Conducting Job Interviews

[freeeewilly66]

So I'm about to start doing job interviews for a position that involves tax and compliance matters. This is a first for me so I want to make sure I do it right. Any advice as to what questions to ask or just general interviewing advice? It's the type of job that they can be trained to do and don't necessarily have to have a lot of experience for (althought experience is a plus).

But the biggest thing is that I need someone who's organized and is detail oriented. I know those sound like generic qualities but can't afford to hire someone who's sloppy. Lots of mistakes for some jobs just mean that your boss gets upset and you have to re-do something. For this job, it means things like tax penalties. How do you find this out in a candidate without doing something like this:

Me: So would you say you're organized and detail-oriented?
Candidate: Oh yeah. Definitely.

[mgsooner]

Just hire the hottest blonde. You're welcome.

[KCRuf/Nek]

If she hesitates in taking her top of by the second interviewf then she's probably not going to work out.

[coolmojo]

make sure to ask if they have kids, how their health is, and where they attend church.

[mgsooner]

make sure to ask if they have kids, how their health is, and where they attend church.

How their health is? Not sure that's exactly legal to ask that.

[Morningwood]

Ask for specific examples of prior/previous work that illustrates their organization skills and detail-orientedness. You can learn a ton about a interviewee by simply asking them to explain something then sit back, shut up, and let them impress you (or lynch themselves)

[Morningwood]

How their health is? Not sure that's exactly legal to ask that.

It's not. You can't ask their age either

[mgsooner]

It's not. You can't ask their age either

Can't tell if he/she was being sarcastic or not. Asking where somebody attends church is dicey as well.

[DIB]

Can't tell if he/she was being sarcastic or not. Asking where somebody attends church is dicey as well.

He was being sarcastic. Asking any of the questions he mentioned opens you up for a lawsuit.

[URNotserious]

He was being sarcastic. Asking any of the questions he mentioned opens you up for a lawsuit.

Its a sad day at Landthieves when DIB has to be serious and translate sarcasm.

Pay no attention to DIB.

[dallasstars10]

just make sure they answer in a certain way that I was taught....STAR = Situation/Task, Action, Result..That way you can tell how they handled everything

[PokeJ]

DIB. The LTs anti-PC lawyer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DIB]

Its a sad day at Landthieves when DIB has to be serious and translate sarcasm.

Pay no attention to DIB.

What I meant to say was...

You should ask them which St. Paddy's Day parade they prefer.

[ResidentEvil]

Ask for specific examples of prior/previous work that illustrates their organization skills and detail-orientedness. You can learn a ton about a interviewee by simply asking them to explain something then sit back, shut up, and let them impress you (or lynch themselves)

This. I usually conduct interviews using a situation>behavior>outcome approach. Make sure they know this before coming into the interview, because many (even well qualified ones) have a difficult time coming up with it on the fly. They set-up the situation, describe what their actions/behavior were and what the outcome was.

Instead of just asking if they were detail oriented or organized, ask something like "Describe a time when being detail oriented helped you to quickly solve a problem or accomplish a task". Then you can use follow up questions if they dont hit on the key aspects of how their detail orientation made a difference, or how it ended up helping.

[tfoolry]

Ask them to describe a few times in the past when their work was criticized.

[OUMallen]

Have them type up and then proof a document.

[mgsooner]

Ask them what their screen name is on LandThieves.

[KCRuf/Nek]

This. I usually conduct interviews using a situation>behavior>outcome approach. Make sure they know this before coming into the interview, because many (even well qualified ones) have a difficult time coming up with it on the fly. They set-up the situation, describe what their actions/behavior were and what the outcome was.

Instead of just asking if they were detail oriented or organized, ask something like "Describe a time when being detail oriented helped you to quickly solve a problem or accomplish a task". Then you can use follow up questions if they dont hit on the key aspects of how their detail orientation made a difference, or how it ended up helping.

When I was working P/T for Super Target I applied for a front end mgr position. The first question they asked me waqs like "Name a time where you were entrusted with planning and organizing an event a people counted on you". Okay, I'd had those and whipped one off. Well, the next 9 questions were basically the same just worded differently. After three or four I was making **** up. My second interview? More of the same. I was scrambling to remember the answers I'd fudged from the day before. I still got the job.

