Wednesday, June 17, 2009

HR Interview Question..

HR Interview Questions and Tips

Introduction

Okay, so you are able to maintain control of their nerves and the courage to questions, that the High Representative. You are now at the end of his interview session. What's next? It is the answer, have a few more steps to go. For example, the HR person may ask you if you have something to ask of him. What is the answer? It is quite likely that you are stressed, and there is something on your mind. This article deals with this situation and will give you a couple of intelligent questions, you may ask.

Rationale

First of all, we are trying to understand why the HR person puts you in such a situation. Is he just a nice to you, or are there now? One possible reason is that the company wants to project an image of transparency. The company wants you to know that it encourages two-way communication, and leadership of subordinates, an atmosphere where anyone can ask relevant questions and expect to get answers. In other words, the company respects the employee needs to know the issues which concern him, regardless of where it has its own hierarchy.

Next, and more importantly, that this situation is the presence of mind and control of their ability to form intelligent questions. So far, you are simply responding to your questions. How to behave when you are able to ask questions? What questions do you ask? It also shows how serious you are and the company's work.

Let us get on some of the questions now.

Some Useful Questions

Before the questions set out in the above reasons in mind. It would be good to sincerely thank the HR person for this opportunity. You can start, for example, "I have really had a chance to meet and his team .. (company name). Yes, there are some things I would like to know, thanks for asking" But it is not reasonable to ask the HR issues and a volley to make it counter the interview. Consider the following questions and select one or two of them, to find the most helpful to you.


* What do you find most enjoyable part of working in this company?
* Can I ask you why and how this organization? / What brought you here?
* I would like to know the work atmosphere here ...
* Would it be possible to tell me about the company's vision / philosophy?
* How do you assess the organization's strengths and weaknesses?
* I would like to know a little of my day-to-day responsibilities.
* Is it immediately? How soon do you take people on board this position?
* I would like to know how their skills compared to other people who have applied for this position.
* I am very interested in this opportunity, and I have the necessary skills for this position. What do I need to do next?
* Now that our interview is coming near, whether it is something you want to know about my ability to work in this direction?
* Would it be possible to tell me a little of what the company expects of its employees? What is the most important assets and skills in this company?
* Does the company follow a structured way to promote employees? How does it go?
* If the company finds me a good job, how it is before me? What would be the next step in my career growth?
* If I do well through the current position, which is likely to further opportunities for me to this company?
* You are someone special areas in the company, the top leaders to leave? / Is the special areas, such as say, sales or engineering, who has more customers to the company for growth, or did they come from different regions of the cross-section?
* The company has decided to recruit for this position from the outside. How does the company choose between recruiting from inside or outside?
* How far this position to help the bottom line?
* What advice would you give to someone selected for this position?
* What are the current problems in this position / department the company?
* Before I leave, can I have a formal / written description of the situation? This would help me to review and evaluate the activities, which are expected to me.
* Is it the work, which can lead to other positions in the company? What is the usual route?
* Would it be possible for me to say few people I work?
* Before I take your leave, I would like to check my understanding of the position. Responsibility for the appointment is ...., ...., This is so ... .. Department, and I would be reporting to ... .... Please correct me if I am wrong anywhere.
* How does it promote equal opportunities for the company and the diversity?
* Would you be able to tell me who is the company of their stars? What have been their most important contributions?
* How to make them subject to the seniors this company?
* Can you tell me about the management style of this company?
* If you have chosen me to this position, what assignment I have a beginning?
* Does this company have a formal mission? Will I be able to see it?
* What is the most important parameters, which the company will evaluate its contribution to the employee?


Some Useful Question Answers

1. Tell me about yourself?

I am down-to-earth, sweet, smart, creative, hard-working and thorough.

2. How has your experience prepared you for your career?

Courses:

In addition to the discipline and engineering foundation learning that I have received from their courses, I think that the design, reports and presentations have prepared me most of my career.

Work experience:

Through the internships, I have been able to self-esteem, confidence, and problem solving skills. I also refined my technical writing, and I got to know in order to prepare the documents for professional customers.

Student Organizations:

Working in several projects in various student organizations in keeping my grades, I've built time management and efficiency skills. In addition, I have created a leadership, communication and teamwork abilities.

Life Experience:

In general, life has taught me determination and the importance of maintaining my ethical standards.

