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36

Interviewing15

This chapter is dedicated to something that will be o great importance through-out your proessional lieinterviews. An interview is a goal-driven transactioncharacterized by questions and answers, clear structure, control, and imbalance.

An interview is usually a dyadic transaction, meaning that it takes place between twopeople. A talk show host asking questions o a celebrity would be one example o a dyadicinterview. Sometimes, however, a person may be interviewed by two or more peopleor in a panel situation. Consider, or instance, when someone testifes beore Congress

and is asked a series o questions by a panel o senators. We introduce various types ointerviews in this chapter, but we primarily ocus on employment interviews, sincethose are the types o interviews the majority o people reading this book are most con-cerned about at this point in their lives.

Interviews share many characteristics with other types o communication. Certainly,all o the properties o communication discussed throughout the book remain intact.Communication within an interview is transactional and symbolic (both verbal andnonverbal), requires meaning, is both presentational and representational, and takesmuch or granted. An interview requires eective listening (engaged, relational, andcritical) on the part o everyone involved in order to be successul. Furthermore, iden-tity, relational, and cultural work are all being conducted during an interview. There are

certain characteristics, though, that make interviews very unique types o communica-tion, and we will examine those later.This chapter ultimately ocuses on how to conduct and participate in employment

interviews. We begin by discussing the preparation or an interview. We then exam-ine what must take place during the beginning o an interview. Next, we explore whathappens during the question-and-answer portion o an interview. From an inter-viewer standpoint, we discuss developing dierent types o questions, sequencing the

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THE BASICS OF COMMUNICATION368

questions, directive and nondirective questioning, and avoiding illegal questions. Froman interviewee standpoint, we discuss adjusting the interview rame or greater success,learning rom successul and unsuccessul interviews, answering common interviewquestions, and handling illegal questions. We then examine what must take place dur-ing the conclusion o an interview. We next discuss the responsibilities o interviewers

and interviewees ollowing an interview. Finally, since most people will not be invitedto interview with an organization without an eective cover letter and rsum, wediscuss the construction o these vital application tools.

1. What are the characteristics of an interview?

2. What are the types of interviews?

3. What are the preinterview responsibilities of interviewers and

interviewees?

4. How should a person begin an employment interview?

5. What types of questions and questioning styles may an interviewer use?

6. How should interviewees respond to questions during an interview?

7. How should a person conclude an employment interview?

8. What are the postinterview responsibilities of interviewers and interviewees?

9. What are a cover letter and rsum?

Focus Questions

Characteristics of an Interview

Interviews encompass unique characteristics that distinguish them rom other typeso communication. In what ollows, we examine ive characteristics o interviews:(1) goal-driven, (2) questionanswer, (3) structured, (4) controlled, and (5) unbalanced.

Goal-Driven

Interviews are generally more goal-driventhan other types o communication, especiallythose taking place between two people. All communication achieves something beyondthe simple exchange o symbols, but these achievements and creations are not always pur-poseul and intended. Interviews have a clear purpose, a goal to be achieved. Inormationmay be desired, a problem may need to be resolved, persuasion may be desired, someone

may need assistance with a personal problem, or an employer may be seeking the bestperson or a job opening and a potential employee may be looking or a good employer.

QuestionAnswer

Another characteristic o interviews is the questionanswernature o the transaction.The majority o an interview consists o one person (sometimes more than one) asking

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Chapter 15 n Interviewing 36

questions and another person answering those questions. Everyday communicationincludes occasional questions and answersespecially i people are getting to knowone anotherbut not to the extent o an interview. Furthermore, in most everydaycommunication, it is not usually the case that one person is in charge o asking thequestions while the other person is in charge o answering them.

Structured

Interviews also tend to be more structuredthan other types o communication.Whereas a casual interaction between two people may happen spontaneously and haveno clear ocus, interviews involve planning and preparation and also tend to have a clearsequence. Certain actions are expected during an interview in order to reach the clearlydeined goal discussed previously. We write more about the planning and sequence ointerviews later in the chapter.

Controlled

Interviews are generallycontrolledby an interviewer, who is responsible or moving theinterview toward its intended goal. The amount o control exerted during an interviewdepends on this goal, which is achieved in part by the questions asked and the commu-nication environment established. Once again, thisspeciically whether an interviewis characterized as directiveor nondirectiveis a topic we discuss in more detail later inthe chapter.

Unbalanced

A inal characteristic o interviews is that the time spent talking by an interviewee andan interviewer is usuallyunbalanced. Typically, an interviewer will speak or 30% o thetime, and an interviewee will speak or 70% o the time. O course, the type o inter-

view will dictate exactly how much time each party spends talking, but more oten thannot, an interviewee will talk more and an interviewer will talk less.

Types of Interviews

Now that we have discussed the characteristics o an interview, we can examine varioustypes o interviews. You may have already experienced some o these interviews in the pastand will likely encounter them many times throughout both your personal lie and yourproessional lie in the uture. We will begin with the employment interview, since this typeo interview will receive the most attention in the remainder o the chapter. Note that the

irst three types o interviews discussed encompass the workplace. Initial employment is notthe only place you will come across interviews in your proessional lie.

Employment Interviews

When people think o interviews, an employment interview is probably what comesimmediately to mind. Employment interviews are those in which a potential employer

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interviews a potential employee. Both parties have a great deal riding on the success oan interview. The potential employee is not only seeking employment but also deter-mining whether the job is one that would be accepted i oered. The potential employeris searching not only or a qualiied applicant but also or someone who would actuallybeneit the organization. Potential employers also want to convince potential employ-

ees that the position is one they should accept i oered.

Performance Interviews

Also known asperformance reviews,performance interviews are those in which an indi-viduals activities and work are discussed. These interviews are most oten conductedbetween employees and supervisors, but you may also experience them in educationaland other settings. For instance, students requently discuss their progress toward adegree with an advisor or perhaps even a committee o proessors. In both situations, apersons strengths and weaknesses are discussed with the ultimate goal being to improvehis or her perormance. Naturally such interviews can be stressul, but they can alsoprovide people with valuable inormation that can be used to strengthen their peror-

mance and to help them achieve personal and proessional goals. These interviews arealso an opportunity or the goals and culture o an organization to be reinorced.

Exit Interviews

Exit interviews are those that occur when a person chooses to leave a place o employ-ment. The conventional wisdom is that someone who is leaving may be more likely to pro-

vide honest answers about organizationalcultures, policies, supervisors, compensa-tion, and other aspects o the workplace. Iused correctly, these interviews can provideemployers with valuable insight that can be

incorporated to improve employee satisac-tion and thus the productivity and successo an organization. These interviews arealso increasingly common in educationand among multiple types o groups, suchas volunteer organizations.

Information-Gaining Interviews

You may have previously experiencedan inormation-gaining i nterview andnot even realized it as such. Information-

gaining interviews are those in which a person solicits inormation rom another per-son. You have likely responded to surveys, which is one orm o inormation-gaininginterview. A doctor asking you about your symptoms during an oice visit would beanother example o this orm o interview. You may conduct inormation-gaining inter-views when preparing speeches and papers or school or work. These sorts o interviewsare also requently seen on webcasts and included in newspapers, magazines, and blogs.

Make Your Case

Do exit interviews provide

accurate and useful

information to employers?

Or will employees

leaving an organization

still hesitate to provide

full disclosure of the positive and negative

aspects of the organization? What factors may

determine whether an exit interview will be

worthwhile?

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Persuasive Interviews

Persuasive interviews are those that have inluence as the ultimate goal. The inter-viewer may appear to be gaining inormation but is actually attempting to inluencethe thoughts or actions o the interviewee. This orm o interview may sound a bitmanipulative and perhaps underhanded, but it is quite common. When salespeopleask your opinion about a product or service, they oten do so in a way that attemptsto sway you toward what they want you to purchase. At other times, what appearsto be a survey is in reality an attempt to persuade. Political workers have requentlybeen accused o dirty tricks under the guise o conducting straightorward surveys.They attempt to plant a seed o doubt or concern in the mind o the interviewee. Forinstance, imagine being asked, I the incumbent were convicted o running a cock-ighting ring, would this inluence your vote in the upcoming election? Dependingon your opinion o roosters or animal cruelty in general, it would or would not aect

your vote, but such questions oten in luence voter perceptions o candidates andresult in rumors being circulated.

