The basic techniques of interviewing are thesame no matter what the position. It's likely,however, that you will spend less time withapplicants who are new to the job marketperhaps just half an hourand that you willspend more time fi nding out about theirpersonal qualities and character rather thanskills and experience. When interviewing college graduates, ask them to tell you about somethingthey've done that they're proud ofsuch ascompleting a biking race for charity or abouta recent accomplishment that exceeded theirexpectations. You will quickly determine whetherthe applicant is the kind of person who gives110 percent or the type who merely gets by. Inaddition, ask about any tasks or projects they'vecompleted that required skills comparable tothose that they would need on the job. Questions You Can't Ask Certain questions are legally off limits duringa job interview, and it's critical to know whichones to stay away from. In general, if a questiondoes not relate directly to the individual'sjob history or his or her performance of the job,don't ask it.Avoid any questions that could leave you opento a charge of discrimination. Questions aboutactivities, interests, or hobbies may inadvertentlyopen the door to a discussion of religious orpolitical beliefs, which the law forbids duringemployment interviews. To avoid charges ofsexual discrimination, never ask a women abouther marital status, her plans to have children, orher child-care or senior-care arrangements. Ifyou're concerned about any of these issues, aska performance-based question on the subjectinstead. For instance, if you fear that caring foran ailing parent might cause the candidate tomiss work, ask how often she has been absentfrom her current or past job. Don't ask questions about any disabilities,about citizenship, about a past history of filingworkers' compensation claims, where a persongrew up, or when he or she graduated from highschool or college.Be careful not to say anything that a candidatecan later use as ammunition. Outside the Box
PROBING QUESTIONS Experienced interviewers quickly developa list of favorite questions, ones theyfeel yield strong, revealing answers.Mark Jaffe, president of Wyatt & Jaffe inMinneapolis, has a particularly shrewd question he likes to ask job candidates,What are people's greatest misperceptions about you?" Jaffe finds the answersvery enlightening because, as he explains,"What you view as misperceptions areother people's truths." Dennis Spring, president of SpringAssociates in New York, asks, "If I wereto call your manager, what would he orshe say is the one thing that you're reliedon for the most?" Spring recommendsthe question, since "the answer tells mehow she perceives herself in the organization,but not through her own eyes."Jim McSherry, managing partner ofMcSherry & Associates 2 in Westchester,Illinois, asks job candidates, "If I were totalk with the people who know you best,how would they describe you?" McSherrysays applicants almost always offer himan honest self-appraisal, which, coincidentally,"summarizes and confirms whatI've learned about them during the timewe've been talking." SOURCE: "Don't Be Blindsided by Recruiters'Questions" by Perri Capell, CareerJournal.com(March 29, 2004).
Interviewing Entry-Level Candidates The basic techniques of interviewing are the same no matter what the position. It's likely, however, that you will spend less time with applicants who are new to the job market perhaps just half an hourand that you will spend more time fi nding out about their personal qualities and character rather than skills and experience. When interviewing college graduates, ask them to tell you about something they've done that they're proud ofsuch as completing a biking race for charityor about
