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CHAPTER Employment

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29 Interview

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Chapter Objective

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To provide practical hints on how to prepare for a face-to-face job interview, how to conduct oneself

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when being interviewed and also how to interview the candidates, if required.

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COMMUNICATION CORE
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For obtaining success in a job interview adequate preparation is essential. You should analyse
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the knowledge and skills you possess and also know how these would be useful for performing
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the required tasks. While attending the interview, you should be your usual self, and remain cool
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and relaxed. The answers should be brief and to the point. In manners and speech you should
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exhibit utmost courtesy. Usually an interview begins with direct questions. The bulk of time is
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spent on the discussion generated by open-ended questions. Towards the end closed questions are
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asked. The purpose of the interview is to seek information about the candidate’s aptitude, attitude,
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achievements, temperament and health. This is done by observing and often recording the quality
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of responses in an evaluation sheet. However, merely good performance at an interview does not
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mean that one would get the job. That is why prospective employers use other instruments for
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evaluating the suitability of an applicant for a job. Some companies may conduct a preliminary
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interview on the telephone. Brace yourself for such an interview as well. If you are asked to
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conduct an interview, first put the candidate at ease. Be always polite, courteous and amiable.
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Patience and ability to remain cool are the other virtues of an interviewer. Your sole purpose should
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be to understand what the candidate is, to find out what he knows, and to match the information
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so gathered with the requirements of the job. When you interview a number of candidates, form
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your judgement after weighing the performance of all the candidates.

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In Chapter 19 we have discussed personal interview as a method of collecting data, wherein

you play the role of an interviewer, the sole purpose being the gathering of information for your
report. Here, we are going to focus attention on employment-related interviews, which may be
 382 Business Correspondence and Report Wri ng

classified into four categories: promotion interview, annual interview, exit interview and job
interview.

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TYPES OF INTERVIEW

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Most organisations periodically review the performance of their employees with a view

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to promoting them to higher positions. In some organisations the practice of interviewing

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the employees before taking a final decision is in vogue. An interview of this type is called

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promotion interview; it is used as an additional instrument for assessing the suitability of

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an employee for a higher post. The annual confidential reports do contain relevant information

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for decision in this regard. But personal interaction with the employees often throws light on

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aspects which the assessment reports may not have highlighted.

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In the second type, namely, annual interview, the reporting officer interacts with the

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employees under his separation, before writing the annual confidential reports. The purpose
here is to confirm the achievements of the employee and also to point out his strengths and

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weaknesses.

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In some organisations the practice is to interact with an employee who has resigned and get

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his feedback on matters such as salary package and perks, work culture, patterns of behaviour,

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methods of assessing performance, system of reward and punishment, etc. Such an interaction
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is sometimes termed as exit-interview. The intention here is to have the benefit of the views of
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an insider who can now see things as an outsider. His perception is, therefore, likely to be more
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realistic and his communication more reliable. The employee is expected to express himself
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freely and frankly. There is nothing at stake. In fact, sincere and well-thought out feedback
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could help the organisation change for the better and grow in the right direction. However,
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this opportunity is not to be used for vituperation and name-calling even if the interview has
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developed an intense dislike for certain persons or for the organisation as a whole.
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The fourth type is job interview which we are now going to discuss in detail as it may be
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of immediate relevance to you.

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PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW

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A job interview may be the most intense and dynamic communication situation that you
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ever encounter in your career. Therefore, you ought to prepare adequately for success at the
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interview. The first step is to do self-analysis, know your strengths and weaknesses. You
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should clearly understand the knowledge and skills that you possess. The second step, is to
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find out how relevant your competence is to the job you are seeking, and how you would use it
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for performing the required duties. The third step is to gather information about the history,
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function and developmental plan of the organisation and to visualise the role you could play
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in its growth and development. The fourth step is to imagine the kind of questions likely
to be asked and their probable answers. The final step is to discuss, if possible, with a few
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employees of the company its work culture, professional ethics and growth directions. It is also
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advisable to gather information from the published literature, if any.

