Deck 16: Interviewing and Following up

Question 1

During a job interview, do the interviewer and the interviewee want the same thing? How do their purposes differ?

Answer 1

Purposes of an interviewer and interviewee differ in following manner:
• Interviewee wants to convince the interviewer about his capabilities however, interviewer wishes to analyze the abilities of the candidate to check if it fit the requirements.
• Interviewee wants to know more about company and its policies. On the other hand, interviewer is interested in determining the motivation factors.
Hence, the potential hire wish to learn about the job, responsibilities, company and, the interviewer seeks to know about the candidate.

Question 2

"Like criminal background checks and drug tests, the social media check is quickly becoming an automatic part of the hiring process," asserts Melissa Bell, editor of BlogPost for The Washington Post. 41 Do you believe employers are justified or ethical in making these kinds of searches before hiring? Does this assume that candidates may be criminals? Isn't this similar to snooping?

Answer 2

It is justified to search social media if the motive of the company is to determine whether the candidate is good fit into the organizational culture. It helps the company to identify the type of information being shared by the candidate over such platforms.
However, if it is done to know about personnel life of the candidate it is unethical.

Question 3

Name the two main types of employment interviews, and explain how they differ.

Answer 3

There are two main types of interviews are given below:
Screening interviews: They are used to identify and screen the candidates who fit company's requirements. These were previously called technical interviews and are usually comprised of common workplace problems, ethics questions, and questions regarding experience.
Placement interviews : These are more often promising, and seek to determine if the candidate is motivated, a good fit, and if qualified enough to perform job responsibilities appropriately.

Question 4

Most job seekers are thrilled to be offered a job, and they fear haggling over salary. Yet, employment specialists say that failing to negotiate can be a mistake that reverberates for years. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?

Question 5

Briefly describe the types of hiring/placement interviews candidates may encounter.

Question 6

If you are asked an illegal interview question, why is it important to first assess the intentions of the interviewer?

Question 7

Career coaches warn candidates to never enter a job interview "cold." What does this mean, and how can a candidate heed the warning?

Question 8

Why is it a smart strategy to thank an interviewer, to follow up, and even to send a rejection follow-up message? Are any risks associated with this strategy?

Question 9

What are success stories, and how can candidates use them during job interviews?

Question 10

Ethical Issue. A recruiter for an organization has an outstanding prospect for a position. As part of his screening process, the recruiter checks the online presence of the candidate and discovers from her social networks that she is 18 weeks pregnant-and happily so. He knows that the target position involves a big project that will go live just about the time she will be taking maternity leave. He decides not to continue the hiring process with this candidate. Is his action legal? Ethical? What lesson could be learned about posting private information online?

Question 11

What is digital dirt, and what should a candidate do to clean it up during the employment process?

Question 12

When an interviewer asks, Tell me about yourself, what should a candidate do?

Question 13

When an interviewer asks, Where do you expect to be five (or ten) years from now, what is a sure kiss of death in a candidate's response? How should a candidate respond?

Question 14

Should candidates be candid with interviewers when asked about their weaknesses?

Question 15

What are situational and behavioral interview questions, and how can a candidate craft responses that will make a favorable impression on the interviewer?

Question 16

What kinds of questions should candidates ask during interviews?

Question 17

List the steps candidates should take immediately following a job interview.

Question 18

If a candidate is offered a position, why is it important for that person to write an acceptance letter, and what should it include?

Question 19

When filling out an employment application form, how should a candidate respond when asked the reasons for leaving previous positions?

Question 20

Is it a good idea to follow up after a job rejection? Why or why not?