Problem-Solving Interviews

When experiencing diiculties or acing anunknown challenge, people may engage in problem-solving interviews, those in which a problem isisolated and solutions are generated. These typeso interviews may be conducted by someone withgreater experience or insight than the personbeing interviewed. Students, or example, may bequestioned by their proessors in order to deter-mine why they may be experiencing diicultiesin a class. Sometimes problem-solving interviews

are conducted by someone with general knowl-edge o a situation but whose resh approach canbe beneicial. For instance, a colleague may beasked to engage in a problem-solving interviewwhen di iculties are encountered with a projectat work. Someone not involved with a situationwill oten provide alternative approaches to solv-ing a problem.

Helping Interviews

Unlike problem-solving interviews, helping interviews are always con-

ducted by someone with expertise in a given area and whose servicesare engaged by someone in need o advice. The most obvious exampleo a helping interview would be a psychologist asking questions o aclient. However, other helping interviews include those conducted bycredit card counselors with people acing a heavy debt load or attorneysadvising clients on legal matters.

Photo 15.1 What is

the difference between

information-gathering

interviews like the

one pictured here and

persuasive interviews?

Is the difference always

obvious to the person

being interviewed?

(See page 404.)

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Preinterview Responsibilities

Having examined the characteristics o interviews and dierent types o interviews, wenow ocus our attention ully on employment interviews. Although other types o inter-

views are important, as mentioned previously employment interviews are likely the mostimportant or people reading this book. The entire employment interview process will bediscussed, rom preinterview responsibilities o both an interviewer and an interviewee topostinterview responsibilities o both an interviewer and an interviewee. Along the way,we will explore the beginning o an interview, how interviewers should ask questions, howinterviewees should answer questions, and how an interview should come to a close. So,lets get started by discussing what should be done in preparation or an interview.

Interviewer Responsibilities

We will begin our discussion o preinterview responsibilities by ocusing on the dutieso an interviewer. There are our primary responsibilities o the interviewer prior to the

interview: (1) reviewing application material, (2) preparing questions and an interviewoutline, (3) gathering materials, and (4) beginning on time.

Review Application Material

The interviewer should review a job candidates application material prior to the inter-view. Accordingly, you should not use the interview itsel to review the applicationmaterial. Doing so conveys a lack o preparation and respect, and it wastes valuabletime that should be used to conduct the interview. Furthermore, as we next discuss,reviewing a job candidates application material should be done beorehand in order todevelop speciic questions to ask each individual interviewee.

Prepare Questions and an Interview Outline

The interviewer should prepare a list o questions in advance o the interview. (Varioustypes o interview questions are discussed later in the chapter.) Preparing questions inadvance helps ensure that the inormation desired rom the job candidate is elicited.It also helps ensure that the interview will be conducted within the proper time con-straints. I multiple job candidates are being interviewed, using common questions willmake it easier to compare and contrast them. However, each interview will demand theinclusion o unique questions adapted to each individual interviewee.

These questions should be included in an interview outline, which reminds theinterviewer o his or her duties during the various parts o an interview. For instance,as we discuss later, an interviewer should provide the interviewee with a purpose and

an agenda at the beginning o an interview and summarize the interview, ask or ques-tions, and preview uture action and the schedule among other tasks in the conclusion.Including these tasks in an interview outline will help make sure they are included dur-ing the interview. We urge you to be diligent in your creation o interview questionsand interview outlines. This task can be the dierence between conducting a successulinterview and conducting a poor interview.

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Gather Materials

The interviewer should gather materials needed or the interview beore the inter-viewee arrives rather than ater he or she arrives. Searching or the application material,interview outline, and writing materials or noteseven i these things are close byindicates a lack o preparation and, consequently, a lack o respect or the interviewee.It also takes up valuable time thatshould be dedicated to conductingthe interview.

Begin on Time

The interviewer should strive tobegin the interview on schedulerather than causing a delay. As withailing to gather materials beore-hand, making the interviewee waitpast the scheduled time is unproes-sional and conveys a lack o respector the interviewee. Avoid sched-uling a meeting or another activ-ity that may run long immediately beore an interview. I multipleinterviews are being conducted during a single day or period, makesure some time is scheduled between them and maintain adherenceto the schedules o the interviews themselves. Ideally, there will beenough time prior to an interview to gather materials and reviewthe application material and enough time ollowing an interview toreview your perormance and evaluate the interviewee.

Interviewee Responsibilities

An interviewee also has responsibilities prior to the interview. There are a totalo seven duties that must be conducted by the interviewee: (1) gathering inormation,(2) preparing questions, (3) practicing, (4) ensuring a proessional personal appearance,(5) bringing materials, (6) arriving on time, and (7) turning o the cell phone.

Gather Inormation

Prior to an employment interview, an interviewee must gather inormation about theorganization, about the proession, and about himsel or hersel. Communication pro-essionals have traditionally ocused on the need to gather inormation about the orga-

nization, but the latter two areas are just as signiicant.Exhibiting knowledge about the organization during the interview will convey

proper preparation, enthusiasm or the position, and a desire to become part o theorganization. As we discuss later in the chapter, exhibiting knowledge about the orga-nization is a distinguishing characteristic o successul interviewees. Such inormationmay include the organizations history, uture plans, challenges, accomplishments,

Photo 15.2 The person

in this picture is reviewing

application material prior

to interviewing a job

candidate. What are the

other responsibilities of

an interviewer prior to the

interview? (See page 404.)

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and other characteristics. Exhibiting knowledge about the proession during the inter-view will also be beneicial. A job candidate will most likely possess knowledge aboutthe proession beore gathering inormation. However, it is especially important thatinterviewees appear knowledgeable o the latest developments within the proession.Furthermore, addressing such developments in relation to the organizations needs and

goals will be especially impressive.An interviewee should also gather inormation about himsel or hersel. Perhaps

gatheris not as appropriate as the termformulate. People already possess knowledgeand inormation about themselves, but this inormation is not necessarily composed ina way that can be clearly articulated. It may not even be clear to them. When it comesto the interview, though, this inormation needs to be conveyed in a clear and support-ive manner. Accordingly, gathering orormulating inormation about onesel must bedone in preparation or an interview. Table 15.1 oers some questions to help guide thisormulation.

Table 15.1 Formulating Information About Oneself

What are my long-term professional goals? How will they be achieved?

What are my short-term professional goals? How will they be achieved?

What are my greatest achievements? What did I learn from them?

What are my greatest failures? What did I learn from them?

What are my greatest strengths? How am I using them and developing them?

What are my greatest weaknesses? How am I overcoming them?

Why did I choose this profession?

Why do I want this position? How does this position fit with my professional goals?

Why do I want to work for this organization? How does this organization fit with my professional goals?

What professional experiences have made me an ideal candidate for this position?

What education and training have made me an ideal candidate for this position?

What skills make me an ideal candidate for this position?

Prepare Questions

An interviewee should also prepare a list o questions to ask the interviewer concerningthe organization and the position. Questions about the organization could surrounduture goals, organizational structure, perceived challenges and strengths o the orga-nization, organizational culture, and management style. Questions concerning theposition could include such topics as experiences o previous employees, history o theposition, evaluation o perormance, percentage o time devoted to various responsi-bilities o the position, perceived challenges and opportunities o the position, amounto supervision, and why the position is now available.

There are a ew l ines o questioning that should be avoided by an interviewee.Questions deemed illegal when asked by an interviewer should not be asked by aninterviewee. Asking these questions would not result in legal consequences, but

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they are just as discriminatory and inappropriate when asked by an intervieweeas when asked by an interviewer. (We discuss il legal questions later in this chap-ter.) Also, an interviewee should not ask questions with answers available on anorganizations website or in material already provided by the organization. Askingsuch questions would suggest, appropriately, a lack o preparation on the part o an

interviewee. An interviewee should also avoid asking about salary or beneits. Iyou are l ike us, answers to questions about sa lary and bene its would seem helpulin determining whether or not the position would be accepted i oered. However,most proessional cultures deem such questions inappropriate, so it is advisable tonot ask them.