 Employment Interview 383

ATTENDING THE INTERVIEW

At the time of interview you should give positive clues to the interviewer. Some of these are;

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punctuality, neat physical appearance, cheerful expression, pleasant manners, presence

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of mind, positive attitude and clear and confident voice. These would generate a receptive

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attitude towards you. And, as a result, you are likely to be listened to with greater interest and
attention.

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We now give a few practical hints. If you act upon them, you would have better chances of

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winning the race.

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∑ Reach the venue in time and wait patiently for your turn.

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∑ Be brief and spontaneous in your responses.

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∑ Present the relevant matter in an organised way.

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∑ Support your views with mature and proper arguments.

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∑ Use homour in your answers, if possible.

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∑ Be honest in referring to events, situations and experiences.

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∑ Be your usual self to feel at ease with the situation.

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∑ Listen carefully to the interviewer’s questions, statements and comments.

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∑ Be perceptive of the signals that the body language of the interviewer may give.
∑ Speak in a conversational style, avoiding pedantic verbosity.
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∑ Ensure that your body language does not show any oddities such as blinking of the eyes,
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raising the eyebrows, playing with the keys or pen in your pocket, putting the fingers in front
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of your mouth, etc.

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∑ Exhibit utmost courtesy both in manners and speech.

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To avoid a negative impact you should take the following precautions:

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∑ Do not give irrelevant information.

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∑ Do not give excessive details about the topic under discussion.

∑ Do not try to change the topic of discussion.
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∑ Avoid hasty generalisations.

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∑ Do not give any evasive reply in a bid to hide your ignorance.

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∑ Avoid long pauses while speaking.

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∑ Do not keep smiling all the time.

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∑ Do not make a slighting reference to people with whom you have worked in the past.
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INTERVIEW PROCESS
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The interview would usually start with direct questions, seeking specific information
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regarding your qualifications, achievements and experience. At the initial stage, this is done
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with a view to confirming the contents of the resume and establishing a rapport for further
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interaction. After this introductory exchange, the interview process warms up and becomes
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more dynamic. At this stage open-ended questions, seeking substantial information are
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asked. You may for example, be asked questions about the types of courses, and projects you
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did and to explain how they relate to your professional ambition. If you have some experience,
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you may be required to describe it in terms of its relevance to the job you have applied for.
Before the interview ends closed questions may be asked. These usually relate to the time
you would take in joining the post, the place of posting, the nature of appointment (temporary,
on probation, contractual) or the salary expected or offered, etc. You may also be given an
 384 Business Correspondence and Report Wri ng

opportunity for seeking any information about the job and the company or clarifications about
any thing that has been discussed or mentioned earlier.
It is difficult to list the questions that might be actually asked at an interview. However, we give

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below a sample of possible questions to give you an idea of the various areas or aspects to which

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they usually relate.

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Academic Background

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1. Describe briefly your academic career from Higher Secondary onwards.

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2. What courses in your BE programme did you like most? And Why?

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3. Name any area of Chemical Engineering in which you wish to specialise.
4. Did you study any material other than the named textbooks, and recommended

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reference books? If yes, specify.

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5. Do you think you had to do certain irrelevant courses which you had to do as part of

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your degree programme. Give reasons.

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6. How did you get interested in this subject?

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7. Do you feel that the degree you did has provided you a good general training?

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8. Have you ever changed the main area of your interest while studying at the University? If

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yes, Why?
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Cocurricular Activities
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1. In what activities did you participate? Which did you enjoy most?
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2. What factors helped you win the first prize at the Gandhi Memorial Debate at
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Nagpur?
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3. What activities did you organise as secretary of the Chemical Engineering Association
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of your college?
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4. In what way has your experience of directing plays at college contributed to the
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development of your personality?

