Interview Plan
Assignment # 2
Introduction
The Wilson Brothers Limited (an international company of manufacturing prepared food) advertised its job vacancy for Administrative Assistant with the Major purpose of developing reports and collecting information to provide support to the unit staff and Divisional Manager. The company published or posted its job ad on LinkedIn and the leading professional social media platforms and received job applications on email address. The ad was posted to receive applications from the external candidates. Now, the report is going to provide the interview plan for the job applicants, selection methods using selection requirement and criteria and hiring decisions along with decision justification.
Interview plan
The interview plan below for the job applicants for administrative assistant includes the competencies required from the applicant for the specific job post, behavioral interview questions for each competency to ask in the interview and Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS) sheet to measure the responses of the applicants.
There are six major competencies required for the administrative assistant to be efficient to pay all its roles and responsibilities that are needed to be done for The Wilson Brothers Limited. These six competencies are planned based on the job requirements and skills posted in job advertisement and resume description. The competencies to be focused in job interview are as follows:
Core Competence
The first and foremost of the six competencies are to possess the core competence and skills are basics for an administrative assistant. The applicant must have job experience in the administrative field so that he or she must be aware of the basic roles and responsibilities of administrative assistant job. Along with job experience, the applicant must also have an educational background related to administrative assistance.
Communication Skills
As the administrative assistant is required to communicate with HR director as well as unit staff and divisional manager, therefore, he/she must possess the excellent communication skills. These skills are also required as the applicant must be customer service oriented that means he/she would be required to contact, communicate, response to queries of the internal customers and prospect candidates.
Organized and detailed Oriented
As the assistant is needed to develop a report and to gather information, therefore, it is very important that the job applicant must be organized and detailed focused. In addition to this, the assistant’s job is multitasking and to track the events and tasks, he/she must be well- organized.
Excellent tools knowledge
Another major competency required for the administrative assistant job is an excellent knowledge of the tools to use for different job roles and responsibilities, mentioned in the job advertisement. The major tool is Microsoft Office Suite include MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Excel, etc. The applicant must be mastered in using computers to fax machines, scanners, and printers for processing data organized using tools.
Team Leader
As the assistant is required to support and help the unit staff and divisional managers, therefore, he/she must have team leading competency. It is easier for an administrative assistant to do the job with enthusiasm.
Customer Service Oriented
The applicant must have the competency to deal with the demands of the customers. The administrative assistant in the company is needed to be customer service oriented as already mentioned in Job Ad. Therefore, it is very important competency.
Behaviour Descriptive Interview (BDI) style question
The applicants will be asked some descriptive behavioural questions. The interview will be based on behavioural questions include a question related to each competency. The questions will be as follows:
Core Competence
How do your qualification and previous experience make you a right candidate for this job?
The question 1 is to test the level of core competence such as the educational background and job experience of the applicant according to the job requirement.
Communication
Describe different business and organisational communication you were responsible in previous jobs?
The question 2 is to test the competency of the applicant of communication within the organisation and at a business level such as contacting and interacting with employees as well as the customers.
Organised and Detailed focused
How do you manage mistakes and errors in your work?
Question 3 is to check the level of how much applicant is organised and how he/she deals with his/her work.
Team Work
Describe an event or situation when you helped out a colleague or any member of the organisation?
Information System
What systems you have used for documentation, data storing and information gathering?
Question 5 is to find the ability of the applicant that either he/she know about the tools such as Microsoft Office tools and computer software for data storing and reporting.
Customer Service
Describe the situation when you were able to deal with the most demanding customer?
Question 6 is to test the customer service orientation of the applicant and to check his/her ability to deal with the demands of the customers.
Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS) scoring/rating sheet
Unsatisfactory: The skills and knowledge are not competent enough to deal with the role of administrative assistant.
Marginal: limited skills and knowledge for the administrative assistance.
Competent: the ability to perform the specific tasks and roles of administrative assistant.
Excellent: Accurately possesses the skills and knowledge required for administrative assistant
Exceptional: possess the skills and knowledge beyond expectations.
Hiring decision report
Hiring Decision
It is to bring your kind notice that the selection committee is done with the recruitment process for the job position of Administrative Assistant. The committee found ABC as the best Candidate for the post of Administrative Assistance. He is expected to join from 1st July 2016, facilitated with 20 days prior notice in his previous department.
