Executive Summary

The following report has been prepared for Management 351 course and requested by Mr.

Faisol Chowdhury, faculty member of the school of business department of North South

University on 6th August 2012. The report involved very little primary data which was in

entirety our (group members) own judgement and experience on the topic. The report is a

compilation of secondary data collected over the internet and our own writing, although the

weight of secondary writings are higher and appropriate citations have been done according to

the APA format of referencing; accordingly a bibliography has been added at the end of the

report.

The report tries to explore the various problems faced by both the interviewer and the

interviewee during an interview session and it also analyses a sum of 10 questions designed for

recruiting an HR faculty.

The first segment of our project consists of discussion on how to become and effective

interviewer where we have discussed on concepts and guidelines that would help any manager

on becoming an effective interviewer such as making an outline of the interview before-hand,

deciding on job description and such activities and interview checklists and so on. We have

also discussed on matters that the interviewer should be careful about such as discriminating

acts, etiquette, and equal employment opportunities.

The next segment of our project consists of suggestions on how to become an effective

interviewee and the problems that one might face and how to cope with them and prepare

themselves for an interview.

In the third and final phrase of the project we have included 10 questions aimed at designing

an interview for recruiting an HR faculty for an academic institution, and an in-depth analysis

of each question.

Furthermore we have included recommendations, limitations and findings and a conclusion at

the end of the project.

1. Introduction

This report has been prepared as a component of the course composition of MGT351 (Human

Resource Management) necessary for completion of the course. This report was requested by

Mr.Faisol Chowdhury, faculty member of the school of business department of North South

University on 6th August 2012. The report concerns the various aspects of and interview for a

job; how to be an effective interviewer, how to be an effective interviewee and finally ten

questions designed for a professional interview conducted by the HR department of an

University aiming to employ a HR faculty. The aim of the report is to analyze and describe

certain elements that make for an effective interviewer and an effective interviewee and how

each may achieve success in their respective fields. The ten questions regarding the hire of an

HR faculty aims to exemplify a typical interview question pattern for the respective field.

In the report the findings describe how the two sides of an interview; the interviewer and the

interviewee react to situations, the problems they face and how interviews are carried out.

Following these findings, conclusions are drawn and a number of recommendations are made

as to how these interview methods might be improved.

1.1 Objective

The objective of this report is describing the process of an interview in brief and focus mainly

on the ordeals faced by the interviewer and the interviewee during the interview process, how

best to overcome them and how to improve the methods and skills needed for a successful

interview. It is important to achieve effectiveness in both conducting and giving an interview

because from the interviewer’s perspective the HR personnel may end up giving the job to the

wrong or unqualified person or reject a perfectly suitable candidate which is known as Type 1

and Type 2 error respectively. From the perspective of the interviewee he/she may be qualified

but because of lacking in interview skills they might end up getting rejected. How these

situations may be avoided is further described in the report.

1.2 Scopes

Many fresh graduates have no idea about the various techniques that make an interview

effective, instead, unknowingly the take a leap of faith, learning through trial and error and

through what their predecessors have said. Though the process of stumbling and learning is a

natural way of attaining perfection, in this day and age the unparalleled competition in the job

market calls for swifter moves and cunning strategies to stand out in the crowd. It is therefore

the scope of this report to ease the process of learning both for the interviewer and the

interviewee and save them precious time, effort and money. Of course this is just a guideline

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and not the ultimate way of doing things but this report has the potential to enlighten the greater

amount of managers and interview candidates in this country on the fundamentals of an

effective interview. Furthermore the report also includes ten questions structured to hire an HR

faculty for and academic institution. These questions would act as an example to those

candidates attending similar interviews.

1.3 Methodology

The entire report has been prepared based on secondary data collected from books, websites,

and online journals and articles. The research methodology is wholly qualitative meaning there

are minimal quantitative analysis.

1.4 Limitations

The basic limitations faced whilst preparing the report was a time constraint which would not

have been a problem had there been increased pressure due to shortening of the semester.

However the given time was adequate to the needs of completing the report. There was an

inherent gap in the capabilities of the group members which created higher massing of

responsibilities on the members with relatively higher capabilities.

