Interview Assignment
Interview Assignment
RE: DECISION FOR HIRING
After a keen analysis of the responses presented by the two applicants in the recently concluded interview, I wish to present the following recommendation. Our organization, Genius Computing, requires the services of an influential marketing support associate. Both applicants have commendable levels of education as they satisfied the minimal requirements for the selection of this post. However, there was a wide difference in the personalities of the two interviewees. Precisely, their communication and evaluation techniques were quite conflicting. For instance, the first applicant seemed quite unsettled during the interview, and he often presented incomplete responses. In some occasions, he rudely interrupted the panel members without seeking permission to make clarifications. As such, the panel deemed him unfit for the post due to his inability to communicate efficiently.
However, the second applicant satisfied most of the requirements of a marketing support associate. Primarily, he was confident in his making responses, and he took his time to evaluate the nature of the questions prompted and the most appropriate responses made. Finally, he was professionally dressed, and he had good body posture during the interview process. Consequently, I recommend the second applicant, as he possesses what this organization requires. His inclusion in the workforce would enhance not only the effective interaction with clients but also constructive communication with other employees.
Interviewer’s name
Re: DECISION FOR SELECTION AS A MARKETING SUPPORT ASSOCIATE
Following your recent application for the post of a marketing support associate at Genius Computing, I am pleased to inform you have been selected for the post. After keen evaluation of your skills, the panel made a decision to hire you for this vacancy. Primarily, your presentation at the interview room was exemplary as it exhibited high levels of professionalism. For instance, you were confident in responding to the questions posed and you often took your time to assess the nature of the question before giving your response. We hope that your portrayal during the interview session is retained during your work period at this organization.
Our company requires the services of an ethical employee who is keen to uphold the values of the organization by doing what is required. As such, you are requested to be firm in upholding moral values within the work environment and do your best to integrate with other employees. Based on the panel evaluation of your character, we determined that you would most likely blend in well with the current personnel based on your level of communication and intractability. However, constant interaction with people in the work environment would assist you to develop your integration skills further as we observed you had a challenge adapting to the interview room environment. We hope that you will do your best to heighten the levels of your skills and to better the situation in our organization as you were selected as the best candidate for this position.
Best regards,
Interviewer’s name
Reflecting on my feedback to the candidate
For a fact, the effectiveness of my feedback to the selected candidate was largely influenced by Silverman’s article. Precisely, I maintained a professional tone in the presentation of the letter. According to Silverman, Pogson and Cober (2015), managers should inform their employees of their developmental needs, as most of them are unaware of their shortcomings. As such, I utilized this reading in creating enlightenment on the need to develop appropriate integration skills. During the interview, the selected applicant seemed rather uncomfortable expressing himself in the first session of the interview. However, he adjusted to the environment and exhibited commendable levels of confidence in the remainder section of the interview. However, I used this letter as a communication platform to inform the applicant of his shortcomings and the need to rectify the same before joining the organization. Moreover, the recommendations I presented were task focused, clear, specific and honest. The maintenance of an accurate feedback system is essential as it enables the employer to assess the performance of the employee after issuance of a directive. In this case, the letter presented an honest remark on the need for hard work and commitment within the work environment.
The feedback models proposed by Canon and Silverman apply to the development of a feedback of a hiring process. In fact, if the proposed measures are effectively utilized the hiring process would be more successful. I utilized these provisions by delivering critical feedback when writing to the qualified applicant. Despite his qualification and pleasant communication abilities, I criticized his interaction abilities and noted that it could interfere with his overall integration with other employees. According to (), delivering critical feedback can be brutal for the both the employer and the employee. This is largely accredited to the fact that it alters the employee’s self-esteem and could lead to a decline in their overall productivity. However, when negative feedback is issued in a constructive manner, it builds the employee’s urge to develop his weaknesses. In this case, I encouraged informed the applicant of the possibility of learning from the work environment thereby making the interaction process positive.
Based on the recommendations presented by Witherspoon and Silverman’s feedback models, I would embrace any criticism presented against my interviewing skills. According to Canon and Witherspoon (2005), the lack of acceptance of one’s flaws leads to the development of more complex problems as opposed to the initial flaws. As such, I would not risk the development of mediocre interviewing skills due to the lack of acknowledgment of my weaknesses. I would use this model to request for interviewee feedback to gain an understanding over my interviewing and analysis skills. For instance, I would generate a list of questions to post on an open questionnaire. After the end of an interview session, I would select a sample of interviewees at random and issue them with the questionnaire. Due to the open presentation of the format, I would utilize the feedback generated through my analysis to enhance my interviewing skills. In case, I asked inappropriate questions, or I did not give the applicants enough time to express themselves, I would reevaluate the nature of my interview approach.
