EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEWS

School of Bio-Medical Research and Engineering

By:- Shubham Dwivedi 2009UBT010

INTERVIEWS: MEANING & PURPOSE

Origin of the word interview

From Entre Voir - meaning to glimpse or to see each other.

Broad Definition
A meeting for obtaining information by questioning one or more people.

INTERVIEWS: MEANING & PURPOSE

Purpose of an Employment Interview

To determine job effectiveness. To determine personality traits - lively and outgoing, or subdued and low key? To determine capabilities - able to take direction or able to take charge?

THE SEQUENCE OF INTERVIEWS

The Screening Stage
The preliminary stage generally held on campus. Unqualified applicants are screened out. Suitable candidates may be invited to visit offices for further evaluation. These interviews are structured. Companies use standard evaluation sheets, asking roughly the same questions.

THE SEQUENCE OF INTERVIEWS

Handling the Screening Stage
Follow the interviewers lead. Keep responses short & to the point. Distinguish yourself from other candidates and demonstrate your strengths & qualifications by emphasizing the theme you used in your rsum.

THE SEQUENCE OF INTERVIEWS

Selection Stage
May involve company visits & discussions with potential colleagues, supervisors, or HR staff. May have to face an interviewer panel & answer questions in a single session.

THE SEQUENCE OF INTERVIEWS

Final Stage
Job offer may be made. May be invited back for a final evaluation by a hiring & compensation decisionmaker. Company will try to point out the benefits/advantages of joining it.

THE SEQUENCE OF INTERVIEWS

Handling the Final Stage
Be confident, but not over confident Demonstrate to them that they have made the right choice or that they have placed their faith in the right candidate. Act in a poised and graceful manner.

TYPES OF EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEWS

THE STRUCTURED INTERVIEW

Generally used during the screening stage. Employer controls the interview by asking a series of prepared questions in a set order often from a checklist. All answers are noted. Useful in gathering facts, but regarded as a poor measure of an applicants personal qualities. Purpose to create uniformity in the hiring process.

THE STRUCTURED INTERVIEW

Handling the Structured Interview
Answer in a concise way giving only the information sought. Do not ramble or try to impress unnecessarily.

THE OPEN-ENDED INTERVIEW

Less formal, unstructured, relaxed format. Asks broad, open-ended questions, encouraging the candidate to talk freely. Good for gauging personality and testing professional judgment.

THE OPEN-ENDED INTERVIEW

Handling the Open-ended Interview
Do not reveal too much especially about family & personal things that have nothing to do with the job. Strike a balance between being friendly and remembering that you are in a professional/business situation.

THE GROUP INTERVIEW

Meeting with several candidates simultaneously to see how they interact. Useful for judging interpersonal skills. Proponent Walt Disney for theme parks.

THE GROUP INTERVIEW

Handling the Group Interview
Be warm, friendly, & attentive to the other candidates. Support one anothers comments, or disagree politely - stating firm reasons for disagreement. Do not try to score points at one anothers expense.

THE STRESS INTERVIEW

Conducted to see how well a candidate handles stressful situations. Questions are designed to anger or unsettle Candidates. Candidates may be subjected to long periods of silence, criticism of appearance, deliberate interruptions. Hostile reactions by the interviewer.

THE STRESS INTERVIEW

Handling the Stress Interview
Stay cool. Dont take questions or comments personally, remember, it is just a test. Collect your thoughts, take a deep breath, and speak leisurely. If they stare or are silent, start reading a magazine, or stare back & smile. Dominate the room by getting up & walking around. Use the board (if available) to illustrate your points with examples. Never be rude or hostile in return, & never show that you feel insulted.

THE SITUATIONAL INTERVIEW

Interviewer describes a situation, and asks how you will handle it. Logic - no correlation between how well candidates answer questions, or how good they are at studies, and how well they can do the job. Justification - Interviewing is about the job - not about a candidates goals, experiences, and accomplishments. It is a hands-on meeting between an employer who needs a job done and a worker who must be fully prepared to do the work. Proponents - Kraft Foods, Delta Airlines, AT&T, Proctor & Gamble.

