MNG 112: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION



MNG 112: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

STUDENT NOTES 8

INTERVIEWING

GENERAL

Interviewing is a form of planned communication in the work environment. [Examples: Sales persons assessing customer’s needs; healthcare professionals interviewing patients to learn of problems; manager interviewing employees.]

It is a two party conversation where at least one party has a specific, serious purpose. It differs from ordinary conversations in the following ways:

a. It is purposeful, unlike a spontaneous conversation, where at least one person has a serious and predetermined reason for being there.

b. It is structured with several distinct phases and always has a question and answer format.

c. There is an element of control by the interviewer whose job is to keep the conversation moving towards a predetermined goal.

d. It is bipolar, involving two parties. (Interviewer(s) and respondent(s))

e. By the amount of speaking done. (Experts suggest 70 – 30% with interviewee doing the most talking.)

Even though there are many kinds of interviews, some requiring special skills, there are some common principles in planning and conducting interviews.

PLANNING THE INTERVIEW

A successful interview begins before the parties face each other, which involves background work.

1. Define the Goal. Make your goal as clear as possible.

(Interviewer) Vague: Improve clerk’s behaviour.

Better: Teach clerk how to handle registration problems.

Best: Teach clerk what to tell guests when rooms are not ready.

(Interviewee) Vague: Complain about unfair supervisor.

Better: Protest unfair scheduling of assignments.

Best: Have supervisor develop a fair method of scheduling assignments.

Vague: Get job offer.

Better: Get job offer by demonstrating my competence.

Best: Get job offer by describing my work experience, referring to my favourable references, and describing my ideas for the position.

2. Identify and Analyze the Other Party. Your interviews would be more useful

and successful if you identify the right person to talk to, whenever you have a choice. If you are looking for information the person selected will greatly influence the quality of information you get. When deciding who is ready, willing and able to provide information you need to consider the following factors:

a. Knowledge Level. Your questions and answers should be tailored to the

information the other person has. (A sales representative bombarding a

prospective client with overly technical information would probably be making a mistake, as would a supervisor who sought managerial advice from an employee with no experience in leading others).

b. Determine what image they have of you. Who you are, is not as

important as who the other party thinks you are. If the other party thinks you are uninformed in a job interview, despite your feelings, you will not get the job. If you want to discuss constructively a problem with the boss and he thinks you want to complain your chances of success are limited.

c. Know the person’s attitude to the topic. Even if someone has a favourable image of you his feelings about a topic might require careful planning on your part. Though not always possible, you can identify one’s attitude by (a) listening to what others say, (b) what the person says or may have said before, and (3) being observant to the other person’s dress, language or other clues.

3. Prepare a list of topics. This is applicable to the interviewer and interviewee. Sometimes the topics to be covered in an interview become clear once you define your goal or objective. (An insurance claims investigator usually covers a standard agenda when collecting data on an accident). There will be times though when background research is necessary.

An office manager buying a new computer might want to do some reading or talking with staff to know what questions to ask the sales representative:

Objective: To purchase an affordable desktop publishing system that will be easy to learn and use.

List of topics:

Attitudes of staff toward computers

Funds available to allocate for computer use

The general price range of the product

Whether software vendors have fixed or negotiable prices

A job seeker at an employment interview

Objective: To have the interviewer see me as a bright, ambitious, articulate person who knows about and can serve the company’s needs.

List of topics:

Discuss my short term and long term career goals.

Answer all questions completely and in an organized way.

Share my knowledge about the company.

4. Choose the best interview structure. These can be highly structured, which consists of standardized lists of questions, or non-structured, which have topical agenda but no specific questions. See Part 1 of Handout 1. There is also the moderately structured interview that combines features of the previous two. A list of topics is prepared, their probable order is anticipated, and several major questions and follow up probes are listed.

5. Consider possible questions. The type and quality of the questions are the biggest factor in determining success or failure of an interview. You can use one or a combination of:

a. Open ended versus close ended questions. Open ended questions invite a broader and detailed response:

“What do you think is going on here?”

“What would you do if you were in my position?”

“Why do you want to work with this company?”

As an interviewee one can sometimes turn a closed question into an open one to give more information.

Close ended questions restrict response. They form the backbone of highly structured interviews but are also used in unstructured and moderately structured interviews:

“Which of the three shifts would you prefer to work?”

“Would you rather stay in this department or have a transfer?”

