Team Skills Training

Interview and Select Process, Spring 2015

Developed Collaboratively by MPS, MFT, and Principals Forum

Goals

1. Understand district expectations and required

protocols for the I&S Process
2. Develop skills in the interview and select process
3. Identify key areas to be assess in interviews and
ways to format questions

4. Promote consistency and transparency

/2

Outcomes

1. Whats best for students

2. A fair, respectful process to select teachers
3. Best possible match for the teacher and site
4. Process with integrity, accountability, and
participation

/3

Interview and Select 2015 Process

Event / Activity

Dates

Establish Interview Team

3/27

Positions Posted (Round 1)

4/22

Staff Seek Interviews (Round 1)

4/23 4/28

Interview Candidates (Round 1)

4/29 5/14

Rank (if applicable) Candidates (Round 1)

5/14

Candidates Notified (Round 1)

5/15 5/20

Position Movement Confirmed (Round 1)

5/21 5/26

Positions Posted (Round 2)

5/27

Staff Seek Interviews (Round 2)

5/28 6/2

Interview Candidates (Round 2)

6/3 6/11

Rank (if applicable) Candidates (Round 2)

6/11

Candidates Notified (Round 2)

6/12 -6/17

Position Movement Confirmed (Round 2)

6/18 6/22
/4

Position Development: Determine the Skills/Attributes You Desire for the

Position

Establish criteria for the position

Job posting

Resume Review

Interview Questions

Think About:
Essential skills, knowledge, and abilities required for
the position (requirements)
Special skills/experience preferred for the position
(preferences)
School philosophy, beliefs, and culture (fit)
/5

Reviewing and Selecting Candidates to Interview: Assess the Resume

Grammar & Organization

Is the resume presented

in a professional manner?
Are there obvious spelling
or grammar errors?
Is the information
organized clearly and
logically?

Dates of Employment

Is the resume up to date?

What is the length of each
job held?
Are there substantial gaps
of time between jobs?

Experience

What is the nature and overall length

of their teaching experience?
Are there examples of classroom-based
achievements?
What awards, merits or distinctions has
the candidate earned?
Does the candidate possess relevant
language skills?

Education

Does the candidate have advanced

degrees? Is that degree in a subjectrelevant field?

Type of educational training

(traditional, alternative, etc.)

Does the candidate have any relevant

training or PD?
/6

How the System Works

The system automatically provides principals the 4 most

senior candidates to interview; the team selects the
names of 4 additional candidates.
Your site is responsible for contacting staff for interviews
by phone and email, and keeping records.
If you do not find a good match, you can repost and
conduct further interviews.

/7

The Interview Process

Purpose:
To get as complete a picture as possible of the candidate and his/her
potential to be an effective teacher and good fit in your school.
Three Basic Steps:
1.

Pre-planning for the Interview

2.

Conducting the Interview

3.

Evaluating the Candidate

/8

Pre-Planning Overview
Steps

Critical Information

Refresh on
Legal Dos and
Donts

Follow the law and district procedures!

Know which areas/questions that cannot be asked, e.g.
Age, marital status
National origin, race, religion
Disability
Sexual Orientation
Child Care arrangements
(HR has already done background checks)

Develop
Interview
Questions

Your questions should:

be based on your criteria (from the job posting)
help you learn how well the candidate meets the criteria
give you information that you cant learn from the resume
**Dont waste time asking about things you already know from the resume!

Develop
Indicators

Indicators:
A list of specific responses your team is looking for in the candidates
answer
Should be generated for every question
Helps the team come to agreement about whats most important

Plan Logistics

Location
Interview Dates and Times
Responsibilities
/9

Developing Interview Questions: Question Types

Question Type
Situational
Observational

Frame
What would you do if
What are your thoughts on

Conceptual

What is your philosophy

Behavioral

Tell me about a time when

Helpful Tips:
1. Past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior
2. Ask open-ended questions (not yes or no questions)
3. Situational or behavioral questions are most helpful to get
at what the individual has done previously.

