Richard Grimes, MPA, C.P.T.

Course Overview

For many people, making a successful hiring selection is a lot like describing their taste in art: "I'm not sure how to describe it but I'll know it when I see it!"

Think back to the last time you interviewed an applicant. If you are like many others without interview training, you may have found yourself doing more talking than listening rather than learning about his or her strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps the interview got off track and you found it difficult to get back into focus. And, if someone would have asked for your opinion of the applicant at the end of it, would you have been able to refer to specific comments or just your overall impression?

And, as for the person you finally selected, you probably based your decision more on instinct than specific information. Also, if you were asked why you didn't select someone else, would you have been able to defend your choice objectively so as not to show discrimination?

If you're disappointed with the results of this kind of hit-or-miss approach to interviewing applicants, then it is time to approach it with a more systematic and objective method. This course will help you.

This course includes a multiple choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

Purchases of this course will learn:

• A process of analyzing the open position that will allow you to determine what types of skills and qualities you require in an applicant to ensure later success on the job;
• An effective plan for the interview that allows you to engage in friendly (and informative) chatting without losing the thread of your questions or letting the session slip out of your control;
• How to calculate the cost of turnover which results from a bad selection;
• How to distinguish between the skills and behaviors required for success in the open position;
• How to create "tie breaker" criteria to select the best candidate;
• A technique to help define the desired behaviors for a position;
• How to identify warning clues in a resume that should require follow-up in an interview;
• How to establish rapport with the applicant to help you have a more effective interview; and
• How to avoid asking questions that could lead to trouble later on.
  

Intended Audience

This course is intended for managers or anyone within an organization that has the responsibility for interviewing and selecting applicants for open positions.

Benefit to Attendees

This course will help participants prepare for an interview with more confidence knowing they have identified the critical skills and behaviors required for success in that open position. They will then be able to conduct a more effective interview by staying on track and retaining control of it. Afterwards, they will have greater confidence in making a selection from among those interviewed.

Course Introduction

This course will help managers or anyone within an organization that has the responsibility for interviewing and selecting applicants for open positions to develop a confident and relevant plan for conducting the interview. It will teach you to determine the essentials and "nice-to-haves" for the position and show you how to create an evaluation that helps you compare the candidates against the position requirements more effectively.

Course Content

You need to open or download the above documents to study this course.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Course Overview
Poor Choices and the Cost of Turnover
Preparing for the Interview

Technical Skills or Behavioral Skills
A Better Approach to Interviews
Identifying Specific Requirements
Interview Clues

Establishing Rapport with the Applicant
Starting the Interview
Do Not Do This
Some Warning Signs
Concluding the Interview
Evaluating the Candidates
Some Words of Caution
Developing Relevant Interview Questions
A Sample Interview Plan

Course Summary

Participants that complete this course will be more confident about their skills for:

• Analyzing the requirements for success in the open position
• Conducting an effective interview
• Avoiding potentially dangerous questions or losing control of the interview
• Selecting the best candidate afterward
  

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.