This document provides training materials for conducting effective interviews as part of an assessment process. It covers planning interviews, asking appropriate questions, listening skills, getting candidates to talk, and using a funneling technique to get more specific evidence from candidates. The goal is to obtain balanced evidence about a candidate's suitability for a role in terms of both abilities and motivations. Examples and exercises are provided to help interviewers practice these skills.

1. © OOW Training 2019
REDDINGTON
HEALTHCARE
GROUP
ASSESSOR TRAINING PT 1
CONDUCTING EFFECTIVE
INTERVIEWS
ANDY CUNLIFFE, GENERAL MANAGER
5th AUGUST 2019

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WHY AM I DOING THIS?

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
LEARNING BEHAVIOURS
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

5. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of today’s training you will have:
▪ The ability to construct an appropriate plan for an individual candidate
▪ The ability to conduct an interview, based on that plan to gain evidence
in a fair and equitable manner within the set timeframe
▪ A basic understanding of other forms of assessment
▪ An awareness of business policy on equal opportunities
▪ The knowledge to write a balanced report succinctly recording the
evidence gained on each dimension / competency.

6. LEARNING BEHAVIOURS

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ASSESSMENT CENTRES
WHAT WE’RE NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT!!

8. WHAT IS AN ASSESSMENT CENTRE?
▪ An assessment centre is a recruitment selection process where the organisation
typically assesses a group of candidates at the same time and place using a range
of selection exercises.
▪ Assessment centres are one of the most effective methods for predicting a
candidate's suitability for a job, so can help organisations to avoid making poor
recruitment decisions and the costs associated with them. Candidates are more
likely to have a positive experience at an assessment centre than where they are
assessed by interview alone.
▪ Assessment centres utilise a range of selection exercises so enable the employer to
make an informed, objective and evidence-based choice when selecting candidates.
However, organisations should use them only where it is appropriate to do so, taking
into account factors such as the availability of resources.
▪ This approach HAS been used in Reddington

9. BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT
ASSESSMENT
CENTRE
FEBRUARY 2017

10. ASSESSMENT CENTRES

11. ASSESSMENT PROCESS – IT ALL BEGINS WITH A JD

12. ASSESSMENT PROCESS

13. ASSESSMENT PROCESS
Who is the Board Lead?
Who defines the sifting criteria?
Who does the sifting?
Sifting is the process of rejecting
applications that do not meet the
hiring criteria. It should be done by HR
against specific criteria agreed with
the Board Lead.

14. ASSESSMENT PROCESS
Who’s involved in the planning?
What decisions do they take?

15. BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT
ASSESSMENT
CENTRE
FEBRUARY 2017

16. ASSESSMENT PROCESS

17. ASSESSMENT PROCESS

18. ASSESSMENT PROCESS

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INTERVIEW SKILLS
PLANNING AND DELIVERING AN EFFECTIVE INTERVIEW

20. OBJECTIVES OF ANY SELECTION INTERVIEW
Whatever type of interview you carry out, your
aims in selection will be threefold:
▪ To obtain evidence about a candidate’s suitability for a
particular post- whether they can do it (abilities, skills) and
whether they will do it (motives, attitudes)
▪ To answer any questions candidates may have about the post
▪ To leave all candidates feeling that they have been treated in a
fair and consistent manner

21. WHAT MAKES AN INTERVIEWER EFFECTIVE?
Most common error made by inexperienced
interviewers is a tendency to talk too much
▪ Many managers are good talkers and enjoy communicating
and may find it more natural to dominate the discussion
▪ Some interviewers feel uncomfortable in unfamiliar territory.
To avoid the discomfort of silence or having to venture into
unfamiliar areas they talk about the known
▪ Inexperienced interviewers often feel they are not in control
unless they are talking or interjecting frequently.

22. WHAT MAKES AN INTERVIEWER EFFECTIVE?
The art of controlling an interview is to keep
the candidate talking RELEVANTLY with the
minimum of interruption or interference.
A good interviewer will allow the candidate to
be speaking for about 80%of the interview

23. CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD INTERVIEWERS
SELF AWARENESS
OPEN MINDEDNESS
EMPATHY
OBJECTIVITY

24. REDDINGTON POLICY ON EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
Equality Statement
All patients and employees of Reddington Hospital
and its subsidiaries and members of the public,
visitors, contractors and their staff should be
treated fairly and with respect, regardless of age,
disability, gender, marital status, race, religion,
tribal origin, ethnic or national origin or sexual
orientation

25. CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD INTERVIEWERS
YOURTWO MOST IMPORTANT
SKILLS ARE:
ENCOURAGING CANDIDATESTO
TALK RELEVANTLY
ACTIVE LISTENING

26. ACTIVE LISTENING EXERCISE
You will hear a conversation between two people.
Do not take any notes, just listen and try to absorb
as much detail as possible.

