|
Selection Methods & Interview Formats
Whilst the ‘advert to application form’ process may vary little, the final selection procedure will depend on type of position and the recruiter. Generally speaking, large corporations will lean towards a more formal procedure often involving several stages. Very small companies lean towards less formality, their resources usually being more limited. Bear in mind that companies are constantly searching for new ways to recruitment and it is useful to be aware of their motivation for adopting such a particular approach. Extreme examples include BBC2’s The Apprentice and Richard Branson’s Rebel Billionaire. The following methods are by no means exhaustive and, on occasion, all may be utilised during the same selection process.
One-to-One /Panel Interview
Group Sessions & Assessment Centres
Psychometric Tests
Questioning Styles
In order to be consistent it is important for any interview to follow a structured format. This enables a direct comparison against specific selection criteria, ensuring applicants are screened on a fair & equal basis.
A competency or behavioural-based interview aims to objectively identify skills relevant to the role. This is done by exploring given examples of the applicant’s previous experience. By highlighting ‘real life’ situations the interviewer is able to assess how you might deal with something similar in the future. And the experience need not have come from a work situation – for example, although your present role may not provide the scope for you to demonstrate leadership skills that voluntary role organising walking parties in the Dales clearly does.
A competency model highlights and defines key competencies so that the interviewer can be specific in their questioning. Then, when asked to give an example of a specific situation, the applicant’s response can be ‘funnelled’. The interviewer picks up on one key element of the answer and probes for further details, using open and then closed questioning techniques, the aim being to assess the skill level.
When responding to one of these questions, consider it an opportunity to tell a brief story, from setting the scene to what you did, why and how you did it. Even if you consider the experience to have been a negative one, there should always be a positive element to the conclusion – perhaps you learnt something from that situation which has helped you since. Use that as your concluding example and not only have you shown that you can accept your mistakes but that you can learn from them as well.
Make use of high impact words such as achieved, accomplished and capable. Remember that such open questioning techniques can lead to ‘waffle’ so it is important to give a concise but informative response to any key points highlighted on your CV. Examples & Other Questioning Styles
|
.jpg){kind=small}
