|
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Do's and don'ts of job interviews
Despite our own common sense and the advice of human resource professionals, job interviews tend to be one of the most difficult business situations to handle objectively. This is true both from the point of view of the interviewer and the interviewee.
Even the most simple, weighted-matrix approach-what are the requirements of the job and what are their relative importance-gives way to a gut-based decision that is frequently made within the first 15 minutes of the encounter.
Given the realities of the situation, here are some things to try and remember that can positively or negatively influence those first 15 minutes ... or the legal situation you may find yourself in as a result of the decisions made within that time.
BE HONEST. If you are the interviewee, tell the truth. Don't exaggerate your education, experience, or the results you produced on your last job. Don't think that the potential employer can't verify the accuracy of what you are saying or what you have put on the resume.
Also, keep in mind that what you do and say as you are building yourself up in the interview can backfire. Most of us have trouble controlling all of our body language-the flush of the skin, the consistency of our eye contact, the need to shift ourselves in the chair--which can indicate to the astute observer that we are overly nervous, even in this nerve-wracking situation.
LET THE INTERVIEWER LEAD. Successful job seekers let interviewers lead the conversation. They answer the questions asked, and, if they need to qualify an answer, they explain why. They do not change the subject. They do, however, have some questions, carefully prepared and based on the homework they have done about the company. For instance, what are the long-range objectives of this particular department given the published mission of the organization?
ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS. Successful job seekers don't ask personal questions about the interviewer, about the last incumbent, or about the receptionist who greeted them upon arrival. They don't ask for a list of holidays or what time the lunch hour and breaks generally occur.
However, successful job seekers do ask about the training and other professional development opportunities the company supports. However, they don't imply that the resort location of the seminar would be key in a decision to attend.
INTERVIEWEE DON'TS. A recent survey of interview "bloopers" done by Schulman, Ronca & Bucuvalas in New York would also indicate that, as an interviewee, getting the job does not result from having pizza delivered during the interview because it occurs at noon, bringing people with you because the company asked for references, or falling asleep.
INTERVIEWER DON'TS. If you are the hiring manager, you need to avoid the obviously illegal questions about age, child care arrangements, disabilities, and ethnicity. Don't ask what year the job candidate graduated from high school or whether or not the individual has an arrest record.
Also, as an interviewer, you need to be truthful. Don't lead the candidate to believe that this job will lead straight to the executive suite if it won't, that it is fascinating if it is routine, and that bonuses are easy to get when they are nonexistent.
Talk briefly about the job and its requirements. Ask why this individual wants it, what skills he or she has that qualify for it, and what accomplishments in the past jobs are most relevant to this one.
Don't fall asleep yourself, do all the talking, or bad mouth the prior incumbent. Don't speculate on future downsizing or what will happen if the contemplated merger with a competitor goes through. And don't indicate that you are interviewing this individual because the human resources department requires you to see a certain number of people before they will let you hire the person you decided upon last week. Don't answer the phone while the candidate is answering your questions and don't eat your own lunch because you scheduled the interview over the noon hour.
At its core, an interview is one of those Golden Rule kinds of situations. Put yourself in the other person's shoes, act accordingly, and try to make the best, most objective decision possible.
|
