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Business Communication

Business Interview
 Introduction to
the..

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 Business Interview

▪ What is Business Interview?

▪ What are the Objectives of Business Interview
▪ Limitations of Interview:
▪ What are the types of Business Interview
▪ Different methods & techniques of Interview
▪ How to Conduct Interview Effectively
▪ Qualities of Good Interviewer
▪ How to face the interview successfully?
 What is Business Interview?
• The word interview means View among or between. An interview is a
face-to-face oral communication.
• The function of an interview is to detect the views, attitudes and ideas
of the personality who is being interviewed.
• As a spectator, the interviewee can detect the skill and capability of
the interviewer too.
• It is a test of both the communicants and parties engaged in the
interviews.

Features of Interview:
1. It is face-to-face interaction between interviewer and the interviewee.
2. It has a specific purpose known to both the parties.
3. It is generally based on pre-structured questions to be asked in a defined
manner.
Funny: https://youtu.be/YOAD8MifiPg
 Definition of Business Interview?

• In the opinion of Gary Dessler, “An interview is a procedure designed

to obtain information from a person’s oral responses to oral inquiries.”

• Scott, Clotheer and Spriegel defined, “An interview is a purposeful

exchange of ideas, the answering of questions and communication between
two or more persons.”

So, an interview is a face-to-face meeting among the interviewer and the

interviewee where the interviewer asks a number of questions to the
interviewee to investigate his/her intelligence, knowledge, a number of
aspects of personality and character related to achieve specific purposes.
 Purposes/Objectives of Business Interview?

• Advising: Interviewer provides necessary advices to the interviewee

or to the concerned people through interview. Advices are given so that they
can improve or overcome the existing situation.
• Increasing Understanding: Interview help to increase the
understanding of the parties in different areas. Interview is one kind of open
discussion session where all the parties exchange their views, news, opinions
and suggestions freely. This openness nature of interview helps the concerned
parties to increase their level of understanding and minimize
misunderstanding.
• Measuring Stress: Measuring employee stress is an important purpose
of interview. In stress interview the interviewee is put into difficulties in order
to test his reaction to stress situations. It is used for selecting persons for posts
in which the person must be able to face difficult situations without getting
upset.
• Finding Out of the Best Candidate: The objective of employment
interview is to find out the best candidate from the potential ones. In such
interview candidates are asked different questions for testing their qualities for
a specific job.
• Monitoring or Reviewing Performance: Employee performance is
monitored or reviewed by performance appraisal interview. Managers arrange
such interview at a certain time interval to get feedback of their performance
and to find out gap between the target and the actual figure.
• Reducing Grievances: There may be grievance with the employees
that must be reduced immediately. Managers hold talks with the employees to
learn their grievances and take step to mitigate those in effective way. So,
reducing employee grievance is another important objective of interview.
• Exchanging Information: One of the main objectives of interview is to
exchange information. Through Interview both the interviewer and the
interviewee can exchange their opinions, views, attitudes, facts etc.
• Persuading: Another important purpose of interview is to persuade
the interviewee to provide particular answers of the questions to be asked.
The interviewer motivates the interviewee to reveal all of his potentialities in
the interview.
• Correcting or Reprimanding: In reprimand interview the manager
criticizes an employee severely by taking him to his room for some undesirable
statement or action. The objectives of such interview are to improve the work
performance of the employees, to prevent the recurrence of such offences and
to protect the other employees from the malaise of anti-organizational
behavior.
• Solving Problems: Interview provides solution to a specific problem. In
interview, the interviewer and the interviewee exchange their ideas, opinions,
feelings, attitude and perception toward the issue and thus solution of the
problem becomes easy to find.
• Counseling: Providing counseling to the mentally distressed or stressed
employee is an important objective of interview. Through problem interview,
employees are given necessary suggestion and counseling in required areas so
that they can improve their performance in their respective work area.