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5. How is it that you did not win any prize in the Six Essay Competitions in which you
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participated?
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6. Do you think that your cocurricular activities were worth the time you devoted to
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them? Why?
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Extracurricular Activities
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1. Have you ever been interested in any indoor games?

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2. Is participation in outdoor games more valuable than that in indoor games?

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3. Have you continued to play games and participate in sports after leaving the college?
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4. Do you enjoy sports as an observer? If yes, Why?

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5. Apart from tennis, is there any other game in which you have been interested?
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6. What is the size of the tennis court?

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7. Why didn’t you get a chance to represent your college at any state level competition?
8. How did you get interested in Yoga?
9. Do you regularly do some Yoga exercises?
10. Do these exercises help you remain both mentally and physically fit?
 Employment Interview 385

General Knowledge
1. What is your opinion about the new economic policy of the Govt. of India?

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2. What is Panchayat Raj? In what way can it accelerate socio-economic development?

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3. What are your views about the functioning of parliamentary democracy in India?

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4. What is terrorism? Can you suggest how it can be completely eliminated?

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5. Is there a need for a change in India’s foreign policy? Give reasons.
6. Why have we not succeeded in developing friendly relations with Pakistan and

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China?

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7. Was it necessary for India to go nuclear? Has this step not affected our economic

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growth?
8. Have you any comments to offer on the slow pace of technological advancement in our

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country?

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Experience

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1. What jobs have you held? Why did you leave them?

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2. Describe the nature of duties you performed.

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3. Did you ever have any problems in dealing with your boss or with your subordinates?

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Analyse reasons. in
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4. If you made any significant contribution or introduced any innovations, give a brief
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account.
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5. Did you do any self-evaluation of your performance in the earlier jobs? If yes, what is
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the result?
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Miscellaneous
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1. Why are you interested in this particular job?

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2. What do you know about the goals and work culture of our company?
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3. What personal characteristics are necessary for success in this job? Do you possess
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them?
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4. Do you prefer working with others or by yourself?

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5. With what kind of boss would you like to work?

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6. How much money you hope to earn at the age of forty?

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7. Tell us anything you have done to prove that you possess initiative and willingness to
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work?
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8. Are you willing to serve where the company posts you or do you prefer any specific
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geographic location?
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9. Have you ever had any serious illness or injury?

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10. How large is your family? Have you any other dependents normally residing with
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you?
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11. What salary do you expect?

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EMPLOYERS’ EXPECTATIONS
Through this process of questions and answers the interviewer’s aim is not only to assure
himself about the suitability of qualifications and experience required for the job but also to
 386 Business Correspondence and Report Wri ng

discover the significant traits of your personality and family environment/circumstances. The
information about the second aspect is as important as about the first. Personal happiness
and healthy social relationships are conducive to efficiency in work. In specific terms what the

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prospective employer seeks to find out may be classified as follows:

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(i) Aptitude: You may be asked certain questions intended to find out your aptitude for the

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job applied for.

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(ii) Attitude: A number of questions would usually be directed to discover your attitude

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towards your job, employer, colleagues and in general towards life and society.

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This information may help the employer determine whether you would respect the
professional ethics of the organisation.

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(iii) Achievements: The questions related to this aspect would seek to elicit the nature and

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quality of your attainments as listed in the bio-data.

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(iv) Temperament: A person with a cool temperament and cheerful disposition is likely to

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be more successful in dealing with others and performing his professional tasks. You

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may therefore be asked a few questions for discovering whether you possess this trait.

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(v) Health: The interviewer would carefully observe the way you walk, sit and speak to

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gather clues to the state of your health.

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He may also ask one or two direct questions about your health.

