p.170 “John, the restaurant manager in this chapter’s opening scenario, decides to write several job knowledge, situational, and behavioral questions to ask prospective wait staff. One behavioral question he came up with was, “Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a particularly obnoxious person; what did you do and how did it work out?” Can you think of other good questions John could ask?
KNOW YOUR EMPLOYMENT LAW Interviewing Candidates
Recall from Chapter 2
that it’s generally not illegal (although it is unwise) to ask, say, a female candidate about marital status or an older-looking applicant “How old are you?” You can usually ask, as long as you show that the employer does not discriminate or that it can defend the question as a BFOQ or business necessity. However, many local laws do bar asking them, and the EEOC disapproves of such practices.
The best approach is to avoid having job candidates file charges in the first place. Avoid red-flag questions. Show applicants that the interview process is fair, that the interviewer treats the interviewee with respect, and that the interviewer is willing to explain the interview process and the rationale for the questions.86 Emphasize objective/job-related questions, standardize the interview process (so it’s the same for all applicants), and use multiple interviewers where possible. ■
Using Competencies Models and Profiles in Employee Interviews
Best talent management practice calls for using the same competencies model/profile (set of desirable competencies, traits, knowledge, and experience) for recruiting, selecting, training, appraising, and compensating the employee. For example, in its own workforce planning, IBM identified about 500 possible “roles” employees might fill, such as analyst. IBM then created profiles or required skill sets for each role. It rates its employees on these skills, from 0 to 3, and those ratings may then guide promotions, transfers, or training, for instance.
For an example of how to use a job’s profile to formulate selection interview questions, see Table 6.1. It shows illustrative competencies, knowledge, traits, and experience for a chemical engineer, and related interview questions. The talent management team could then also use the same profile (list of competencies, knowledge, traits, and experience) for guidance in how to recruit, train, appraise, and pay candidates for this position.
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