Human Resource Knowledge

Interview process

INTERVIEW PROCESS

Interview is not a single step. It is a process consisting of several steps. The major steps are grouped into four categories.

1. Preparation for the interview

1.Appropriate type of interview.
2.The areas to be tested.
3.Type and number of interviews.
4.Review the information.

2. Conduct the interview

1.Open the interview.
2.Get complete and accurate information.
3.Record observations and impressions
4.Guide the interviews
5.Check the success of the interview

3. Close the interview

4. Evaluate interview results

Preparation for the Interview: Advance preparation for interview is essential as it permits focusing its coverage on the vital aspects and its helps the interviewer to remember and absorb many impressions and facts. The following preparation has to be made by the organization before starting an interview.

(i)Choose the appropriate types of interviews based on job requirements and the nature of the interviews discussed earlier.

(ii)Identify the knowledge, skill area to be examined through interviews based on job requirements.

(iii)Determine the type and number of interviewers: Interviewers should be selected based on personal characteristics, technical competence, initiative common sense, general smartness, ability to inspire confidence, capacity to work in a team and potential for growth.

Interviewers may be drawn from personnel specialists,line managers concerned experts in the discipline concerned, from academicians, practitioners and psychologists.

Use of Psychologists: A number of research studies and observations regarding the effectiveness of psychologists conclude that:

· There is a wide variation in the abilities of psychologists as in case of other specialists.
· The psychologist would be a competent interviewer if he has got knowledge of job requirements and organizational interests.
· Psychologists’ ability as an interviewer is probably higher than non-psychologists, if they are qualified, experienced and trained.
· Psychologist would act as an additional source of information rather than a deciding factor.

In view of these observations, psychologists may also be included as a number of interviewers.

Interviewers may interview the candidates either jointly or separately. A panel interview is preferable to individual interview. The number of interviewers is to be decided on the basis of number and nature of areas to be covered by the interview, number of candidates to be interviewed and the time available for interviewing

(iv)Review of the information collected in advance through other selection methods, finding out the validity of those methods, the score obtained etc. The information available in the application blank should be thoroughly checked regarding:

· Accuracy and validity.
· Acquainting about the applicant.
· To find out stability, review the number of positions and length of time held in each of the past jobs.
· Compare the nature of positions in the previous employment with that of proposed employment.
· Check the employee growth with the organizational progression in the past employment
· Find out discharges etc through unexplained breaks.

This helps in avoiding further evaluation of those areas appraised effectively by other means through interviews.

(v) Decide upon the administrative arrangements.

(vi) Finalize the physical setting including time which would be convenient to interviewees and interviewers.

(vii) Determine the coverage of the interview: Generally the interview should cover the areas like relevance of qualification and experience to job requirements, gaps in employment history and causes therefore, reasons for choosing course, school, occupation etc likes and dislikes sense of humor, quickness of reaction, ability to recognize thoughts, manner and poise, cultural level etc.

(viii)Find out the conditions under which the interview technique is effective This includes:
· Consistency in the results of various selection techniques.
· Use the interview technique to test the candidate in those areas where other techniques are ineffective.
· When the purpose of the interview is to find out the most suitable position to the applicant.

Labels: HRM

posted by Paresh @ 11:29 AM