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Some employers use an evaluation sheet to assess the suitability of interviewees. A sample
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is given below in Exhibit 29.1
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Exhibit 29.1
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Evaluation Sheet
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Name of the Interviewee:

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Evaluation
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Aspects
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Excellent Good Poor

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I Understanding of discipline fundamentals

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II Technical Knowledge
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III Communication skills

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IV Leadership qualities
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V Initiative & drive

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VI Team spirit and social awareness

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VII Motivation
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VIII Intellectual ability

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IX Capacity for hard & sustained work

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Date: Signature of interviewer

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Place:
 Employment Interview 387

TELEPHONE INTERVIEW
There is an increasing tendency on the part of large organisations to hand over the task of

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screening and short listing the candidates to a placement or an employment agency. This

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agency generally does primary screening through the telephone. There are, however, several

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organisations which still do the preliminary short listing themselves often by interviewing the
candidates on the phone. It is, therefore, necessary for you to prepare yourself for a telephone

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interview as well. For this you need to bear in mind a few additional points.

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• Since you do not have the benefit of the use of the body language for communication,

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the entire burden for making it effective would fall on the use of your voice. Your tone

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and style should exude confidence and reflect enthusiasm.

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• Take extra care to pronounce words clearly, letting your voice rise and fall at proper

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places.

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• Choose words which are not only easy to understand but also easy to pronounce.

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• If the time for the interview is fixed, prepare yourself mentally by visualising the

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questions that are likely to be asked. Write important points relating to your experience

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and achievements and keep the note sheet within your easy reach. You may also keep

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a copy of your resume on your table for reference.
• If you do not know the name and designation of the caller, find these at the very
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beginning by putting a polite question such as ‘May I know, sir, who is calling?’
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• If you do not understand any question, request the interviewer to repeat it.
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• Occasionally you may receive a call for interview without prior notice. Do not get panicky.
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Gain time on some pretext. For example, you may ask the caller to hold for a second as
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somebody is sitting with you. Put the telephone on the table and take two or three steps,
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come back and lift the telephone, saying ‘Sir, I am now all by myself. Sorry to have kept
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you waiting for a few moments’.

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NEGOTIATING A JOB OFFER

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For success in negotiation two important factors that play a crucial role are: a win–win attitude
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and readiness to accept a compromise. To induce these qualities you need to collect authentic
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data about the job and the concerned organisation. It would be useful to gather information
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about the break-up of the compensation package, fringe benefits, nature of work, duties and
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responsibilities, position in the chain of hierarchy, opportunities for career advancement, etc.
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Your aim should veer round the concern about man’s basic needs as an individual, namely,
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physical comfort, security, respect and social acceptability.

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To bring negotiation to satisfactory conclusion, you will have to use your persuasive skills.
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Persuasion, as you may know, is a process that influences the thought/behaviour of the other
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party, leading it gently towards a pre-determined goal. In the discussion on ‘Sales Letter’ we
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have drawn your attention to some of the devices that can be used for persuasion. The basic
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element in the process is an ability to convince the organisation that your addition to their
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workforce would add to its efficiency and growth.

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 388 Business Correspondence and Report Wri ng

THANK-YOU LETTER
Courtesy demands that after the interview you should write a short letter thanking the

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organisation for having given you a chance to present your claim for a job. In this letter you

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should reiterate your desire and interest in joining the organisation. You should close the

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letter with an optimistic statement such as ‘I look forward to hearing from you soon’. And do

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remember to address the letter to the officer who had called you for the interview.

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CONDUCTING AN INTERVIEW

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On becoming a senior professional, you may be asked to interview candidates for a job in your
organisation. Though the manner in which this task is performed is implied in the earlier

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discussion, we would like to give below certain specific guidelines in the form of DO’s and

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DONT’s to help you conduct an interview effectively.

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DO’s

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1. Analyse carefully the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the job.
2. Study the resume of the candidate to match his attainments to the requirements of the
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job. in
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3. Frame in your mind (or even write) basic questions you would like to ask.
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4. Ask only one question at a time.

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5. Use precise expressions and plain language.

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6. Repeat the question if the candidate so desires, explaining to him clearly what you
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want to know.
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7. Be patient, allowing time to the candidate, to warm up and become interactive.

