ConductingSuccessfulInterviews
STEP1:Definethejob
Create a list of competencies (specific knowledge, skills, behaviors, motivations or experience) that someone would need to be successful on the job. To gather information about these competencies: 
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Review the job classification. Talk to other supervisors or observe and talk to current job incumbents. Determine what things differentiate good performers and poor performers. Consider what an employee needs to know the first day on the job vs. what is learned on the job. STEP2:Selectaninterviewpanel
When multiple interviewers discuss observations made during the interview, they tend to make more accurate decisions than a single interviewer could alone. Find one to two other individuals who understand the job to be on your interview panel. These individuals could include other supervisors, current or past job incumbents, and an HR representative. STEP3:Determineyourinterviewquestions
Work with your Recruiter to select interview questions that will assess the competencies you identified as important for success on the job. See Appendix A for example interview questions. Interview questions should focus on specific job‐related behaviors or actions (competencies). Asking a candidate what they have actually done in the past is a better predictor of future performance than asking what he/she might do in a theoretical situation. In your questions ask the candidate to describe the situation, what actions he/she took, and the results of those actions. Once the questions are completed, your Recruiter will assist you in developing rating guidelines. For each question determine what is an exceptional answer, an acceptable answer, and an unacceptable answer. Generally a 3 or 5 point rating scale is used with the mid‐point as the acceptable level. Taking the time to develop rating guidelines before the interviews ensures that the interview panel is using the same definition of acceptable, which improves the consistency and accuracy of the interview process.
STEP4:Preparefortheinterviews
Before the day(s) of the interviews, make sure that all interview panel members have had some training in interviewing techniques. If they have not, contact your Recruiter for assistance. It is also a good idea to run through a few practice questions with the panel to level set your ratings (make sure everyone understands the rating guidelines). 1
Your Recruiter will assist you in providing an interview guide to all the panel members which lists the prepared questions and rating guidelines. Divide the questions among the panel so each member knows which questions he/she will be asking. Be sure to use this standard set of questions for all candidates you interview to ensure each candidate is treated equally. This will also allow you to more accurately compare candidates. If your candidates cannot travel to your location for the interview web conferencing technology is available. Ask your recruiter for assistance setting up the web conference and sending the invitation to the candidate. STEP5:Conducttheinterviews
The interview should be a positive experience for the candidate. Smile when you greet the candidate and try to put him/her at ease. Offer the candidate water before the interview starts and make sure he/she is comfortable. Be sure to conduct the interview in a quiet place so you can give the candidate your full attention. Silence all cell phones and turn off any computers or tablets. Start with an introductory/ice breaker question. This question is only used to get the candidate comfortable and is not scored by the panel. As you move into the interview questions be sure to take careful notes on the candidate’s responses. Use the rating guidelines to score the candidate’s response. Remember that you are also asking the candidate to consider working at your agency/department. Give him/her a good description of what the job entails and why your department is a great place to work. Talk about how the job may fit with any career aspirations the candidate may have shared with you. This will increase the chance of the candidate continuing the interviewing process and accepting a potential offer. STEP6:Discusswhatyouheard
Immediately following the interview the panel members should discuss their ratings on each question. Each panel member should provide his/her reasoning for the rating based on behaviors observed and statements made by the candidate. If ratings on a question differ (which is very likely to occur on at least one question) go back to the rating guidelines. Take in everyone’s observations and then determine as a group which rating is appropriate. STEP7:Reviewanddecide
Once all the interviews are complete, review the candidate responses, your panel’s feedback, and the question scores to determine which candidate is the best fit for the position. Contact your Recruiter with your decision and he/she will assist your through the hiring process. 2
AppendixA:ExampleInterview
Questions
Below are some examples of interview questions listed by competency. AttentiontoDetail
Describe a task you completed that had many steps. What steps did you take to try to ensure you did not miss anything? How did you ensure that all steps were completed correctly? What was the outcome? Describe a time when you found an error in your work. How did you find the error? What did you do to attempt to correct the error? What was the outcome? Communication
Give us an example of a communication problem you have experienced. What problems were created by that communication problem? How did you respond to the problem? What was the result? Describe a situation where you had to work hard to get your point across. What was the issue? Who were the parties involved? How did you meet their needs? Were you successful? Describe a situation where you had to explain technical material to people without a technical background. What was the material? Who was involved? How did you approach the problem? How successful was it? Conscientiousness
Describe a situation in which you verified the accuracy of your work. How did you go about it? Describe a situation in which you did more than what was expected of you. ConflictManagement
Describe a conflict situation you encountered in your work and how you handled it. Who was involved, what was the issue, and what was the outcome? Describe a situation in which you identified a potential conflict situation in your organization. Did you take any actions to prevent it from developing? If so, describe the actions you took and the outcome. CustomerService
Describe a time when you worked with a customer to identify her or her needs. How did you identify what was needed? What was the result? 3
