COMMUNICATION FOR

EMPLOYMENTBY MALLIKA SARNA AND PAMELA KUNDU (MJMC 1ST YEAR)

WHAT IS AN INTERVIEW?

The word interview comes from Latin and middle French words meaning to “see between” or “see each other”. Generally, interview means a private meeting between people when questions are asked and answered.

The person who answers the questions of an interview is called in interviewer. The person who asks the questions of our interview is called an interviewer.

It suggests a meeting between two persons for the purpose of getting a view of each other or for knowing each other.

According to Thill and Bovee, “An interview is any planed conversation with a

specific purpose involving two or more people”.

PURPOSE OF INTERVIEWS. . .

An interview is a two way exchange, a conversation,in which both participants have some goals.

The interviewer wants to determine:

Can the candidate do the job?

Will the candidate fit in?

Is this the best candidate for the position?

The Interviewee wants to determine :

Do I want this job?

Can I do this job?

Does this job offer me opportunities I want for advancement?

TYPES OF INTERVIEWS. . .

There are many types of interviews that an organization can arrange. It depends on the objectives of taking the interview. Some important types of interviews are stated below:

Personal interviews: Personal interviews include:

Selection of the employees

Promotion of the employees

Retirement and resignation of the employees

Of course, this type of interview is designed to obtain information through discussion and observation about how well the interviewer will perform on the job.

Evaluation interviews: The interviews which take place annually to review the progress of the interviewee are called the evaluation interviews. Naturally, it is occurring between superiors and subordinates. The main objective of this interview is to find out the strengths and

weaknesses of the employees.

Persuasive interviews: This type of interview is designed to sell someone a product or an idea. When a sales representative talk with a target buyer, persuasion takes the form of convincing the target that the product or idea meets a need.

Structured interviews: Structured interviews tend to follow formal procedures; the interviewer follows a predetermined agenda or questions.

Unstructured interviews: When the interview does not follow the formal rules or procedures. It is called an unstructured interview. The discussion will probably be free flowing and may shift rapidly form on subject to another depending on the interests of the interviewee and the interviewer.

Counseling interviews: This may be held to find out what has been troubling the workers and

why someone has not been working.

Disciplinary interviews: Disciplinary interviews are occurring when an employee has been accused of breaching the organization’s rules and procedures.

Stress interviews: It is designed to place the interviewee in a stress situation in order to observe the interviewees reaction.

Public interviews: These include political parties’ radio-television and newspaper.

Informal or conversational interview: In the conversational interview, no predetermined questions are asked, in order to remain as open and adaptable a possible to the interviewee’s nature and priorities; during the interview the interviewer “goes with the flow”.

General interview guide approach: The guide approach is intended to ensure that the same general areas of information are collected from each interviewee this provides more focus than the conversational approach but still allows a degree of freedom and

adaptability in getting the information from the interviewee.

Standardized or open-ended interview: Here the same open-ended questions are asked to all interviewees; this approach facilitates faster interviews faster interviews that can be more easily analyzed and compared.

Closed or fixed-response interview: It is an interview where all interviewers ask the same questions and asked to choose answers from among the same set of

alternatives. This formal is useful for those not practiced in interviewing.

FUNDAMENTALS OF FACING AN

INTERVIEW . . .

You have just been invited to an interview with your dream company. It does not matter where you went to school, the number of degrees you may hold, the experience you have or whom you know; if you are unable to do the interview successfully, you will not get the job. Try following the tips below and you will not only be well prepared but also present yourself as a true professional.

Research the Company: Do your homework, e.g. go to the company's website and read about their vision, mission, strategy, products, finances, departments, competitive advantages, competitors etc.etc. If the company does not have a web presence look them up at the library, call the Chambers of Commerce, and find out everything you can about them.

Dress for Success: The way you dress makes a statement about yourself. Avoid bright colours and loud jewellery. Regardless of the job that you are applying for, it is a good idea to wear a neat and clean suit, even in a casual business environment.

Prepare your Introduction & Key points:

* The introductory speech is your two minute opportunity to enlighten the interviewer about yourself and what you have to offer.

* Be prepared to talk about any career changes you may have had.

* Make a list of your main strengths and the things you are currently

working on towards your professional growth, with examples of each.

* Be also prepared to talk about your weaknesses and how you are

trying to overcome them.

* Smile, be natural and speak with confidence. Practice in front of the

* mirror if necessary.

Identify Achievements: Employers want to know how hiring you will make their organisation better and contribute to their overall success.

Be Open and Honest: When responding to the employer's questions, tell the truth! If you made a mistake, say it in a positive way, accept responsibility for it, and explain how you have benefited from the experience & what you have learnt. Do not pretend to be something that you are not, it will not work!

Do not talk Salary or Benefits: The goal is to get as many options going as possible so do not talk about compensation at this stage, as it can be a knockout factor. Sell to the employer all that you can do for them. If they are interested they will make an offer and it is at that stage that you start negotiating those issues.