I'd have to say that based on the interviews have had in the last ten years I'm not real impressed with the way they're conducted. Many of the people that do these don't seem to know much about hiring people.

[keefsmangledfingers]

The only real mistake you could make is asking complete strangers for online ****istance with your hiring process. Stay away from that and you're golden.

[freeeewilly66]

When I was working P/T for Super Target I applied for a front end mgr position. The first question they asked me waqs like "Name a time where you were entrusted with planning and organizing an event a people counted on you". Okay, I'd had those and whipped one off. Well, the next 9 questions were basically the same just worded differently. After three or four I was making **** up. My second interview? More of the same. I was scrambling to remember the answers I'd fudged from the day before. I still got the job.

I'd have to say that based on the interviews have had in the last ten years I'm not real impressed with the way they're conducted. Many of the people that do these don't seem to know much about hiring people.

Yeah that's sort of my concern is that I hire someone who seems like they might be organized and attentive to detail only to have them forget deadlines or make a dumb clerical error and cost the company a bunch of money. Cash is tight enough as it is, we don't need to be paying penalties as well.

I like the idea of asking them situation -> behavior-> outcome type questions. Any candidates who make typos on their resumes are obviously not getting an interview. That'd be the case for a lot of jobs but this one in particular.

There's also a part of me that wants to answer a screwball question to see how they'd respond. Just for my own entertainment. Something along the lines of "Who'd win in a fight? Lemmy or God?"

[OUMallen]

Yeah that's sort of my concern is that I hire someone who seems like they might be organized and attentive to detail only to have them forget deadlines or make a dumb clerical error and cost the company a bunch of money. Cash is tight enough as it is, we don't need to be paying penalties as well.

I like the idea of asking them situation -> behavior-> outcome type questions. Any candidates who make typos on their resumes are obviously not getting an interview. That'd be the case for a lot of jobs but this one in particular.

There's also a part of me that wants to answer a screwball question to see how they'd respond. Just for my own entertainment. Something along the lines of "Who'd win in a fight? Lemmy or God?"

TRICK QUESTION!

[KCRuf/Nek]

The only real mistake you could make is asking complete strangers for online ****istance with your hiring process. Stay away from that and you're golden.

Why should it be any different from medical, financial, and relationships?

[keefsmangledfingers]

Why should it be any different from medical, financial, and relationships?

I can see asking what you've listed but hiring is serious business.

[xunil]

STAR


THE STAR METHOD


The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a behavioral-based interview question by discussing the specific situation, task, action, and result of the situation you are describing.

Situation: Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation, not a generalized description of what you have done in the past. Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand. This situation can be from a previous job, from a volunteer experience, or any relevant event.
Task: What goal were you working toward?
Action: Describe the actions you took to address the situation with an appropriate amount of detail and keep the focus on YOU. What specific steps did you take and what was your particular contribution? Be careful that you don’t describe what the team or group did when talking about a project, but what you actually did. Use the word “I,” not “we” when describing actions.
Result: Describe the outcome of your actions and don’t be shy about taking credit for your behavior. What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you learn? Make sure your answer contains multiple positive results.

Make sure that you follow all parts of the STAR method. Be as specific as possible at all times, without rambling or including too much information. Oftentimes students have to be prompted to include their results, so try to include that without being asked. Also, eliminate any examples that do not paint you in a positive light. However, keep in mind that some examples that have a negative result (such as “lost the game”) can highlight your strengths in the face of adversity.

SAMPLE STAR RESPONSE:
Situation (S): Advertising revenue was falling off for my college newspaper, The Review, and
large numbers of long-term advertisers were not renewing contracts.
Task (T): My goal was to generate new ideas, materials and incentives that would result in at least a 15% increase in advertisers from the year before.
Action (A): I designed a new promotional packet to go with the rate sheet and compared the benefits of The Review circulation with other ad media in the area. I also set-up a special training session for the account executives with a School of Business Administration professor who discussed competitive selling strategies.
Result (R): We signed contracts with 15 former advertisers for daily ads and five for special supplements. We increased our new advertisers by 20 percent over the same period last year.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW

