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Interview Methods

Indiana UniversityKelley School of BusinessC. 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

Interview Methods

Traits Behavioral Case 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

– “I am reliable.”

– “I am good with people.”

– “I am a leader.”

Descriptions of Past Behavior– “I have only missed one day of

work in 15 years.”– “Last week, I settled a dispute

between two co-workers. They now understand each other’s differences and are working well together.”

– I was elected president of Toastmasters out of 40 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.

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 Behavior Case 1. Traits become labels 1. Behavioral descriptions

discourage labeling,stereotyping, or snapjudgements.

1. A case provides data toassess technical, creativityand decision making skills.

2. There is a weak linkbetween data andprediction

2. Prediction is directlyrelated to data.

2. A direct link with ability tohandle a case.

3. It is easy for candidates to“fake good.”

3. It is difficult for candidatesto “fake good.”

3. It is difficult to “fakegood.”

4. All candidates try to soundgood, but difficult todifferentiate.

4. Candidates with varyinglevels of skills areidentified.

4. Candidate skills are easilyidentified.

Companies Using Behavioral Interviewing Arthur Anderson McDonalds J.C. Penney Citicorp General Motors Cummins Engine

Company

Eli Lilly Coca Cola Phillip Morris Motorola Ernst & Young Kraft Foods

Etc. . . .

Why are companies using Behavioral Interviewing?

Improves the hiring decisions Improves retention Reduces discrimination Lowers recruiting costs

What Process Does a Company Use?

Job analysis

Consensus meetingRate skills

Conduct interviewsDevelop questions

Select critical skills

Job Analysis

Talk to subject matter experts (managers, peers, etc.)

Determine key responsibilities Identify technical/job skills versus

performance skills

Merchandising at Target HeadquartersPosition: Business Analyst

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES1. 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.


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

Business Degree Excel or Lotus 123 CPA or CMA






Examples of Performance Skills

Adaptability/flexibility Analytical/problem solving Decision making Continuous learning and

growth Commitment to task/tenacity Communication Customer orientation Tolerance of ambiguity Goal setting

Teamwork/collaboration Leadership Initiative Organization and planning People skills/interaction Attention to detail Assertiveness Creativity Versatility

Merchandising at Target Headquarters

SKILLS AND ABILITIES DESIRED

•College degree with GPA of 3.0 or above

•Excellent analytical skills

•Strong planning and organizational skills

•Excellent verbal and written communication skills

•Strong computer skills

•Retail experience or interest

•Demonstrated leadership skills

•Assertive and flexible






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.


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

– 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.

Analytical Skills

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?


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


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.


I’m proficient at Excel, Lotus 123, 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?

STARSituation/Task

– Explains the circumstances

Action– Describes what the person did

Result– Describes the outcome of the action


I’m good at Excel and have done several spreadsheets during my internship.

Situation/Task - PoorAction - WeakResult - None


I’m proficient at Excel, Lotus 123, 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.

ST

A

R

Interview Rating SheetPosition _________________ Name of Candidate __________________Date ___________________ Name of Interviewer __________________

The Performance Skills Strong A lot of Some Little Noto 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 Noto be evaluated include: Evidence Evidence Evidence Evidence Evidence

1. _________________2. _________________3. _________________4. _________________5. _________________6. _________________

Recommendation: Hire/Promote ________ Not Hire/Promote _______

Reason for Recommendation:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Job analysis




Consensus Meeting

CandidatesSkills Joe Lisa Chris John Sarah

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Total:

Analytical

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.

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