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

COMPONENT IN AN INTERVIEW

There are five key elements...that can either help you to get success in an interview or break your attempt..

Eye contact

Gestures

Movement

Posture

EYE CONTACT

Eye contact:

Good eye contact helps your audience develop trust in you, thereby helping you and your message appear credible. Poor eye contact does exactly the opposite.

So what IS 'good' eye contact?

People rely on visual clues to help them decide on whether to attend to a message or not. If they find that someone isn't 'looking' at them when they are being spoken to, they feel uneasy.

So it is a wise business communicator that makes a point of attempting to engage every

member of the audience by looking at them.

GESTURES

Most of us, when talking with our friends, use our hands and face to help us describe an event or object—powerful nonverbal aids.

We wave our arms about, turn our hands this way and that, roll our eyes, raise our eyebrows, and smile or frown.

Yet many of us also, when presenting to others in a more formal setting, 'clam up'.

Our audience of friends is no different from our business audience—they all rely on our face and hands (and sometimes legs, feet and other parts of us!) to 'see' the bigger, fuller picture.

It is totally understandable that our nervousness can cause us to 'freeze up', but is in our and our communication's best interests if we manage that nervousness, manage our fear of public speaking, and use our body to help emphasise our point.

MOVEMENT

Ever watch great presenters in action—men and women who are alone on the stage yet make us laugh, cry and be swept along by their words and enthusiasm? Watch them carefully and you'll note that they don't stand rigidly in one spot. No, they bounce and run and stroll and glide all around the stage.

You can use your body to communicate positively with the audience by following Hamlet's advice to suit the action to the word and the word to the action through natural, not mechanical body movements.

Repetitive, unnecessary movements such as pacing, swaying back and forth, or bobbing your head up and down can distract the audience from your message.

The gesture is subordinate to the message. The gesture is the physical, outward effect which is connected to a thought or emotional impulse.

Make sure that the audience can see your hands above the lectern. Hold you hands at least waist-high and make sure to put your notes or other objects on the lectern or podium so your hands are free to move.

POSTURE

There are two kinds of 'posture' and it is the wise communicator that manages and utilizes both.

The first type of 'posture' is the one we think of intuitively—the straight back versuesthe slumped shoulders; the feet-apart confident stance verses the feet together, hand-wringing of the nervous; the head up and smiling versus the head down and frowing.

For example, stand upright, shoulders straight, head up and eyes facing the front. Wear a big smile. Notice how you 'feel' emotionally.

Now—slump your shoulders, look at the floor and slightly shuffle your feet. Again,

take a note of your emotional state.

The second type of 'posture' comes from your internal mental and emotional states.

You can have great body posture but without internal mental and emotional posture your words will sound hollow to your audience.

For example, the used car salesman at 'Dodgy Brothers Motors' might have great body posture and greet you with a firm handshake, a steady gaze and a friendly smile. But if in his heart he is seeing you as just another sucker then sooner or later his internal conflict between what he says and what he really thinks will cause him to 'trip up'.

His body will start betraying his real, underlying intentions and you'll start to feel uncomfortable around him, even if you can't figure out why.

But, if that same used car salesman had a genuine desire to help you find the right car for you, and he puts your needs before his own, then his words and actions will remain congruent with his underlying intentions and you will trust him, even though you might not be able to identify why.

Non-verbal communication is an extremely complex yet integral part of overall communication skills. However, people are often totally unaware of their non-verbal behaviour.

A basic awareness of non-verbal communication strategies, over and above what is actually said, can help to improve interaction with others. Knowledge of these signs can be used to encourage people to talk about their concerns and can lead to a greater shared understanding, which is, after all, the purpose of communication.

INTERVIEW ETIQUETTES

Interview Etiquette Before the Interview

First impressions are lasting impressions:

Brush your teeth and use a mouthwash.

Your hair should be clean and combed.

Nails should be clean and trimmed.

Wear dress shoes. Your shoes should be clean and/or shined.

Arrive at least 15 minutes before your interview. The extra minutes will also give time to fill out any forms or applications that might be required.

Don't take your cell phone with you. If you have to have your cell phone, turn the phone off. Do not put your cell phone on vibrate.

Don't assume that whoever greets you is the receptionist.

Interview Etiquette During the Interview

Make a positive and professional first impression by being assertive and giving a firm handshake to each interviewer and addressing each interviewer by name as he or she is introduced.

Smile. When you smile you'll look more relaxed and confident. Plus, you'll feel more relaxed.

Reinforce your professionalism and your ability to communicate effectively by speaking clearly and avoiding "uhs", "you knows", and slang.

Use appropriate working. You won't receive extra points for each work that has more than 10 letters. Use technical terms only when appropriate to the question.

Ask questions. Your first question should not be "Do you validate parking?".

Interview Etiquette After the Interview

Shake each interviewer's hand and thank each interviewer by name.

Send a thank you note (not an e-mail) as soon after the interview as possible.