Practice

An interviewee should also practice the interview as part o his or her preparation.Compile a list o questions that you might be asked during an interview. (Some o themost common interview questions are discussed later in this chapter.) Once these ques-tions have been compiled, practice answering them aloud. Having an idea about what

you might say is not su icient. Actua lly articulating your thoughts and hearing thewords come out o your mouth will bet-ter prepare you or the actual interview. Ipossible, have someone else play the roleo the interviewer and ask you questions(some o which may come rom your listand some o which may not). Make theinterview situation as complete and asrealistic as possible, including arrival atthe interview setting, initiating the inter-view, answering the questions, concludingthe interview, and leaving the interview

setting. You may even want to dress as youwill at the actual interview. Practicing willalso enable you to diminish some o thoseunknown elements o interviewing thatoten lead to nervousness and anxiety.

Proessional Personal Appearance

Personal appearanceincluding clothing, hairstyles, tattoos, jewelry, makeup, andhygieneis a relection o how you perceive yoursel, how you wish to be perceived byothers, and your relationship with others. People make judgments, accurately or not,based on the appearance o others. Accordingly, interviewees should strive to convey

credibility and proessionalism through their personal appearance, and should appearin a manner consistent with expectations o the interviewer in order to establish rela-tional connections with him or her. Rather than developing a one-size-its-all modelo interview appearance, it is best to dress according to the position or which you areinterviewing. The general rule o thumb is dressing one step above how you would gen-erally dress or the position i hired. And, when in doubt, it is always better to be over-dressed rather than underdressed.

College Experience

Many schools have career

centers, or similarly named

offices, that provide

assistance for students

when seeking employment.

Among their many services, some even

conduct mock interviews for practice. Westrongly encourage you to seek out such

opportunities on your campus.

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Arrive on Time

Few other behaviors make a worse impressionthan arriving late to an interview. Arriving late notonly is unproessional and disrespectul but alsomay result in decreasing the amount o time avail-able or the interview. O course, arriving too earlymight make an interviewee seem overeager. So, weare not suggesting you arrive 2 hours beore theinterview is scheduled. Planning to arrive 15 min-utes early will enable you to be punctual withoutappearing overly enthusiastic or nervous. I you dohappen to arrive early, use that time to reshen upand review your materials.

Bring Materials

Speaking o materials, an interviewee should bringsome to the interview. You should plan on bringing(1) additional copies o your rsum, (2) paper andwriting utensils, and (3) a list o questions to ask theinterviewer. In most situations, these items should

be housed within a briecase or proessional-looking older. Copies oyour rsum will allow you to provide the interviewer with an additionalcopy i necessary and to review speciic items with the interviewer i he orshe so desires. The paper and writing utensils will allow you to take notesduring the interview. The list o questions exhibits preparation and willenable you to remember speciic questions you want to ask.

For some people, asking them to bring paper and writing utensils might be like

asking them to bring a stone tablet, chisel, and hammer. In other words, it may seemoutdated since these people (perhaps you) primarily record items using a laptop com-puter or PDA (personal digital assistant). At this point, in the majority o workplaces,technological expectations would not include the use o a laptop computer or PDA dur-ing an interview. Accordingly, the interviewer may ind its use strange and perhapseven unproessional. However, perceptions o technology are continuously changing(Chapter 9), and the use o these items may be more acceptable in the near uture.Furthermore, there may be some organizations and industries in which they are accept-able now. The use o these items may also make you appear technologically savvy andprogressive, which could be seen as a bonus by some interviewers. Use your best judg-ment as to whether a laptop computer or PDA would be appropriate, given the expecta-tions o the interviewer and the identity you wish to convey during the interview.

Turn O the Cell Phone

Perceptions o technology are continuously changing, but it will be a long time beorethe ringing o a cell phone is deemed an appropriate occurrence during an employmentinterview. You should turn o your cell phone completely and keep it out o sight dur-ing an interview. Your sole ocus should be on the interviewer and the discussion at

Photo 15.3 If an

interviewee arrives early

for an interview, is it a

good idea for him or her

to catch up on rest while

waiting? (See page 404.)

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hand. We sincerely hope it never happens to you, but i you do orget to turn o yourcell phone during an interview and it happens to ring, quickly apologize to the inter-viewer and turn it o at that time. Do not answer the calleven to tell the person youwill call him or her back. Certainly do not carry on a conversation with the person whocalled. Your proessionalism and respect or the interviewer (along with yoursel) willbe called into question by a ringing cell phone.

Beginning an Employment Interview

Now that the preinterview responsibilities have been accomplished, it is time to beginthe interview. When beginning an interview, the participants must (1) greet oneanother and establish proxemics, (2) negotiate the relational connection and tone o theinterview, and (3) establish the purpose and agenda o the interview.

Much of what is discussed in this chapter involves face-to-face interviews, but you may

also be asked to interview by telephone or webcam. Here are some tips for these types of

interviews.

Telephone Interviews

1. Select a quiet place that is free of potential distractions.

2. Do not eat, drink, or chew gum.

3. Even though the interviewer will not see you smile, doing so will come though in your

voice.

4. Stand or sit up straight in order to strengthen your voice.

5. Avoid nonfluencies such as um and uh, since these are even more obvious over the

telephone.

6. Have your rsum, notes, and other materials available should you need them.

Webcam Interviews

1. Select a quiet place that is free of potential distractions.

2. Test the camera and speaker prior to the interview.

3. Be aware of what appears in the background and remove anything that could be

distracting.

4. Your personal appearance should mirror your appearance for a face-to-face interview.

5. Look directly at the camera, but avoid staring at it, much like you would avoid staring

at someone with whom you are talking face-to-face.

6. Remember that the interviewer may be able to see and hear you prior to and

immediately following the interview.

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Greeting and Establishing Proxemics

Initial impressions have a tremendous impact on perceptions o another person andwhether additional contact is desired. Accordingly, the opening moments are crucial tothe success o an interview, especially or an interviewee.

As an interviewee, you must convey respect or an interviewers space (Chapter 3). I theinterview takes place in an oice, always knock and wait or permission to enter prior to enter-ing, even i the door is open. Unless directed to do otherwise, address the interviewer using hisor her last name and a ormal or proessional title (Dr., Mr., Ms., Your Holiness). Exchangegreetings and introduce yoursel, i necessary, while initiating a proessional handshake withthe interviewer to establish a positive relational connection and to suggest conidence. Shaking

hands with a irm grip while looking theother person in the eye has been shown toincrease ratings o employment suitabil-ity by interviewers (G. L. Stewart, Dustin,Barrick, & Darnold, 2008). Fist bumps orhigh ives are never appropriate, unless the

interviewer is a Wonder Twin or has justcompleted an incredible athletic eat! Waitor the interviewer to direct you to where

you will be positioned during the interview,rather than moving to an area or beingseated beorehand.

As an interviewer, strive to make theinterviewee eel welcomed and appreci-ated through your greeting. Initiate ahandshake, i the interviewee has notalready done so. Prepare in advance

where the interviewee will be positioned or the interview and direct him or her to that

space accordingly. As we discuss, where you and the interviewee are positioned willimpact the relational connection and tone o the interview.

Negotiating Relational Connection and Tone

During most employment interviews, the interviewer possesses more power than theinterviewee. The extent o that power distance and the tone o the interview (or-mal, relaxed, humorous, serious) will be negotiated by the interviewer and inter-

viewee. This negotiation will take placethroughout the course o an interviewbut is oten established during its open-ing moments. Although intervieweesare ree to attempt to develop whateverrelational connection and tone theydesire, it is generally best or them toollow the verbal and nonverbal cues othe interviewer, especially i they wantthe job.

The guidelines offered here are mostappropriate in Western cultures. Be certain to

keep cultural differences involving space and

touch in mind when considering interviews in

other cultural contexts.

Listen in on Your Life

Recall employment interviews in

which you have been either the

interviewee or the interviewer.

