Interviewing Principles

1. Ask questions which allow the candidate to do at least 70% of the talking. For the most part, avoid questions that can be answered "yes" or "no." The best questions are ones in which the candidates recount their past experience.
   
2. Phrase your questions so that the desired or "right" answer is not apparent to the applicant.
   
3. Ask only one question about one subject at a time.
   
4. Ask the easy questions first so as to make the applicant feel comfortable.
   
5. All questions should be directly related to finding out about the applicant's ability to do the job, not about his or her personal life.
   
6. Spend the entire time writing, recording the candidate's answers and any assumptions you are making.
   
7. Interviews are generally a poor place to test the candidate's skills, other than the skill of being interviewed. Some interpersonal skills can be tested, however, through the use of role-playing with the applicant.
   
8. While you are writing, nod occasionally to let the applicant know you are listening.
   
9. If the applicant doesn't respond right away to a question, wait. Give them time, while you add to your notes.
   
10. Follow up: ask the person to tell you more, to give more details.
    
11. Ask the candidate to describe their past behavior in the kind of situations they will encounter on the job.
    
12. Alternate between easy, non-threatening questions and more difficult, pointed ones.
    
13. After you have asked the candidate all your questions, allow them time to ask you any questions they have about the job.
    
14. Close the interview by asking the candidate if there is anything they regret saying, any answer they'd like to change, or anything they'd like to add to their previous statements.
    
15. Spend at least thirty minutes reviewing your notes after the interview and identifying any key qualities that you feel you have not adequately tested. These become objectives for subsequent interviews or for assessment experiences.
    

Types of interviewing Questions

Skilled interviewers use a variety of types of questions to draw the most information from the candidate. These are listed below in the approximate order in which they might be asked.

Permission Questions
Permission questions demonstrate concern for the other party. They are used at the beginning of the interview to put the other person at ease. Examples include:

• Are there any questions you have about the process before we begin the interview?
• Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable before we begin? . Okay if we start with question one?
  

Factual Questions:
Factual questions are low-risk attempts to obtain objective data about the applicant. They are intended to give you a picture of the status of the other party. These questions can be used to help make the applicant feel comfortable and are good to use at the beginning of the interview and after a particularly difficult or threatening question. Examples include:

• What do you do in your present job?
• How long have you worked there?
• What attracted you to our company?

Tell Me About Questions:
These questions are the most important in a hiring interview. They ask the candidate to
describe their past experience. Examples include:

• Tell me about a recent important decision you made and how you went about it.
• Walk me through the first and last half hour of your most recent normal workday.
  What did you do first, second, etc.?
• Tell me about a recent work assignment that made you look forward to going to work.

Feeling Questions:
Feeling questions are designed to obtain subjective data on the other party's feelings, values and beliefs. They are useful as follow-ups to Tell Me About or Factual Questions. Make sure that the applicant responds by describing an emotional state, not by describing what they thought. Examples include:

• How did you feel about that reaction?
• What do you like best (least) about your present job?
• How would you feel if this were to occur?

Magic Wand Questions:
Magic Wand Questions encourage the other party to speculate or dream. They are give you an idea of the creativity and aspirations of the candidate. Examples include:

• If you could change anything in your present work environment, what would it be?
• What would a perfect relationship with your boss be like?
• If you were put in charge of a volunteer program, what would you do first?

Tell Me More Questions:
These questions are used as follow-up to any of the other kinds of questions. Examples
include:

• Can you be more specific?
• What other approaches did you consider before you tried that?
• Then what happened?

Checking Questions:
Checking questions allow you to make sure you understand the other person's answer. They are useful at any point in the interview but most useful at the end to help you check any assumptions you have made about the applicant. Examples include:

• Is this what you mean?
• As I understand it, your plan of action is this. Am I right?
• Are you saying that was a negative experience?

Sample Competency Model
Below is a sample competency model for hiring an administrative assistant in a small business. This model is intended only to provide samples of the kinds of competencies listed in a competency model and is not intended for use in actually hiring such a person.

Copyright, Lynch Associates, 1996