JOBTALKS

Three Types of
Interview Methods

Indiana University
Kelley School of Business
C. Randall Powell, Ph.D

Contents used in this presentation are adapted from Career Planning Strategies
and used with the permission of the author.
 Interview Methods
Knowledge Influences
Results
 Three Basic Interview Methods

Traits (very common)

Behavioral (most common for professionals)
Case (least common-professionals only)
Combination of above
 What is a Trait Interview?

It is an interview used to summarize

a person’s characteristics.
Attempts to understand people and
their motivations.
 Trait Interviews
Typical Question
– “What is your best quality?”

Typical Response
– “I’m a people person.”
– “I’m a hard worker.”
 What is a Behavioral
Interview?
It is an interview designed to
probe the skills needed to
perform a specific job.
 Behavior
Anything that a person does
that can be observed and
measured. The focus is to
predict, rather than to
understand a behavior.
 Traits vs. Behavior
Descriptions of Traits Descriptions of Past
– “I am reliable.” Behavior
– “I have only missed one day
– “I am good with people.” of work in 15 years.”
– “Last week, I settled a
dispute between two co-
workers. They now
understand each other’s
– “I am a leader.” differences and are working
well together.”
– I was elected president of
(Student Organization) out of
400 candidates. While I was
president we increased
membership by 20%,
instituted an assessment tool
of our meetings , and
continuously improved the
quality of our meetings.”
 Case Interviews

A way to assess a person’s ability to

synthesize information and recommend a
solution.

Assess Analytical Reasoning Ability

(used to assess high level professionals only)
 Case Interviews

Typical Question
– “If you are the leader of a team and two
members are constantly arguing, how
would you handle the situation?”
Interview Method Comparison
Trait
1. Traits become labels
2. There is a weak link
between data and
prediction
3. It is easy for candidates to
“fake good.”
4. All candidates try to sound 4. Candidates with varying
good, but difficult to
differentiate.
Behavior
1. Behavioral descriptions
discourage labeling,
stereotyping, or snap
judgements.
2. Prediction is directly
related to data.
3. It is difficult for candidates 3. It is difficult to “fake
to “fake good.”
levels of skills are
identified.
Case
1. A case provides data to
assess technical, creativity
and decision making skills.
2. A direct link with ability to
handle a case.
good.”
4. Candidate skills are easily
identified.
 Multinational Organizations
Using Behavioral Interviewing
Arthur Anderson Eli Lilly
McDonalds Coca Cola
J.C. Penney Phillip Morris
Citicorp Motorola
General Motors Ernst & Young
Cummins Engine Kraft Foods
Company

Etc. . . .
Why are so many organizations
using Behavioral Interviewing?

Improves the hiring decisions

Improves retention
Reduces discrimination
Lowers recruiting costs
 What Process Does An
Organization Use?

Consensus meeting
Rate skills
Conduct interviews
Develop questions
Select critical skills
Job analysis
 Starting Point: Job Analysis

Talk to subject matter experts

(managers, peers, etc.)
Determine key responsibilities
Identify technical/job skills versus
performance skills
Job analysis is typically done by the
HR department
Example: Business Analyst
at Target Corporation
Position: Business Analyst

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Inventory Management: Manages department(s) inventory to achieve department turnover goals. Manages
the Open to Buy (OTB) dollars and directs the inventory adjustments required to maximize sales, turnover
and profits.
2. Merchandise Allocation: Manages and maintains effective department(s) product flow and allocation for
assigned product classification by store. Develops effective flow and allocation strategies and completes
analysis of sales history by season, adjacency, planogram, and class category/item. Maintains store in
stocks through the use of Target replenishment systems.
3. Financial Planning: Prepares and reviews with Buyer and seasonal, advertising, monthly sales, markdown
and inventory forecasts and plans for the department(s) or assigned product classifications.
4. Item/Assortment Planning: Directs and provides historical analysis for the development of
department/item/assortment plans to include volume, productivity, trends and “fit.”
5. Communications: Provides responsive communication to Stores, Vendors, Customers, Distribution Centers,
Merchandise Planning, Buying and support pyramids.
6. Vendor Relations: Resolves freight shipment issues to maintain efficient supply of merchandise to the
Stores and Distribution Centers.
7. Special Projects: Participates in special projects and task forces for the company.
What Process Does a Company
Use?

Consensus meeting
Rate skills
Conduct interviews
Develop questions
Select critical skills
Job analysis
 Select Critical Skills
Prioritize top 6-8 technical vs.
performance skills
Technical skills are specific
knowledge or tools required to
perform the job
Performance skills are transferable
skills that can be used on any job
Develop definitions for each skill
Examples of Technical Skills

University Degree in ______

Excel, Dreamweaver, Java
CPA or CMA or JD
Language exams
Licenses
 Select Critical Skills
Prioritize top 6-8 technical vs.
performance skills
Technical skills are specific
knowledge or tools required to
perform the job
Performance skills are transferable
skills that can be used on any job
Develop definitions for each skill
Examples of Performance Skills
Adaptability/flexibility
Teamwork/collaboration
Analytical/problem solving
Leadership
Decision making
Initiative
Continuous learning and
Organization and
growth
planning
Commitment to task/tenacity
People skills/interaction
Communication
Attention to detail
Customer orientation
Assertiveness
Tolerance of ambiguity
Creativity
Goal setting
Versatility
 Merchandising at Target
Headquarters
SKILLS AND ABILITIES DESIRED
•College degree with above average grades
•Excellent analytical skills
•Strong planning and organizational skills
•Excellent verbal and written communication skills
•Strong computer skills in …_________________
•Retail experience or interest
•Demonstrated leadership skills
•Assertive and flexible
 Select Critical Skills
Prioritize top 6-8 technical vs.
performance skills
Technical skills are specific
knowledge or tools required to
perform the job
Performance skills are transferable
skills that can be used on any job
Develop definitions for each skill
 Business Analyst
Characteristics
1) Number Skills - ability to quickly and accurately perform simple
arithmetic computations and recognize relationships between
quantities.

