Productivity Improvement

Employee Evaluation and Selection

Profile Analysis

An outline employee evaluation interview guide

Here are seven top tips when conducting employee evaluations and job interviews:

  1. Put the employee at ease.
  2. Explain how the interviewee and organization can benefit from an open interview.
  3. Explain areas that will be covered during evaluation review.
  4. Ask evaluation questions that elicit answers to the dimensions in each area.
  5. Describe the job function and its contribution to departmental and organizational success.
  6. Ask the interviewee if he or she has any questions.
  7. Close the interview.

Put the interviewee at ease

  • Ensure privacy and congenial atmosphere
  • Opening comments should be friendly
  • Avoid irrelevant small talk on weather and news, it tends to be artificial.

Explain how the interviewee and the organization can benefit from an open interview

  • Mention that the interview is a two-way decision. The applicant must decide if the job is to his liking as much as the interviewer must assess the suitability of the applicant. This can only be achieved through openness and trust which is mutually beneficial.

Explain areas that will be covered in during the job interview

  • Tell the applicant the areas that you will cover during the interview, job history, education current life etc.
  • Explain that he will be allowed to ask questions during or at the end of the interview, as the case may be.
  • Put applicant at ease by indicating what to expect.

Ask questions that illicit answers to the job constructs in each area

  • Refer to the questions on constructs you have structured.
  • Apply construct questions.
  • Avoid asking questions routinely.
  • Display interest in the answers

Describe the job and the organization

  • Describe the job description.
  • Discuss company history.
  • Discuss development opportunties
  • Discuss methods of performance appraisal.
  • Discuss salary and benefits.

Ask the interviewee if there are any questions

  • Answer openly and truthfully any questions.

Close interview

  • Summarize conversation.
  • Inform applicant of next stage, i.e. phone call or letter.
  • Thank applicant for coming.

Job interview questioning techniques

The way you approach and open the interview is important to its overall success. The types of questions you ask and the way you ask them are of prime importance. There are two types of questions.

  • Directive
  • Non directive

Both can be used effectively in the interview to gain the information you require from the job applicant.

Directive Questions

A directive question leads the applicant onto making a specific response by limiting him to a choice of a yes or no answer.

  • "Do you prefer early morning or late afternoon schedules?"
  • "Did you hear about us through an employment agency?"

Directive questions can often be effective in gaining precise answers or exact information, but, because they limit the applicant to a choice or yes or no answer, they often discourage free response and result in very little information. Questions that provide for little information are generally those that can be answered in one or two words. A definite answer will be offered, but the applicant probably will volunteer any additional information.

Also, the applicant may give the answer he thinks you are looking for, Poorly phrased questions may actually give away the answer. Give away questions are those which tell the applicant the answer the interviewer thinks he should give.

Non directive Questions

Non directional questions allow the applicant to respond freely without being forced to make a choice or respond with a yes or no answer.

  • "What type of work schedule do you prefer?"
  • "How did you happen to hear about our company?"

They may be used to direct the conversation to an area of the interviewer's interest, but do not control the applicants response. The applicant is free to express his thoughts without being forced to make a choice, or respond with a yes or no. Non directive questions are prefixed by the following:

  • how
  • why
  • what
  • when
  • where

Next: Job interview -do's and don'ts