From the above discussion it is clear that an interview does not take place just
to ask some questions to the interviewee rather it serves some important
purposes. Surely the objective of interview largely depends on its category or
type.
Types of Interview in Business Communication

• Employment Interview or Selection Interview

• Assessment or Appraisal Interview
• Promotion Interview
• Termination Interview
• Conflict Resolution Interview:
• Exit Interview
• Problem Interview
• Grievance Interview (Complain)
• Reprimand Interview (Insult)
• Stress Interview
• Information Interview
• Counseling Interview
• Disciplinary Interview
1. Employment Interview or Selection Interview

o The most important and widely used interview types are employment
interview or selection interview.

o This type of interview is conducted to find out potential suitable candidates

for the vacant positions.

o An important objective of employment interview is to assess the suitability

of candidates for jobs.

o In most organizations, employment or selection interviews are taken by a

panel of interviewers.

o The objective of such interview is to draw out and reveal important aspects
of the candidate’s personality which are relevant to the needs of the job.

o It is also known as job selection interview.

 2. Assessment or Appraisal Interview

o An appraisal interview is conducted to appraise or assess the overall

performance of the employees.
o It is usually held once a year.
o By assessment interview, the employer tends to know the employee’s
performance and shortcomings.
o It is also possible to find out the employee’s ambition, motivation, interest
and the state of his morale by appraisal interview.
 3. Promotion Interview

o In organizational laddering system, employees are promoted to higher

ranks depending on their skill and job performance.

o Promotion interview is an interview that is conducted in order to select the

best candidate from the employees for promotion to higher post.

o Purpose of such interview is to measure the attitude of the person and his
fitness to take up the responsibility of the higher post.

o The interview also provides an opportunity to the management to make

the person aware of the responsibilities he/she will have to take.
 4. Termination Interview

o Termination interview takes place when the manager calls problem

employees to inform them the causes of termination of job for continuously
violating the rules of the organization.

o In such case, the management reminds them the reasons of

termination of job but wants to retain relationship if they abide by the
organizational rules.
 2.
5. Conflict Resolution Interview

o If an interview takes place to resolve conflict between two

rival groups in the organization.

o It is called conflict resolution interview.

o In this interview the solicitor or moderator of the

interview tries to make the conflicting parties close together,
minimize their misunderstanding, build positive attitudes and
eradicate conflict.
 2.
6. Exit Interview

o The exit interview takes place when the employee is leaving the
organization voluntarily.
o This types of interview is very important for an organization for several
reasons.
o Firstly, the management can find out the reason for the employee’s
decision to leave and can clear up any misunderstanding or ill feeling
that might have developed.
o Secondly, the management tries to get the employees’ feedback about
the company in terms of its employee relations, public relations, sales
policies etc. His opinions will be helpful to modify the company’s
employee policy.
 2.
7. Problem Interview

o An interview where a problem employee attends as an interviewee and the

management as interviewer is called a problem interview.

o When the performance of an employee is unsatisfactory in spite of

warnings by his supervisor, an interview is more likely to provide a solution
than just another warning.

o The objective of such interview is to find out the reasons behind the poor
performance of the employee for example, dissatisfaction with the job,
personal problem, poor health and lack of adjustment to the environment
or to the job.

o Giving advice and suggestions and to help the employee to overcome the
problem are also some major purposes of problem interview.
8. Grievance Interview (Complain)

o Many people are working in an organization especially in large

organization there may be some grievances with some
employees that are to be removed immediately.

o In such cases manager calls the parties in interview to know

the complain & to minimize that as early as possible.

o This type of interview is known as grievance interview.

