Psychologists develop new ways to find right person
CAROL HOWES
FOR THE CALGARY HERALD
Things have changed dramatically. And it could cost you a career opportunity if you are not properly prepared.
The selection of new employees has become a science. It used to be that job candidates knew pretty much what to expect in an interview: to talk about their strengths, why they left their last position, where they hope to be in five years. Interviewers would probably spend half the time asking such questions and the other half selling the candidate on the job.
but industrial psychologists in the late '70s started questioning the effectiveness of that kind of interviewing and companies began to realize the hefty costs of hiring -- and firing -- the wrong person for the job.
So they went to work and came up with a more scientific method of finding the right candidate -- "behavior-based" interviews.
A growing number of companies, especially in Calgary, have started using the method. Candidates are asked predetermined questions based on the skills and personal characteristics needed for the job. Most of the questions are open-ended, aimed at eliciting stories about the candidate's past experiences relating to a specific skill.
The rationale behind the technique is that while some people change, once a behavioral pattern is set, it's likely to continue.
"It's what (employees) have accomplished in the past in certain situations that predicts future performance," says Tom Janz, author of a book on the subject currently on leave from his position as associate professor in the University of Calgary management faculty.
Rather than vague or hypothetical questions, candidates are asked specific ones such as: "Give me an example of a time when you are especially creative," or, "Give me an example of a time when you were proud of your ability to cope."
Candidates who answer with detail including names, dates, numbers and locations leave a much more favorable impression. And the more exciting the storytelling, the better.
Andy Anderson, with Behavioral Technology Inc. in Memphis, Tenn., says behavior-based interviewing avoids the age-old practice of hiring a candidate based on first impressions.
Preparing for such an interview therefore is crucial. There's little room for rambling or long pauses to come up with vivid examples.
While it's impossible to predict the kinds of questions that will be asked, Janz says candidates should spend time preparing a grab bag of stories to offer as illustration of leadership, teamwork, problem solving, communications and other more general job skills. The stronger the story, the more it will remain with an interviewer for weeks, even months after the interview.
"Think of a number of examples to illustrate a point," says Janz, now director of Behavior Description Systems for Dallas-based Personnel Decisions Inc. "It's very unlikely you got brilliant yesterday or on your last job."
In gathering your stories together, some experts suggest listing any work, hobby, sports, school or volunteer activities you've performed well or enjoyed. Take the top 10 and write a short story about them, relieving the experience, including the challenges you faced, your actions and the results. Then practice delivering them. While work-related experiences are preferable, accomplishments in other activities can be just as powerful.
Be prepared to answer negative questions during the interview as well, such as: "Describe the time when you failed to meet a deadline."
During the interview, short pauses to collect your thoughts are quite acceptable, says Janz. Use the best example you can think of to answer the question. If you don't have an example or an illustration to offer, don't lie.
"Most questions, you should be able to answer. If you can't, maybe the message is this isn't the right job for you."
Even if the interview turns out to be a traditional one, offering concrete examples of past accomplishments to the interviewer could mean the difference between a job offer and a rejection letter.
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