• Recall recent situations that show favorable behaviors or actions, especially involving course work, work experience, leadership, teamwork, initiative, planning, and customer service.
• Prepare short descriptions of each situation; be ready to give details if asked.
• Be sure each story has a beginning, middle, and an end, i.e., be ready to describe the situation,
  including the task at hand, your action, and the outcome or result.
• Be sure the outcome or result reflects positively on you (even if the result itself was not
  favorable).
• Be honest. Don't embellish or omit any part of the story. The interviewer will find out if your
  story is built on a weak foundation.
• Be specific. Don't generalize about several events; give a detailed accounting of one event.
• Vary your examples; don’t take them all from just one area of your life.

SAMPLE BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS


Practice using the STAR Method on these common behavioral interviewing questions:

• Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.
• Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills.
• Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
• Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it.
• Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion.
• Give me a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did
  not agree.
• Please discuss an important written document you were required to complete.
• Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job
  done.
• Tell me about a time when you had too many things to do and you were required to prioritize
  your tasks.
• Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision.
• What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example.
• Tell me about a time you were able to successfully deal with another person even when that
  individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa).
• Tell me about a difficult decision you've made in the last year.
• Give me an example of a time when something you tried to accomplish and failed.
• Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead.
• Tell me about a recent situation in which you had to deal with a very upset customer or co-
  worker.
• Give me an example of a time when you motivated others.
• Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.
• Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to solve a problem.
• Tell me about a time when you missed an obvious solution to a problem.
• Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures.
• Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision.
• Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend.
• Describe a time when you set your sights too high (or too low).

[dallasstars10]

STAR


THE STAR METHOD


The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a behavioral-based interview question by discussing the specific situation, task, action, and result of the situation you are describing.

Situation: Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation, not a generalized description of what you have done in the past. Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand. This situation can be from a previous job, from a volunteer experience, or any relevant event.
Task: What goal were you working toward?
Action: Describe the actions you took to address the situation with an appropriate amount of detail and keep the focus on YOU. What specific steps did you take and what was your particular contribution? Be careful that you don’t describe what the team or group did when talking about a project, but what you actually did. Use the word “I,” not “we” when describing actions.
Result: Describe the outcome of your actions and don’t be shy about taking credit for your behavior. What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you learn? Make sure your answer contains multiple positive results.

Make sure that you follow all parts of the STAR method. Be as specific as possible at all times, without rambling or including too much information. Oftentimes students have to be prompted to include their results, so try to include that without being asked. Also, eliminate any examples that do not paint you in a positive light. However, keep in mind that some examples that have a negative result (such as “lost the game”) can highlight your strengths in the face of adversity.

SAMPLE STAR RESPONSE:
Situation (S): Advertising revenue was falling off for my college newspaper, The Review, and
large numbers of long-term advertisers were not renewing contracts.
Task (T): My goal was to generate new ideas, materials and incentives that would result in at least a 15% increase in advertisers from the year before.
Action (A): I designed a new promotional packet to go with the rate sheet and compared the benefits of The Review circulation with other ad media in the area. I also set-up a special training session for the account executives with a School of Business Administration professor who discussed competitive selling strategies.
Result (R): We signed contracts with 15 former advertisers for daily ads and five for special supplements. We increased our new advertisers by 20 percent over the same period last year.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW

• Recall recent situations that show favorable behaviors or actions, especially involving course work, work experience, leadership, teamwork, initiative, planning, and customer service.
• Prepare short descriptions of each situation; be ready to give details if asked.
• Be sure each story has a beginning, middle, and an end, i.e., be ready to describe the situation,
  including the task at hand, your action, and the outcome or result.
• Be sure the outcome or result reflects positively on you (even if the result itself was not
  favorable).
• Be honest. Don't embellish or omit any part of the story. The interviewer will find out if your
  story is built on a weak foundation.
• Be specific. Don't generalize about several events; give a detailed accounting of one event.
• Vary your examples; don’t take them all from just one area of your life.