8. Establish a rapport and encourage him to give his best.
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9. Be courteous, polite and amiable but firm and professional.

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10. Listen carefully with interest to the responses of the candidate.

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11. All in all, try to understand what the candidate is and to find out what he knows.
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DONT’s
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1. Do not ask a series of questions.

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2. Do not put the same question to different candidates.

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3. Do not elicit unnecessary details.

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4. Do not ask questions to impress the candidate or to display your knowledge.

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5. Do not ask highly personal questions.

6. Do not continue asking questions on one aspect or topic for a long time.
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7. Do not put any question when the candidate is answering a colleague.

8. Do not at any stage loose your temper or raise your voice.
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9. Do not become excited or emotional during interaction.

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10. Do not use slang or uncommon abbreviations.

11. Do not permit the candidate to make flippant remarks.
12. Do not make any comments that may make the candidate feel small or that may hurt
him.
 Employment Interview 389

NEGATIVE ASPECTS
In the end we would like to draw your attention to three factors which sometimes hinder a proper

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judgement on the adequacy of an applicant. If a person has one outstanding trait, the other

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aspects of his suitability are likely to be considered better than they really are. For example,

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a smartly-dressed interviewee, with proper poise and effective communication skills may be

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judged as suitable, even though his other competencies are below the required level. The second

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factor that causes an error in judgement is the distortion of interpretation of the later infor-

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mation by the information given earlier. In a situation of this kind sometimes the interviewer

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spends most of the time in confirming the first impressions. The last factor that occasionally

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prejudices the judgement is contrast between the performance of an interviewee with that of
the candidate immediately preceding. The interviewee is likely to be underestimated if the

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performance of the previous candidate is excellent. Because of these factors, most employers

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do not form judgement merely on the basis of performance at an interview. Other instruments

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such as aptitude test, subject test, group discussion, etc., are used to assess the suitability of

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an applicant for a job.

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SAMPLE INTERVIEW FOR A JOB
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Situation
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Mr. Ram Prasad Barmal, a candidate for the post of Assistant Finance Manager in a large
or
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commercial organization has been called for an interview. He reports to the Receptionist (R)
at the appointed time. The Board of Interview has three members: Managing Director (MD),
R
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Chairperson, Company Secretary (CS), and Finance Manager (FM).

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Interaction
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R. Good Morning, Sir. May I help you?

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RPB. Good morning. I have been called for an interview scheduled to take place today
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at 11 a.m.
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R. What’s your name, please?

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RPB. I am Ram Prasad Barmal, a candidate for the post of Assistance Finance
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Manager.
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R. Let me check.... Oh, yes. Please take your seat and wait for a while.
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RPB. Thank you.

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(After a pause of about five minutes)

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R. (To RPB). Would you please come along with me? This way, please.
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(After RPB reaches inside of MD’s chamber)

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MD. Sit down Mr. Barmal, will you? Let me see... you are going to complete your
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M. Com in May, aren’t you?

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RPB. That’s right, sir.

MD. When is the result likely to be declared?
RPB. Most probably in July, Sir.
MD. That means you would be able to join us in August, if selected.
 390 Business Correspondence and Report Wri ng

RPB. Yes Sir.

MD. Well.... Mr. Barmal, I want to ask one or two questions about your interest in
games. It appears Hockey is your favorite game. Do you have any views on why

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our country has lost its past glory in hockey?

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RPB. I think, Sir, there are two main reasons for this. One, hockey does not get active

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and adequate support from government as some other games do. Two, cricket

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has become more popular and people have lost their enthusiasm for hockey.

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These factors have exercised a demoralizing impact on the players.

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MD. Good. Let me now turn to another direction. As a student of commerce we

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hope you keep yourself informed about the measures taken by the present

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government to boost Indian economy.

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RPB. That’s right, Sir.

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MD. Any comments?

