A Note on Interviewing

By
Asif Ali Rahman
 Introduction
• Interviewee’s Feelings
– Anger or Hostile Attitude
– A feeling of awkwardness
– Fright
– Defensive Behavior

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 Common Problems in
Recruiting Interviews
Problems for Causes
Interviewees
Unable to present self Does not recognize
implications of 30-minute
interview
Tries to do too much Does not recognize
screening purpose of first
interview
Calculated & Guarded Assumes goals of both
parties are in conflict
Angry at interviewer Assumes interviewer will be
competent
Anger creates poor Is unaware of organizational
impression and situational constraints
on interviewer
Stresses wrong things Incorrect assumptions about
interviewer’s criteria
Highly anxious in Bad history in interviews,
interview assumes stakes are gigantic
Judges & rejects Fear of rejection
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interviewer quickly © 2006 by Asif Ali Rahman
Appropriate Action
Prepare
Recognize purpose of the
first interview
Recognize mutual desire to
find a “good fit”
Understand the
interviewer’s frame of ref.
Assume interviewer wants
to do a good job, but is
operating within constraints
Try to get some idea in
advance
Know the company, self
Be aware of fear / realistic
3
 People who are confident in
knowing who they are and what
they want invariably feel more
relaxed going into interviews than
people who don’t
 What made the Best
Interviews
1. Interviewee knew about the company
2. Interviewee had specific career goals
3. Interviewee knowledgeable
4. Interviewee socially adept
5. Interviewee articulate

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The Most Commonly asked
Questions
1. Goals and purposes—Life purposes—Career
objectives
2. Type of work desired—Kind of job—Job expectations
3. Reasons for selection of company—Knowledge of
company
4. Personal qualifications—Strengths and weaknesses
5. Career choice—Reasons for decisions
6. Qualifications for the job—How college education has
prepared the candidate
7. Educational choices and plans—Choice of college—
Choice of major
8. Geographical preferences—Willingness to relocate
9. Major achievement and accomplishments

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Question frequently asked
by Interviewers
• Stress Interview Questions
– Given your background, you don’t seem to be
qualified for this job.
– People like you (on whatever dimension) have
never done well in our firm. Why do you think
you will?
– We aren’t hiring this year, just keeping in
touch.
– We only take the best people. What makes
you think you measure up?
– I think you are wrong.

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Question frequently asked
by Interviewers
• Skill Questions
– How do you calculate ROI?
– What is PIMS and how would you use it in this
job?
– What is the corporation’s liability under Title
IX?
– What would OSHA (or other related regulatory
agencies) say about that?
– How would you assess the future of this
industry given the current situation?

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Question frequently asked
by Interviewers
• Open-ended Questions
– Tell me about yourself.
– How do you know about our company.
– What is important for us to talk about
today?
– What do you plan to do in this industry?
– What else would you like to know? Or
talk about?
– What questions do you have?

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Question frequently asked
by Interviewers
• Person-Job fit Questions
– This job demands assertiveness. Are
you assertive? What are your strengths
and weaknesses?
– What kind of person do you think would
succeed in our company? Could you?

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 Types of Interviews
• Screening Interview
– Saves organization’s and manager’s
time and money
– Try not to get into too much depth

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 Types of Interviews
• Decision Interviews
– Interviewer: Do I want to hire this person?
– Make your full “Sales Presentation”
– It is very important to go into detail

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 Types of Interviews
• Data-Gathering Interviews
– Interviewers are more casual and less
prepared for the interview
– Interviewer: What’s it going to be like
here, if this person is hired?
– Don’t go into too much detail, just
develop a rapport with the person

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 An Interviewer’s
Perspective
• Don’t be arrogant
• Know about yourself
• Know about the company
• Know about the industry
• Know what you want (life, career
goals)
• Be yourself (Don’t be artificial)

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 The company needs to sell
itself, the candidate also needs
to sell himself/herself
 Interview Structure
• Greetings and introductions 1-3 minutes
• Recruiter’s questions and candidate’s
responses 5-10 minutes
• Recruiter’s summary question or comment

1-3 minutes
• Agreement on the nature and timing of the
next step 1-3 minutes
• Goodbyes 1 minute
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Getting a Commitment
• Interviewee: always ask for commitment
at the end of interview
• Ask the employer to clarify the process
– When will you make a decision as to
whether a job offer will be made?
– How is that decision reached?
– When will I hear from you next?

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 After the Interview
• Maintain a log of your interviews

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