Interviews in detail

The steps to a successful interview:

1. Introduction
2. What are you currently doing?
3. What is your background?
4. Why are you interested in the vacancy?
5. Do you have any questions for us?
6. State any unusual requirements

1. Introduction

• Introduce names and positions of interviewees
• Give a brief description of the vacancy
• Explain the format of interview
• Explain the next stage after the interview
• Check that candidate is happy so far

2. What are you currently doing?

• For example are they working, studying, job hunting, etc., you may know this from their CV, use this question to put them at ease
• What do you enjoy most about this?
• What have you learnt?

3. What is your background?

• What are your qualifications
• Experience

4. Why are you interested in the vacancy?

• What do you think that the role involves?
• What do you expect to find most enjoyable in the role?
• What do you think your strengths and weaknesses are in relation to this role?
• What training or self-development have you identified for yourself and undergone?
• What previous experience do you have which you feel is of particular relevance for this role?
• What did you do to prepare for this interview?
• How do you see your career progressing over the next five years?
• What has attracted you to the company?

5. Do you have any questions for us?

• Ask the candidate if they have any questions, make a note of these for future reference

6. State any unusual requirements

• For example out-of-hours working, working at another site, etc.

Good and bad indicators during an interview

When the candidate is answering your questions there will be indicators of the candidate's strengths and weaknesses. Use the checklists below to help you spot them.

Communication

Good indicators

• Does not use technical terms without checking understanding
• Explains own views clearly and concisely
• Structures arguments
• Allows others time to speak
• Uses body language to emphasise points
• Checks that communication is effective, i.e. that listeners understand
• Maintains eye contact
• Rephrases message, recaps on key points and uses examples to make communication more effective

Bad indicators

• Uses excessive technical terms
• Is unclear, waffles, goes off the point
• Speaks for too long
• Cuts across other people speaking
• Voice inaudible, mumbling, or overly nervous
• Uses excessive amount of detail, or inappropriate detail
• Avoids eye contact

Listening

Good indicators

• Listens actively, i.e. nods, uses encouraging/agreeing words, maintains eye contact
• Questions to clarify understanding
• Summarises information back to speaker
• Effectively answers the question or statement accurately

Bad indicators

• Does not maintain eye contact
• Is unresponsive to speaker
• Answers or replies are not accurate or are irrelevant

Problem analysis

Good indicators

• Demonstrates understanding of issues wider than the immediate problem
• Identifies alternative solutions or courses of action
• Demonstrates awareness of how to gather information to explore and verify a problem, i.e. different sources and methods
• Questions and challenges information

Bad indicators

• Fails to consider knock on effects or  implications of a situation or course of action
• Overlooks information and detail which has been brought to their notice
• Interprets information incorrectly or according to personal preferences

Teamwork

Good indicators

• Listens attentively to ideas/suggestions and accommodates them into the plan
• Suggests ways to resolve conflicts between other team members in order to move the whole team on
• Volunteers for any tasks which help the team make progress, e.g. noting actions
• Shaows an awareness of team objectives and the need to move the group towards achieving them

Bad indicators

• Persists in pursuing own ideas against the will of the other team members
• Does not allow ideas to be heard or accommodated in the plan
• Is abrasive or disparaging in dealing with other team members
• Attributes negative reasons to others actions and suggestions

Detail handling

Good indicators

• Shows interest in organising/dealing with the detail of a situation
• Identifies relevant detail
• Can identify component parts of a situation
• Can give specific examples of situations involving detailed work
• Displays a patient and methodical approach to work

Bad indicators

• Can only relate to high level or broad statements
• Disinterested in detail
• Cannot identify relevant detail in a situation

Self-development

Good indicators

• Identified a development need
• Initiated or taken personal responsibility for process of identifying and undergoing suitable training, etc. to address development need
• Can demonstrate opportunities taken to increase skill levels
• Is interested in training available at all stages of career

Bad indicators

• Displays reluctance to undergo training
• Displays reluctance to acknowledge development needs
• Has only ever undergone training provided by college, employers, etc.
• Displays preference to stay within current ability level

More detailed interview questions

If you struggle with what questions to ask, use the examples below to help select some suitable questions for the role you are recruiting for.

Problem analysis

Identifying problems, relating data from different sources, seeking all relevant information and identifying possible causes.

• How did you set about acquiring/collecting information for analysis on ... project?
• What are some of the different methods you find effective when investigating a problem? Why?
• How did you find out what were the most appropriate sources of data collection for...?
• What problems have you experienced that came as a surprise to you? How much advance notice did you have of the problem? What happened?
• How have you tried to stay attuned to potential problems in your area?
• What were the steps you took after you identified the ... problem?
• What is the biggest hurdle/problem you have faced in recent months? How did you handle it?
• How did you know when you had got to the bottom of ... problem?
• What problems have you recognised before others in the department?
• How do you try to familiarise yourself with the current situation after being away from the office for several days?
• What sources of information do you use to keep aware of problems within your specific sphere of influence?

Teamwork

Participating as a team member - putting in the required effort and communication to ensure that the team is effective.

• Sometimes we have to be members of groups and go along with activities that are of no particular interest. Can you describe a situation like that and the role you played?
• What steps do you take to make sure you play a full part as a member of the ... group/team?
• What type of problems have arisen during a recent team project? What role did you play in tackling them?
• What might be the reason why you might pull out of a team? Can you think of a recent example?
• How do you think you have contributed to your team? Examples
• What do you specifically do in a meeting to draw out the contributions of other members?
• On the ... project, working as a member of the project team, what was your role?
• Which sorts of teams do you enjoy working in the most/least? Why?
• How far have you gone in sacrificing your own personal comfort for the accomplishment of your team? What was the outcome?
• Apart from your immediate team, which other groups do you belong to in the organisation? How do ensure you contribute to those groups?
• What do you consider the benefits are of working in different teams/team structures?

Detail handling

Tolerance for and ability to cope with the detailed tasks and paperwork associated with the job.

• What do you do to ensure you have not lost the essential detail in your work?
• How much detail is involved in what you do? How do you approach it?
• How do you make sure you do not get bogged down in detail?
• When writing a report, which aspects of the work do you enjoy most/least?
• When writing a report, how do you go about reviewing your work?
• What methods do you use to deal with the paperwork in your job?
• Which are the most detailed aspects of your job? How do you handle them? How important are they? How much satisfaction do you get out of them?
• (If appropriate) How do you handle the repetitive aspects of your job?
• How much detail do you like to go into in your work?
• Have you enjoyed the pressures of completing work within time constraints If you were in danger of missing a deadline what would you do

Self-development

Applying effort to developing one's knowledge, skills and abilities.

• How have you tried to develop yourself over the last year? How successful have you been? How do you know? What measures of success have you used?
• What type of self-development activities are you currently engaged in? How do you see these helping fulfil your ambitions?
• How do you make the best use of your strengths at work?
• What areas do you consider to be your weaknesses? What are you doing to address them?
• What do you do to keep up to date technically in your field?
• What actions are you taking to improve your skills, over and above ... ?
• How do you try to compensate for your weaknesses at work?
• What are some recent responsibilities you have taken on of your own accord? Why did you assume the responsibilities?
• How do you measure 'success' in your work?
• What have you done to create learning opportunities for yourself?
• What do you do to get the most out of your studies?
• What do you do to make your learning as rewarding as possible?
• What piece of work have you found most difficult to master? Why?
• How have you tried to get on top of it?
• What have been some of your personal achievements this year? What contributed?
• How do you go about applying knowledge from one situation to another?
• How did it take you to get on top of your current job? What did you do to help you master the situation?