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PLANNING THE
INTERVIEW

28. PLANNINGTHE INTERVIEW
▪ Study all the material about the candidate and the job
▪ Be clear about the competences / dimensions you are seeking evidence
on and the behaviours / skills that demonstrate them
▪ A good starting point is to ‘sketch out’ the candidate’s life events in
chronological order.This will immediately any inconsistencies, gaps or
overlaps.
▪ A good starting point with candidates who are in employment is to start
with the present job

29. PLANNINGTHE INTERVIEW
▪ You need to decide which areas of the candidate’s life are likely to be
most relevant and productive in seeking evidence for the required
competences.
▪ If the candidate has no work experience, what will be the most relevant
alternative topics?
▪ The most recent evidence is the most relevant but you will need to look
for consistency and trends over time.
▪ If you think a candidate may be sensitive to an area you need to discuss
consider how and when you plan to introduce it.
▪ Your plan should consist of headings and key words which can guide you
not a list of questions to be read out verbatim

30. PLANNING EXERCISE
▪ Working in pairs – look at the CV for E O H. S/he is applying for a job as
Head of Admin for Duchess Hospital.
▪ You have been asked to conduct an interview which seeks to assess the
candidate in the areas of “Excellent Communication, Interpersonal and
Conflict Handling Skills” and “An ability to lead and manage a large and
diverse team”
▪ Identify three topics from the candidates CV which you would want to
explore to elicit evidence against these competences.
▪ You have 20 minutes to produce an outline plan.
▪ Feel free to suggest questions you might want to ask the candidate but
you are not required to – just identify areas for exploration.

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FEEDBACK ON PLANNING
THE INTERVIEW

32. BEHAVIOURAL DIMENSIONS
▪Purposefulness
▪Resilience
▪Interpersonal Skills
▪Maturity
▪Effective Leadership

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STARTING THE INTERVIEW
GETTING THE
INTRODUCTION RIGHT

34. THE INTRODUCTION SHOULD INCLUDE
▪Your name
▪Your usual job
▪A check on the candidate’s preferred name
▪The purpose of the interview
▪Structure, timing and note taking
▪Questions

35. WRITE PROMPTS ONYOUR PLAN

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QUESTIONS

37. TYPES OF QUESTIONS
▪ Open Why did you apply for this post?
▪ Closed Would you employ full-time staff?
▪ Probing Give me an example of that?
▪ Reflective So you said you felt upset?Tell me more
▪ Hypothetical What would you do if…….. ?
▪ FOR BEHAVIOURAL INTERVIEWS AVOID HYPOTHETICAL. STICKTO
HISTORICAL, BIOGRAPHICAL

38. WHATTYPE OF QUESTION…. ?
1. So you are saying that it was the leadership style of your manager
that led you to leave your last job?
2. Did you enjoy this work?
3. What would you do if you had three staff off sick and the computer
broke down?
4. Tell me about your duties in your last job?
5. I see you worked part time in your last job. Why was this?

39. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!
▪ Leading Questions – these suggest the interviewer has already decided
which answer to expect “No health problems of course”
▪ Multiple Questions – these contain a confusing string of questions or
statements “Why did you choose marketing and to do a
full-time course and what were your options at the end of the course”
▪ Discriminatory Questions “Do you intend to get pregnant soon?”

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INTERVIEW PRACTICE 1

41. INTERVIEW 1
Prepare to do a brief interview with a member of your group.
Deliver an introduction covering all the relevant points
Look at the definition of “Effective Team Worker”
Ask your partner a question or questions to seek evidence of this
competence.You have 10 minutes to try and get evidence (+ or -)
Make brief notes using key words to help you remember later

42. EFFECTIVE TEAM WORKER
• How do you feel about working on a team?
• Tell me about a time you solved a problem as a member
of a team?
• How have you motivated colleagues when working with
them?
• Tell me about a difficult experience you had working in a
team?
• Give me an example that demonstrates your approach
to teamwork?
• Tell me about a challenging workplace situation that you
had to deal with?

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INTERVIEW PRACTICE 1
FEEDBACK

44. COMMON PROBLEMS FOR THE INTERVIEWER
• The dreaded “WE”
• Candidates who try to go ‘off topic’ to a place of greater
comfort
• Candidates who treat the interviewer with suspicion!!
• Halos and Horns

45. GOOD HABITS FOR THE INTERVIEWER
• Introduction – warm, welcoming, put candidate at ease
• Bridging – indicating that one topic is finished and you
are moving on to the next one
• Signposting – preparing the candidate for a change of
interviewer
• Closing – two ‘exit’ questions and allowing the
candidate to ask questions

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FUNNELLING
THE KEY THAT UNLOCKS
THE DOOR!!

47. THE FUNNEL (FOR HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHICAL)
SITUATION
OBJECTIVE
RESULT
REFLECT
EVIDENCE

48. THE FUNNEL (FOR HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHICAL)
SITUATION What was the background?
How did the candidate find her/himself in that situation?
Who else was involved?
OBJECTIVE What was the candidate’s objective?
What was he or she trying to achieve?
What did others want out of the situation?
RESULT What was the outcome?
What did others say and do?
REFLECT How did the candidate feel about it?
What did s/he learn?
What would they do differently in the same situation?

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INTERVIEW PRACTICE 2

50. INTERVIEW 2
Prepare to do a brief interview with a different member of your group.
Share your Mock Candidate sheet with your ‘interviewer’ and take their
sheet in return
Prepare an interview plan which seeks to get evidence on the two
questions on the form they have completed
Deliver an introduction covering all the relevant points
Use the funnel to take them from the general to the specific. Bridge
between the two topics
Make brief notes using key words to help you remember later
You have 15 minutes to conduct your interview

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INTERVIEW PRACTICE 2
FEEDBACK

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OBSERVE
RECORD
CLASSIFY
EVALUATE

53. THAT’S ALL FOLKS
ANY QUESTIONS??