 FINDING THE RIGHT EMPLOYEE - Behavior Descriptive
Interviewing
By Brenda Olinek, Path Seekers As
a business owner, you want to ensure sustainable success as your company grows. Finding
the RIGHT employee is crucial to this success. In his book, 'Knock 'em Dead, the
Ultimate Job Seekers Handbook', Martin Yates describes what it is like to be on 'The
Other Side of the Desk'. Yates states that, "the average interviewer dreads
the meeting almost as much as the interviewee…" The following, according to
Yates, are some points to help you become a 'Skilled Interviewer' instead of an 'Unconsciously
Incompetent' interviewer.
Strategize: Know what you want to discover in the interview.
Take the time to Plan. Follow a structured format. This usually includes a welcome and
some small talk, an outline of the steps of the interview, and specific questions. These
question will ask about the candidates work history and experience, plus give them an
opportunity to ask questions. It is important to ask every candidate the same questions in
the same order.
What do you need to know in order to develop this structured interview
format? Develop a well-thought out job description. Remember to include specific skills
relevant to the position, such as bookkeeping experience. Don't forget to include less
tangible skills and characteristics, such as punctuality and self-confidence. Make a list
of these skills and characteristics in order of importance.
Design questions to ask during the interview that will identify and
verify each skill and characteristic.
So how do you go about designing these questions? Many
employers find 'Behavior Descriptive Interviewing' - (BDI)
effective. BDI is based on the premise that past behavior is an indication of future
behavior. These questions often begin with phases such as, "Tell me about a
time", or, "Describe a problem or situation when…"
Following a greeting and small talk, a common first question is, "Tell me a bit
about yourself." This gives the candidate an opportunity to share important
information that they feel is relevant. For the interviewer, their answer is usually a
good indication of how much thought they have put into preparing for the interview.
Now is a good time to outline the steps of the interview. You may
choose to say, "I will be using a structured format for the interview today. I
have a number of questions that I will be asking every person being interviewed and would
like you to answer each question using a real life example. By this I mean I want you to
give an example of a situation, what action you took, and then outline the result." Let
them know that it is fine to take some time to think about their answers and ask if they
have any questions about the format you have described.
Now it is time to ask the questions you have
designed to help you 'Find the RIGHT Employee'. Remember, this is crucial to for
sustainable company success. Following is a list of some BDI questions I use in interviews
and interview training sessions:
•Describe a time when you have had to deal with a disgruntled
customer.
•Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a decision your
supervisor
made.
•Tell me about a period of time when you had to deal with a lot of
stress.
•Tell me about a time when you had to work as part of a team. What
was the
project, how many members on the team and what was the
outcome?
•Describe the supervisor that you enjoyed working with. Provide
examples
of why you enjoyed this relationship.
•Describe the supervisor you least liked working with. Provide
examples of
why you did not enjoy this relationship.
•Tell me about a time when you had to juggle a number of things at
the same
time.
There are a number of great books and videos available to help you
conduct interviews; some of these are specific to behavior descriptive interviews. Take a
few minutes to choose one that fits for your specific industry. Investing time and money
to have relevant resources at your fingertips, and planning carefully before you hire, is
imperative if you are serious about wanting to 'Find the RIGHT Employee'.
Brenda Olinek of Path Seekers is a career & leadership
coach & trainer. Brenda helps individuals &organizations reach their full
potential & live their dreams. Brenda can be reached at 403.271.7205 or olinekb@cadvision.com |
