By Orita Bailey

The Selection Process continuing on from the last issue, we consider the Selection Interview. Generally speaking, the most widely used method to choose a new employee is the selection interview. When managed professionally, selection interviews are effective at identifying the competence, knowledge, qualities and attitudes valued by employers.

So how do we conduct the Selection Interview?

• Working with the Job Description, Person Specification and the Selection Criteria, create a range of questions that will enable you to gain information from candidates.
• Use open questions that will encourage the candidate to expand on their answers. Questions which illicit “yes” or “no” answers give little information of value.
• Set scenario activities to find out how candidates think or handle practical management or organisational tasks.
• Give candidates the opportunity to tell you about their previous experience and achievements.
• Allow candidates to ask questions about their role and advancement prospects.
• Be scrupulously fair and transparent in the decision making process. Ask the same questions of all candidates and use a scoring system to record how you think each candidate has answered the questions, tests or exercises.
• Consider what definitive factors will be used to differentiate between candidates of equal scoring.

The cost of recruiting the wrong person can be significant. The cost of employing someone may be at least twice their salary when factors such as training, expenses and employer’s contributions to their Social Security are added.

Is it appropriate to probe or ask additional questions of candidates?

It is often necessary to ask additional questions of candidates during the interview. A candidate may reveal something during the interview that you feel may need clarification. It would be appropriate at that point to ask for clarification or, at the end of the set questions and before the candidate asks their questions, to ask to return to a previous question. It is also appropriate to enquire about gaps in a candidate’s employment history.

Obviously, each individual will bring their own specific experience and background to the interview and in this area only, questions would be quite specific to each individual candidate. Be mindful however, not to introduce any bias or prejudice that might disadvantage one candidate over another.

In small communities, it is possible that the interviewer or a member of the interviewing panel may know a candidate in a social or personal setting. Where it is unavoidable for the panel member or individual interviewer to be excused from the interview process, this should be acknowledged to the candidate before the interview commences. Candidates should be confident that personal relationships or information would not influence their selection, either adversely or in their favour. Personal questions relating to lifestyle, family relationships and other non-relevant questions should be avoided.

Incorrect assumptions about class, gender, ethnic group, physical ability or any other type of discrimination may cloud your objectivity in recruitment and selection. When recruiting staff, be alert to any personal preferences or prejudices you have which are not linked to a candidate’s ability to do the job. Try to set these aside in favour of objective criteria of suitability related to the skills, experience and ability needed to perform the job. However, it is important to ensure that the qualities of the successful candidate match what the organisation requires, perhaps in terms of being forward looking, customer focused or market orientated.

But should these criteria relate solely to the job or task requirements? We consider the issue of fit with the wider organisation in the next issue.

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