Selection Process
The committee has posted a job ad, conducted recruitment, reviewed the applications, decided interviews questions and shortlisted the candidates for interviews.
Selection Criteria
The interviews followed a complete process of discussion, evaluation, and selection, where, the decision took place on the basis of responses of each candidate using the BARS from unsatisfactory to exceptional skills and knowledge. In the mutual discussion and rating, the committee arrived to a decision that the ABC has the highest score regarding skills and knowledge.
Appendix (interview questions and applicant responses)
Interview Questions and Applicant Response
How do your qualification and previous experience make you a right candidate for this job?
Since I graduate from XYZ University, I have served in three organizations of varying sizes as an administration department. Every succeeding job had increased the level of responsibility that added value to my skills and provided me with the practical experience for my learning. During the tenure, I had the opportunity to coordinate and report various levels of management from line manager to vice president. Reporting includes verbal and material based work using different software that has added my knowledge and competence of using different software. I assume, my strength of handling of different tasks with deadlines and multiple reporting is key and is compatible with this job requirement as well.
Describe different business and organisational communication you were responsible in previous jobs?
My different responsibilities included the administrative support to the HR department so that the operations are run smoothly and efficiently. Various organizational and business communication include providing verbal and material based presentation to the HR department and other departments looking for the human resource for their respective department. I was also responsible for steering respective and responsible personal for the update on the prospects vacancy and other related matters.
How do you manage mistakes and errors in your work?
With experience, I have learned that learning from mistakes is certainly important, and some learning comes from experience. In my very first job, when I was a recent graduate was certainly was not in a position to balance well between my professional responsibilities and duties and passion to work. Run by a passion for performing, I made a mistake and bypassed my reporting manager and shared my views directly with the top management. It significantly affected my working relationship with my reporting line, and I was also charged with disciplinary action. Though, my reporting manager helped me in handling a situation and guided that communication is only smooth when followed through a chain of command and in an organized manner. Since then, though, I have reduced the rate of mistakes, still if any ball is dropped, I focus on organizing and communicating with respective persons for best ways to correct it.
Describe an event or situation when you helped out a colleague or any member within the organisation?
This is another learning that I collected from the mistake in my first job that I just described. Now, I certainly enjoy helping my teammates and even other members of the organization in more professional and organized way. I support people in seeing the bigger picture that contributes to their performance and the company, than focussing on other matters that might be irrelevant. Interestingly, in my recent job I faced the same scenario as mentioned above and my young junior graduate attempted to by-pass me. Blessings to the manager in my first job, I then focussed on communicating issues than entering into conflict and giving tough time to the young one. I discussed the matter with the subordinate and explained him the importance of following the team orientation and following the chain of command. It proved to be a positive contributor between us and added strength to the co-ordination.
What systems you have used for documentation, data storing and information gathering?
I have worked on different software in a different organization. Most widely used ones include the Microsoft word, power point, excel, and project. I have also worked on the UltiPro in my recent job. The said software is a complete base for HR processes.
Describe the situation when you were able to deal with the most demanding customer?
Most of the interaction was with the internal customers who happen to be the employees of the same organization. Apart of the issues is resolved at this point as both parties are well were aware of the processes that a company follows. Still customers are difficult at the time. My manager in the recent organization has set high demands of performance for me. Initially, when I was not well aligned with his pattern of work, there were constant troubles. Then, I proactively planned to remain ahead of his schedule, so thing and points are in mind as he asks. Another thing that I did was to repeat and confirm what he instructed to avoid any confusions in my understanding. Keeping track on mail get me confirmation from his side as well. Now, my very direct customer and I are totally aligned, and I have learned much from this practice.
What do you know about Wilson Brother Limited?
Wilson Brother Limited is the leading company that was started in 1960 as a prepared food company. Now, it is one of the top international companies that manufacture and distribute prepared food from various plants to its international network.
Why did you leave your previous job?
I am currently employed with the employer and three years has been a great learning experience. I intended to apply this job for the opportunity of expanding my learning my learning experience. My current organization is a manufacturing concern for the beverages. I intend to join this company to expand my career in the food manufacturing sector.
What are your career goals?
I am inclined to enrich my career with diverse experience in different related industries. Further, my goal about the organization I work with is to offer a hands-on experience to the current organization regarding the strong managerial skills, in the house and in- and inter-department coordination, which ultimately adds value to the company’s goals.
