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The interview remains the key ingredient in almost all selection decisions. The
traditional approach attempts to determine the match of a candidate's traits
required to perform. For example, if "assertiveness" is a job requirement,
the interviewer would assess this characteristic in a candidate and then predict
the candidate's ability to be assertive on the job.
Behavioral-based interviewing differs from the trait approach primarily in its
emphasis on gaining "behavioral examples." It is based on the premise
that the only way to reliably predict performance is to assess past performance.
The interviewer asks specific questions about the candidate's past actions that
relate to the skills required for the job, then rates the candidate's skills
based on these actions. Interviewing as a process. A behavioral approach to interviewing
is a planned series of steps that begins with a skills analysis and continues
through the rating of a candidate's skills. It reflects the idea that the interview
is part of a process, rather than a single event.
The connection between past and future behavior helps managers
feel comfortable with the mission of the interview. Behavior predicts.
Past achievement suggest future creativity, past creativity predicts
future stubbornness. Even though people learn and grow, their past
behavior is still the best predictor of future behavior.
Five key processes for
behavioral-based interviewing
1. Complete a skills analysis for each job.
A team of people who know a particular job well, usually
made up of managers/supervisors, human resource specialists
and job incumbents should construct a job profile showing
which skills to assess in the interview. Identifying the
skills required by the job is the initial step toward showing
the job-relatedness of the interview - the basis for its
legal defensibility.
2. Develop skill definitions.
Using the job profile, the interviewer next defines the job-related
skills to reflect essential job requirements. Skill definitions
fall into two categories: Technical skills, the "hands-on" skills
required by the positions, and Performance skills, the work
habits which reflect the way in which a person does the job.
Thoroughly defining these skills is the key to reliable and
valid selection decisions, rather than leaving them open
to individual interpretation.
3. Develop interview
questions.
After the important skills for the job are defined, a list
of questions are developed for the interview to help assess
each candidate. Good questions are those which help the candidate
provide specific information about skills. Each question
should make sense to the typical candidate for a position
and be obviously related to the job.
4. Conduct the interview and
gain behavioral examples.
The questions developed are used during the interview to
gain information about specific life/work experiences related
to the skills for the job. During the interview, help the
candidate be specific about life and work experiences. Responses
such as "I'm dependable," should lead into more
specific life history events. Behavioral examples should
contain references to names, dates, numbers, times and locations.
5. Rate skills and make decisions.
Each interviewer should rate the candidate's skills for the job following the
interview. The rating involves a comparison of the candidate's responses with
the job-related skill definitions. The selection decision can then be made based
on a full understanding of how a candidate's job-related skills match job requirements.
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June 2004, Reproduced
with permission from Workplace Today® Inc. ©2004 All rights
reserved. www.workplace.ca
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