DIY (Do It Yourself) Tutorial

The Behavioral Based Interview

TWINTECH COLLEGE

PART I : INTERVIEW

JAN – APRIL 2010

Are you ready?

Have you conducted a job analysis, updated the job description and set standards and expectations for the position?

If the answer is “yes”, this tutorial will prepare you to choose the best from the rest!

Tutorial Objectives: Formulate behavioral based interview questions Effectively prepare you for all six parts of the

interview

How to Use the Competency Model to Formulate Behavioral Based Questions

By analyzing the recent past, you are able to: Identify Critical Competencies Identify Critical Success Factors (CFSs)Clarify the “ideal” candidate

Step One: Identify Competencies

The university identifies important competencies that employees should have to support the University’s Plan for Excellence.

A list of these competencies can be found in the bottom left quadrant of the HR Office of Organizational Development website http://www.wcupa.edu/hr/training/talent_management.asp

Step One: Identify Competencies (Cont.)

Vital Competencies (Sample): Knowledge & Service

Customer Service Interpersonal

Clear Communication Social, Ethical, Legal

& Human Issues Respect

Change Management & Innovation

Accountability Flexibility

Resource Management

Dependability Quality Assurance Leadership Organization

Step One: Identify Competencies (Cont.)

“Nice to Have” Competencies (Sample): Knowledge & Service

Develop Self Interpersonal

Self Management Social, Ethical, Legal

& Human Issues Promotes Learning

from Others

Change Management & Innovation

Change Leadership Resource

Management Project

Management

Step Two: Identify Critical Success Factors

Critical Success Factors (CFSs) are the essential areas of activity that must be performed well if you are to achieve the mission, objectives or goals for your department.

The History: The idea of CSFs was first presented by D. Ronald Daniel in the 1960’s. It was then built on and popularized a decade later by John F. Rockart, of MIT's Sloan School of Management, and has since been used extensively to help organizations enhance hiring practices and business strategies.

Step Two: Identify Critical Success Factors (cont.)

Use your set job standards and expectations to develop your Critical Success Factors

Samples of Critical Success Factors (CFSs): Sustain successful relationships with faculty and staff Effectively engage “Distributed Leadership” Actively support the “Plan for Excellence” Set and maintain a level of expected staff performance Provide customer focused training for staff Manage any disruption of business Continually identify and fix broken processes Increase efficiency and reduce institutional memory

Step Three: Develop Behavior-based Interview Questions

What is a Behavioral Question? A description of the situation, competency or critical

success factor, the applicant’s actions and results of those actions.

Hire for attitude through behavior based questions.

Critical Success Factor Sample Questions CSF: Identify and fix broken processes Behavioral: Tell me about one of the more difficult

broken processes you had to fix. Theoretical: How would you go about fixing a broken

process? Leading: You don’t feel you’d have any difficulty

improving our broken processes, do you?

Sample Behavioral Questions

Tell me about the most challenging project you have every worked on? What made it challenging?

Give me an example of how you coached an underperformer to an exceptional employee. What were your biggest challenges/rewards?

What professional development courses or conference have you attended? What did you take away and how did you apply what you learned?

The Do’s of Behavior-based Interviewing

DO: Ask behavioral based

questions Ask straightforward questions Emphasize recent past Seek contrasting behaviors—

Lessons Learned Phrase questions so that the

applicant can easily provide negative information

Ask follow up questions where needed; especially on feelings and opinions

Explain that you are taking notes to ensure accuracy.

DO: Use positive reinforcement Be friendly, open and natural Show appreciation and praise Show signs that you are

listening to them Focus talkative applicants Allow for silence—Applicants

need time to think prior to answering

Rate the applicant’s skills against your notes soon after the interview.

The Don’ts of Behavior-based Interviewing

DON’T: Ask leading questions Ask theoretical questions Jump to conclusions Ask questions that will get you and the

university in legal trouble (see slide on Employment Law)

Let vague statements, opinions and feelings get by you

Follow Up Questions Competency Needed: Project Management

Interview Question: Can you think of a specific time when you lead a team on an assignment and was faced with resistance.