Assess which aspects of the

interview went well and which aspects of the

interview needed improvement. As you read this

chapter, consider how your entire performance

could be improved. If you have never participated in

an employment interview, ask someone you know

who has done so to describe his or her interview

experiences to you.

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Verbal cues rom an interviewer will inorm an interviewee o the desired tone andrelationship. I an interviewer asks to be called by his or her irst name, that could bean indication o a relatively relaxed interview context and a sense o equality with theinterviewee. I an interviewer makes a joke at the beginning o an interview, that mightalso be an indication o a generally relaxed interview context. Sel-disclosure, or per-

haps even sel-deprecation, may be an indication o a desire or equality. An interviewermay very well verbally announce a desire or a relaxed interview context. I an inter-viewer does none o these things or does not verbally indicate inormality or equality inother ways, he or she probably expects a ormal, traditional interview context.

Accompanying nonverbal cues rom an interviewer will also inorm an intervieweeo the desired tone and relationship. Smiling along with other positive nonverbal behav-iors will certainly indicate a dierent tone than would rowning and other negativenonverbal behaviors. Beyond these cues, however, the placement o an interviewee inrelation to the interviewer may indicate the degree o ormality o the interview and therelational connection the interviewer wishes to develop. For instance, an interviewerseated on one side o a desk and an interviewee seated on the other side would indicate amore ormal interview and a less equal relationship. On the other hand, an interviewer

seated next to an interviewee, perhaps on chairs positioned at right angles with oneanother, would indicate a more relaxed interview and a more equal relationship.

Establishing Purpose and Agenda

Establishing the purpose and agendais the responsibility o the interviewer.The purpose o an employment inter-view is ai rly obvious, but establishingthe agenda is especially important. As aninterviewer, you should inorm the inter-viewee how long the interview will take

place. You may also want to preview theareas o questioning or other eatures tomake an interviewee more comortablethrough the partial removal o unknownvariables. Doing so also establishes yourexpectations as an interviewer o how the interview will be conducted.

Asking the Questions During an Employment Interview

Now that the interview has begun, it is t ime to address the matter o questions andanswers. We irst examine the types o questions that an interviewer can ask duringthe interview and then examine dierent styles o questioning. You may be at the pointin your proessional lie where you are more concerned about being an intervieweethan an interviewer. However, even i this is the case, you may very well be conductinginterviews in the uture. Further, knowing what the interviewer is doing will help youimmensely as an interviewee.

Dont forget to genuinely smile during your

next employment interview. Interviewees

with genuine dynamic smiles are evaluated

more favorably by interviewers than thosewith fake smiles or neutral facial expressions

(Krumhuber, Manstead, Cosker, Marshall, &

Rosin, 2009).

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There are three pairs o question types that may be asked during an interview:(1) primary and secondary, (2) open and closed, and (3) neutral and leading. Therealso exist dierent styles o questioning involving the amount o control exerted by theinterviewer. As an interviewer, you must also be aware o illegal lines o questioningthat must be avoided. We begin our exploration o asking the questions by examining

the dierent types o questions that can be asked.

Primary and Secondary Questions

Prior to an interview, an interviewer will likely have compiled a list o questions coveringthe primary topics that he or she wishes to discuss with an interviewee. Questions thatintroduce new topics during an interview are known as primary questions. Examples oprimary questions include the ollowing:

What led to your interest in digital storytelling? What responsibilities did you have at your last job? What experience do you have working with lux capacitors?In what ways has your major prepared you or a position like this one?

Interviewee responses to questions will likely lead an interviewer to ask ollow-upquestions to seek elaboration or urther inormation. These types o questions are knownas secondary questions, o which there are two main types: probing questions and mir-ror questions. Probing questions are brie statements or words that urge an intervieweeto continue or to elaborate on a response such as Go on, Uh-huh, and What else?Mirror questions paraphrase an interviewees previous response to ensure clariication andto elicit elaboration. For instance, an interviewer may ask, From what you said, it seems youhave previous experience with this product line, but have you had direct experience workingin this market? Additional examples o secondary questions include the ollowing:

What other aspects did you ind most rewarding? In what ways? Which o those did you most dislike? Is that correct?

The best way to distinguish primary and secondary questions is that secondary questionsonly make sense when preceded by a primary question and subsequent response. Beginning aseries o questions with any o the preceding examples would not make any sense.

Open and Closed Questions

The questions asked during an interview will be either open or closed. Open ques-tions

are those that enable and prompt interviewees to answer in a wide range o ways.Examples o open questions include the ollowing:

Tell me about your decision to become a Foley artist. What led you to volunteer with the Retired Proessors Fund? Describe a time when you had to work with a group. How would you describe your work ethic?

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Open questions serve three important unctions. First, and most obvious, openquestions enable interviewers to gather inormation about an interviewee. Second, thesequestions enable an interviewer to assess the communication skills o an interviewee.Third, open questions provide valuable insight into the worldview o an interviewee.Recalling both the presentational nature o communication discussed in Chapter 1

and Kenneth Burkes pentad discussed in Chapter 2, words and stories have meaningbeyond that which appears on the surace and provide a glimpse into how people per-ceive situations, themselves, and others.

Contrary to open questions, closed questions are those that limit the range o aninterviewees response. Examples o closed questions include the ollowing:

Where did you attend college? What positions did you hold at your previous company? Are you willing to work weekends? What was the most diicult aspect o your past job?Closed questions serve important unctions during an interview. Closed questions

do not take up as much time as open questions, so they can be especially valuable whentime is limited. These questions can also be used to gather speciic inormation aboutan interviewee. Finally, the answers to closed questions make it relatively easy to com-pare and contrast candidates or a position. Such evaluations are especially easy to makewhen dealing with bipolar questions, a type o closed question that orces an intervieweeto select one o two responses. The answers to bipolar questions are requently either yesor no. The third example in the preceding list is considered a bipolar question that wouldbe answered with either an airmative or a negative. Some bipolar questions ask inter-viewees to select between two presented choices. For instance, an interviewer might ask,Which do you believe is most important to success at workhard work or talent?

Neutral and Leading Questions

When developing questions or an interview, it is best to include neutral questions andto avoid leading questions. Neutral questions provide an interviewee with no indicationo a preerred way to respond. Examples o neutral questions include the ollowing:

Why did you select communication studies as a major? What do you think o our new product line? What are your thoughts on labor unions? Describe the qualities o your previous supervisor.Notice that these examples do not direct an interviewee toward a speciic response

or one that is obviously preerred by the interviewer. Some people might believe that the

second example involving a new product line would direct an interviewee toward aavorable response. However, an interviewer may want to determine whether the inter-viewee is someone who would not be araid to express opinions and who would be ableto improve and enhance the companys products.

Leading questions are those that suggest to an interviewee a preerred way torespond. Examples o these types o questions include the ollowing and are based onthose in the preceding list:

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What inluenced your incredibly wise decision to major in communicationstudies? You do approve o our new product line, dont you? What are some o the problems you see with labor unions? What did you like most about your previous supervisor?

In these examples, an interviewer would be guiding an interviewee toward a speciictype o answer. (We know that the decision to major in communication studies is obvi-ously incredibly wise, but the irst one still counts!) Generally, it is best to avoid leadingquestions during interviews and not to give interviewees an indication about how theyshould answer. Still, leading questions are sometimes used to determine whether aninterviewee is someone who would hold his or her ground. Once again, the productionline example could be a test to determine an interviewees conidence and ability tovoice concerns.

Directive and Nondirective Questioning

The act that interviews are controlled is one o their characteristics mentioned earlierin this chapter. However, the amount o control exerted during an interview will vary,based especially on the speciic goal o an interview. Some types o interviews requiregreat control by the interviewer, while other types o interviews require little controland more lexibility by the interviewer.