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5 Literature review

Strategies of Effective Interviewing

“In the broad sense, interviewing is the process whereby individuals (usually two) exchange

information. The individuals may be concerned with a job opening, a promotion, a special

assignment, a product sale, information for intelligence purposes, a proposed merger, or other

questions. The information exchanged need not be limited to facts. In business, particularly,

such products of an interview as meaning and understanding are oftentimes more significant

than objective factual statements.

Interviewing in the contemporary business setting invariably takes place in an atmosphere

filled with a sense of urgency. The time allocated to the interview is necessarily limited.

Consequently, a nondirective approach finds little application; it is necessary to use the guided

interview in the vast majority of situations.” ~ (Trull, 2012)

Ask Right to Hire Right: Effective Interview Questions

“Looking for a simple, yet effective way to immediately improve your interviewing and staff

selection process? Define the qualities, talents and skills you’d most like to have in a new

employee. Then, devise a series of interview questions that allow your applicant to demonstrate

she has the desired qualities, talents and skills.

Many organizations are spending a great deal of time defining competencies for each position.

You can, if you have the time and resources to do so. You don’t have to embark on a lengthy

process, however.

Use a simple job description with a set of behaviourally-based interview questions to pinpoint

the people you want in your organization. When your interview questions ask the applicant to

tell you about behaviours and actions she has actually demonstrated in the past, your selection

process will improve”.

~ (Heathfield)

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Effective Interview Tips

“Interviews are not limited to face-to-face discussions. When distance or time constraints are

a factor, interviews are conducted over the phone. With the advent of the Internet, some

interviews are conducted via computer on a web cam. Interviews can be structured or

unstructured, and can include multiple interviewers. When a job consists of quick thinking or

reacting to situations, the interview often involves evaluating how the candidate responds to a

variety of circumstances. A screening interview assesses basic qualifications, while a stress

interview attempts to learn how you handle uncomfortable situations, reports the Connecticut

Department of Labour.”

~ (Jean, 2012)

6 ways not to blow your interview

“Once you land a job interview, every word and every move counts.

Present yourself as the solution to a problem, says Charles Purdy, senior editor of Monster Hot

Jobs.

"Employers create jobs and fill jobs because they have problems to solve. It's up to you to

analyse what those problems are by analysing the job ad or by just using what you know about

the company or the industry and present yourself as someone who is ready and equipped to

solve the problems that the open job indicates."

Don't say, "I really need this job." It goes without saying and quite frankly, there are millions

of people who have likely been out of work longer than you. Jobs aren't filled based on need

and you certainly don't want the hiring manager to think you've been passed over again and

again by other companies. Downplay the gap on the resume by making sure it is filled with

volunteer work, computer or continuing education classes or freelance work and focus on the

skills you can bring to the job.”

~ (Romans, 2011)

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2. Analysis & Description

2.1 How to be a successful interviewer

If the right people are chosen and placed in the right suit, then success is logical result for an

organization. Hiring and keeping good workers begins with the job interview. If an interviewer

can ask the right questions, he is more likely to select a candidate who’s right for the job.

Without good interviewing skills, however, an offer could be extended to someone who’s

ultimately not the right fit for the company.

Therefore conducting a successful interview requires preparation and techniques. It does not

happen randomly. It demands planning, analyzing the job and applicants; moreover asking the

right question in the right way.

Some things are really necessary to be an effective interviewer some of them are listed below

as general guidance.

a. Taking preparation to conduct the interview

Determine the qualification that is required to perform the job. Determine what

educational background candidate should have, whether he must have any experience,

verbal or technical skills etc.

Look over the resume at least one day before the interview. It will help to determine

what question to be asked during the interview.

Specific questions should be written otherwise interviewer might forget it.

There should be multiple interviewers who can ask questions from different viewpoint.

Note-taking materials should be prepared before actual interview.

Planning is required. Who will ask what question and at what sequence should be

planned prior to interview.

b. Conducting the interview

Use rating scales for answers

Prepare 3 to 5 ideal answers for each question and set scales like excellent, fair & poor then

rate candidate’s answers against this scale.

Develop a rapport

Have a conversation, develop rapport. Forget about the questions and just have a comfortable

conversation.

Questions on actual job duties

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Ask questions related to job knowledge, situational and behavior. Better command over job

related knowledge and ability to manage adverse situation smartly is very important criteria for

selecting the right candidate.