Applicant Answer: There was a new program we had to get off the ground that everyone thought wasn’t going to draw students’ interest. It ended up working and everyone was happy. Be weary of candidate’s vague statements and aware of their feeling

and opinion statements.

Possible Follow-Up Question/s: How did you get it done? How many people were on your team? Tell me how you overcame

the resistance to the new program? What strategies did you use? What made the team members happy in the end?

What were some lessons learned through that experience? What would you have done differently? What was your biggest

disappointment on that assignment?

Crash Slide in Employment Law

Interview questions should never be asked related to these topics: Medical or mental health history Marital status Sexual orientation Age Child care, family planning or number of children Religion or religious beliefs Disabilities Receipt of unemployment insurance, workers compensation,

or disability benefits National origin and citizenship Physical characteristics Membership in professional or civic organizations that would

reveal national origin, race, religion, or any of the other protected classes

Get in the Interviewing Mindset

What is the purpose of the interview? Collect information about the applicant.

Does the person have the work experience and critical success factors to do the job.

Determine not only if the applicant can do the job, but whether he/she wants the job.

Who is worth more? A highly motivated person with less experience or a poorly motivated person with a great deal of experience.

Give information so the applicant can make a decision. Two decisions that always have to be made. Do you want to

applicant and does the applicant what you? Promote good-will.

Every interview adds, or detracts from the University’s reputation in the community. Organizations with the best reputations tend to attract the best applicants.

Six Parts of a Behavior-based Interview

Part One: Warm-upMake the person feel at ease.

You should have already sent the applicant a parking pass, gave specific directions to campus and a campus contact number

Now you need to make sure everyone the applicant comes in contact with has read the resume, familiar with the job, thinks positively of the University, has a connection to the position and is genuinely pleasant with positive non-verbals.

Six Parts of a Behavior-based Interview

Part Two: Set the ExpectationsYou should have already communicated the

timeframe and with whom the applicant will be meeting prior to the applicant’s arrival.

Now you set the specific agenda. Where are the bathrooms…when is lunch…who will the applicant meet, and explain when and why the applicant is meeting with them?

Six Parts of a Behavior-based Interview

Part Three: Body of the Interview If you are using a search committee, give

them advance notice to make sure they know their specific role in the interview process. Each member should have a copy of the resume, agenda, interview questions and have read this tutorial.

Ask behavioral-based questions of the applicant.

Ask additional related questions to gain clarity or more insight into the applicant.

Six Parts of a Behavior-based Interview

Part Four: Describe and “Sell” the Job You should have already given the applicant a job

description prior to stepping foot on campus. Note: A job description is not to be confused with a

posting. Talk about the opportunities and challenges of the

position Customize the benefits to the applicant—if they

disclosed that they have children of daycare age, talk about childcare. Mention health care benefits, fitness center, professional development courses, tuition reimbursement, etc. Contact HR for more specific information.

Six Parts of a Behavior-based Interview

Part Four: Describe and “Sell” the Job Self-disclose: Honestly describe why you joined the

company, why you’ve stayed and how you feel about working for the company.

Be a Good Storyteller: Convey information in a memorable or entertaining manner. Remember the 4 C’s—be clear, concise, catchy and compelling.

Focus on the Applicant: Make your message relevant to the level of experience and interest.

Use Specific visuals, analogies, statistics. Practice…Practice…Practice!

Six Parts of a Behavior-based Interview

Part Five: Applicant QuestionsNote the type of questions you are being

asked. If no questions, don’t jump to conclusions.

Talk to other people who interviewed the applicant separately. Perhaps, insightful questions were asked.

Six Parts of a Behavior-based Interview

Part Six: CloseLet the applicant know what comes next and

the anticipated timeline.

Keep in touch after interviewing the good applicants to show you still have interest.

Let them know if you have not been able to interview all the applicants.

Send a personal thank you.

We hope that you and others involved in the interview process, found this tutorial helpful in choosing the best from the rest!

Thanks You for Making the Investment!