Reflecting on my interviewing skills
Based on my expertise and professional knowledge, I believe I was a good interviewer while assessing the qualifications of the two applicants. Precisely, I focused on the assessment of the interviewees and their relevance to the organization. I did not use personal questions to assess the nature of the applicant’s responses. Instead, gave them enough time to express themselves in a professional way. For instance, I posed a question and gave the interviewees enough time to contemplate on the nature of the response required. In instances where I was unclear, or the interviewee did not comprehend what I asked, I provided clarification making it easier for them to keep up with the interviewing process. I was patient in the assessment of the candidates in spite of their weaknesses in particular fields. I did not interrupt them rudely to convey my disappointment or delight in the way they communicated. Consequently, the practices I maintained are in line with the requirements of an influential interviewer as it is highlighted in the Consultant Interview (Watkins & Vincent, 2012).
I was in control of the interview as I gave the applicants all the guidelines required to conduct the interviewing process. In some instances, the interviewees seemed to spend a lot of time in giving irrelevant explanations of their qualifications. However, I took control of the session by informing them that they needed to be timely in the way they convey their responses. Additionally, in cases where I observed some discomfort in the way the applicants responded to the questions asked, I took the initiative to provide room for clarification on the question. If the applicants provided responses that were irrelevant or not in line with the questions posted, I informed them of the issue and asked them to reconsider their responses. Finally, I was the one who signaled the time we would move to the next questions. If the interviewees’ responses were inadequate, I emphasized on the importance of delivering accurate responses and asked the questions again. Consequently, I belive I was in control of the interviewing process as I often gave the lead on what was to be done.
Before the commencement of the interview process, I took the opportunity to introduce myself to the applicants to make them feel comfortable while in the interview room. Through this approach, I established an effective communication platform with the interviewees as they felt ready to share information during the interview session. For instance, the first applicant was quite pleased with the way I conveyed my introduction. His satisfaction built his confidence, which made it easier for him to express himself during the session. The second applicant did not exhibit a similar response to the methods I used to familiarize myself to him. He seemed rather displeased with how I expressed myself and this might have contributed to his discomfort during the interview session. In spite of the fact that this initiative did not work efficiently as I planned for the second interviewee, I was contented with how the first applicant responded to the approach. However, if I were to redo the assessment, I would invest more time in explaining the nature of the interview to the interviewee to eliminate any form of uneasiness experienced during the interview session.
I used the “per question rating” standard for evaluating the performance of the interviewees. Precisely, the responses given were evaluated on a fixed scale with a minimum and maximum score. For instance, if I was not contented with the responses given during the session, I would issue low or medium scores depending on the nature of the responses given. The total score for both interviewees was added, and the candidate with the highest score was selected as the most appropriate candidate. This approach was convenient to utilize as the responses given could be evaluated on a linear scale that was easier to manipulate. If I were to utilize a complex alternative, the convenience of the compilation exercise would have been mediocre and the accuracy of the results presented questionalble.
In the entire interview process, I found the individual skill assessment to be very challenging. Precisely, it was difficult to evaluate the interviewees’ communication skills and represent them on a scale. In most occasions, I felt that I was exaggerating the mark issued in each stage of the interview. Additionally, since the scale used in awarding scores was linear, it did not give a wider spectrum for the evaluation of the applicants skills. As a results, proper feedback cannot be generated by reviewing the scores since it does not give a lot of information about the applicants skills and personalities. While conducting another interview session, I will spend more time observing the interviewees skills so that I get a more accurate representation their abilities. This would make the overall rewarding process easier than it initially was. Additionally, I would use a wider scale to capture multiple aspects of the interviewees skills and personalities. This initiative would heighten the accuracy of the information generated and it would give me an opportunity to give a more detaled feedback. Additionally, it will enhance my confidence while awarding points for the interview.
References
Cannon, M. D., & Witherspoon, R. (2005). Actionable feedback: Unlocking the power of learning and performance improvement. The Academy of Management Executive, 19(2), 120-134.
Silverman, S. B., Pogson, C. E., & Cober, A. B. (2005). When employees at work don't get it: A model for enhancing individual employee change in response to performance feedback. The Academy of Management Executive, 19(2), 135-147.
Watkin, S. L., & Vincent, A. (2012). The consultant interview. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