Directive interviews are those that are greatly controlled by an interviewer.Questions tend to be closed and perhaps leading (C. J. Stewart & Cash, 2000). A direc-tive interviewer tends to ollow a clear line o questioning, deviating only to guidean interviewee back on topic or when wanting an interviewee to elaborate. Watch anattorney cross-examining a witness on Law & Orderor a good example o a directiveinterview. The questions are certainly leading, and many tend to be closed. Further, theperson being questioned on the stand is not allowed to deviate rom the line o ques-

tioning, with the attorney being ully in control.Nondirective interviews, on the other hand, are those in which the direction o the

interview is primarily given to the interviewee. A nondirective interviewer generallyintroduces airly broad topic areas and then allows an interviewee to take o in what-ever direction desired. Accordingly, the questions asked tend to be open and neutral(Stewart & Cash, 2000). For an example o a nondirective interview, watch a talk showhost interviewing a celebrity. A preinterview o sorts has occurred prior to the program

Directive

Lawyersexamination

of a

witness

Opinionpoll

survey

Employmentinterview

Counselinginterview

Talk showhosts

discussion

with guest

Nondirective

Figure 15.1 A continuum of interviewer control

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in which members o the sta have askedwhat the celebrity would like to talk aboutand have discussed possible questions thehost might ask. During the actual pro-gram, the host will ask a general ques-

tion (Hows the weather?), knowingthe celebrity will take it rom there. Theexamples eatured in Figure 15.1 are thoseoered by Gouran, Wietho, and Doelger(1994) and exhibit the range o directiveand nondirective interviews.

Avoiding Illegal Questions

When seeking the best candidate or a job,it may seem like a good idea to ask as manyquestions as possible and to learn as much

as possible about someone, including many intricate details o his or her lie. However,there are some questions that cannot be asked and or good reasonthey are poten-tially discriminatory. Equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws have been estab-lished, in part, to prevent possible discrimination during the hiring process, whether itis done intentionally or unintentionally.Even the most well-intentioned com-ment or question can be discriminatory;thereore, you should be aware o ques-tions that must be avoided.

Common areas that cannot be dis-cussed with potential employees includeage, marital/amily status, ethnicity/

national origin, religion, a iliations, anddisabilities. In some cases, however, oth-erwise illegal areas o questioning are allowed. Some jobs demand certain abilities orrequirements, known as bona fide occupational qualifications. For instance, it is illegalto inquire about the age o an applicant unless there is a minimum age requirementor a job or unless the job is one where a retirement age is enorced, such as a commer-cial airline pilot. Working or a religious organization may require a iliation with thatreligion. Furthermore, some occupations require certain physical abilities. However,bona ide occupational qualiications that counter discriminatory questions are not ascommon as you might think, and it is best to avoid areas o potential discrimination.Table 15.2 presents areas to avoid along with examples o illegal and legal questions.

Answering the Questions During an Employment Interview

Having examined the asking o questions during an interview, we can now explore theanswering o questions. We irst discuss how adjusting the interview rame can greatly

Contrarian Challenge

Wealong with the

federal government

encourage you to avoid

asking illegal questions

as part of the interview

process. However, aside from instances of

bona fide occupational qualifications, are

there instances during which asking such

questions would be beneficial? Should they be

allowed during the interview process?

You can learn more about illegal questions

and workers rights by visiting the Equal

Employment Opportunity Commission

website at www.eeoc.gov/.

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Table 15.2 Avoiding Illegal Questions

Age

Illegal questions

How old are you?

What year were you born?

Legal questions

Are you 21 years old or older, and thereby legally allowed to accept this position if offered?

Are you under the age of 60 years old, and thereby legally allowed to accept this position if offered?

Marital/family status

Illegal questions

Are you married or living with a partner?

Are you pregnant?

Do you have any children or plan on having children?

Legal questions

There is a great deal of travel involved with this position. Do you foresee any problems with this

requirement? Will the long hours required of this job pose any problems for you?

Would you be willing to relocate if necessary?

Do you have any responsibilities that may prevent you from meeting the requirements of this position?

Ethnicity/national origin

Illegal questions

What is your ethnicity?

Where is your family from?

Were you born in the United States?

What is your native language?

Legal questions

Do you have any language abilities that would be helpful in this position?

Are you authorized to work in the United States?

Religion

Illegal questions

Are you religious?

What religion are you?

Do you worship regularly at a church/mosque/temple?

Do you believe in God?

Legal questions

Are you able to work on Saturday evenings/Sunday mornings, if needed?

Affiliations

Illegal questions What clubs or social organizations do you belong to?

Are you a Republican or a Democrat?

Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?

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beneit interviewees. Next, we investigate some o the lessons learned rom both suc-cessul and unsuccessul interviewees. Then, methods or answering some o the mostcommon interview questions are oered. Finally, we discuss how to answer illegal ques-tions should they be asked during an interview.

Adjusting the Interview Frame

Beore you began reading this chapter, you probably had a good idea about what hap-pens during an interview. It is possible that you have been through at least one beore.Yet, even i you have not personally experienced an interview, you have likely seen themdepicted in movies or television programs and you have likely talked about interviewswith people who have experienced them. Thereore, you are well aware o the framessurrounding interviews. Frames were introduced in Chapter 1, and we even includedinterviews as an example. They are basic orms o knowledge that enable people todeine a scenario, which in turn helps them determine meaning and understand theroles and expectations o the participants. In the interview rame, one person generallyasks a lot o questions and the other one answers them, but you are hopeully recogniz-ing that it is more complex than this description.

How a person rames a situation oten dictates what will happen. I a person ramesa situation as one in which he or she will play the role o bumbling ool, then the personwill likely act like a bumbling ool. Coined by Robert Merton (1957), a self-fulfillingprophecy maintains that i someone believes a particular outcome will take place, hisor her actions will oten lead to its ruition. Accordingly, i you think you will succeed

(or ail) at a task, you are more likely to do so, because your actions will likely be thosethat lead to success (or ailure). Thereore, you should always expect to perorm wellduring an interview. Naturally, just because you expect to perorm well and end updoing so does not mean that you will get the position you seek. However, it will cer-tainly improve your chances.

Legal questions

Do you belong to any professional organizations that would benefit your ability to perform this job?

Disabilities

Illegal questions

What is your medical history? Do you have any disabilities?

How would you describe your familys health?

What resulted in your disability?

Legal questions

This job requires that a person be able to lift 100 pounds. Would you have any problems fulfilling that

requirement?

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We can go a bit deeper with this notion o raming an interview, though. Manyinterviewees rame an interview as a situation in which they are on trial to deter-mine whether they are capable or worthy o a position and must deend themselves.Anderson and Kil lenberg (2009, p. 229) have suggested that an interviewee insteadrame the interview less threateningly as (1) an opportunity rather than a test,

(2) a learning experience rather than a demonstration, and (3) a dialogue rather thana monologue.

You should strive to avoid viewing the interview as a test through which your wor-thiness as a potential employee, your skills, and your knowledge, along with your valueas a human being, are all being called into question. Instead, view the interview as anopportunity to discuss the many ways you could contribute to an organization, to dis-play the skills and knowledge that make you qualiied or the position, and, o course,to conirm your value as a human being. In most instances, you would not be asked tointerview unless an employer already viewed you as capable o perorming the duties oa position and doing so successully.

Furthermore, do not view the interview merely as a perormance in which the aboveattributes are displayed. Rather, view the interview as an opportunity to learn about

yoursel. Preparation or and participation in an interview require determining yourstrengths, weaknesses, and goals, as well as reviewing how your past experiences havebrought you to your current place in this world. It is an opportunity to establish per-sonal and proessional goals.

Finally, do not view the interview as something that is dominated by one person,while the other person is relegated to a subordinate or immaterial position. Instead, aninterview should be viewed as something that is created (transacted) by all participants,who are equally responsible and necessary or its development and who can all poten-tially gain rom the experience. Both an interviewee and an interviewer gain personallyand proessionally rom the interview. They are able to learn about themselves and oth-ers; an interviewee has an opportunity to acquire a potentially ul illing work position,and an interviewer has an opportunity to acquire the services o someone who couldpotentially improve an organization.

Learning From Successful and

Unsuccessful Interviewees

Reraming the interview means thatan interview can be successul even i

you are not oered a position. Ater a ll,each interview can be a learning experi-ence that allows you to grow personally

and proessionally. However, we recog-nize that such growth does not matter tosomeone whose primary goals are simplybeing oered a job and not living out ohis or her vehicle. So, or the moment,lets ocus on success as being oered aposition ollowing an interview.