SAMPLE BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS


Practice using the STAR Method on these common behavioral interviewing questions:

• Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.
• Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills.
• Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
• Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it.
• Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion.
• Give me a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did
  not agree.
• Please discuss an important written document you were required to complete.
• Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job
  done.
• Tell me about a time when you had too many things to do and you were required to prioritize
  your tasks.
• Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision.
• What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example.
• Tell me about a time you were able to successfully deal with another person even when that
  individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa).
• Tell me about a difficult decision you've made in the last year.
• Give me an example of a time when something you tried to accomplish and failed.
• Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead.
• Tell me about a recent situation in which you had to deal with a very upset customer or co-
  worker.
• Give me an example of a time when you motivated others.
• Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.
• Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to solve a problem.
• Tell me about a time when you missed an obvious solution to a problem.
• Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures.
• Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision.
• Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend.
• Describe a time when you set your sights too high (or too low).

exactly what i said 10 posts above! lol

[veyron_80]

If they put down references, ask them if they could give you a reference of someone who would say something negative. I have asked every single person that I have interviewed that question and yet to have hired someone who didn't give me one. And no.. I didn't call when the interviewer did. It was just more of a question on integrity and honesty.

[SoonerinBoulder]

don't ask any interview question from any training manual. they're all super lame and you're get pre-thought out stuff. just talk to them about work history, random situations, what they like to do for fun and make sure they're not an ****hole. your gut is usually right.

[KCRuf/Nek]

STAR


THE STAR METHOD


The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a behavioral-based interview question by discussing the specific situation, task, action, and result of the situation you are describing.

Situation: Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation, not a generalized description of what you have done in the past. Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand. This situation can be from a previous job, from a volunteer experience, or any relevant event.
Task: What goal were you working toward?
Action: Describe the actions you took to address the situation with an appropriate amount of detail and keep the focus on YOU. What specific steps did you take and what was your particular contribution? Be careful that you don’t describe what the team or group did when talking about a project, but what you actually did. Use the word “I,” not “we” when describing actions.
Result: Describe the outcome of your actions and don’t be shy about taking credit for your behavior. What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you learn? Make sure your answer contains multiple positive results.

Make sure that you follow all parts of the STAR method. Be as specific as possible at all times, without rambling or including too much information. Oftentimes students have to be prompted to include their results, so try to include that without being asked. Also, eliminate any examples that do not paint you in a positive light. However, keep in mind that some examples that have a negative result (such as “lost the game”) can highlight your strengths in the face of adversity.

SAMPLE STAR RESPONSE:
Situation (S): Advertising revenue was falling off for my college newspaper, The Review, and
large numbers of long-term advertisers were not renewing contracts.
Task (T): My goal was to generate new ideas, materials and incentives that would result in at least a 15% increase in advertisers from the year before.
Action (A): I designed a new promotional packet to go with the rate sheet and compared the benefits of The Review circulation with other ad media in the area. I also set-up a special training session for the account executives with a School of Business Administration professor who discussed competitive selling strategies.
Result (R): We signed contracts with 15 former advertisers for daily ads and five for special supplements. We increased our new advertisers by 20 percent over the same period last year.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW

• Recall recent situations that show favorable behaviors or actions, especially involving course work, work experience, leadership, teamwork, initiative, planning, and customer service.
• Prepare short descriptions of each situation; be ready to give details if asked.
• Be sure each story has a beginning, middle, and an end, i.e., be ready to describe the situation,
  including the task at hand, your action, and the outcome or result.
• Be sure the outcome or result reflects positively on you (even if the result itself was not
  favorable).
• Be honest. Don't embellish or omit any part of the story. The interviewer will find out if your
  story is built on a weak foundation.
• Be specific. Don't generalize about several events; give a detailed accounting of one event.
• Vary your examples; don’t take them all from just one area of your life.

SAMPLE BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS


Practice using the STAR Method on these common behavioral interviewing questions:

• Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.
• Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills.
• Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
• Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it.
• Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion.
• Give me a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did
  not agree.
• Please discuss an important written document you were required to complete.
• Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job
  done.
• Tell me about a time when you had too many things to do and you were required to prioritize
  your tasks.
• Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision.
• What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example.
• Tell me about a time you were able to successfully deal with another person even when that
  individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa).
• Tell me about a difficult decision you've made in the last year.
• Give me an example of a time when something you tried to accomplish and failed.
• Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead.
• Tell me about a recent situation in which you had to deal with a very upset customer or co-
  worker.
• Give me an example of a time when you motivated others.
• Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.
• Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to solve a problem.
• Tell me about a time when you missed an obvious solution to a problem.
• Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures.
• Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision.
• Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend.
• Describe a time when you set your sights too high (or too low).

