Chapter 15

1. Chapter 15 Interviewing for Employment and Following Up

2. Chapter 15 Objectives • Define employment interview and explain its dual purpose. • Describe briefly what employers look for during an employment interview. • List six tasks involved in preparing for a successful job interview. • Explain three stages of a successful employment interview. • Name six common employment messages that follow an interview.

3. Interviewing Process • Job interviews have a dual purpose: • An organization’s main objective is to find the best person available for the job. • An applicant’s main objective is to find the job best suited to the applicant’s goals and capabilities. • To get one job offer, you’ll need an average of 10 interviews: • Start seeking jobs well in advance of the date you want to start work. • Some seniors start their job search as much as nine months before graduation.

4. Interviewing Process • An employment interview is a formal meeting during which both employer and applicant ask questions and exchange information to see whether the applicant and the organization are a good match. • Before deciding to make a job offer, most employers interview an applicant two or three times: • Preliminary screening interview • Company interview • Final evaluation

5. Typical Hiring Sequence Job acceptance Job offer Final Evaluation In-depth interview Preliminary screening stage

6. Preliminary Screening Stage • Interviews at the preliminary screening stage • Help employers screen out unqualified applicants • Are generally held on campus • Are fairly structured to allow interviewers to ask applicants roughly the same questions

7. Preliminary Screening Stage • Your best approach to interviews at the preliminary screening stage is to • Follow the interviewer’s lead • Keep your responses short and to the point • Try not to talk too much during the short period • Emphasize the theme you used in developing your résumé

8. Company Interview • Interviews held at the company allow organizations to narrow the field a bit further: • Applicants typically talk with several people (a member of the human resources department, one or two potential colleagues, and your potential supervisor). • Applicants might face a panel of several interviewers who ask them questions during a single session.

9. Company Interview • Your best approach to company interviews is to • Show interest in the job • Relate your skills and experience to the organization’s needs • Listen attentively • Ask insightful questions • Display enthusiasm

10. Final Evaluations • Final evaluations • Are conducted by high-ranking executives who can make hiring and compensation decisions • Are often conducted to sell you on the advantages of joining the organization

11. Types of Interviews • Structured – preliminary screening • Open-ended – encourage applicant to talk freely revealing personality • Group – several candidates at same time • Stress – in-basket exercise • Video – try to be natural • Situational – what would you do?

12. What an Employer Looks For • Good fit with the organization • Qualifications for the job • Satisfactory pre-employment testing • Polygraph • Drug or alcohol testing • Physical medical exams • Psychological exams • Job skills testing

13. Pre-employment testing • The chances of being asked to take some form of pre-employment test are 1 in 6 for managerial candidates and 1 in 4 for non-supervisory candidates. • Many of these tests are related to specific job skills. • Drug and alcohol testing is now required by 45 percent of all companies • Medical and psychological exams are administered by some companies • Gene testing is used by some larger firms

14. Preparing for an Interview Think about questions ahead of time • Those that the employer will ask you • Those you want to ask the employer • Are these my kind of people? • Can I do this work? • Will I enjoy the work? • Is the job what I want? • Does the job pay what I’m worth? • What kind of person will I be working for? • What sort of future can I expect with the company?

15. For the Interview Bolster your confidence Polish your interviewing style Look great Be ready when you arrive

16. Interviewing for Success • How you handle yourself during an interview depends on where you are in the process: • In an initial screening interview, try to differentiate yourself from other candidates by calling attention to one key aspect of your background. • In a company interview, give the interviewer the whole story, touching briefly on all your strengths and explaining three or four of your best qualifications in depth—while at the same time probing for information that will help you evaluate the organization. • In a final interview, both you and the employer need to find out whether there is a good psychological fit, so be honest about your motivations and values.

17. Interviewing for Success • Every interview proceeds through three stages: • The warm-up • The question-and-answer session • The close

18. Warm-up • The warm-up is the most important of the three stages: • An interviewer makes 50 percent his or her hiring decision in the first 30 to 60 seconds (and another 25 percent within 25 minutes). • If you get off to a bad start, it’s extremely difficult to turn the interview around. • Body language is extremely important during this first stage.

19. Warm-up • During the warm-up, sell yourself nonverbally: • Use the interviewer’s name (if you’re sure you can pronounce it correctly). • Make your handshake firm but gentle. • Wait until you are asked to be seated. • Let the interviewer start the discussion. • Listen for cues that tell you what the interviewer is interested in knowing about you.

20. Question & Answer • The question-and-answer stage takes up the greatest part of the interview: • The interviewer asks you questions about your qualifications. • You ask the interviewer your preplanned questions about the organization.