Let interviewee speak

Many people have been interviewed many times and they know the questions they are most

likely to be asked, so their answers are practiced and canned. If you want to get a little bit more

out of them or something original, wait for five seconds after they finish their last sentence and

do not say anything. More often than not, that moment of silence will get them thinking and

they’ll start speaking from their heart (and with a whole other perspective than their standard

canned answers).

Don’t stick to your agenda

To make matters worse, most interviewers follow the questions that they have lined up in the

order they wrote them, instead of letting it flow based on what the subject is saying. Great

follow-up conversations and side-tracks may be lost because the interviewer was following

their flow instead of the flow of the conversation.

Ask open ended questions

Always start your questions or commentary with words like “how” and “why”. Those two

words can never be responded to with the words, “yes” or “no”. If you want something more

than one or two word answers, use words like “how” and “why”.

Avoid asking simple questions

Ask questions related to job knowledge, situational and behavior. Better command over job

related knowledge and ability to manage adverse situation smartly is very important criteria for

selecting the right candidate.

c. When the interview is conducted

Once the interview is done the interviewer should do the following things:

Give interviewee time to ask you questions:

Ask the candidate if he or she has any questions about the job requirements, working

conditions, prospective co-workers, supervisors, subordinates or other considerations. Let the

candidate know that you and the Personnel Office will be available to answer any questions

that might arise after the interview. For example, “if I give my best effort then what is my

standing in the organization after ten years?” may asked by the interviewee.

Make any notes on your written notes:

Most of the time interviewer makes notes during the interview. So after the interview the

interviewer should check their written notes and take corrective actions if it is necessary. For

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example, clarify any scratching; ensure pages are numbered, filled out any notes that don’t

make senses etc.

Write down any observations made during the interview

During the interview there may some candidates who seems to be nervous or shows different

attitude or any candidate who performs outstandingly good, so at this point the interviewer can

write down their observations if they didn’t write during the interview. Note your observations

right away, so you can assess each candidate more objectively against the requirements of the

job and not subjectively against the preceding or succeeding candidates.

Verify if the tape recorder, if used

An interviewer should review the tape recorder after the interview if it is used during the

interview. There may be some certain questions asked by the interviewer and at the time of

asking the questions, the interviewee didn’t understand it and gave the wrong answer. So, at

the time of reviewing the tape recorder, the interviewee might understand the questions and

give the right answer. This tape recorder can also used to avoid any kind of discrimination

cases. For example, if the candidate makes any discrimination case against the interviewer then

the interviewer can use this tape recorder as prove to avoid the discrimination case.

Narrow the Field

After you have interviewed all the scheduled candidates and before you make your final hiring

decision, narrow the field to those you would consider hiring for the position. Don’t center all

consideration on one person and exclude all others from contention, because if your first choice

turns down the position, you may have trouble remembering the merits of the other candidates.

Make the Hiring Decision

Review all the information you have obtained on the candidates. Consider the following factors

in arriving at your final decision:

• Ability to do the work.

• Interest in doing the job.

• Potential for growth.

• Ability to adjust to the job environment.

After careful thought, make the decision to hire or not to hire. A valid selection occurs when

the “merit and fitness” of the candidate are the primary determining factors in the decision.

Inform the Personnel Officer of your choice.

Finally, you find the best employee for you.

Notify Selected Candidate

Follow your agency procedures with respect to notifying selected candidates. Typically, the

Personnel Office notifies the selected candidate by telephone to ensure that he or she is willing

and able to accept appointment, and follows up with a written confirmation.

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Notify Unselected Candidates

Good personnel practice, common courtesy and the New York State Civil Service Law require

that the Personnel Office inform candidates not selected of your decision and thank them for

their interest. When possible, each candidate should be sent a personal letter. When large

numbers are involved, a form letter may be sent.

After all candidates have been notified, the interview process is concluded.

2.2 How to be a successful interviewee

A candidate who goes through becomes successful not when he is selected for the job but when

he is actually satisfied with his performance. To have a successful interview a candidate should

put in extra effort to perform Thus to be at the top involves loads of steps from giving the right

answers to all the questions that has been asked during the interview to the positive professional

attitude. The following is some of essential things that an interviewee needs to follow.

a. Taking preparation for the interview

Before an interview a candidate should always take care of certain things which the interviewer

will observe during the interview. Thus to be a potential candidate he or she needs to follow a

planned and step by step process which not only ranges from giving the right answers to all

questions that has been asked during the interview but also demonstrate a positive professional

attitude

Interview roles

Before someone faces an interview the first thing that underlies any preparation is to rule out

the purpose of the interview and individuals specific goals. In a job interview both the

interviewer and the interviewee share a common purpose which is finding out if the candidate

and the job matches or not.