/ 10

Developing Interview Questions: Determine Your Follow-up Questions

Follow-up Questions (probes)

Asked after your first question to clarify or expand on the
response
Must be consistent for all candidates
Can provide you with a deeper understanding about the
candidate

/ 11

Developing Interview Questions: Samples

If I observed the 90 minute reading block in your

classroom, what would I see?
You are a [middle grades social studies] teacher
and a few of your students continue to be
disruptive in class. How do you handle the
situation?

Describe a successful teaming experience youve

had. What made it successful?

/ 12

Developing Interview Questions: Aligning Questions with Indicators

After developing questions, create indicators for each

question
Indicators:
o A list of specific responses, attributes, or
characteristics your team is looking for in the
candidates answer
o Should be generated for every question
o Helps the team come to agreement about whats
most important

/ 13

Conducting the Interview: Sample Process

1. Pre-Interview:
1. Review resume, application review notes, and any areas of concern/follow-up
2. Note any additional questions you will ask candidate application review questions
2. Introduction:
1. Who you are
2. Norms:
1. Note KeepingE.g.: There may be pauses as I capture what you said
2. Eye Contact E.g. There may be times when Im not able to make eye contact
with you as a result of asking questions or taking notes.
3. Limited timeE.g.: I may interrupt or cut you off if I feel like I have a sufficient
understanding and to keep the conversation moving in effort to respect your time
4. Q & AE.g.: I will leave time to answer questions at the end
3. Opening Soft Question: Why do you want to teach in Minneapolis Public Schools?
1. Establish rapport with candidate
4. Transition to 1st Question: Probe on challenges they might face
5. Transition to 2nd Question: Probe on receptiveness of feedback
6. Transition to 3 and 4 Questions: Probe on high expectations
7. Transition to Additional Questions: Probe on issue areas from application screen or
additional fit questions
8. Candidate Questions and Next Steps

/ 14

Conducting the Interview: Guidelines

Be consistent: Ask everyone the same questions/followup questions (probes)

Put the candidate at ease this is not a gotcha

Provide encouragement, e.g. nod or smile; Let

candidate know you will be taking notes

Plan ahead for interview

o
Responsibilities: Team Members should know their
roles (e.g. greeter, who asks which question, note
taker)
o
Format: Interview experience clearly mapped out
(e.g. interview with team 40 min, tour after)

/ 15

Conducting the Interview: Note Taking and Privacy

Notes Taken During the Interviews:

o Only factual and job related no opinions or personal biases
o Will be kept on file
o Interviews, interview information and reference checks are
confidential. You cannot talk with others outside the
interview, even with a candidate who is eventually hired
o Everyone will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement

o Once interviewed, the candidate/MFT has the right to view

their summary sheet
o Sites can also be asked to produce documentation if the
process is challenged (would always be done with
HR/General Counsel)
**Individuals may request to see all notes from the interview
/ 16

After the Interview: Evaluating Candidates

The Team:
1. Interviews 4 most senior candidates and up to 4 others selected through
resume review

2. Individually takes notes during interviews

3. Discusses findings and together completes the summary form for each
candidate
4. Identifies top 4 candidates (if applicable)
5. Principal will check references on the ranked candidates
6. Holds an In-depth discussion of all input and best match for site
7. Arrives at consensus on top 4 candidates in priority order

8. Principal goes into system and prioritizes the top 4 candidates. HR

validates eligibility of candidates; I & S system makes the offer to the top
candidate via email at designated time.

/ 17

Required Site Documentation

For each candidate:

All notes taken on question template
Summary form for candidate
Reference checks for top 4

For each specific position (in addition to above):

Record of contacts with candidates for scheduling
interviews
Summary form of all candidates interviewed (with date
and team members)
Recommendations for top 4 candidates, prioritized
Data privacy forms for all interview team members

/ 18