The WASP Mmemonic
WASP indicates broad "e;structural aspects" of a selection interview - a basic, open agenda.
The interviewer and interviewee need to build a relationship of gentle, warmth, trust and comfort with each other. Common courtesies help. Proper introductions. Opening conversation about the day, the journey, initial observations of common experience for example as may be gleaned from the application form. The candidate needs to be able to relax and make "contact" with the interviewer - their mannerisms and even their appearance.
Opening interaction involves making initial assessments and interviewers must be careful of making snap judgement based on stereotypes.
It is useful in the prelude to explain the interview procedure, the approach that may be followed, how long it could take, what will follow and how the interview may be just one element in the decision process.
This WASP step forms the main body of the interview.
Candidates want the opportunity to sell themselves. The aim should be 80% candidate speaking and no more than 20% interviewer. As a structured conversation, the interview gathers information comes from speech, perceptions of personal presentation and silences. The structured conversation starts from the position of the interviewer having seen the application form and/or CV information. It proceeds via
- questions and answers directed (as per the "structure" plan)
- signals from non-verbal communication. Non-verbal behaviours range from body posture, hands, eyebrows and smiles to confident eye-contact or even spikey-ness. These signals are interpreted - the accuracy of the perception is seldom checked out.
- what was not said or seems to be avoided and forms of emphasis given to various episodes or points in the candidates narrated biography
- results of other tests or information from references which may or may not be available to interviewers.
The Agenda:
The "plan" can be based on the biography outlined by the application form or curriculum vitae. Even the way in which the application form is completed gives information.
A Walk through a Paradise GardenWe can anticipate questions by studying the application form/CV and rather than a list of pre-ordained questions being asked - as from a script, follow lines of questionning.
Assignment
Correctness might suggest that for fairness all candidates must be asked the same questions. What is your analysis of such a position?
Application form data may be good but need expansion or clarification. It may be superficial. There will be events and stages in previous jobs to be explored:
projects completed, the nature of responsibilities held, staff management events and competences, difficulties and solutions given the circumstances. Education and training experience and achievement, projects overseas, changes from one specialism to anotherThese and others are all episodes of s story which depicts the candidate in action. It is the candidate's story, their script and explanation of it and themselves. From this picture the interviewer summises the likelihood of actual performance in the vacant job.
Imagine the interview flow as a walk around someone's garden. You are asking them (questions and encouragement) about their experience in creating and maintaining the garden. The garden scene, the plants, the garden ornaments, the design and maintenance decisions and activities - give cues. You can go up a path, through some bushes and find another hidden area of beauty. The path may lead into a cul de sac or a barren area. It may lead back to a glade already visited but which provides a new perspective on the landscape.
The gardener has had successes and failures in the garden. There are lessons they have learnt and things they want to do or wouldn't do again.
On visiting a major garden for the first time it is helpful to have read the guide book (the application form).
The question plan must cover key pointers and milestones. The conversation then requires the candidate to open up with information and explanations of real things. The interviewer's interpretation then involves evaluation of critical incidents and narrated responses.
- Start with current experience and then work backwards from this. Begin with the person's current job rather than what they gained from attending a particular college fifteen years ago! The latter is tedious and probably irrelevant. Work back through recent jobs the applicant has had. Explore the key responsibilities, projects and achievements of each job. What was learned? What did the candidate contribute?
Make sure the logic of the biographical progression is understood - how the candidate explains (construes) their experience.
Sorry I'll read that again
Application form information gives essential data for a new employee's personnel record. There may be some gaps and some admin. points may need clarification. Why read back to the applicant what is on the application form? Clarify - but don't bore and waste time! Matters of exact national insurance number, local tax office, next of kin etc can be dealt with outside of the interview.Towards the close of the interview - some questions seeking specific details than an application form may reveal may be needed - confirmation of dates, grades, salary level, how much notice of termination etc. This the ascquiring information stage - is taken up again at the point of parting.
Assignment
Should application forms be kept (microfishe for large companies) given that there may be subsequent claims for discrimination?
Questions and Questioning
Move into the main body of the interview clearly in conversation and introduce the first area by an opening, well-structured open-ended question based on the applicant's present job.
'What are the priorities you face in your present job?'Most applicants will be ready to explain this. It is not a vague question - it demands a careful answer. Listening and assimilation begins. The content of the answer provides scope for follow-up, probe questions.
Good, well-structured, open-ended questions and follow-up questions enable probing deeper into points of the conversation make substantial use of what, why, how, where, when and who.
"I know six honest serving men,
They taught me all I knew,
Their names are what and why and how,
And where and when and who."Rudyard Kipling
Interviewer style and interpersonal sensititivity will reflect in the questions and questionning. Anstey suggests that with good rapport, actual questions matter less as candidates quickly identify the interviewer's purposes and requirements and give information spontaneously.
The experienced interviewer follows through on initial open-ended questions with probe questions. He/she
- Probes behind the CV. Gives the quiet candidate space and confidence to explain more
- Keeps the garrulous candidate to the agenda.