Gaining prior knowledge about the company

Before a candidate faces an interview it is very essential that he/she is well prepared about the

necessary company information like the company’s products and services that it offers, its

vision and objective. Therefore the interviewee should do research about the company. For

instance valuable information regarding the company is available in the website which could

be a great source of valuable information. The candidate can also find out what the employer

is looking for by networking with current and former employees.

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Accumulate important documents

Before the interview, also compile all documents you will need for your interview, such as a

notepad and paper, copies of your resume and cover letter, names, addresses, and phone

numbers for your professional references, and college transcripts.

b. Necessary thing to do during the interview

Be on time

Time has immense importance especially in the corporate world .this is the right time to show

the right attitude never be late on the day of interview as this will do nothing good with your

future.

Dress tips

When interviewing for an office job, both men and women should choose a conservative, dark-

colored suit, ideally one that is black, navy blue or dark gray. Men should wear a white button-

down shirt underneath their suit and choose a complementing tie with a subtle pattern.

Check yourself

After reaching at the place of interview early you have loads of time to give yourself a look .go

to the washroom and give yourself a detail look and do check the knot of your tie, make up and

dressing .nothing should mess up at that time.

Ability to Learn Quickly

The interviewee could discuss any training/school achievements; commitment to continuing

education (Joan Lloyd). The interviewee can show that he/she has the ability to learn new things

very quickly and can adapt to abrupt changes efficiently. Discuss self-taught skills e.g.,

computer programs. This will help create a favorable image on the employer and will reflect

that the interviewee can learn things easily and can be taught new skills if needed.

Ask questions

Asking questions creates an impression that the interviewee has researched about the company

and has prepared himself well for the interview. For instance, he should ask about the

company’s objectives and where the company wants to be in the next couple of years. In the

first interview session, the interviewee should avoid queries about the job requirements and the

salary which could be dealt later.

2.3 Ten Interview questions for HR faculty Recruitment

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It is a very difficult job to select only 10 question for selecting a HRM lecturer for NSU because

only 10 questions may not sufficient for judging a candidate properly. We have tried our best

to select most appropriate questions for hiring a HR teacher. For selecting a HR lecturer we

have made some assumptions about the candidates. They are

The candidates have received minimum an MBA degree from a reputed university

situated abroad.

The candidates have completed internship from a corporate organization under HRM

department.

The candidates have superior presentation skills.

According to us the 10 questions are following questions.

1.Describe yourself with three adjectives that make you suitable for this job.

This is a bit tricky question. The objective of this question is to judge the word selection of

the candidates and reasons behind selecting the words. Most of the candidates will choose

irrelevant words regarding their applied job. The interviewer will see who selects most

relevant words.

2. Why do you prefer NSU as your first choice over other private universities?

The objective of asking this question is to know about the career objective of the candidates.

Some candidates may choose NSU because of its brand value. Those candidates will not

be devoted to NSU as their objective will only making a good start of their career and add

value to their resume. They will not stay for a long time in NSU. By asking this question

the interviewer will also be able to about knowledge of the candidates about NSU and other

private universities in Bangladesh. The question will further clarify about the knowledge

of the candidates regarding current education system of Bangladesh.

3. Do you think university teachers should be managed under the X theory or Y

theory?

This question will help the interviewer to get an idea about the candidates’ understanding about

the Human Resources Management. This will also clarify the mentality of the candidates in

their personal life regarding ego issues and their personal ethics. This question will further

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clarify the attitude of the candidates to work under the authority. Last but not the least this

question will help the interviewer to know about personal motivation level of the candidates.

4. Why are you interested in this “boring” job of a teacher instead of the challenging

job you had during internship?

The main purpose of this question is to test the reaction of the candidates after hearing a

negative word about their prospective job. Another purpose is to check the mentality of the

candidates regarding getting the job whether they offend the interviewer or agrees with the

interviewer for getting the job. This question will also clarify the interviewer about the

choosing purpose of their career path.

