subsequently, they end up discussing the book and the job is offered! Although, this is just one of its kind observation and it would not be reasonable to universalize it, the interviewers must not ask questions which are not related to job performance.
3. Prepare well before conducting interviews: At least make sure to study the CVs of the interviewees in advance to grab an idea of their qualifications, experience etc. Ideally, the interviewers should do it in 24 to 48 hours advance. The interviewer, though may be well experienced and expert, must still study the job description and specification keenly—to avoid end up selecting a wrong candidate for the job.
4. Perceptual Short Cuts: We all use perceptual shortcuts – or ways to judge others which are fast but WRONG! You pick up any reasonable text book of OB (of authors like Luthans, Robbins / Neharika Vohra, Keith Davis, Udai Pareek…to name a few), you will find this topic under the chapter of perception or decision making. Let us take example of one or two such shortcuts that the interviewers may be wrongly using in an interview – e.g. Contrast Effect. Say, you interview an A grade student with excellent contents, etiquettes, manners and communication skills. After that, a B grade student is interviewed. In general, you will not be much impressed by the B grade student’s performance (though he / she may have performed reasonably) because you subconsciously compare his / her (B grade student’s) performance keeping in background the A grade student’s performance. That will be an injustice to B grade student. Same way, if the same B grade student were to be interviewed after the interview of a C grade student, the B grade student might receive “OVER JUSTICE”! For more such perceptual shortcuts, please refer to any good book of Organizational Behaviour mentioned above in bracket.
5. No Time: Generally, the interviewers take too much time conducting interviews of the students at the start of the interview round. But, post lunch, as the afternoon nears, the speed of conducting interviews may rise and sometimes, the students who are interviewed last receive only two to three minutes. This is wrong—absolutely wrong. The interviewers must plan and execute time management professionally and must give equal chance to all the candidates aspiring for the job.
6. Ego…here you go…: Well, you are supposed to conduct the interviews and not make sure that the interviewees agree to your ideas! Some interviews (Not ALL, of course) try to impose their ideas on interviewees. That is wrong. The interviewees are expected to hold views that are based on facts, logic and common-sense even if these views or ideas are totally opposite to the interviewers’ ideas.
7. Distracting the Interviewees: Talking constantly over the phone during the interviews may be an insult to the interviewee. Unless it is a conscious effort of the interviewer to check the temperament of the interviewee or anything else, constantly checking phone or talking over phone is not reasonable. It will not allow the interviewer to focus on the core task: conducting the interview!
8. Trying to plan a psychologist: Studying / Judging someone psychologically is a serious business (and a science up-to some extent) which better be left to the experts (MA with psychology minimum). If the interviewer feels (s)he wants to play the psychologist, (s)he must receive training prior to trying out this in an interview.
Conclusion: Conducting an interview is as much difficult as cracking the interview. The interviewers must take their job very seriously and must plan for it in advance by reading CVs of the candidates, Job Description and Specification. The interviewer must do proper time management too. If the interviewer fails to do this, it may lead to both types of errors -Type 1 and Type 2 probably affecting the efficiency and profitability of the firm in the long run.