You are hopefully engaged in critical analysis

and evaluation as discussed in Chapter 4. If

so, you might find the use of a study (Einhorn,

1981) that is roughly 30 years old a bit

suspect. We would be the first to tell you to

be cautious when coming across apparently

dated sources. In this case, however, the age

of the source has not diminished the value

of its findings. Still, maintain a critical stance

when reading this or any book.

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A great deal can be learned about such success rom the people doing the hiring, andthis is exactly what was done in a study conducted by Lois Einhorn (1981). As part othis study, the communicative choices o successul and unsuccessul interviewees wereexamined and categorized. Table 15.3 outlines six key dierences between successuland unsuccessul interviewee communication.

Table 15.3 Learning From Successful and Unsuccessful Interviewees

Clear career goals

Successful interviewees are able to clearly articulate their career goals and explain how those goals

relate with the position for which they are interviewing.

Unsuccessful interviewees, on the other hand, provide no clear indication of career goals or how those

goals might relate to the position for which they are interviewing.

Identification with employers

Successful interviewees mention the organization by name often and exhibit knowledge of the

organization.

Unsuccessful interviewees rarely mention the organization by name and demonstrate little to noprevious knowledge of the organization.

Support for arguments

Successful interviewees provide illustrations, comparisons and contrasts, statistics, and even

testimony from colleagues, supervisors, and instructors.

Unsuccessful interviewees provide little evidence or support material when answering questions.

Participation

Successful interviewees are actively involved in the development of the interview throughout the entire

process and spend a great deal of the interview talking.

Unsuccessful interviewees play a passive role in the development of the interview and talk very little

during the interview.

Language

Successful interviewees use active, concrete, and positive words along with technical jargon associated

with the position.

Unsuccessful interviewees use passive, ambiguous, and negative words while using little or no

technical jargon.

Nonverbal delivery

Successful interviewees speak loudly and confidently while also using vocal variety and avoiding

nonfluencies. They incorporate meaningful gestures and support interviewer comments with positive

nonverbal feedback such as nodding and smiling.

Unsuccessful interviewees speak softly and provide little vocal variety while including longer-than-

appropriate pauses. They use few gestures and engage in distracting mannerisms such as rubbing their

hands or shaking their legs. They also engage in little or no eye contact with the interviewer.

Answering Common Questions

There are many questions you might be asked during an interview, so it is impossibleto cover them all. At the same time, there are a ew questions (in various orms and

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phrases) that come up more thanothers. In what ollows, we address10 o the most common questionsand discuss some o the best ways toanswer them during your interview.

Tell Me a Little About Yoursel

When asking you to describeyoursel during an interview, theinterviewer could not care lessabout such items as your astro-logical sign, avorite restaurants,achievements in youth sports, or

high school prom theme. An interviewer wants to know howyou could beneit the organi zation, and you should answeraccordingly. You should discuss your education, previous work

experience, career highlights, and achievements, being sure toemphasize how this inormation its the position and would ben-eit the organization.

What Are Your Greatest Strengths?

This sort o question will almost always arise during an interview in some orm oranother. Going into the interview, you should have a ready-made list o three or ourstrengths that you can discuss. Be sure to have concrete examples to support each oneand show how these strengths will enable you to succeed at the position.

What Are Your Greatest Weaknesses?

I you say, when asked the preceding question, Well, Im pretty lazy, and things would prob-ably start disappearing rom around the oice i you hired me, you probably will not get the

job. It is a responsibility o the interviewee to answer all questions honestly. That being said,you can certainly phrase your responses in a way that minimizes any weaknesses you mightmention. Communication proessionals oten suggest the time-honored tactic o oering aweakness that sounds more like a strength. (I am such a hard worker that I oten get drainedby the end o the day. And, I tend to work too many weekends.) However, such responsessound misleading, have become a bit clich, and do not indicate a genuine ability or inter-est in recognizing and addressing areas in need o improvement. You may instead want tooer a genuine weakness along with what you are doing to overcome it. (My Excel skills arein need o development, so I have been taking a night class devoted to the program.) This

tactic is especially helpul i there is an obvious skill or ability that you are lacking but that isrequired or the position or would beneit the position.

What Do You Know About This Organization?

When asked this question, you should exhibit an awareness o such items as the organi-zations mission, history, growth, and uture plans, and perhaps its key personnel. It is

Photo 15.4 Would

keeping her hands clasped

throughout the interview

improve or diminish this

interviewees chances of

being offered the position?

(See page 404.)

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a prime opportunity to underscore your enthusiasm or the position and demonstratehow you could beneit the organization based on its present and uture endeavors.

Why Do You Want to Work Here?

This question provides another opportunity to reinorce your knowledge o theorganization. Likewise, it is another chance or you to discuss your enthusiasm orthe position and the organization. Finally, it is a chance to show how your abilitiessuit the organization and how hiring you would be mutually beneicial. In doingso, you must provide clear, explicit explanations and support or your assert ions.For instance, it is not enough to say you could help the organization expand; rather,

you must ully explain how you could do so. Remember, the extent o support orarguments is one o the distinguishing characteristics o successul and unsuccess-ul interviewees.

What Is Your Ideal Job?

This is a tricky question, because you should not necessarily say, This oneunlessthat is true, in which case you should discuss why. At the same time, i you mention ajob other than the position or which you are applying, it may appear as i you are unin-terested or you plan to move on as soon as something better comes along. Accordingly,

you should play it sae and simplydescribeattributes o an ideal position (i.e., meaning-ul, challenging, ulilling) while also discussing how the present position meets thatdescription.

Why Do You Want to Leave Your Current Job?

Your current employer may be an idiotic, unproessional, and unethical ogre who treatsyou like dirt and may very well eat small children, but you should probably not be that

descriptive during an interview. I there were major problems, you may want to addressbut not dwell on them, taking partial responsibility while discussing what you havelearned rom the situation. Doing so may be especially wise i the interviewer is pos-sibly aware o these problems. More oten than not, however, it is best to ocus on thepositive attributes o your current (or previous) job, discussing how you have developedproessionally and oering legitimate reasons or wanting to leave (i.e., moving to newlocation, desire or proessional growth). One o the reasons interviewers ask this ques-tion is to determine whether you will be happy and likely to stay i oered the positionin their organization. Thereore, it is wise to discuss how this position better its yourproessional goals and desires when compared to your current position.

What Are Your Expectations in Terms o Salary?

This is another very tricky question, because you do not want to put yoursel out o reachand you do not want to sell yoursel short. Some people suggest placing the questionback on the interviewer (What do people with my experience usually earn here?), butthe question asks oryourexpectations or salary, not his or her expectations. A goodway to address this question is by conducting research beorehand to learn the averagesalaries or a particular position in a particular area. (Based on the research I have

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conducted, I would expect the salary to be between $40,000 and $48,000 each year inaddition to incentive bonuses.)

Where Do You See Yoursel in 5 Years?

This question is usually asked to gauge a persons ambitions, sense o reality, and itwith the company. Your answer will depend, o course, on where you actually want tobe in your proessional lie 5 years rom that moment. I you anticipate holding the veryposition or which you are interviewing, you should say so while also talking about theproessional growth that will have taken place and your plans to enhance the organiza-tion through that position. I you anticipate moving through the ranks o the orga-nization, your rise to the top should be properly ambitious and realistic. Further, youshould stress your plans or proessional growth and anticipated contributions to theorganization that would justiy such advancement. I you anticipate not being with theorganization in 5 years, indicating as much may be justiiable i the position is consid-ered short-term. However, you should stress how your time at the organization wouldbe mutually beneicial.

Why Should We Hire You?

When asked this question, you should have a very good answer. I you do not knowwhy the organization should hire you, the interviewer will surely not know either. Itmay sound as i the interviewer is questioning your abilities, but he or she simply wantsto know how you would beneit the organization. Accordingly, this is a perect oppor-tunity to reinorce your strengths and abilities by discussing how they will beneit theorganization.

