Activity 1

Please note: these activities are for your own individual learning and are not to be submitted to the teachers.

If circumstances permit, see if you can sit in on an interview in your own organisation that is being carried out by an experienced interviewer or panel. If you are not able to sit in on an interview, watch one on a training video. Evaluate the interview using the checklist that follows and write any comments below.

Interviewer checklist

Competency

Yes

No

Established rapport with the applicant

Adequate introduction completed

Eye contact established

Aware of cues supplied by the applicant

Appropriate non-verbal behaviour - e.g. posture, eye contact and gestures

No unnecessary interruption of applicant

Full message received from applicant

Required information gained

Differentiation of relative importance of applicant's comments

Used re-statement where appropriate

Appropriate reaction to messages or behaviour of applicant

Appropriate use of full range of questions: open, leading, closed and probing

Questions clearly expressed

Appropriate checking for understanding of question

Questioning strategy followed

Appropriate tone and manner

Ability to bring applicant back to the point

Adequate time/silence for applicant to answer

Applicants encouraged to do most of the talking

Smooth and non-interfering note-taking

Absence of biases, halo effects (not noticing negatives because of early or important positive)

Effective environment established and maintained

Encouraged questions

Effective and courteous close

Clear direction to applicant of next step in process

Thank applicant for attending

Take a few moments to reflect on your own existing competencies as an interviewer, either in interviewing alone or in a panel situation. What comments would you make about your own skills?

List three areas that you could work on.