21. Question & Answer • Let the interviewer lead the conversation • Never answer a question before the interviewer finishes asking it • Tailor your answers to make a favorable impression • Pause and think before answering difficult questions • Periodically ask a question or two from the list you’ve prepared • Probe for what the company wants to see in its new employees • Zero in on any reservations the interviewer has about you so that you can dispel them

22. Good Listening • Good listening during an interview is as important as good answers. • Be alert to how your comments are being received by noting the interviewer’s • Facial expression • Eye movements • Gestures • Posture

23. Potential Discriminatory Topics • Religion • National origin • Age • Marital status • Information about spouses or children • Height, weight, gender • Health conditions, arrests, or convictions not related to job performance

24. Discriminatory Questions • How you respond to discriminatory questions depends on • How badly you want the job • How you feel about revealing the information asked for • What you think the interviewer will do with the information • Whether you want to work for a company that asks such questions

25. Discriminatory Questions • If you don’t want the job, you can respond to discriminatory questions in ways that will leave unfavorable impressions: • State that you think a particular question is unethical. • Simply refuse to answer. • If you do want the job, you might respond to discriminatory questions by • Asking how the question is related to your qualifications • Explaining that the information is personal • Responding to what you think is the interviewer’s real concern • Answer both the question and the concern

26. The Closing • The close of an interview is more important than its duration would indicate: • You need to evaluate how well you’ve done. • You need to correct any misconceptions the interviewer might have.

27. The Closing • To conclude gracefully, • Respond promptly, but don’t rush • Be sure to thank the interviewer for the opportunity • Express an interest in the organization • Try to pin down what will happen next • Don’t press for an immediate decision

28. The Closing • If the interview ends with an offer of employment, you may either • Accept it • Request time to think it over (the best course) • If you receive a job offer, you’ll want to discuss salary: • Let the interviewer raise the subject. • If asked your requirements, say that you expect to receive the standard salary for the job in question. • If you have added qualifications, point them out.

29. The Closing • When discussing salary in the United States, it is perfectly acceptable to ask whether there is any room for negotiation, especially if • You’re in a good bargaining position • The organization has the flexibility to accommodate you • Your skills are in short supply • You have several other offers • You’re the favorite candidate and the organization is booming

30. The Closing • Remember that many organizations have rigid salary practices, especially at the entry level. • Instead of bargaining for money, you might want to negotiate benefits such as • Life, health, and disability insurance • Pension and savings plans • Vacation time • Tuition reimbursement

31. Follow-up • Notes can help you refresh your memory of each conversation, so as soon as the interview ends, • Jot down the names and titles of the people you met • Briefly summarize the interviewer’s answers to your questions • Quickly evaluate your performance during the interview • Interview notes • Improve your performance during future interviews • Help you keep track of any follow-up messages you’ll need to send

32. Following up • Following up after the interview • Shows that you really want the job and are determined to get it • Brings your name to the interviewer’s attention once again • Reminds the interviewer that you’re waiting to know the decision

33. Following up • Follow-up messages include the • Thank-you message • Inquiry message • Letter requesting a time extension • Letter of acceptance • Letter declining a job offer • Letter of resignation

34. Thank you Message • In your thank-you message (whether it’s a phone call, an e-mail message, or a letter), • Express your thanks within two days of the interview • Acknowledge the interviewer’s time and courtesy • Restate the specific job you’re applying for • Convey your continued interest • Ask politely for a decision

35. Letter of Inquiry • Send a letter of inquiry when • You haven’t been advised of the interviewer’s decision by the promised date or within two weeks of the interview • You don’t want to accept a second firm’s offer until you have an answer from the first one • For a successful letter of inquiry, • Follow the general plan for a direct request • Assume that a simple oversight (not outright rejection) is the reason for the delay

36. Requesting a Time Extension • If you receive an offer while other interviews are pending, request a time extension: • Preface your request with a friendly opening. • Ask for more time, stressing your enthusiasm for the organization. • Conclude by allowing for a quick decision if your extension request is denied. • Ask for a prompt reply. • Temper your request with statements indicating your continued interest.

37. Letter of Acceptance • When you want to accept an offer, send a letter of acceptance within five days: • Begin by accepting the position and expressing thanks. • Identify the job that you’re accepting. • Cover any necessary details. • Conclude by saying that you look forward to reporting to work. • Convey your enthusiasm and eagerness to cooperate. • Remember that your written acceptance is legally binding.

38. Letter Declining a Job Offer • When writing a letter declining a job offer, • Use the bad-news plan • Open warmly • State the reasons for refusing • Decline the offer explicitly • Close on a pleasant note, expressing gratitude

39. Letter of Resignation • When writing a letter of resignation, • Follow the bad-news plan • Make the letter sound positive • State your intention to leave • Give the date of your last day on the job • Be sure you give your employer at least two weeks’ notice

40. Let’s Discuss Test Your Knowledge • How does a structured interview differ from an open-ended interview and a situational interview? • What typically occurs during a stress interview? • Why do employers conduct preemployment testing? • Why are the questions you ask during an interview as important as the answers you give to the interviewer's questions? • What are the three stages of every interview, and which is the most important?

41. Let’s Discuss Test Your Knowledge continued • How should you respond if an interviewer at a company where you want to work asks you a question that seems too personal or unethical? • What should you say in a thank-you message after an interview? • What is the purpose of sending a letter of inquiry after an interview? • What is the legal significance of a letter of acceptance? • What organization plan is appropriate for a letter of resignation, and why?