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Interviews for recruitmentby V S RAMA RAO on FEBRUARY 26, 2011

in HUMAN RESOURC E MANAGEME NT

t companies, small, medium and large including corporate groups in different ways. Somecompanies have followed professional methods even four or five decades ago. To name a fewLarsen & Toubro Ltd, Pfizer Limited, Hindustan Lever Limited or Hindustan Unilever Ltd, DCMGroups of companies and others.

The interview is the best method to know the candidates in all aspects whether he can be recruitedinto the company. The aspects that could be looked for are Job knowledge, communication skills,and to know his / her personal background including previous employments. The last one theemployer can know whether the candidate is a Job Hopper and runs to other companies just for thesake of money. The employer will also come to know whether the candidate is talking bad andcriticizing his previous employer/s.

The interview can be conducted by employer in own premises (it is better), particular industry association office, recruitment consultants office premises (if any consultant is appointed) and or in a Hotel room. Nowadays for highly qualified candidates like B.E., B Tech and MBA the companiesare conducting the interview on the campus. Many IT companies make a mad rush to recruitemployees and are taking in professional degree holders not connected with IT but with something

else as their specialization. Such candidates get disappointed at a later stage and leave theorganization.

Organizations are also recruiting candidates through walk-in interviews. This is done either atcompanies premises or through Job fairs. But this is mostly done for freshers or junior levelcandidates. Sometimes even middle management candidates are also recruited by this method.

Of late there is computerized selection interview is one in which a job candidates oral and/or computerized replies are obtained in response to computerized interviews present the applicantwith a series of questions regarding his or her background, experience, education, skills,knowledge and work attitudes that relate to the job which the person has applied. Some videobased computerized interviews also confront also confront candidates with realistic scenarios suchas irate customers to which they must respond.

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Typical computerized interviews present questions in a multiple choice format, one at a time; theapplicant is expected to respond to the questions on the screen by pressing a key. For example asample interview question for a person applying for a job as a retail store salesman or salesgirlmight be:

How you can assist customers in the store without irritating them? Or make them come back to thestore for their purchases?

If you are interviewing a candidate for an executive position a typical question can be how you canreduce the inventory? Or what you will do with obsolete materials?

Questions on a computerized interview common in rapid sequence and require the applicant to

concentrate. The typical computerized interview program measures the response time to eachquestion. A delay in answering certain questions can pose potential problem to the candidate.

For Middle/junior level positions or freshers the ideal seems to be a suitable test through computer or otherwise and short list candidates who have scored above certain percentage. A test of 2 hoursis sufficient for the purpose. This can be followed by a personal interview and selection. If therequirement is large then test has to be conducted in batches with different questions.

Before I write the concluding phase of this article with my experience in Indian corporate MNC

sector I would like to mention, irrespective of the position the candidates are recruited, the resultshould be told to them if possible. If it is going to take more time due to some reason then the timeframe must be indicated mentioning if you do not receive intimation within - days, pleaseconsider that some other candidate/s is/are selected. The interview should take place in a privateroom where telephone calls are not accepted and you can minimize interruptions. Prior to theinterview, review the candidates application and resume, and note any areas that are vague or thatmy indicate strengths or weaknesses.

Medium and large companies must conduct the final interview of short listed candidates in thepresence of all concerned say the HR manager, the immediate superior and suitable topmanagement person or Head of the department. The final interview preferably conducted in thepremises of the company where the selected candidate may have to work. It is better to stagger thetiming in groups for junior level or freshers. For senior positions each candidate must be calledgiving sufficient time for the interview. If there is one position two or three candidates have to be

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selected so that if one does not turn up the other can be called. The period of joining is at least oneto three months for new recruits depending upon the position.