Interviewing skills

Whether it is a significant part of your job or a one-off task, interviewing candidates to fill a position can be a complex and time-consuming process which requires careful consideration and planning.

It is important to get it right first time to prevent expensive training costs to bring the candidate up to par, or to prevent severance or rehiring costs if the new employee proves to be unsuitable for the position or life on the Island.

In preparing for interview, remember that your purpose is not only to evaluate the candidates but also to describe the job accurately so that they can assess whether it is the right one for them. You will also need to represent your organisation in the best light possible to attract good quality candidates.

Initial preparation

It is important to assess the skills and experience the position requires properly. Start by referring to the existing job description and consider whether the role has changed over time. The best source of information may be the previous job-holder. A vacancy can be an ideal opportunity to redefine the responsibilities of a position.

Once the requirements of a job have become clear, the responsibilities and tasks of the position should be detailed in a job description. The skills and experience and type of person needed for the position should then be set out in a job specification.

Writing an accurate job description helps to ensure that the correct information is given when the vacancy is advertised, ultimately leading to a satisfactory appointment and preventing misunderstandings.

A good job description should contain the following elements:

The job title and its reporting line within your organisation
An overall summary of responsibilities
A list of the job’s chief tasks and activities
Details of terms, salary and conditions of service

Once you have drawn up a job description, you can begin to analyse the skills, qualifications, experience and attributes needed in the person who will fill the job. You should then divide the criteria for the resulting job specification into those that are essential and those that are desirable. This can be done based off factors such as qualification, experience, IT skills, communication skills, personal attributes, and so on.

Candidate selection

When considering initial candidate submissions, you should:

Consider whether an applicant’s qualifications and experience are relevant and meet the required levels you are seeking
Look for any inconsistencies in the facts provided (these may be the result of simple error or they could indicate an attempt to falsify or hide certain information)
Look for vague words or phrases (e.g. "assisted with", "involved in", "exposure to") to probe at the interview
Note specific points of interest to discuss later. For instance, are there any periods of time unaccounted for? Is it a logical career move?
Review for any other background information that helps build up a more rounded picture of the candidate. For example, take a look at their personal interests and how much they have travelled. Candidates who enjoy outdoor activities, are well-travelled and have had exposure to a wide range of cultures may be better suited to Island life than others

Shortlisting process

Once this has been done and the closing date is over, you should compile a shortlist including your preferred choices plus reserve candidates. This should be done by referring to the specification you have previously drawn up.

Interview strategy

Provide clear directions to the interview location (or, if it is a telephone interview, make sure that you have the correct contact number – preferably a fixed line to avoid reception problems – and that the time difference has been properly taken into account). Be sure also to avoid interruptions during interviews.

Schedule interviews with a generous amount of time between them. Allowing space lets you overrun with candidates without ruining your timetable. You should also be prepared to schedule some interviews outside office hours, particularly for telephone interviews involving candidates who may be based overseas.

Try to make sure all those to whom the job-holder will report are present at the interview. Alternatively, having another colleague with you during the interview can provide a valuable second opinion.

Structure the interview to suit your strategy. If you are confident that the candidate’s technical skills are right for the job, you may decide to concentrate on their interpersonal skills as well as do an ‘Island Fit’ interview.

It is common for interviews to follow a format such as this:

A general introduction and an overview of the interview structure
Question and answer session based on their experience and qualifications
n investigation of the candidate’s personal qualities and suitability for Island life
n overview of the role and prospects, the company and the Island
n open Q&A session, giving the candidate a chance to find out more information (you should be prepared to answer questions relating to the role, career prospects, remuneration, the relocation process, life on the Island etc)

Note that open questions are likely to be the most useful, enabling you to observe a candidate’s communication skills and elicit detailed responses. You will also need to form a view as to whether a candidate will fit into the culture of your organisation.

Typical questions in many interviews may include the following:

Why do you want to change jobs?
What are you looking for in a new job?
What do you know about the Island and how do you think you’d cope living there?
Are you a team player or do you prefer to work independently?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
How good are your problem-solving and time-management skills?
What is the highlight of your career so far?
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
How would your best friend describe you?

Assessment tests

Tests are not a replacement for interviews but can be used to augment them. Personality tests (e.g. psychometric tests) produce a profile of an individual’s main characteristics but they don’t tell you if the candidate is necessarily going to be any good at the job. Aptitude tests are simple written tests that measure skills such as reading, writing, verbal reasoning and numerical ability. They have a built-in anti-cheat factor to produce a very accurate picture of an interviewee’s true abilities. Do remember to warn candidates if you are going to ask them to sit a test at their interview.

Making the decision

You may want to recall candidates for a second interview, to introduce them to other members of staff or just to get better acquainted with them prior to making a final decision. You might also want to make enquiries as to what commitments the prospective new employee has which might affect their transferability (for example, family obligations).

Enquire how much notice they need in their current job. Let them know you will contact them soon with a decision as to whether you will be making them an offer or giving them a chance to move to the next stage of the selection process.

Compare the candidate’s scoring on the job’s requirements with your personal and intuitive feelings about them. Your final choices should balance technical and personal qualities in the candidate. In the first instance, this is likely to focus on a comparison of candidates who pass the job's essential criteria with the remainder being discarded. For candidates who are running close to each other, you can then evaluate and decide based on the desirable criteria.

Sometimes you may decide at the end of an interview that you have just met the ideal candidate. If so, don’t risk losing them: ask them immediately of they are genuinely interested in the vacancy and, if they say yes, make a provisional offer.

Checking references

Inform candidates before performing any background checks. Some referees may be current employers and premature contact could compromise the candidate’s security of employment. Follow up on work-related references and make sure they are satisfactory and recent. Check how long the referee has known the applicant and in what capacity.

Making a final offer

For successful candidates, spend time attending to the details of the offer. Check that the salary you are offering is the going rate.

Make the offer verbally then follow up formally in writing (for instance, by email, fax or courier) requesting written confirmation of their acceptance. Outline the benefits package associated with the position and allow the candidate time to ask questions.

A good offer letter should contain information including:

Job title, description and working hours
Annual salary and benefits package (including relocation)
Any conditions that the offer is subject to (e.g. references, work permit)
A date by which acceptance must be confirmed

If they reject your verbal offer, seek feedback and ask if it is negotiable. If you decide to increase your offer in response to this, establish that you will not consider doing so again and set a deadline for final acceptance or rejection. Always notify unsuccessful candidates as soon as possible, especially if they have been short-listed. If they are curious to know why they have been rejected, it is helpful to give them constructive feedback that might assist them in their future job-hunting.

When a formal offer has been accepted, make arrangements for the induction process to begin, including application for the work permit. You should also keep all records of the recruitment process in case of a challenge to the decision made at a later date.

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