 9. Reprimand Interview (Insult)
o Reprimand interview takes place when the management criticizes an
employee severely by taking him to his/her room for some undesirable
statement or action.

o Sometimes the manager summons the employee to his/her room and talks
to the employee/s in his/her official capacity.

o A reprimand is a form of disciplinary action.

o The objectives of such interview are to improve the work performance of

the employees, to prevent the recurrence of such offences and to protect
the other employees from the malaise of anti-organizational behavior.

o There are two aspects of reprimand interview. The disciplinary aspect

where the employee is administered a warning and the guidance aspect
where the employee is helped to improve his/her performance.
 10. Stress Interview
o In stress interview the interviewee is put into difficulties in order to test his
reaction in stress situations.

o This interview method is used only for selection persons for posts in which
the person must be able to face difficult situations without getting upset.

o For example, the post of primary school teacher, a factory manager, a labor
welfare manager, a call center employee etc. Stress interview tests such
qualities as courage, tact, cool-temper, self-command etc.

o Asking questions on different topics, cross-questioning, arguing, asking for

a sudden silence etc. techniques are used here to test the employee.

o Only a cool-headed and self-possessed candidate can respond

appropriately and pass this test.

Stress Interview: https://youtu.be/Qm1eAOzMy8k

 2.
11. Information Interview

o Information interview is that kind of interview where either the interviewer

or the interviewee attempts to get important information from the
participating parties or people.

o A police officer is investigating a case taking interview of people, a

journalist asking questions to people for gathering information for a report,
a surveyor asking questions to respondents over telephone, etc. are some
examples of information interview.
 2.
12. Counseling Interview

o Counseling interview is conducted to provide necessary

counseling to the interviewees.

o Problem employees are given counseling so that they can

improve their performance in respective areas.
13. Disciplinary Interview

o When interview is conducted to improve the disciplinary

condition of the employees or interviewees, it is called
disciplinary interview.

o Sometimes in the organization, there may be some employees

continuously violating the disciplinary rules of the organization
and it becomes necessary to rectify their behaviors.

o It helps the indiscipline employees improve their morale,

attitude and behavior.
 Forms of Interview

There are generally three forms of interview:

1. Structured interview

2. Semi-structured interview

3. Un-structured interview
 1. Structured interview

The interviewer prepares a set of purely job related questions asked in the
same sequence.

Some of these questions are:

(1) Where were you working last?

(2) Why do you want to change your job?
(3) What are your expectations from this job?

Structured interview does not give flexibility to the interviewer to ask

questions about the candidate’s personality.
 2. Semi-structured interview

o In a semi-structured interview, the interviewer asks the

structured, pre-determined questions along with questions
about the candidate’s personality, strengths and weaknesses,
experiences in previous jobs, etc.

o This interview is more conversational and interesting and gets

better response about the candidate’s personality than a
structured interview.
 3. Un-structured interview

o An unstructured interview is not planned or based on systematic,

predetermined list of questions. It is a spontaneous interaction between
the interviewer and interviewee.

o The information that interviewer collects about the candidate may not be
relevant or truly job related which can assess the candidate’s suitability for
the particular job.

o It may contain an element of bias on the part of the interviewer to select a

candidate.
 Methods of Interview

1.One-to-One Interview or Personal Interview

o In a one-to-one interview, one interviewer meets one

candidate.

o For Example: Reprimand Interview, Counseling Interview

 Methods of Interview

2. Mass Interview (Group Interview)

o The mass/group interview is a relatively new technique in the

west and almost unknown in our country. It is a procedure for
the discovery of leadership.

o Several job applicants are placed in a leaderless discussion, and

interviewers sit in the background to observe and evaluate the
performance of the candidates.

o In a mass/group interview, a panel interviews several

candidates simultaneously. The panel poses a problem and
then watches to see which candidate takes the lead in
formulating an answer.
 Methods of Interview

3. Panel Interview (Board Interview)

o A panel interview, also known as a board interview, is an interview
conducted by a team of interviewers, who together interview each
candidate and then combine their ratings into a final score.

o Here one candidate is interviewed by several representatives of the firm.

