Interview Techniques

Preparing yourself as the interviewer

There are a number of aspects of critical importance in planning the
interview:
Timing - enough time must be allowed for the interviews and making notes
between each. Each candidate should be given the same length of time in
the interview. There should be sufficient breaks built into the interview
programme.
Re-read the application form or CV, job description and person specification
to identify areas which need further exploration or clarification.
The appointment panel should agree the format of the interview and
identify questions to cover the key competencies required by the post. The
different subject areas should be allocated between the panel members in
advance of the interview date.
The panel should agree how they will operate as a team during the
interviews. The first interview of the day should not be used as 'a dress
rehearsal' - otherwise the appointment panel could be accused of acting
unfairly.
The venue of the interview should be of an appropriate size and one which
encourages the interviewee's concentration. It should be comfortable for
both interviewers and the candidate ( seating, heating, lighting, ventilation,
noise level) and be well sign-posted with a waiting area containing literature
about the organisation. There should be no interruptions and mobile phones
should be switched off. Reasonable adjustments must be made to the
facilities as necessary where a candidate has requested this because of a
disability.
The reception arrangements for candidates should be welcoming and the
receptionist briefed.
The seating arrangement should be as inclusive as possible so that the
candidate does not feel isolated.
Preparing the candidate
Prior to the interview the candidate should have sufficient information about
the post, the requirements of the post and the organisation. Candidates
should be given adequate notice of the interview date, panel composition
and designation and, ideally, be given a brief tour of the place of work prior

to the interview. Candidates are asked to produce documentary evidence of

their qualifications which are stipulated in the person specification.

At the start of the interview, the candidate can be helped by:

the Convener introducing the panel and having name cards placed in front
of the members;
the panel putting the candidate at ease;
the Convener explaining the structure and length of the interview;
being informed that notes will be taken to ensure a fair assessment to be
made;
being asked whether they have any queries after the introduction;
the use of an opening non-discriminatory 'warm-up'question.
Structure
Working to a structure is a major step towards improving the quality of
interviewing, as it helps to:

ensure that nothing significant has been missed;

keep track of how the interview time is being used;
give candidates a sense of progress through the interview;
help ensure consistency between candidates.

Questions must be planned in advance. It is usual to have a series of

questions that are posed to every candidate with specific ones for individual
applications based on information in their application forms. The need to
raise additional questions will arise in order to probe candidates responses
and these should be asked at the appropriate time. No question should be
asked of a discriminatory nature e.g. asking a female candidate about her
childcare arrangements.
The interview should be structured as follows:
the Opening - this will include introductions, advising candidates of the
structure which will be followed and that note-taking will occur. A few
moments of small talk will help to relax the candidate and establish rapport.
the Body - this is the main part of the interview where the required
evidence about the candidate's suitability for the post against the key
criteria is obtained.

 the Close - Candidates should always be given the opportunity and

sufficient time to ask any questions they may have. They should be informed
of the timescales and methods of notifying them of the outcome and should
be thanked for attending the interview.
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 does not prevent you asking questions
about a candidate's disability but this information must not be used to
discriminate. When asking a candidate how their disability may affect their
ability to do the job it is important to focus on competencies required by the
post, place these questions in the latter part of the body of the interview,
and indicate where possible a willingness to make those reasonable
adjustments which would enable the job to be performed.
Questioning techniques
You should aim to have the candidate talk about 70-80% of the time, as the
key aim of the interview is to obtain evidence from the candidate. Effective
interviews depend on well-thought out and well-structured questions.
There are various types of questions:
Open - these questions enable candidates to provide facts and information,
describe things, express feelings or opinions etc. They encourage candidates
to start talking. They typically start with the words 'what, why, how?'
Example - 'Tell me about the most challenging project you have completed in
the last year'.
Closed - the number of possible answers is limited and are usually either
'yes' or 'no'. They are useful to check facts, or your understanding of answers
or to close the interview.
Example - 'Did you have responsibility for a team in your last job?'
Multiple - these occur when two or more questions are asked at one time.
Candidates will normally only answer one of them - the one they find easiest
or heard last. These types of questions should not be used in interviews.
Example - 'Why have you applied for this job, and why do you want to leave
your present job?'
Leading - the answer which is expected is suggested in the question, and
thus are not appropriate for selection interviewing.
Example - 'We need someone who has good planning skills. How well do you
plan ahead?'

Hypothetical - is where the interviewer describes a situation to the candidate

and asks him/her how he/she would respond. Too many of this type should be
avoided as the reply might be completely different from what the candidate
would actually do, and you have no way of evaluating the answer
consistently.
Example -' What would you do if two members of your team had a fierce
argument in the office?'
Behavioural - are useful questions, as you gain evidence of how the
candidate has handled similar situations in the past, and these can
concentrate on the specific skill areas of this post.
Example - 'Can you give me an example of when you had to deal with a
difficult customer complaint?'
Probing - these are used to follow up after receiving answers to open
questions, in order to explore an area in more depth. The questions should
be designed to 'funnel' the information obtained from general to specific
information.
Example - 'How would you do it differently next time?'
Reflective - these are powerful and seldom used with skill or consistency.
Each question is based on the previous answer and reflects its content.
Example - 'So, you think that there could have been some improvements.
What would have altered the outcome?'
Listening techniques
As the interviewee will be talking for the majority of the time it is vital that
interviewers actively listen. The candidate is providing a lot of information
and the interviewer has to be able to recall it, use it, relate it to the key skill
areas and check it for inconsistencies. Reflective questions can be used to
pick up on a point the candidate has made and enable you to probe further.
You should concentrate on what the candidate is saying, look at the
candidate and ensure that your physical position reflects your interest. It is
vital that all the panel members listen carefully to every answer, even
though they may not have asked the question.
Examples of effective non-verbal responses by interviewers include nodding
of the head, smiling and occasional noises of encouragement. Actions to be
avoided are looking at your watch, critical frowning, staring out of the

window. Care should be taken by panel members that non-verbal signals are
not communicated between them, indicating what they feel about the
candidate. Interrupting a candidate can be interpreted as discourteous and
showing a lack of interest in what the candidate is saying. However it may be
necessary to do so if the candidate has misunderstood the question.
Good active listening involves:
identifying feelings and intentions behind words;
probing answers with further questions;
clarifying and summarising;
evaluating the quality of the answers.
By being empathetic, you will lead the candidate to speak freely and could
well reveal information that he/she would not do if an interviewer was being
overbearing or critical. Silence is one of the most effective probing devices.
When used at the appropriate time, it encourages candidates to elaborate
their answer.
In short - listen to :
what is being said;
how it is being said;
what is not being said.
Body Language of candidates
Candidates send messages non-verbally which can reveal their emotional
state and are well worthwhile being noted by the panel. The communications
expert, Albert Mehrabian's analysis of typical face-to face communications
showed that non-verbal communication has an enormous impact on the
understanding of the messages sent by the interviewee in any interview. His
results were :
Words alone - 7%;
Voice tones - 38%;
Body language - 55%.
Non-verbal messages are much less likely to be under conscious control and
are therefore harder to disguise. They are often difficult to interpret and care
needs to be taken in analysing such messages e.g. a candidate may fold
arms as he/she is cold, not necessarily because he/she is being defensive.