“How long have you worked here?” See Part 2 of Handout 1.

b. Factual versus opinion. Factual investigate matters of fact (Have you taken courses in accounting?) and opinion invites judgment (Which beer is best?)

c. Primary and secondary questions. Primary questions introduce new topics or areas within topics:

“How did you hear about the company?”

“Do you have any questions for me?”

“How often do you use the ferry service?”

Secondary questions gather additional information from a primary question:

“Tell me more about it?”

“What do you mean by commitment?”

“Does the price include shipping costs?”

Secondary questions are useful if the previous answer is incomplete, vague, irrelevant, or inaccurate.

d. Direct and indirect questions. Direct is the best way to get information. (Are you satisfied with my leadership?) Indirect may sometimes be necessary. (If you were manager of this department, what changes would you make?)

e. Hypothetical Questions. These seek to get response to a “what if” question. (If you were to do a poll of UG’s effectiveness, what do you think the results would be?)

f. Leading Questions. These force or tempt an answer in one way. (Do you agree with everyone else that it is best to put this incident behind us and move on?)

6. Arrange the setting. The time and place of an interview can affect the results.

CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW

This consists of three stages:

1. Opening. A good introduction can shape the outcome of an interview.

The introduction should contain two parts: the greeting and the orientation.

The greeting includes a self introduction and in some interviews small talk aimed at building rapport and making the interviewee comfortable. Small talk tends to set the emotional tone of the interview – whether it is formal or informal, nervous or relaxed, candid or guarded. Logical openers could involve common ground:

“Did you hear that Charlie got another kid?”

or shared interests:

“I understand you just built a new house. Which bank do you think offers the best rates?”

or job related topics unrelated to the interview:

“How is the new parking plan we proposed last month working out?”

or noteworthy current events:

“Did you hear about the fire last night?”

The small talk should be sincere and not phony as it can have the opposite effect you are looking for.

The orientation gives the respondent a brief overview of what is to follow and therefore helps to put the interviewee at ease by removing a natural apprehension of the unknown. It also helps to establish and strengthen the interviewer’s control. In the orientation be sure to do the following:

a. Explain the reason for the interview. This can put the interviewee at ease and motivate him to respond.

If your boss calls you for an interview you would be apprehensive if you do not know what it is for – promotion, firing, someone complained about you? Once the reason is shared the tension could be relieved.

b. What information is needed and how it will be used. An interviewee who knows what the interviewee wants will have a greater likelihood of supplying it. A description of how the information will be used is also important.

“I’m not interested in having you name names of people you like or dislike. I want to know what parts of the business interests you and what you consider an ideal job. I won’t be able to tell you today exactly what changes we are making, but I will certainly try to see if we could meet your needs.”

c. The length of the interview. If the length of the interview is known one is likely to feel more comfortable and give better answers. Sometimes it may be necessary to motivate the interviewee to cooperate.

2. Body. This is where questions and answers are exchanged. Both the interviewer and interviewee have responsibilities.

The responsibilities of the interviewer include: controlling and focusing so as to achieve the purpose; listening actively; and using secondary questions to probe important information.

The responsibilities of the interviewee include: giving clear and detailed answers; correcting any misunderstandings; and covering his own agenda.

3. Closing. An interview should not end with an answer to the last question.

In closing both the interviewer and interviewee should:

a. Review and clarify the results of the interview - the interviewer by summarizing and the interviewee by asking questions.

b. The interviewer should establish future actions by clarifying how the matter under discussion will be handled.

c. Both parties should conclude with pleasantries. (Your ideas were good; I will see how best we can use them.) (I appreciate the time you have given me.)

ETHICS OF INTERVIEWING

In an interview both interviewer and interviewee have obligations.

The interviewer should: only make promises he is willing and able to keep; keep confidences; allow the interviewee to make free responses; and treat the interviewee with respect.

The interviewee should: not misrepresent the facts of his position; or waste the interviewer’s time.

TYPES OF INTERVIEWS

The three most common types of interviews required for almost any job career are: information gathering interview; employment interview; and performance appraisal interview.

INFORMATION GATHERING INTERVIEW

Interviewers seek information for a variety of purposes:

a. Survey interviews. These gather information from a number of people and are used to provide information from which conclusions are drawn, interpretations are made, and future action is determined.

b. Diagnostic interviews. These allow health care professionals, attorneys, counselors and other business and professional workers to gather information that helps them to respond to the needs of their clientele.

c. Research interviews. These provide information upon which to base future decisions.

d. Investigative interviews. These gather information to determine the causes of an event or problem.

e. Exit interviews. These help to determine why a person is leaving an organization.

EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW

This is designed to explore how well a candidate might fit a job. Employers measure prospective candidates during this conversation, and prospective employees can decide whether the job is right for them.

Before an interview an interviewee should:

a. Do background research. This is to explore the types of work and specific organizations that sound appealing to you. Additionally, knowledge of an organization tells an interviewer something about your diligence.

b. Prepare for different possible interview formats. You will not always have the standard one-on-one, as there are other types and it is best to prepare for all of them so as not to be surprised. There are:(a) panel interview, sometimes called a team or group interview, where the candidate is questioned by a group of people; (b) audition interview, where you are asked to demonstrate whatever skill the employer is looking for; and (3) behavioural interview, where you are asked for examples of what you did in specific situations. (“Describe a situation where you faced multiple projects. How did you handle it?”)

During the interview an interviewee should:

a. Dress appropriately.

b. Know the organization and job you are seeking.

c. Prepare for important questions (educational background, work experience, career goals, personal traits, knowledge of job and organization). See Part 1 of Handout 2

d. Respond to employer’s needs. Companies hire people to satisfy their needs, not yours so demonstrate what you can do to help the organization.

e. Be honest.

f. Emphasise the positive. Phrase your answers so that they cast a positive light without being dishonest.

Interviewer: “I notice you have had several jobs but no experience in the field you applied.”

Interviewee: “That’s right; even though I have worked in a number of fields I have been successful in learning each one quickly. I feel that kind of adaptability will help me learn this job and grow with it as technology changes the way the company does business.”

g. Back up your answers with evidence. A good framework for answering questions is to use the “PAR” approach. Identify the Problem; Describe the Action you took; and state the Results your action produced.

h. Keep your answers brief.

i. Have your own questions answered. See Part 2 of Handout 2.

j. Rehearse for the interview.

k. Some experts advocate that you follow up an interview with a letter of thanks.

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL INTERVIEW

These are scheduled regularly between a superior and a subordinate to discuss the quality of the subordinate’s performance. Some of its functions are:

a. Letting the employee know where he stands. This is done by giving feedback.

b. Developing employee skills. The interviewer can show an employee how to do a better job.

c. Improving employment relationship. They should improve superior/subordinate relationships and give employees a sense of participation in the job.

d. Helping management learn employee’s point of view.

e. Counseling the employee.

f. Setting goals for the future.

Three styles of the performance appraisal interview are:

a. Tell and Sell. In this the manager believes his assessment of the employee is correct and passes this to the subordinate. (Somewhat authoritarian) Its drawback is that it can be unfair and unproductive if the manager’s evaluation is incorrect as the employee could become resentful and defensive, which could impact on productivity.

b. Tell and listen/ listen and tell. In the tell and listen, the manager offers his assessment and then listens as the subordinate reacts to it. Even though communication is two way, there is no guarantee the subordinate’s comments will change the superior’s ideas. With the listen and tell, the subordinate begins by telling his opinion of his performance and the boss listens and then reacts. This structure has three advantages: (1) it makes the subordinate’s contribution more than just a defensive reaction to the interviewer’s evaluation; (2) it lets the manager adjust his evaluation if the employer’s remarks warrant this; and (3) the manager gets an idea of how well the employee knows his strengths and weaknesses.

c. Problem solving. Both parties define areas of concern and work together to develop appropriate solutions. Thus, the problem-solving manager

becomes less of a judge and more a helper.

STEPS IN THE APPRAISAL PROCESS

In the opening the manager should give the rationale for the interview, an outline of what will be covered and how it will be used, and the possible duration of the interview.

In the body three areas to be covered are:

a. The review of progress. Here, the criteria by which the employee is being evaluated are identified.

b. The discussion of successes, problems and needs. This is where the discussion is focused on how well the employee has met the criteria. The format can vary between tell and sell, tell and listen/listen and tell, or problem solving.

c. The setting of goals. Goals that are specific, focus on important aspects of the job, have a time period, and are challenging, are set and defined for the future. See Handout 3.

The appraisal process commonly has a written dimension to it where the manager has to complete an evaluation form listing characteristics or behaviours important to the job. The employee usually has the option of adding his response to the manager’s report. He can sign as to whether or not he agrees with the evaluation. The document then becomes part of the employee’s records and is used as the basis for suture evaluations and promotions.