2) Reasoning/Creative Problem Solving Skills - ability to draw accurate

conclusions from quantitative material, to recognize patterns, to go
beyond the numbers to their retail implications, and find the best
solution possible. Ability to “think outside the box.”

3) Perceptiveness and Attention to Detail - tendency to “dig into the

details” thoroughly, ability to recognize important details.

4) Organizing, Prioritizing, and Follow Through - ability to set effective

priorities, keep orderly records, handle many tasks at once without
letting things fall through the cracks, keep track of deadlines, follow-up.
 Business Analyst
Characteristics
5) People Skills - need not to be overly social or outgoing, but must
develop effective working relationships with manager, team members,
merchandising and the field.

6) Assertive Communication Skills (oral and written) - ability to get point

across effectively, concisely and authoritatively.

7) System Aptitude - tolerance of computer work, aptitude to experiment

with systems.

8) Ability to Work Under Pressure - ability to operate effectively under

time constraints, changing priorities and maintain equilibrium under
pressure from others.

9) Motivation - tendency to work hard, put forth extra effort and produce
high volumes of work efficiently.
What Process Does a Company
Use?

Consensus meeting
Rate skills
Conduct interviews
Develop questions
Select critical skills
Job analysis
 Develop Questions
The purpose of questions is to
generate responses that can be used
to evaluate an individuals job-related
skills
Several open ended questions will be
developed for every skill identified
 Examples of Questions

Analytical Skills
– Enumerate the analytical tools with which
you feel competent. Then give me an
example which shows your ability to use
analytical techniques to define problems or
design solutions.
– Give me an example of a time when you
have used tools such as survey data library
research, or statistics.
 Prepare Questions
Decision making
Initiative
Teamwork
Communication
Continuous learning and growth
 Decision Making
- What process do you use to make
decisions?
-- How do you go about collecting data?
--- Who do you involve in making
decisions or collecting data?
---- Give me an example of a
difficult decision you have
made?
 Communication
- What has been your experience in making
presentations or speeches?
-- Tell me about a specific experience of yours
that illustrates your ability to influence
another person?
--- How important are verbal communications
skills?
----What results have you seen from good
communication?
What Process Does a Company
Use?

Consensus meeting
Rate skills
Conduct interviews
Develop questions
Select critical skills
Job analysis
Conduct a 30-minute Interview
Introduction
Overview of company and position
Questioning of candidate skills
Time for candidate to ask questions
Close and next steps
What Process Does a Company
Use?

Consensus meeting
Rate skills
Conduct interviews
Develop questions
Select critical skills
Job analysis
 Analytical Skill Question
Question:
Enumerate the analytical tools with
which you feel competent. Then give
me an example which shows your
ability to use analytical techniques to
define problems or design solutions.
 Examples of Answers:
I’m good at Excel and have done
several spreadsheets during my
internship.
 Examples of Answers:
I’m proficient at Excel, and many other
software programs. During my internship
this summer with Supercorp, I realized that
the profit margins were low on several
products. I created a spreadsheet for all
products that showed gross sales,
allowances, net sales, COGS, and gross
margin by product. The controller liked it so
well that I was asked to present it to the
sales team and explain what the data meant
and how they could use it while making their
sales decisions.
Which response is best and
why?
 STAR
Situation/Task
–Explains the circumstances
Action
–Describes what the person did
Result
–Describes the outcome of the
action
 Examples of Answers:
I’m good at Excel and have done
several spreadsheets during my
internship.

Situation/Task - Poor
Action - Weak
Result - None
 Examples of Answers:
I’m proficient at Excel, and many other
software programs. During my
internship this summer with
Supercorp, I realized that the profit
ST margins were low on several products.
I created a spreadsheet for all products
that showed gross sales, allowances,
A net sales, COGS, and gross margin by
product. The controller liked it so well
that I was asked to present it to the
R sales team and explain what the data
meant and how they could use it while
making their sales decisions.
 Interview Rating Sheet
Position _________________ Name of Candidate __________________
Date ___________________ Name of Interviewer __________________

The Performance Skills Strong A lot of Some Little No

to be evaluated include: Evidence Evidence Evidence Evidence Evidence

1. _________________
2. _________________
3. _________________
4. _________________
5. _________________
6. _________________
 Interview Rating Sheet
The Technical/Job Skills Strong A lot of Some Little No
to be evaluated include: Evidence Evidence Evidence Evidence Evidence

1. _________________
2. _________________
3. _________________
4. _________________
5. _________________
6. _________________

Recommendation: Hire/Promote ________ Not Hire/Promote _______

Reason for Recommendation:_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
What Process Does a Company
Use?

Consensus meeting
Rate skills
Conduct interviews
Develop questions
Select critical skills
Job analysis
 Consensus Meeting
Candidates
Skills Joe Lisa Chris John Sarah

Analytical
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________

Total:
 Interview Tips
Advance Preparation
– Research company & industry
– Know your goals
– Know yourself
Turn a Trait Interview into a Behavioral
Interview
Prepare Star Responses
Prepare Questions
If you would like to
learn more, Career
Planning
Strategies textbook
will supply additional
information on this
topic.