Dealing With Illegal Questions

We previously discussed illegal questions that should not be asked during an interview,but just because theyshould not beasked does not mean that theywill not beasked. Some-times this violation is intentional, while at other times it is unintentional. Whichever thecase, you may very well be asked an illegal question while being interviewed or a posi-tion. How you deal with such a violation depends on such actors as your perception oits intentionality and, in all honesty, how badly you want the job. However, when it comesto the latter, i such violations occur in the interview process, you may need to seriouslyquestion whether the position and the employer are right or you. C. J. Stewart and Cash(2000, pp. 294295) have oered strategies, outlined in Table 15.4, that can be utilized i

you are asked an illegal question during an interview and choose to continue the meeting.

Concluding an Employment Interview

When concluding an employment interview, it is important that positive relationalconnections among the participants be maintained. Important inormation needs tobe oered during the conclusion o an interview, and certain unctions must take place.

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So, lets explore the responsibilities o both interviewers and interviewees during theconclusion o an employment interview.


We will begin with the responsibilities o an interviewer. There are six things an inter-viewer must do during the conclusion o an interview: (1) provide a wrap-up signal,(2) summarize the interview, (3) ask or questions, (4) preview uture actions andschedule, (5) oer thanks, and (6) engage in arewells.

Wrap-Up Signal

Responsibility or controlling an interview rests with the interviewer. Thereore, theinterviewer should initiate the conclusion o the interview through a wrap-up signal, aphrase indicating the beginning o the conclusion (e.g., As we near the end o the inter-view, As we begin to conclude our discussion). An interviewer should always allow

enough time or both parties to adequately perorm their responsibilities o the conclu-sion, rather than trying to cram everything into the inal moments o the interview.

Summarize the Interview

The interviewer should provide a straightorward, relatively brie summary o theinormation provided by the interviewee during the interview. Doing so will make the

Table 15.4 Strategies for Answering Illegal Questions

Tactful refusal

Question: Where are your parents from?

Response: I dont believe my parents places of origin matter for this position.

Direct but brief answer

Question: How did you injure your leg?

Response: It was injured while jogging.

Tactful inquiry

Question: Where do you go to church?

Response: How does that question pertain to this position?

Neutralize concern

Question: Do you have any children?

Response Yes, but they would in no way interfere with my work here.

Exploit the question

Question: Is English your native language?

Response: No. My native language is Ket, which would be beneficial for this company since it

plans on opening offices in central Siberia next year.

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interviewee eel understood and will allow him or herto make any necessary clari ications. Interviewersshould be careul not to sound either overly enthu-siastic or overly dismissive when summarizing thisinormation. This approach will prevent giving the

interviewee either alse hope or the eeling o ailure.

Ask or Questions

The interviewer should always ask the intervieweeor questions about the position and about the orga-nization. The answers to these questions should betruthul and provide an accurate relection o theposition and organization. Hiring someone whohas been given alse impressions may lead to nega-tive eelings and the need to conduct another searchshould that person decide that the position and

organization are not the good it he or she was led tobelieve. The questions asked by an interviewee willalso provide additional inormation about that per-son, including knowledge and motivations.

Preview Future Actions and Schedule

The interviewer should also provide the interviewee with inormationpertaining to what will happen next and the schedule or decisionsabout the position. Interviewers are not required to provide any guar-antees or odds o employment, nor do they have to disclose how manyother job candidates are being interviewed or the position.

Oer Thanks

It is common to erroneously perceive an employment interview as something an inter-viewer is doing as a avor or because o some grand benevolence. However, the interviewis being conducted, in part, because an interviewer (representing an organization) isin need o someones proessional services. Furthermore, the interviewee has investedtime, energy, and emotion into the interview process. Accordingly, sincere thanks orparticipation in the interview should be oered.

Farewells

Finally, it is the responsibility o an interviewer to ormally end the interv iew byoering a handshake and expressing a proessional arewell remark to the inter-viewee. There is certainly no reason to prolong the ormal ending o the interview,but you should avoid making it seem as i you are rushing an interviewee out othe oice. Otherwise, positive relational connections that may have been estab-lished will be diminished, and an otherwise constructive interview may be viewednegatively.

Photo 15.5 Is it the

responsibility of

the interviewer or the

interviewee to bring

a formal end to the

interview?

(See page 404.)

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Along with the interviewer, the interviewee also has responsibilities during the conclu-sion o an interview. There are ive things an interviewee must do during this part oan interview: (1) ask questions, (2) reinorce qualiications and enthusiasm, (3) inquire

about the uture schedule, (4) oer thanks, and (5) engage in arewells.

Ask Questions

Interviewees should have questions prepared and written out during their preinterviewpreparations. As part o most interviews, an interviewer will ask whether an intervieweehas any questions he or she would like to ask. Not asking any questions would indicatea lack o preparation and enthusiasm, so it is a good idea to have some developed. Aninterviewer may occasionally ail to provide an interviewer an opportunity to ask ques-tions. I it is clear that the interview is ready to end and that the interviewer does notplan on asking or questions, it is acceptable to politely ask i you may pose a ew ques-tions. Remember, an interview is not just about whether an interviewee will be oered aposition but also about whether an interviewee will accept the position, i oered.

Reinorce Qualifcations and Enthusiasm

An interviewee should also briely summarize the qualiications that make him or heran ideal candidate, along with underscoring his or her enthusiasm or the position.Doing so will help reinorce strengths and abilities while ensuring that key experiences,education, training, and other inormation have been conveyed. It may also assist theinterviewer in remembering and documenting these items.

Inquire About Schedule (I Not Provided)

The interviewer is responsible or providing an interviewee with a schedule o uture

contact and decision making. However, it is perectly acceptable to inquire about thisinormation should an interviewer ail to provide it.

Oer Thanks

As mentioned earlier, an interviewer should be grateul or the time, energy, and emotionthat an interviewee has put into the interview process. Likewise, an interviewee shouldbe grateul or the work o an interviewer. As this chapter indicates, there is a lot morework involved when interviewing people or a position, and items such as searching or

job candidates (constructing the job announcement, gaining approval through humanresources, advertising, reviewing applications) and completing the hiring process (decid-ing who gets the oer, negotiating compensation, dealing with human resources) are not

even addressed. Accordingly, sincere thanks should be oered to the interviewer.

Farewells

The interviewer should initiate the ormal end o the interview. An interviewee shouldollow the lead o the interviewer and not unnecessarily prolong the departure. A smileand proessional handshake will help maintain a positive relational connection with the

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interviewer. As an interviewee, you should keep the Strategic Communication box inmind when making an exit, and remember that your evaluation as a job candidate willcontinue until you completely leave the interview location.

Postinterview Responsibilities

Just because the interv iew has been concluded does not mean that the work is done.Both interviewers and interv iewees have postinterview responsibilities that arevital to their proessional development and that will improve interviewees chanceso being oered the position and help interviewers determine the best candidate

or the organization. We begin our dis-cussion with the responsibilities o aninterviewer.


Following the interview, an interviewermust complete the ollowing three tasks:(1) review the job candidate, (2) assesshis or her personal perormance, and(3) contact the interviewee with a inaldecision about the position.

Assess the Job Candidate

An interviewer should record his or herevaluation o the interviewee along with

any additional thoughts or inormationas soon as possible ollowing the inter-view. Recording impressions and otherrelevant inormation is especially impor-tant i many interviews are being con-ducted, and doing so as soon as possiblewill reduce the amount o inormationthat is lost with time. Contact with re-erences, documented experience, train-ing, and other background inormationwill be used when making inal employ-

ment decisions, but inormation gleanedrom the interview is also very importantwhen making such decisions and shouldbe properly documented. Table 15.5 pro-vides areas that can be addressed whenevaluating a job candidate ollowing theinterview.

Strategic Communication

Remember that bothan interviewer and

an interviewee are

being evaluated at all

times, not just when

questions are being asked and answered.