- asks the necessary questions that open up the gaps in the application. Why six jobs in three years. What was actually achieved in each job? What were the reasons for leaving.
- It is very difficult for a candidate to explain their perception of the reactions and expectations of others towards themselves. However exploration of team and group activities and the roles, tensions and relationships within the candidate's team experience are possible.
- the interviewer has to be able to differentiate the achievements versus gloss offered by the candidate who is a good salesperson for themselves.
- Concentration of the biographical and actual achievements, choices, learning situations, applications, personal orientation to issues etc - is the type of focus which is likely to improve the information gathering capacity of the interview.
Use of Closed questions (Y/N) and problems of leading and multiple-questions. Linking sections of the interview. TO BE COMPLETED
Attentive Listening and Summarising
Active listening requires concentration, thinking about what is being said and ensuring that the candidate knows that he/she has your full attention. Good open questions - focus the conversation and provide space to listen and think.
The candidate's narrative may be encouraged by the signs of attentive listening. Be genuine and demonstrate positive regard for the candidate - you owe it to them. Good eye contact and body posture, head-nods, smiles and gutterals WORK "uh huhs etc" and single works (...interesting....) and short phrases - but how?, why?, when was that?, any alternative?, what else was possible? etc. Maintain eye contact, encourage with natural gestures. As candidates talk - the interviewer's eyes encourage the flow of conversation.
As an interviewer - listen and think. If you are obtaining the information you need then collect it. Use your NVQ abilities to maintain the flow - keep the conversation going. By summarising periodically you can confirm understanding and clarify. The summary may enable one phase of the interview to be rounded off and another avenue opened up with a well-designed question. Periodic summarising helps to keep the agenda on course.
Observe mannerisms, dress, physique if these are important. Be sensitive to cues and clues evident from the candidate,s expressions of feelings or reluctance to expand or their gregariousness.
Interview Flow, Control and Summarising
The asking for information stage whilst emphaising the candidate as a communicator, still requires the interviewer to manage the interview agenda, its pace, sequence and coverage. Control should be
- business-like but not overly brisk. Picture the interviewer in a trench lobbing grenades over the top towards the hapless interviewee! If questions become staccato like then the interview will lose rapport and stress will seep into the interview.
- Firing off many limiting questions will get short replies. Interviewer concentration is devoted to thinking about the next question rather than registering the information being received.
- Maintain rapport without patronising your interviewee or avoiding questions or failing to follow through or dwell on important matters.
Asking well-paced, structured questions encourages the flow of conversation. You want the candidate to offer information naturally.
From time to time interject naturally with probe questions - how was that, why, in what way, what was involved. Seek elaboration and channel the conversation around the areas that are important to explore. Keeping control means achieving coverage and confidence in the substance of answers/information obtained without the interview becoming oppressive.
Answers need to fit the question or enable a re-statement of the question. If the latter was poorly constructed or targetted - e.g. multiple part questions are asked, then a candidate can reply well to that part they can handle better than the other parts. By the time that answer is given to the part, the rest of the multiple question may be forgotten.
Some candidates may re-phrase your questions to fit their purposes.
The interviewer needs to control the process without cutting up the candidate. A "Python-esque" approach might be to say
"You didn't answer my question....or (to the gregarious speaker)....thats enough of that - lets get down to something more relevant shall we!"Clearly this is a parody. If the candidate has given as much information as you may need on a matter, listen for a natural break-point to move onto another area or to steer the conversation (the candidate) back to an earlier point you are interested in. Useful phrasiology may include:
"Could we pause there and reflect on your experience the CDE project." or "Going back to what you were saying before about GHI, how does this relate to this new episode?"When the questioning and acquiring information phase is drawing to a close, opportunity needs to be given for the candidate to seek more job information or ask for clarification on matters.
The documents the applicant has received should have been comprehensive and any Cook's tour would have provided opportunites for further information gathering. But candidates will have many items they need clarifying. These will range from training, how their planned holidays fit in, differences in the make up of the salary package and - most importantly - company plans particularly those relating to the job they are to do.
If the candidate is offered the job - it can be quite awkward for candidates to seek further detailed clarification. If they start to be nit-picking negotiators then they can upset people in the company even before they take up their employment. So it is wise to ensure that candidates have the fullest opportunity to acquire more information.
Of course, if the interviewer has already made his/her mind up that this person is not going to be offered a post - then this pre-disposition may well seep through into the interaction from non-verbal communication. Typically the interviewer may be impatient to close the encounter or be reticent in dwelling too long on further details relating to the job and the contract.
Time and commitment need to be given. In supplying information equally and without prejudice. You owe it to all candidates - they have been kind enough to give their time to you.
The interviewer now must complete the interview closure rituals and courtesies. TO BE COMPLETED.
Assignment
List all the interview closure rituals: activities and courtesies.
BOLA is developed and maintained by Chris Jarvis