This technique entails the job candidate giving oral responses to job-related
questions asked by a panel of interviewers.

o Each member of the panel then rates each interviewee on dimensions like
work history, motivation, creative thinking, and presentation.
 Methods of Interview

4.Phone Interview
o Employers do some interviews entirely by phone calls. These
can actually be sometimes accurate enough for judging an
applicant’s conscientiousness, intelligence, and interpersonal
skills. (Example: Distance interview, Survey)

o Here, neither party needs to worry about things like

appearance or handshakes, so each can focus on substantive
answers. Or perhaps candidates – somewhat surprised by an
unexpected call from the recruiter – just give answers that are
more spontaneous.
 Methods of Interview

5.Computer-assisted Interview
o The applicant is presented with a series of questions on a video
screen to which he/she responds by pressing the appropriate
key on a keyboard.
o Preliminary experience suggests that the procedure is faster
than face to face interviews, and it overcomes the problem of
lack of consistency between interviewers.
o Obviously, this approach cannot assess emotional responses or
interpersonal skills. But it has promise as a helpful additional
tool in the selection process.
o Because of programming and development costs, it appears to
be the most practical choice when fairly large numbers of
candidates are to be interviewed for a given job.
 Methods of Interview

6. Lunch Interviews
o In some higher-level positions, candidates are taken to lunch or
dinner, especially if this is a second interview (a “call back”
interview). If this, is you, count yourself lucky and be on your
best behavior, because even if the lunch meeting is
unstructured and informal, it’s still an official interview. Do not
order an alcoholic beverage and use your best table manners.
You are not expected to pay or even to offer to pay. But, as
always, you must send a thank-you note.
o Many candidates worry about the right food to order. Think of
the meal interview as more of an interview and less of a meal.
Order a moderately priced item that is not likely to be difficult
to eat. Then plan to focus on outcomes of the interview.
 PREPARING & CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS

Being well prepared and then conducting an interview

methodically will help you to make it successful one.

When interviewing job candidates, you want to determine what

sort of people they are, how good their interpersonal skills are,
how they might react under stress, whether they have the skills
for the job, and whether they have been honest in their resumes.
 PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW (Preparation)

• Set aside enough time. Dedicate specific time, conducting the

interview in an appropriate location, uninterrupted by email, telephones or
other employees. This will allow you to concentrate, while also giving a good
first impression of your company to the applicant.

• Read the resume first. Make sure you have carefully studied each
resume ahead of time. Of course, when meeting with a candidate, you should
have a copy of the resume on hand for reference, but this is not the time to
ask, “What have you done?” Know the resume so you can use the time to dig
deeper.

• Write a good job description. Having a specific and thorough outline

of what a candidate would do on the job makes it easier to assess applicants,
says Derek Gagné (CEO of HR consulting firm Talent Edge Solutions).
 PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW (Preparation)

• Know the intangibles. A resume can’t indicate some of the

intangibles that an employee can bring to the job.
Example: Situation handle capacity, Excellent communication
skills, Leadership capabilities.

• Write some specific questions. Don’t just take the

candidate’s resume and wing it, says Gagné. “Have 10 or 12
questions that you will consistently ask each candidate. This is
particularly important if you will be interviewing multiple
applicants and want to compare answers later. It doesn’t mean
there won’t be off-script questions. A skilled interviewer knows
when to move off the script.”
Example:
Why did you choose this organization?
How can you add value to this firm?
Specific situation can be given for all candidates.
 CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW
• Introduce yourself. Greeting candidates courteously shows respect
for them and will help put them at ease. Tell them something about
yourself and the company. This is the first impression the candidate will
make of you, so present a tidy office.
• Set the stage. Set the tone by telling the applicant what to expect
for the next half hour or so. Remember, you too are being observed. Your
behavior will set the tone for the interview. If you come across as being too
casual, an applicant may take the interview less seriously. But being too
serious will likely make the candidate more nervous. How you conduct
yourself during the interview must also reflect the image and values of your
company.
• Review the job. Spell out what the position involves in more detail
than was outlined in the job posting, so candidates can make sure the job is
right for them. Let them know what the core duties and responsibilities will
be, and any working conditions that may affect them. Say whether the
position is permanent or temporary, or on contract.
 CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW

• Start with generalized questions. Begin by asking a few questions

about a candidate’s background and interest in the position. Get candidates
to tell you about how they see themselves in relation to the job and what
they can contribute.
• Review the applicant’s resume. Ask candidates about specific
positions on their resume that relate to the position you are hiring for. Ask
them about job details, responsibilities, what they accomplished, pressures
they encountered. Ask about any inconsistencies or gaps in employment or
education, as there may be a simple explanation. Ask about the candidate’s
reasons for leaving a past or current job.
• Ask some consistent questions. Use a specific set of questions for
all applicants. This will help you to compare candidates and find the one
whose skills and abilities most closely match what you’re looking for.
 CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW
• Vary your questions. It’s important that you ask questions on skills
specifically related to the duties and responsibilities of the position. This will help
you uncover candidates’ strengths and weaknesses. Don’t forget that open-ended
questions are best during interviews, such as “What was the most difficult
challenge of your last job?”

• Give candidates a chance to ask questions. Applicants should be given the

chance both to answer your questions and to ask questions of their own to
determine if the job and the company are right for them. Their questions can help
you assess whether candidates have adequately prepared for the interview and
are genuinely interested in the job. An effective strategy is the 80/20 rule: You do
80 percent of the listening and 20 percent of the talking.

• Provide a timeline. Provide an indication as to when candidates might

expect to hear back from you regarding the final outcome or the next step in the
recruitment process
 Interview Preparation for the Candidates

• Review the Job Description

When you prepare for an interview, your first step will be to
carefully read and reread the job posting or job description. This
will help you develop a clearer idea of how you meet the skills
and attributes the company seeks.
• Research the Company or Organization
Researching the company will give you a wider view of what the
company is looking for and how well you might fit in. Your
prospective employer may ask you what you know about the
company. Being prepared to answer this question shows that you
took time and effort to prepare for the interview and that you
have a genuine interest in the organization. It shows good care
and good planning, you will surely need on the job.
• Practice Answering Common Questions
Most interviewees find that practicing the interview in advance
with a family member, a friend, or a colleague eases giving a good
performance in interview and increases confidence level.

• Plan to Dress Appropriately

Interviewees are generally most properly dressed for an interview
in business attire, with the goal of looking highly professional in
the eyes of the interviewer.
• Come Prepared
Plan to bring your résumé, cover letter, and a list of references to
the interview. You may also want to bring a portfolio of
representative work. Leave behind coffee, chewing gum, and any
other items that could be distractions.

• Be Confident
Above all, interviewees should be confident and “courageous.” By
doing so you make a strong first impression. As the saying goes,
“There is never a second chance to make a first impression.”
 Weakness/Criticism of Interview

1. Interview should not be the only selection criteria

While interviewing, the interviewer is confident of his position. He can, therefore, ask
any question to the interviewee but interviewees are normally tensed during the
interview. Even knowledgeable and competent candidates may not perform well in the
interview. Rejection of candidates purely on the basis of interview is, thus, not
desirable.
Interviewer may also be biased against interviewee. Selection on the basis of biased
interview is not correct. Interviews based on biases towards candidates does not give
good results. It is the assumption of the interviewer that a person good in one activity is
good in all and a person bad in one activity is bad in all other activities also.
It, thus, evaluates a person on the basis of a single or few qualities and not all the
qualities on the basis of which he should be ranked. It takes partial view of the person
and evaluates him totally on that ground. It is like evaluating the whole on the basis of a
sample. Though it may work in case of objects, it is not always true in evaluating
people.
 Weaknesses of Interview

2. Wrong presentation:
Sometimes, the candidate answers to please the interviewer. This does not reflect true
picture of his candidature. A wrong candidate can, thus, be selected.
3. Unstructured interviews:
When the interviewer does not plan an interview, he may ask questions not relevant to
the job. This does not fully explore the potential of the candidate.
4. Theoretical details:
Interview only extracts theoretical details about the candidate’s personality. Sometimes
Job related practical skills cannot be determined through interviews.
5. Halo Effect (appearance & speaking style)
One shouldn’t be judged through the Halo Effect.