This is worse than the Target interviews I referenced. Maybe a few of those questions would be fine but there must be two dozen. I think both parties involved would have their ears and eyes bleeding by the end of it.

[AcousticSoup]

My ice breaker question was always: What do you think about all the ****s?

That normally sets the right tone.

[dallasstars10]

This is worse than the Target interviews I referenced. Maybe a few of those questions would be fine but there must be two dozen. I think both parties involved would have their ears and eyes bleeding by the end of it.

The STAR method is used in almost every major companies job interview selection criteria.

[OKthere]

If possible, have them demonstrate what you would be wanting them to do (i.e. teach a lesson or do computer stuff). I've gotten good results with that. Either they can demonstrate the skills or they can't. Let them know ahead of time too. I've had people not show at all because I asked them to teach something.

[ResidentEvil]

When I was working P/T for Super Target I applied for a front end mgr position. The first question they asked me waqs like "Name a time where you were entrusted with planning and organizing an event a people counted on you". Okay, I'd had those and whipped one off. Well, the next 9 questions were basically the same just worded differently. After three or four I was making **** up. My second interview? More of the same. I was scrambling to remember the answers I'd fudged from the day before. I still got the job.

I'd have to say that based on the interviews have had in the last ten years I'm not real impressed with the way they're conducted. Many of the people that do these don't seem to know much about hiring people.

First: Damn, how in the heck do you remember I worked for Target. Honestly only remember saying that once or twice on here.

Second: It seems like they're asking you the same questions over and over, but there is actually a point and there is a difference in the questions. Each one is designed to allow a candidate to showcase how developed they are in a particular skill-set. There may be two that sound similar, but they are designed to illicit specific responses. From my experience, even when you give them specific details about what SBO questions are, they are still unprepared. Typically its a problem of the person not comprehending what the question really is (not saying its just you, many people are nervous and dont listen really well in interviews.)

Third: Target hires like 200K+ employees per year, and interviews way more than that.. Not every interview is going to be well conducted from the interviewers standpoint, and when hiring for the stores its almost a process of weeding out the real bad candidates as anything. I have had no interview training but I can say that, with one exception, I pretty much knew what a candidate was made of after 30 minutes of SBO questions. Then again, I haven't been interviewing people for stores positions.

And lastly, the STAR thing sounds just like SBO just with a different tagline.

[NAMLOOT]

The STAR method is used in almost every major companies job interview selection criteria.

This is due to the fact that if you use this method, document, ask all the folks interviewed the same questions, and objectively rate their responses, then you have produced what they call a legally defensible hiring decision. If you sit around and "shoot the ****" with everyone, you aren't going to have a lot of documentation to back your hiring decision.

If your candidate pool is large enough, the STAR method should make the decision easy. If they can't provide very specific answers, with details, then they are probably ****ting you. I've seen many candidates look good on a resume, but fold up in this interview model.

[SoonerSean03]

I had to interview people for a credit analyst position years ago. One of the first to come in was the single hottest woman I'd ever seen. I was praying silently that it would be a good interview (head of HR was with us). The hot lady sat down and proceeded to confirm that she was, in fact, the dumbest person on the planet.

But I'd have hired her if the HR director hadn't been there.

[soonerprices]

If they put down references, ask them if they could give you a reference of someone who would say something negative. I have asked every single person that I have interviewed that question and yet to have hired someone who didn't give me one. And no.. I didn't call when the interviewer did. It was just more of a question on integrity and honesty.

I might tell you if you pressed the references I put down that they'd have something negative to say. I'm not perfect for anybody.

[IndySooner]

I might tell you if you pressed the references I put down that they'd have something negative to say. I'm not perfect for anybody.

Pretty much exactly what I was thinking.

[Wailer]

be sure and collect a stool sample

[nekkedJ_bird]

Fist last and only question:

Do you spit or swallow?

If they spit- messy and not willing to work hard for the team.
If they swallow- organized and will stay with it until the job is done.