3. Describe your ideal job.

Ideally, I would like to work in a fun, warm environment of individuals working independently towards a team goal, or individual goals. I'm not worried about the smaller elements, such as dress codes, cubicles, and the level of formality. The most important thing is to me is an atmosphere that fosters attention to quality, honesty and integrity.

4. What type of supervisor for you have found the best?

I have been fortunate enough to work in an excellent supervisor, who has limited supervision, while answering thoughtful questions and guiding learning. In my experience, the best positive feedback from supervisors and tactful criticism.

5. What are you going to do after five years?

In the PE exam and serving in supervisory / managerial posts in both the work and professional / community organization (s).

6. What will you do, however, the organization that will help you stand out against the other candidates?

In previous internships, my industriousness and ability to teach has been a valuable asset to the company. In my own teaching abilities, minimize overhead costs, and is targeted at the needs of my diligence, without prompting puts me apart from others. In addition, the one thing that has always been to me than my scientific / technical peers are my broad interests and strong writing abilities. I'm not your typical "left-Braine 'engineer, and my broad talents, I am probably the different views.

7. What criteria are you to decide the organization you work in?

Most importantly, I am looking for a company that values quality, ethics and teamwork. I would like to work with a company that hires overachievers.

8. What made you choose a major?

My academic interests are broad, so I tried to achieve a great balance of mathematics, civil engineering, chemistry, biology, physics, and writing.

9. Does your university and major met your expectations?

College of Engineering at MSU has exceeded my expectations by providing group activities, career resources, individual attention, and professors with genuine interest in teaching.

My major has met their expectations, about 90%. I would have had more opportunities in environmental courses, and would have preferred more calculus-based learning.

10. What made you choose this college?

I chose this college the following reason: I have a limited budget for my country's schools, an area I was looking for a dog-friendly apartments, the MSU web site impressed me, I saw active student groups, and people were very friendly.

DEFENSIVE QUESTIONS

Defensive questions to make sure that your job. This time, the organization has either offered you the job or expressed a strong interested in your qualifications. Relish is. You will never in a position of greater strength. Now is the time to the difficult questions that will give you the information you can make the best decision for your career.

Even if you are unemployed, the temptation to simply work because it is offered. You can pan, but the fire is certainly hotter if you accept a job that you do not fully understand. So ask away. While you never like to ask that spoil your report
the interviewer is that you can expect candid answers to your queries. There is a real advantage at this point. Most interviewers expect you to find your interests. If you can not speak for your own interests, they figure, how can you be expected to speak out for the best interests of the organization?

Here is where your research will protect your interests. You must know why the company loses money, why the incumbent stop and what are the plans for the relocation department. It is perfectly appropriate to ask to speak with potential subordinates and colleagues. They are excellent sources of information, they know what is going on and are most likely going to be straight with you. You may ask these people about the informal power structure, the unwritten priorities, what it really takes to be successful, and what they most want to change.

BEST DEFENSIVE QUESTIONS

If I were a spectacular success in this position after six months, what
would I have accomplished?

This is a very bold way to understand the “dream list” of accomplishments
you will, on some level, be expected to fulfill.

Do you foresee this job involving significant amounts of overtime or
work on weekends?

It’s a fair question, so ask it straight.

I understand the company has experienced layoffs within the last two
years. Can you review the reasons why they were necessary?

It will make the interviewer uncomfortable, but the interviewer expects
questions about layoffs.

How were the layoffs handled in terms of notification, severance, outplacement services, etc.?

You want to know how your termination, should you be downsized, will
likely be handled.

Are there formal metrics in place for measuring and rewarding performance
over time?

The impression you want to leave is that you are good and you want the
metrics to recognize it.

How effectively has the company communicated its top three business
goals?

If the interviewer cannot articulate them, you have your answer.

I am a hard worker. I expect to be around other hard-working people.Am
I going to be comfortable with the level of effort I find here?

You are asking the interviewer if you will find the kind of hard-working
environment in which you thrive at this position. If the interviewer
hedges at all, you have your answer.

Is the company’s training strategy linked to the company’s core business
objectives?

The most sophisticated companies do link their training and education
investments to core business objectives.

How does your firm handle recognition for a job well done?

The way an organization rewards achievement tells you a lot about its
culture.

When was the last time you rewarded a subordinate for his or her efforts?
What token of appreciation did you offer?

This question goes from the general to the specific. You are now asking
about the manager’s practices in rewarding subordinates.