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RPB. We have the resources, we have the talent; what we require is action. The new

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government has made a good start. To take an example, our Prime Minister is

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trying to sell the idea of ‘Make in India’ to a number of developed and developing

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nations. If he succeeds, Indian economy would get a shot in the arm.

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MD. in
Thanks for expressing your views forcefully. As you can see, two of my senior
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colleagues, that is, Company Secretary and Finance Manager are with me. I am
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sure they would like to ask a few questions.

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CS. Mr. Barmal, first let us know why you are interested in joining our Company.
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RPB. Sir, I read Economic Times regularly to study, among other things, the functioning
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of reputed companies such as this one. The information I have gathered shows
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that the Company is growing at a fast pace. I want to participate in the growth
process and share the excitement of progress.
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CS. Anything else?

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RPB. I understand that the company is working for further modernization of its
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accounting procedure. I love innovation and believe I would be able to contribute

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to efforts being made to attain this goal.

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FM. We appreciate your ambition. You certainly don’t seem to be setting your sight
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too low. Now, tell us whether you have any experience in doing this kind of
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work.
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RPB. Yes, Sir. As part of my project in M. Com. III Semester I studied the accounting
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procedure of a small firm and suggested several modifications. These were

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accepted and the firm paid me a small compensation as well in appreciation of

my work.
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FM. This information is well-taken. Now, I would like to ask another question. In
your Résumé you have stated that you published a paper entitled “Cost-effective
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Higher Education in India”. Do you think the suggestions made therein can be
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applied to commercial organizations as well?

RPB. No Sir, I don’t think so. Education and Commerce are entirely different
activities. Simply stated, the former is a social welfare activity and the latter a
wealth generation activity. For it new strategies would have to be evolved.
 Employment Interview 391

CS. We hope you have read the terms and conditions of employment in this company.
Are these acceptable to you?
RPB. Yes, Sir. I would be very happy to join your company.

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MD. Do you want to ask any questions, Mr. Barmal?

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RPB. No, Sir. Thanks.

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MD. Right now we can’t commit ourselves to anything but within a fortnight we

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would convey our decision. Thanks for coming for the interview.

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RPB. Many thanks to all of you, Sirs. Bye.

Kr
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Review Questions

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1. Write a note on different types of employment interviews, describing clearly the purposes

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for which they are held.

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2. What kinds of questions are generally asked at a job interview? Give examples to illustrate

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your answer.

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3. What traits/qualities does an employer look for in a candidate while interviewing him?

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4. In what way would you prepare yourself if called for a job interview?
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5. Discuss the reasons because of which a qualified candidate may not be successful at an
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interview.
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6. What are the main factors that you would bear in mind while conducting an interview?
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7. Conduct self-analysis to find out whether you possess the qualities required for acting as
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an effective interviewer. Write the conclusions arrived at in the form of a note.

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Exercises
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1. Study the application letter and resume of R.L. Santosh given in Exhibit 28.3. Assuming
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that he has been called for interview

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(i) list the questions likely to be asked by the employer,

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(ii) the answer that the candidate may give, and then
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(iii) analyse the responses, stating whether he is likely to be selected.

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2. Organise and participate in a mock interview for a job advertised in a newspaper and
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then discuss the quality of your performance with the observers.

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3. Assume that you are going to conduct a campus interview at a reputed management
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institute for recruiting MBA Final Year students as magagement trainees in your company.
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Prepare a list of questions that you would ask them to assess their communication skills
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and to ascertain their personality traits.

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4. Analyse the sample interview from the point of view of the candidate as well as the
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employment. Do you think Mr Barmal deserves to be selected for employer to the post of
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Assistant Finance Manager? Give reasons in support of your answer.

5. Assume that as Managing Director of a multinational company you have to interview
candidates for appointment as Management Trainees. The candidates are holders of the
degree of MBA either from Indian Institutes of Management or from National Institutes
of Technology. Frame Twenty questions that you may ask at the interview.