Describe a situation in which you dealt with a customer or client who was particularly difficult. What was the situation? How did you handle the situation? What was the result? Describe a time when you tried to help a customer resolve a problem. What was the problem? What did you do to help? What was the result? DecisionMaking
Describe a situation in which you made a decision that had an impact on others. What was the situation? What process did you go through to make your decision? What was your decision? What was the outcome? Describe a situation in which you made a decision that caused change to occur. What led up to the decision? What steps did you take? What alternatives did you consider? What or who was affected by your decision? What was the outcome or result? Describe a situation in which you considered alternatives to reach a decision. What steps did you follow to make the decision? Flexibility
Describe a situation in which roadblocks or obstacles made it impossible to follow your original plan. How did the obstacles affect your plan? What did you do? What was the outcome? Describe a situation when you had to modify a plan or had to change direction in response to a changing situation (e.g. deadlines, requirements, resources, technology, leadership). What was involved, what did you do, and what was the outcome? Describe a work situation in which you were under pressure due to deadlines, changes in staff or budget resources, or organizational changes. What was the situation, what did you do, and what was the outcome? Influencing/Negotiating
Describe a situation in your work where you had to use persuasion to gain cooperation from others to accomplish a goal. Who were the individuals involved, what was the issue, and what was the outcome? Have you acted in the role of a negotiator? What did you negotiate, with whom, and what was the outcome? Integrity/Honesty
Describe a time when you were asked to compromise your standards to save time, money, or effort. What was the situation? How did you respond? What was the outcome? 4
Describe a time when you had to decide whether taking a certain action was the right or wrong action to take. What was the situation? What factors did you consider in making your decision? What was the outcome? InterpersonalSkills
Describe a situation in which you had to deal with individuals who were difficult, hostile, or distressed. Who was involved? What specific actions did you take and what was the outcome? Describe a time when you worked with someone very different from you. How did you deal with your differences? What was the outcome? Tell us about a time when you had to lead a diverse group toward some goal or objective. How did you approach it? What obstacles did you encounter and how did you overcome them? What was the end result? Describe a time when you had to tell a customer/client that you were not the person they needed to talk with in order to get a job completed, after they had already been bounced around to several people. What did you do and what was the outcome? Describe a situation where you were required to gain cooperation from someone in another department. What problems did you encounter? How did you work to resolve that situation? What were the results? Leadership
Describe a situation where you performed a leadership role and/or motivated others toward the accomplishment of a goal. What was involved, what did you do, and what was the outcome? Listening
Describe a situation in which you received incomplete or confusing instructions. What steps did you take to clarify the situation? Describe a time when you received information that was presented orally (e.g. at meeting, presentation, oral instructions). What was the content of the information you listened to? How did you use the information? PlanningandEvaluating
Describe a situation in which you were faced with several different requests and had to decide the order in which you would complete them. What led up to the situation? What steps did you take? What obstacles did you encounter? What was the outcome or result? Give an example of a situation in which you set short and long term goals for a project. What led up to the situation? What steps did you take? What obstacles did you encounter? What as the outcome or result? 5
Describe a project or program that you planned and/or evaluated. What was involved, how did you plan the project and achieve the desired objectives? What were the results and impact on your organization? ProblemSolving
Describe a situation in which you identified a problem and evaluated the alternatives to make a recommendation or decision. What were the circumstances that led up to the situation? What steps did you take to generate and evaluate alternatives? What was the outcome? Describe a time when you had to evaluate several possible solutions to a problem. How did you evaluate the possible solutions? What was the outcome? Identify a problem that you solved and discuss all the steps you went through to solve the problem. What was the outcome? Reasoning
Describe a situation in which you analyzed a situation or information and made a recommendation to someone of authority. What steps did you take? What obstacles did you encounter? What was the outcome or result? Describe a situation in which you analyzed facts and drew a conclusion. What steps did you go through to reach the conclusion? Describe a time when you had to support a decision that you made. What facts, data, or other information did you present? How did the information support your decision? What was the result? StressTolerance
Describe a highly stressful situation that you have experienced. How did you handle the stress? What was the result? Describe a time when you experience stress because of a tight deadline. How did you handle the stress? What was the outcome? Teamwork
Describe a situation in which you worked with a team to achieve a common goal. What was the goal? Who was on the team and how was the team assembled? What steps did you take to work towards meeting the goal? What was the outcome? Describe a situation in which you worked as part of a team. What was the situation? What role did you play? What obstacles did you encounter? What was the outcome? Describe your most effective teamwork experience. What was the purpose of the team? What obstacles did you have to overcome? Why was the team successful? 6
WrittenCommunications
Describe a document that you have written. What sources of information did you use to write the document? What steps did you follow? Describe a time when you adjusted your writing so that it could provide the information needed by the readers. Who were the readers? How did you adjust your writing? What was the outcome? Describe a document that you wrote (for example, report, memo, or instructions). What was the document about? How did you organize the document? What feedback did you receive regarding the document? 7