YPOV
Young Professionals Point of View
Conduct an Effective Interview
A s a new graduate, your focus is typically on getting a
job. You spend time polishing your résumé, honing
your interviewing skills, and, perhaps, picking out your
first suit. Interviews can be stressful, but eventually your
engineering acumen and stellar people skills (and maybe that
suit) will land you a job.
In your new role, the tables may turn, and you will find
yourself as the interviewer, rather than the interviewee. It
is important to take this task seriously. Not only are you
potentially selecting someone who you will be working with
daily, but you are also being trusted to make an important
financial decision for the company. The Society for Human
Resource Management (SHRM) states in its 2016 Human
Capital Benchmarking Report that the average cost of hiring
an employee is $4,129.
While it is impossible to be certain how a candidate will
perform in the role, you can get a good idea by conducting
an effective interview. Follow these tips the next time you
are the interviewer.
Prepare. Consider the job description, and make a list
of skills, personal qualities, and general attributes you think
a candidate needs to be successful in the position. Keep the
list focused to at most five items. From this list, you can
develop questions that will help you discern whether the
candidate does indeed possess those qualities. For example,
imagine one quality you are screening for is adaptability.
You might ask the candidate, “Give an example of a time
you handled an unforseen challenge. How did you react?
And, what did you learn?” or “Have you ever had to adjust
to a different working style to complete a project or achieve
an objective?”
Avoid yes-or-no questions and clichés, and instead
prepare questions that elicit how candidates think and how
they would solve a real problem. You may even describe an
issue your team has encountered or is encountering, and ask
candidates how they would approach the problem.
In addition to problem-solving skills, do not overlook the
importance of cultural fit. This does not mean looking to hire
someone just like you, but rather, someone who shares the
same beliefs and values as your organization or team. Pre-
pare questions that will reveal whether the individual would
thrive and be successful in your workplace. For example,
if your team stresses individual accountability, ensure the
candidate can guide his or her own work.
Sell the job. Because you want to attract the best talent,
interviews are not only for you to evaluate candidates, but
also for you to sell the job. You should describe who you are
14  www.aiche.org/cep  May 2018  CEP
Elizabeth Pavone
CEP
and your role, as well as the open position and how it relates
to what you do. Explain why there is an opening and what it
is like working at the company.
All this information will likely generate questions in
the interviewee’s mind. Listen carefully to their questions
because they can tell you a lot about their understanding
of the role and grasp of the organization’s needs, as well as
attitude toward the job and the company.
Pay attention. Maybe it goes without saying that you
should listen to the interviewee’s responses, but that is often
easier said than done. Listening and hearing are not the same
thing. After several interviews, it can be difficult to remem-
ber who said what. Take notes to keep a record of responses.
Good listening also involves nonverbal gestures, such
as smiling, appropriate eye contact, and body language, to
confirm that you are engaged in the conversation. This can
help you to build positive relationships with candidates that
can make them feel valued and go a long way toward selling
them on the job.
Follow the rules. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportu-
nity Commission enacted fair hiring laws to ensure can-
didates receive a just shot at a position. The laws prevent
prospective employers from asking questions that could lead
to bias, such as about race, religion, gender, or family status.
While many of the fair hiring guidelines will be obvious
to most, it is important to highlight a few. Candidates may
list clubs, social organizations, or union memberships on
their résumé, but it is only appropriate to inquire about rele-
vant professional associations. If a candidate has a disability,
you may ask if he or she can perform essential job functions,
but you should not ask questions that directly address the
candidate’s disability. Avoid questions about marital or fam-
ily status. For example, you may not ask candidates if they
have children, but you can ask if they will be able to perform
a job function, such as traveling or working certain hours.
Keep your questions focused around job performance
and you should be in the clear. Having prepared questions
can help you to avoid any pitfalls that could arise from ask-
ing off-the-cuff questions. If a candidate volunteers informa-
tion that could lead to bias, do not inquire further or make
note of the information.
Your first time as the interviewer may feel unnatural,
and you may even be more nervous than you were as the
interviewee. However, you will get more comfortable in
this role as you get more practice. Your human resources
team has indicated that they value your opinion, so
give them one. CEP
Copyright © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)