5. Where do you see yourself in next five years?

This is an open ended question. The purpose of this question is to know about the

candidates’ career ambition, devotion, desire, expectation, planning etc. this will give the

interviewer a clear understanding about the candidates that how much realistic and practical

they are about their future.

6. Do you think CGPA is more important than personal skills? Do you agree with the

so-called but practiced “20% A” policy of NSU? Why or why not?

There are actually two portions of this question. First portion is to know about the view

point of the candidates about CGPA knowing the fact that they all have a very good CGPA.

The second portion will clarify that how the candidates will give grades to their prospective

students and what the logic behind that is. The interviewer will come to know about the

logic building capabilities of the candidates by asking this question.

7. How do you deal with the biasness factor that most teachers are accused of by

students?

This question will clarify the attitude of the candidates towards biasness and the view point

of them regarding biasness. It is expected that candidates will oppose biasness. So, non

verbal communication will be more important than verbal communication for the

interviewer to judge the candidates.

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8. Don’t you think hiring you for this post would be biased decision as you are NSU

Alumni?( IF the candidate is NSU Alumni )

It is actually the counter question of the previous question. This is the opportunity given to

the candidates to show their uniqueness. This will also determine the intelligence level of

the candidates to support their view points by not going against their interest. The best

answer will be showing their capabilities and worthiness compare to other candidates

telling that being NSU alumni is an extra qualification of them differentiating from others

applied for the post.

9. Why did you not pursue your career abroad where there is a better scope of

financial freedom, luxury and career opportunities?

The main purpose of this question is to get an idea about the candidates about their

motherland. Are they devoted to their prospective job? The interviewer will get a clear idea

about the candidates’ attitude towards the job compare to an abroad job.

10. From your experience while studying abroad, what improvements do you think

are necessary to make the faculties of Bangladesh more efficient and effective in

teaching?

This is another question to test their knowledge about NSU and current education system

of Bangladesh. Their recommendation will prove the depth of their knowledge regarding

those issues. The interviewer will also get an idea about the candidates’ analytical abilities

for comparing two different cultures, facilities and situations etc practically.

3. Recommendations & Findings

We furthermore give the following recommendations:

A candidate should always try to stay on track and not try to confuse the interviewer by

random bombardment of unnecessary information.

An interviewee should not reveal his/her weaknesses unless asked to do so and they

should always be careful during behavioural interviews because that is where they are

most vulnerable.

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Maintaining etiquette is very important for both the interviewer and the interviewee as

much of the interview process is heavily reliant on non-verbal communication.

Impression of both the parties is important.

Interviewees should always prepare themselves before an interview; they should always

“do their homework”. Following the guidelines we have given in the project should be

enough.

An interviewer should always prepare an outline of the whole selection process to avoid

deviating from the planned path and avoid misconceptions.

In the present day and age ethical issues are a big factor and the interviewers should

always be stringent about their ethical standards in hiring new employees.

HR managers should always study the job market and the internal specifications of the

company about the respective job and the supply and demand of available compatible

candidates.

Interviewees should make it a good habit to ask questions to the employer at the end of

the interview; this creates a good impression and the interviewer then knows that the

candidate has good knowledge about the company and is eager to work.

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4. Conclusion

Interviews are an intricate part of our professional career; one might be a very good in studies

but without the much needed interview skills finding a job may be very difficult. The

suggestions and guidelines we provided in this project should suffice for most interviews and

help the candidate to achieve success. Most importantly candidates should be confident in

upholding their talents and impression and playing the game. It is pretty much a difficult

position for the employers sitting at the other side of the table. An interviewer must always

remember to keep in mind the various ethical issues faced in a hiring process and maintain

standards such as affirmative action and equal employment opportunity. Employers must also

plan their interviews by making an outline beforehand; this helps in keeping the interview in

track and making the interview more structured and effective. The ten questions are not

something of strict accordance but a sort of guideline to what employers should follow when

designing questions for academic interviews such as the one mentioned in the project.

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livestrong.com:http://www.livestrong.com/article/207499-effective-job-interview-

tips/

Romans, C. (2011, January 10). 6 ways not to blow your interview. CNN Living, p. 1.

Trull, S. G. (2012). Strategies of Effective Interviewing. Harvard Business Review, 1.

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