How does the firm recognize and learn from a brave attempt that didn’t
turn out quite as expected?

Many companies say they have a nonpunitive attitude toward managers who
make mistakes, but few live up to the attitude. Ask about a time when the
lessons from a mistake were widely disseminated across the organization.

How much freedom would I have in determining my objectives and
deadlines?

This question goes to how much authority you will have to do your job
in the manner you see fit versus working to someone else’s preferences.

How long has this position existed in the organization? Has its scope
changed recently?

Information about the history of the position and its recent evolution can
influence your decision.

Monday, March 16, 2009

WHAT ABOUT HUMOR? Interviewtips

WHAT ABOUT HUMOR?

Charles Handler, today the head of Rocket-hire.com, recounts this object
lesson. Interviewing for a recruiting job with the company’s CEO, Handler
was trying to make a point about the most reliable methods of selecting
employees. In an attempt to be lighthearted, Handler said that he
supported every way of selecting employees except graphology. Graphology
is the study of handwriting as a means of analyzing character.

You can guess what happened next. The CEO looked up with a tight
smile and slowly informed Handler that graphology was his hobby and
that he thought the practice had substantial merit.

The good news is at the end of the day, the wisecrack didn’t hurt Handler.
He still received a job offer. But it did teach him a lesson. “Think
twice about making a joke or a wisecrack,” he says. “Any subject you
choose, no matter how seemingly innocuous, has the potential for alienating
the interviewer.”

On the other hand, humor elegantly framed and sharply focused can
be effective and advantageous. But it must come naturally to you. Nothing
is as risky as forced humor. Amateurs shouldn’t try this at the office.

A half-baked attempt at humor can seriously backfire on you, and if you
offend the interviewer—a possibility less and less discountable in these
politically correct times—you will never recover. For that reason many
job coaches advise against any attempt at humor, sarcasm, or teasing.
Just play it straight, they say, and you can’t go wrong.

Some hiring managers welcome humor because it demonstrates you
can keep work in a proper perspective. “The ability to laugh at yourself is a great attribute,” says Susan Trainer. “It means you don’t take yourself
too seriously, which is a very attractive trait.”

Other recruiters are skeptical. “I want my questions taken seriously,”
warns Bryan Debenport, corporate recruiter at Alcon Laboratories, a
3000-employee manufacturer of ophthalmic products in Fort Worth,
Texas. “Humor may be appropriate at the start and finish of interviews,
but use it sparingly.”

The goal of using humor is to bond with the interviewer, to use your
shared senses of humor as a way to underscore the prospect that you will
fit into the organization. Of course, if your perspective and that of the
hiring manager seriously differ, then your attempt at humor will only underscore
the disconnect.

At the same time, when people laugh, certain physiological changes take
place that make people more flexible, relaxed, and—this is what you most
want—agreeable. Humor is also synonymous with wit—and wit is born of
intelligence. No wonder recruiters look for candidates with this quality. Let
the interviewer set the tone. If the interviewer starts with a joke and seems
to be in good humor, you can try for a little self-deprecating humor.

MAKE FUN ONLY OF YOURSELF

The only thing you can make fun of is yourself. Everything else, without
exception, is off limits. You may think you and the recruiter share a
perspective on politics, gender relations, and certain ethnic groups.
Don’t go there. No laugh is worth insulting someone. There’s always a
risk of humor backfiring. If you think there’s the slightest chance of offending
someone, keep the humor to yourself.

So what kinds of self-deprecating joking can pass the humor test? Dialect
is too risky. Leave it at home. Sarcasm may be misinterpreted.
Deep-six it. Personal anecdotes can sometimes work. But make them
personal, short, and to the point. One candidate reports that the following
line, delivered tongue in cheek with a broad smile, sometimes led
to a laugh and real feedback:

How do you like me so far?

A line like this can work, concedes Nancy Levine, VP of client services
at San Francisco–based Pacific Firm, but the risks are too high because it is so obviously a line. “If I happen to feel that the candidate and I have created a close rapport, that our senses of humor are on the same wavelength, then it’s great. But there is nothing more irritating to me
than someone trying to be funny whom I don’t find funny. Proceed with
caution if you want to use humor. And then, use it sparingly, just to add
spice, like pepper on the finest filet mignon.”