An interviewees behaviors prior to and

following a meeting can be used when forming

judgments about his or her overall character

and professionalism. When interviewing,

you should avoid any odd behaviors while

waiting for the interview to take place or whenleaving the interview location, while also

remembering to be respectful of the office

staffthey generally deserve such respect

regardless of whether you are attempting

to make a good impression. Also, interview

sessions occasionally include tours of

buildings, introductions to members of the

organization, meals, and transportation to or

from the interview location. An interviewee

will be evaluated throughout all of these

situations, so make sure you remain aware

that assessments are being made. Such

occasions and activities are also a good

opportunity to evaluate the interviewer and

determine whether the position or organization

is right for you.

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Assess Personal Perormance

The interviewer should also assess his or her perormance in order to improve both

personally and proessionally. Focus equally on the positive and negative aspects o theinterview perormance. Regardless o how much interviewing experience you may pos-sess, there is always room or improvement. Table 15.6 provides a ew questions youmay pose when evaluating your perormance as an interviewer.

Table 15.5 Assessing a Job Candidate

What are the candidates strengths?

What are the candidates weaknesses?

How does this candidate compare with other candidates?

How personable does the candidate seem?

How would the candidate fit with the organizations climate?

How knowledgeable about the position and the organization does the candidate seem?

Are there any concerns about whether the candidate would be successful in this position?

What additional questions or information about the candidate need to be addressed?

Table 15.6 Assessing Performance as Interviewer

Did I make the interviewee comfortable and establish the desired tone of the interview? How can I

improve these aspects of the interview?

Did my questions elicit the information needed to fully evaluate the job candidate? How can I improve

these questions to enhance the quality of the information gained?

Did I avoid illegal questions?

What nonverbal communication most benefited my performance? How can I improve my nonverbal

communication?

How well did I listen during the interview? How can I improve my listening?

Were my responses to the questions posed by the interviewee complete and accurate? In what ways

can I improve my responses?

Did I provide the interviewee with information about future contact and a realistic timetable for

decisions about the position?

Was the interview conducted within the time constraints? Did all portions of the interview receive the

appropriate amount of attention? How can I improve my use of time?

Contact Interviewee

The interviewer should ensure that allinterviewees are contacted about the inal deci-sion. This contact should come either personally or through whatever method is used bythe organization. Contacting interviewees is a proessional courtesy that, unortunately,is increasingly absent during many job searches. There exists no legitimate excuse or not

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contacting and acknowledging a job candidate who did not receive an oer. Not contact-ing job candidates is not only unproessional but also cruel! Additionally, a person maynot have been suited or this position, but he or she may be ideal or a uture position. Alack o contact may prevent a well-suited candidate rom applying or a uture positionor good reason. A person who is mistreated during the interview process may eventually

be in a position that could negatively inluence the organization. Ultimately, interviewersshould simply contact all interviewees because it is the humane thing to do.


An interviewee has three responsibilities ollowing an interview: (1) assess the inter-view, (2) send a ollow-up letter, and (3) avoid irritating the interviewer.

Assess the Interview

Following the interview, an interviewee should develop a candid assessment o his orher perormance. The sooner this assessment can be conducted, the resher the inor-

mation and the more accurate the recollection. Strive to give equal attention to theaspects o the interview that went well and those that need improvement. Regardless ohow you might eel about the interview, even the best interview can be improved, andan awul interview is never as bad as it seems. The best way to improve as an intervieweeis through an honest assessment o your perormance.

An interviewee should also develop an honest assessment o the position and orga-nization. Developing this assessment will help determine whether the position is some-thing you will accept i oered. It will also increase your understanding about careersand industries or which you are interviewing. Tables 15.7 and 15.8 provide questions toassess your perormance, the position, and the organization.

Table 15.7 Assessing Performance as Interviewee

Which questions were answered well? What made these good answers?

What questions were not answered well? How can I improve these answers?

Were my questions appropriate? How can I improve these questions?

What nonverbal communication most benefited my performance? How can I improve my nonverbal

communication?

How well did I listen during the interview? How can I improve my listening?

Table 15.8 Assessing Position and Organization

What are the pros and cons of the position?

What are the pros and cons of the organization?

How does this position compare with other available positions?

How does this organization compare with other organizations?

How has my understanding and evaluation of this career/profession changed?

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Send Follow-Up Letter

An interviewee should also send a letter o thanks ollowing the interview. In additionto thanking the interviewer or his or her time, it is an opportunity to reinorce interestin the position and remind the interviewer o qualiications and experience. I some-thing was not mentioned during the interview, this letter is a good opportunity toadd that inormation. Interviewers occasionally ask or additional inormation ormaterials. These items can be included with the letter as well. Do notappear overly conident about the interview, nor should you apolo-gize or a less-than-stellar interview. The letter should also be viewedas a proessional correspondence. Accordingly, it should be respectul,well written, and ree o grammatical errors. The letter can be handwritten, typed,or e-mailed, although some people disagree about which o these is most appropri-ate. People and organizations view technology in dierent ways (Chapter 9), so use

your best judgment as to whether it wi ll be deemed an appropriate met hod ocorrespondence.

Avoid Irritating the Interviewer

This postinterview requirement may seem obvious, but you should avoid irritating theinterviewer by inquiring about the progress o a job search. Do not send the interviewernumerous letters, leave phone messages every hour on the hour, or send the interviewera Facebook riendship request. We understand that waiting or an employment decisioncan be excruciatingly painul, but waiting is something that must be done. Irritatingthe interviewer will in no way increase your chances o being oered the position andwill likely hinder those chances. I you have not heard rom the interviewer by the timehe or she indicated you would be contacted, however, it is acceptable to politely inquireabout the status o the position. A number o variables can lead to a delay in the searchprocess, so it is not uncommon, nor is it necessarily a personal aront against you. The

organization may very well be busy renting a truck to dump a load o money on yourdoorstep.

Cover Letters and Rsums

As mentioned at the beginning o the chapter, you will not be invited to an employmentinterview without a quality cover letter and rsum. Accordingly, we now address somekey elements in the construction o these essential items. We begin by discussing thecover letter, which is the tool used to get a potential employer to actually review your

rsum.

Cover Letters

A cover letter has our purposes: (1) declare interest in the position, (2) provide a sum-mary o qualiications, (3) compel the person to read your rsum, and (4) request aninterview. Employers oten receive numerous applications or a single position, and

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quite oten application materials are given only slight attention. Thereore, hopeulemployees should do everything possible to ensure that their materials stand out romthe rest and receive adequate attention. In what ollows, we present the key elements oeective cover letters.

Address Letter to Specifc Person

Many applicants do not take the time to conirm who will be reading their materialsand consequently do not address their cover letter to a speciic person. Simply address-ing the letter To Whom It May Concern will not make your cover letter stand outrom the rest and will elicit littleconcern rom the receiver. A quick phone call to theorganization will likely provide you with the name o the person to whom the lettershould be addressed, i it is unavailable in the job announcement/advertisement. Becertain to use the persons last name only and to address the person using his or herproper title.

Identiy the Position

Identiy the position or which you areapplying in the irst paragraph o theletter. An organization may have mul-tiple positions available, and you want toensure that you are being considered orthe one you intend. You should also indi-cate how you discovered the positionsavailability. Finally, you should displayknowledge about and positive regard orthe organization. Including this inorma-tion shows that you have taken the time to

learn about the organization and that youview it avorably. Some applicantsespe-cially those applying or hundreds o posi-tionsuse orm cover letters and changenothing but the name and address o the

company. Such orm letters will generate less interest than letters in which the applicantappears clearly knowledgeable about the organization and interested in working there.

Summarize Qualifcations and Promote Rsum

Summarize the qualiications that make you an ideal it or the position in the second

paragraph. You may discuss such items as your education and training, experiences,special skills, and activities that have prepared you or the position and that will enableyou to successully ulill the duties o the position. Be sure to emphasize what you canprovide or the organization. At the end o this paragraph, you should encourage thereader to reer to your rsum. You can do this by mentioning speciic inormation thatcan be discovered there or by simply mentioning the additional inormation that can bediscovered through its examination.

Case in Point

Evaluate your most recent

cover letter and rsum

using the guidelines and

suggestions offered in this

chapter. In what ways could

they be improved? If you have never written

a cover letter and rsum, prepare them for

a ficti

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