END

HANDOUT #1 FOR INTERVIEWS

PART 1

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HIGHLY STRUCTURED AND NONSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

Highly Structured Interview Nonstructured Interview

Usually takes less time Usually takes more time

Easier for interviewer to control More difficult for interviewer to control

Provides quantifiable results Results more difficult to quantify

Requires less skill by interviewer Requires high degree of interviewer skill

Low flexibility in exploring responses High flexibility in exploring responses

PART 2

ADVANTAGES OF OPEN AND CLOSED QUESTIONS

When to Use Open Questions When to Use Closed Questions

1. To relax the interviewee (if the question 1. To maintain control over the conversation.

is easy to answer and non-threatening)

2. To discover the interviewee’s opinions. 2. When specific information is needed and you are not interested in the interviewee’s feelings

or opinions.

3. To evaluate the interviewee’s 3. When time is short.

Communication skills.

4. To explore the interviewee’s possession of 4. When the interviewer is not highly skilled.

Information.

5. To discover the interviewee’s feelings or 5. When a high degree of standardization between

values. Interviews is important.

HANDOUT # 2 FOR INTERVIEWS

PART 1

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS IN EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEWS

Educational Background

Why did you choose your major field of study?

How do you feel about your education?

How has your education prepared you for a career?

Why did you choose your college or university?

Describe your greatest success (biggest problem) in college

What subjects in school did you like best? Why?

What subjects did you like least? Why?

What was your most rewarding college experience?

Work Experience

Tell me about your past jobs. (What did you do in each?)

Which of your past jobs did you enjoy most? Why?

Why did you leave your past jobs?

Describe your greatest accomplishments in your past jobs?

What were your biggest failures? What did you learn from them?

How have your past jobs prepared you for this position?

What were the good and bad features of your last job?

This job requires initiative and hard work. What in your experience demonstrates these qualities?

Have you supervised people in the past? In what capacities? How did you do?

How do you think your present boss (subordinates, co-workers) would describe you?

How do you feel about the way your present company (past companies) is (were) managed?

Career Goals

Why are you interested in this position?

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

What is your eventual career goal?

Why did you choose the career you are now pursuing?

What are your financial goals?

How would you describe the ideal job?

How would you define success?

What things are most important to you in a career?

Self-Assessment

In your own words, how would you describe yourself?

How have you grown in the last years?

What are your greatest strengths? Your greatest weaknesses?

What things give you the greatest satisfaction?

How do you feel about your career your to this point?

What is the biggest mistake you have made in your career?

Do you prefer working alone or with others?

How do you work under pressure?

What are the most important features of your personality?

Are you a leader? (a creative person? A problem solver?) Give examples.

Knowledge of the Job

Why are you interested in this particular job? Our company?

What can you contribute to this job? Our company?

Why should we hire you? What qualifies you for this position?

What do you think about _______ (job-related topic)?

What part of this job do you think would be most difficult?

Other Topics

Do you have any geographical preferences? Why?

Would you be willing to travel? To relocate?

Do you have any questions for me?

PART 2

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER ASKING THE INTERVIEWER DURING AN EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW

Why is this position open?

How often has it been filled during the past 5 years?

What have been the reasons for people leaving in the past?

Why did the person who most recently held this position leave?

What would you like the next person who holds this job to do differently?

What are the most pressing issues and problems in this position?

What support does this position have (people, budget, equipment, etc)?

What are the criteria for success in this position?

What might be the next career steps for a person who does well in this position?

What do you see as the future of this position? This organization?

What are the most important qualities you will look for in the person who will occupy this position?

HANDOUT #3 FOR INTERVIEWS

CHECKLIST FOR PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL INTERVIEWING

1. Interview covers key areas

a. Orients employee

b. Establishes positive climate

c. Reviews past achievement of goals

d. Identifies successes, problems, and needs in employee’s area of responsibility

e. Establishes new goals with employee

2. Feedback delivered constructively

a. Information accurate

b. Feedback appropriate to critics role

c. Balance of praise and constructive criticism

3. Praise delivered effectively

a. Praise sincere

b. Specific behaviors identified

c. Emphasis on progress, not perfection

d. Praise communicated by deeds as well as by words

4. Criticism expressed constructively

a. Criticism limited to key areas

b. Criticism delivered in face-saving manner

c. Criticism accompanied by offer to help

d. Benefits of cooperating emphasized

5. Interview accomplishes all necessary functions

a. Lets employee know where he or she stands

b. Develops employee skills

c. Improves communication climate, boosts morale

d. Helps management understand employee’s point of view

e. Counsels employee as appropriate

f. Sets goals for future

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