What is an interview?
An interview as any controlled and planned conversation between two(or more) people, which has a purpose for at least one of the participants, and during which both speak and listen from time to time.
An employment interview is a formal conversation to evaluate the qualifications of a prospective employee.
The purpose of the interview
The purpose of an interview may be very specific- selecting someone for a job; hearing about someone/s complainant; reprimanding or disciplining someone for misdemeanor; or determining how someone is progressing- and there are many more. But all interviews are concerned with;
- Obtaining information
- Passing on information
- Clarifying information
Types of interview information
There are six common types of interview information:
- Statements of description- the interviewee is required to provide information he has observed or experienced and may be questioned much as a witness is by a lawyer
- Statements of factual know ledged- the interviewee is required to pass on an explanation of information he possess, for example an interview with an expert or specialist
- Statement of behavior- the interviewee defines the previous, present and future behavior of the interviewee
- Statements of attitude and belief- here, information is of a more subjective nature revealing attitudes, personality, ambition and motivation; these statements represent the interviewee’s evaluations (good/bad) and opinions of the truth and falseness about things.
- Statements of feelings- here, information reveals physical and/ or emotional levels which reflect the state of the individual
- Statement of value- these statements convey long- standing belief systems that are highly treasured by the respondent , for example, “the essential quality in anyone is commitment – a willingness to see things through and stick at the job despite difficulties
TYPES OF INTERVIEWS
The questions you are asked during a job interview will be determined by the type of interview that you are given
- Screening interview
This is conducted to determine if you have the skills and qualifications for the job. It may be conducted over the telephone and may also serve as a preliminary screening of your communication and interpersonal skills, keep your responses concise; giving too much information in a screening interview can hurt you.
- One-on-one interview
As the label implies, in a one interview, you will be interviewed by one person only. The interviewer wants to see if you will fit in with the company and determine how your skills will benefit the company.
- Panel or committee interview
This type of interview is fairly common today as companies look for ways to make better ways to make better hiring decisions. The interview team members usually take turns asking interview questions, focus your attention on the person who asked the question rather than the whole group.
- Group interview
In a group interview, several applicants meet with one or two interviewers. This type of interview is designed to uncover leadership potential among the applicants and to see how you interact with others.
- Stress interview
A stress interview is a deliberate attempt to put you under stress to test how you react under pressure. Some techniques used in stress interviewing are:
- Rapidly firing questions at you
- Placing you on the defensive with irritating questions and sarcastic comments
- Long periods of silence after you answer a question
Remain calm during this type of interview
- Unstructured interview
An unstructured interview usually consists of one or two broad questions such as “why don’t tell me about yourself?” The purpose is to find out if the applicant is wise enough to focus on his/her qualification for the job and to find out how good his/ her communication skills are.
- Behavioral interview
In a behavioral interview, the idea is to see how candidate handled a situation in the past. The theory is that past behavior is a good predictor of future behavior. The interviewer uses questions and statements to get applicants to relate specific examples of how they have successfully used the skills required in the job. Ann example of a behavioral interview question is, “tell me about a conflict you had with a co-worker and how you handled it”
- Situational interview
This interview is similar to a behavioral interview. Instead of asking candidates to relate past experiences, the applicant is given a situation, then asked, “How would you handle this?”
- Disciplinary interview
A disciplinary interview is a formal discussion between the supervisor and the employee, typically behind closed doors, usually in the supervisor’s office or in a conference room. At this point, the employee is alerted to the fact that future infractions/misconduct will not be tolerated, resulting in the further disciplinary action based on the severity of the offense.
- Appraisal interview
This interview comprises an evaluation of the interviewee’s performance over a period of time, and a review of the tasks and objectives for the year ahead. The appraisal interview is used as a management tool for the personnel department and for managers when planning future training programmers
TYPES OF BUSINESS INTERVIEWS
- Employment
- Performance appraisal
- Counselling
- Discipline
- Termination
- Induction
- Consulting
- Sales
- Data gathering
- Order-giving
TYPES OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
- Standard interview questions
- Surprise interview questions
- Behavioral interview questions
- Direct/close-ended questions
- Bipolar/ye/no question
- Leading or standard- revealing questions
- Loaded questions
- Open-ended questions
- Prompting questions
- Mirror questions
- Probing questions
- Hypothetical questions
Preparing Mentally For an Interview
- Remember the goal of the interview
- Research the prospective employer
- Prepare questions to ask the interviewer
- Know your strengths and weaknesses
- Anticipate questions
- Become knowledgeable about industry trends and current events
Preparing Physically For an Interview
- Confirm your appointment
- Get directions to the interview site
- Identify items to take
- Get a good night sleep
WHAT TO AVOID DURING AN INTERVIEW
- Monotonous delivery
A loud, domineering voice will make the interviewer feel threatened; a quiet, low monotonous voice will bore them. They may lose interest in you; worse still, they may even think you are bored and uninterested. So concentrate on projecting your voice in a dynamic, enthusiastic tone. Above all, aim at variety- variety of pitch, volume and speed
- Unresponsiveness
When people are nervous they are often also less responsive than normal. The interviewer wants to hear about you , so if they should ask a question which appears to require only a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ , try to expand your answers beyond a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’
- Deliberate unresponsiveness
You may of course be asked a question which you really cannot or do not want to answer. Women, for example, may be asked questions which they consider embarrassing, or even illegal, like, ‘won’t you leave to have a baby for long?’ always try to answer honestly if you can- this might be an opportunity to offer your opinion about women working – but always avoid a direct refusal to answer or an argumentative answer. It is far better to adopt the ‘political response’
- Inappropriate language
You should also try to avoid slang or excessively casual language- okay, no way, I mean, like, you know…, like I said, yeah.such expressions are not typical of a business professional.
- Unnatural posture
Slumping or sitting like a stiff tin soldier are both frequent symptoms of nerves. The best impression is created by sitting up straight with legs crossed. This position looks good and allows you to lean forward a little towards the interviewer to make special points or to show special attention
- A negative start
Watch the opening of an interview. Avoid making remarks that create a ‘negative set’ for the rest of the interview such as, ‘I’m not really sure that my background is suitable for this job’ or ‘I’m afraid I haven’t had any experience’.