IWS Documented News INTERNATIONAL

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
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Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

 

STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS: A PRACTICAL GUIDE [online 2010]

http://apps.opm.gov/publications/pages/OPM_Detail.cfm?ID=778

or

http://apps.opm.gov/ADT/ContentFiles/SIGuide09.08.08.pdf

[full-text, 36 pages]

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction....................................................................................................................................3

Overview.................................................................................................................................3

Structured vs. Unstructured Interviews...................................................................................3

The Purpose of this Guide.......................................................................................................4

Section I: Developing a Structured Interview................................................................................5

1. Conduct a Job Analysis......................................................................................................5

2. Determine the Competencies to Be Assessed by the Interview.........................................5

3. Choose the Interview Format and Develop Questions.......................................................6

Behavioral Interview Format and Questions....................................................................6

Writing Behavioral Interview Questions..........................................................................7

Situational Interview Format and Questions....................................................................7

Writing Situational Interview Questions..........................................................................7

4. Developing Rating Scales to Evaluate Candidates.............................................................8

Rating Scale and Behavioral Examples for a Behavioral Interview................................8

Rating Scale and Behavioral Responses for a Situational Interview.............................11

5. Create Interview Probes....................................................................................................12

6. Pilot Test the Interview Questions and Evaluate the Interview Process..........................14

7. Create the Interviewer’s Guide.........................................................................................14

8. Document the Development Process................................................................................14

Section II: Administering a Structured Interview.........................................................................15

Interviewers..........................................................................................................................15

Training Your Interviewer.....................................................................................................15

Note-Taking....................................................................................................................15

Interviewer’s Non-Verbal Behavior...............................................................................15

Interpersonal Bias and Rating Errors.............................................................................16

The Interview Setting............................................................................................................16

Conducting the Interview......................................................................................................16

Supplemental Materials..................................................................................................16

Arrival of the Candidate.................................................................................................16

Rating Each Candidate...................................................................................................17

Documenting the Interview Process......................................................................................17

Appendix A: Structured Interview Implementation Checklist.....................................................21

Appendix B: Structured Interview Development Checklist.........................................................22

Appendix C: Sample Critical Incident Forms...............................................................................23

Appendix D: Panel Interviews......................................................................................................25

Appendix E: Sample Lesson Plan for an Interviewer Training Course........................................27

Appendix F: Common Rating Errors and Interviewing Mistakes................................................28

Appendix G: Sample Structured Interview Individual Rating Form............................................30

Appendix H: Sample Structured Interview Group Rating Form..................................................35

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This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

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Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
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