The most common barrier to a successful interview, its the applicant’s lack of understanding of the job interview process. The equivalent is like entering a baking competition and not knowing a recipe.
This article will explain the job interview process with a view to helping career professionals prepare, and therefore, pass the job interview.
99% of employers use a structured job interview as the main element of their recruitment process. The structured job interview, research has proven, has the ability to predict job performance.
Structured interviews can be a face to face or a virtual job interview.
An explanation of a structured job interview
A structured job interview is the process of asking the same interview questions, based on the job criteria of the advertised position, to each applicant.
Each interview question, referenced in an interview scorecard, is allocated a point system. Depending on the applicant’s answer, and if the applicant references enough of the job criteria, the interviewer will score each answer a point(s). The highest number of total allocated points, or scores, results in that applicant being offered the advertised role – as long as the totaled score is above the minimum score required to be offered a contract of employment.
Interview scorecard
An interviewers scorecard will state each of the interview questions, allowing the interviewers to ask each question in the same format, to help create a fair recruitment process.
Each question is then split into, on average, 4 levels of answers with 1 = negative, 2 = good, 3 = effective 4 = expert, with each employer having their own numeric scoring system.
Under each interview question an example of what a 1-4 socirng answer would look, to assist the employer in allocating points to interviewees answers.
Common practice is for interviewers to write verbatim the candidates interview answers during the job interview, and once the interviewee has left to review the answers against the criteria on the interview scorecard with a final review of all applicants taken place once all candidates have been interviewed.
Interviewees, at the stage, will discuss and compare answers and scores with one another before adding a final overall score to each applicant.
Structured job interview questions
There are two types of structured job interviews; behavioural job interview and a situational job interview.
Behavioral job interview.
Employers using behavioural interview questions will frame the interview question on past behaviours.
The idea is that past behaviours best predict future job performance.
Behavioral job interview questions:
- Give me an example of being successful in a job interview?
- Have you ever had to negotiate a salary offer?
- What experience do you have in this job role?
Situational job interview.
Situational job interviews frame the questions as a future scenario.
The belief is job performance can be predicted by an applicant stating how they would go about the task.
Situational job interview questions.
- If you were successful in a job interview, what would you be doing?
- How would you approach a salary negotiation?
- Tell me how you would achieve your targets?
How to pass a structured job interview
No matter how the job interview question is framed (behavioural or situational), the answers, if they reference the job criteria, will be scored high, therefore, increasing an applicants chance of being hired.
In addition to simply referencing the criteria job, applicants need to show their level of industry knowledge and experience. Using industry language, sector-related abbreviations and quoting models relating to the job role can increase the allocated points given to an applicant.
Even though a structured interview is a logical process, the use of stories and examples often score high marks, as long as they are relevant.
The use of a structure with the interview answer, listing key requirements and making comparisons makes the understanding of the interview answer easier for the interviewer to digest.
Finally, an applicants confidence levels and their communication, tonality and if they sound passionate about the position increasing scores; in this sense the same answer can be scored higher depending on how the answer was delivered.
2 types of interviews
The 2 most common job interviews are
- A structured job interview
- An informal (unstructured) job interview
A structured interview can be 1-2-1 or a panel interview. The structured interview can be a situational or behavioural interview, or often a blended version of the two types of structured job interview questions.
The informal, unstructured, job interview is a conversation between the interviewer and applicants. Unlike the structured job interview, in an informal job interview there are no set questions and the questions that are asked aren’t graded on a interview scorecard. In fact the outcome of an unstructured job interview replies mainly on intuition.
The end of a job interview
At the job interview end, the employer will ask each candidate if they have any questions?
It is important to prepare questions to ask the employer. The questions should be unique and insightful. Don’t ask about salary, number of holidays, as this information come sup during a final job interview.
Good topics to ask about include:
- Professional development
- Company growth
- Sector related information
Job Interview Advice