THE SITUATIONAL INTERVIEW

Handling the Situational Interview
Listen carefully to the situation. Take a moment to think and analyze the situation. Answer questions with stories and examples that demonstrate your assets, skills and qualifications for the position. Try not to speak for more than three minutes. Answers must generally demonstrate these skills: Research, Communication, Initiative, Assertiveness, Commitment to task, Creativity & Imagination, Relationship Building, Team Work, Time Management, Decision Making.

THE TELEPHONE INTERVIEW

Held over the telephone. Handling the Telephone Interview
Find out exact name and designation of the person who will be calling you. Practice pronouncing the name till you get it right. Prepare a brief introduction about yourself.

THE TELEPHONE INTERVIEW

Handling the Telephone Interview
Mentally prepare yourself for the interview be fully awake, alert & properly dressed - if you are not, it will come across through your voice. Keep your voice as normal as possible. Listen carefully to the questions, and request a repeat if you dont understand. Speak clearly without an exaggerated accent. Frame your answers carefully and keep them to-the-point.

THE VIDEO INTERVIEW

Held mostly to cut travel costs Conducted through video conferencing at a center close to where you are located.

THE VIDEO INTERVIEW

Handling the Video Interview
Ask for a preliminary phone conversation to establish a rapport with the interviewer. Arrive early enough to get used to the setting and the equipment. Speak clearly but not more slowly than normal. Sit up straight. Look up but not down. Use gestures but do not overdo as it will appear blurry to the interviewer.

HANDLING THE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF QUESTION

Tell us about yourself

Present a summary of
Your goals Overall professional capabilities Achievements Background (educational and family) Strengths Professional objectives

Tell us about yourself

Present a summary of
Anything about your personality that is relevant and interesting. This is an opportunity to lead the interviewer in the direction you want him to go & highlight whatever you want to highlight. You should try to convince the interviewers that you are a good candidate

HANDLING THE WHY DO YOU WANT TO PURSUE AN B.Tech? QUESTION

Why do you want to pursue an B.Tech?

Dont say that you are looking for a "challenging job in a good firm with lots of money, status and glamour. Convey to the interview panel that you have made a rational and informed decision about your career choice and your intended course of higher study.

Why do you want to pursue an B.Tech?

Your answer may touch upon:
Career Objectives
What your career objectives are and how the two year MBA program will help you achieve them.

Value Addition The value that you will add to yourself in terms of knowledge and skills.
Knowledge of the various areas of management e.g. marketing, finance, systems, HRD etc. and skills of analysis and communication.

Why do you want to pursue an B.Tech?

Your answer may touch upon:
Background
Share your academic background and state whether an MBA is a natural progression (as in the case of BBA or commerce) or state how the MBA will strengthen it.

Why do you want to pursue an B.Tech?

Your answer may touch upon:
Opportunities and Rewards
Mention the opportunities that are opening up in organizations for management graduates. Highlight with examples. You may also mention that while monetary rewards are not everything they are also important and MBAs do get paid well. (BUT, do not mention these as your primary motivators even if that may be the case).

GENERAL PREPARATION FOR AN

INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW PREPARATION
Find out about the company
Full name, location & age Products & Services, earnings & growth Organization (subsidiaries, departments, divisions)

INTERVIEW PREPARATION
Find out about the job
Job title & functions Job qualifications Career path & salary range Travel & relocation opportunities Gather this information from the company website, in-house publications, brochures, press reports, former & current employees, college placement office.

EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEWS A FEW HINTS.

WHAT EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR

Evidence that you will fit in & proof that you can do the job. High Emotional Quotient - self-awareness, persistence, confidence, selfmotivation, empathy, verbal skills, persuasion skills, interpersonal communication skills. Openness, enthusiasm, interest, courtesy, sincerity, willingness to learn.

WHAT EMPLOYERS MOSTLY ASK ABOUT

Skills, achievements, goals. Attitude toward work & study. Relationships with colleagues. Hobbies & interests.

INTERVIEW TIPS/ETIQUETTE
Be punctual! Walk in confidently. Wish the interviewers preferably by name. Sit only when asked. Sit in an attentive position. Maintain eye contact. Smile frequently. Use a few hand gestures. Dress conservatively in clean, ironed clothes, shoes polished & shined. Keep hair combed, fingernails clean, breath fresh