.
 Suggestions for the Candidates to Ensure Success in an Interview

1. The interviewees should research as much as he can about the company’s

products, services, markets, competitors, trends, current activities and
priorities.
2. Candidates should prepare answers for common type of questions he will be
asked. He should be able to say why he wants the job, what are his strengths,
how would he do the job, what are his best achievements etc.
3. Candidates should ask for a copy of the company’s employment terms and
conditions or employee handbook before the interview.
4. Candidates should collect evidence of his achievements in the past.
5. Candidates should update his/her resume.
 Suggestions for the Candidates to Ensure Success in an Interview

6. Candidates should gather important material related to the company to be

prepared for the interview, like the sales brochures and literature, a trade
magazine covering the company’s market sector, and a newspaper for the few
days before the interview to remain informed about the world and national
news.
7. Candidates should review his personal goals and speak openly and honestly
about them and how he plans to achieve them.
8. Candidates should have two or three good reputable and relevant
references who would be happy to be contacted.
9. Candidates should adopt an enthusiastic, alert and positive mind-set in the
interview.
10. Candidates should positively deal with negative aspects of his profile and
tell the truth rather than evading or distorting facts.
 Qualities of Good Interviewer

1. Knowledge about the job

A good interviewer is one who has sufficient knowledge about the job for which he/she
is taking the interview.
If the interviewer lacks adequate knowledge regarding job duties, responsibilities, and
qualifications required, it would not be possible for him to select the best candidate.
2. Training and experience
Interviewers should have adequate experience and necessary training to conduct an
interview effectively and efficiently.
3. Listening attentively
Good interviewers are attentive listeners. They listen more than they talk.
The listening tendency helps the interviewer to make a better evaluation. Many
interviews fail because the interviewer talks more than listening.
 Qualities of Good Interviewer
4. Emotional maturity
The interviewer should be free from biases and undue emotions. He should have the
ability to judge the situation based on logic and wisdom.
5. Control of anger and aggression
Control of anger, arrogance, or aggression is a very important trait of successful
interviewers. They should not be aggressive or intimidating.
They should neither miss-guide the candidate nor should react to the applicant’s
comments. When the candidate strays from the track of inquiry, a good interviewer guides
him back to the point.
6. Empathetic attitude
Empathy is the ability to understand or share the feelings or attitudes of others. The
empathetic attitude of the interviewer helps to relieve the applicant’s anxiety and
nervousness.
Good interviewers show empathy to the interviewee using a friendly and warm tone.
 Qualities of Good Interviewer
7. Ability to recognize the uniqueness
Every interviewee is unique in his/her qualities, character, traits, and experience. The
successful interviewer is one who can identify the best combination of individual talents
and qualities for a particular job.
8. Stable personality
Personality is the way through which one can create an impression in the minds of others.
Good interviewer possesses such a stable personality so that he/she can treat all the
interviewees in the same general way. He should not show any inclination to any
particular interviewee.
9.Extrovert behavior
Extrovert behavior is another quality of a good interviewer. This quality helps the
interviewer to be conversational, frank, and friendly.
10. Physical stamina
The sound mind goes with good health. The interviewer should possess good physical and
mental health so that he can work at stress with a huge number of interviewees.
Funny: https://youtu.be/YOAD8MifiPg

Short Tips: https://youtu.be/HG68Ymazo18

Stress Interview: https://youtu.be/Qm1eAOzMy8k

Summary & Open
Forum

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