Another candidate got some mileage out of a similar expression, by
finding just the right time in the interview to say, in a dead-on New York
City accent:



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QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD NEVER INITIATED

COMPENSATION

With few exception, it is never in your interest to initiate questions
about salary and related compensation issues such as benefits, vacation,and holidays. No matter how you frame the questions, you come off
looking greedy and fixated on what the company can do for you instead
of what you can do for the company. Any discussion about these issues
will distract the interviewer from your qualifications and how you can
help the company.

Yes, money and benefits are important. I guarantee you will have this
conversation after the company expresses an interest in you. Your bargaining
position will be much stronger then, so just resist asking about
money and concentrate on showing that you understand the company’s
challenges and can help solve them.

On the other hand, let’s be real. Money is critical, so why should it be
so awkward to acknowledge that fact? True, most career counselors and
job-hunting experts suggest it is taboo for you to ask about pay before
the interviewer does, but I think it’s possible to be too rigid on this point.
Occasionally it may make sense for the candidate to initiate a relaxed conversation
about pay issues at an early point in the interview. Any reasonable
person would expect rate of pay, health benefits, and what constitutes
the workweek to be important topics. To pointedly ignore them diminishes
the honesty of the relationship between the candidate and the interviewer,
surely not an auspicious way to start a relationship with someone who
may become your immediate supervisor and mentor.

There is one exception when issues of pay should come first, not last.
That exception refers to salespeople who are paid by commission, not
salary. With salespeople, the acknowledged desire to earn a high income
is considered an unalloyed virtue. Companies actually like to see a reasonable
level of greediness in their salespeople. The system is set up so
that salespeople make money only if they earn the company a lot more
money. Thus if you are interviewing for a sales job, it can be appropriate
for you to raise the issue of commissions, royalties, quotas, and other
compensation issues early on in the interview.

SELF-LIMITING QUESTIONS

These are questions that appear to put your needs before those of the
employer. You may have legitimate issues around matters of hours,
transportation, medical requirements, education, and accommodations
of all sorts. But it is rarely to your advantage to initiate these issues before the employer has expressed an interest in you. Rather, wait until you
have indications of real interest from the employer. The interviewer will
eventually ask you a question such as, “Are there any other issues we
should know about before taking the next step?” It’s at that point you can
more safely bring up the issues you have in mind.
In other words, be sure that the question you ask doesn’t raise barriers
or objections. 

For e.g:
Is relocation a necessary part of the job?

The very question raises doubts about your willingness to relocate. Even
if the person selected for the position is not tracked for relocation, the
negativity of the question makes the hiring manager wonder whether
you are resistant in other areas as well.

If the issue of relocation is important to you, by all means ask, but
go with a phrasing that reinforces your flexibility, not challenges it:

I’m aware that relocation is often required in a career and I am
prepared to relocate for the good of the company as necessary. Could you
tell me how often I might be asked to relocate in a five- or ten-year period?

I’m aware that relocation is often required in a career and I am
prepared to relocate for the good of the company as necessary. Could you
tell me how often I might be asked to relocate in a five- or ten-year period?
Here are a few more examples of self-limiting questions and the comments
of recruiters who fielded them:

Is job-sharing a possibility for me?
Possibly, but does this mean you can’t give us a commitment for fulltime
work?

Can you tell me whether you have considered the incredible benefits of
telecommuting for this position?

Why do you want to get out of the office before you have even seen it?

I understand that employee paychecks are electronically deposited. Can
I get my paycheck in the old-fashioned way?

You are already asking for exceptions. What’s next? And are you afraid
of technology?

I won’t have to work for someone with less education than I have,
will I?

You clearly have a chip on your shoulder. Why should we take a chance
that you don’t have other interpersonal issues?

The job description mentions weekend work.Are you serious or not?

We’re serious about the job description. We’re suddenly less serious
about you.

You get the picture. Don’t raise red flags. Once the interviewers has decided
that you are the right person for the job, you will find the employer
to be much more accommodating about issues like these. Wait
until after you have the offer in hand before you raise these questions.

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Monday, March 9, 2009

START WITH THE COMPANY’S WEB SITE interviewtips

START WITH THE COMPANY’S WEB SITE

In the age of the Internet, there is absolutely no excuse for you not to
have excellent information about a company. All public companies and
most private companies have Web sites. The Web sites are free and available
24 hours a day. You can access the Web sites from any computer

connected to the Internet. If you don’t have a computer, go to the library
or an Internet cafĂ©. Log onto the company’s Web site. It has all the information
you could want to frame thoughtful and impressive questions.
“If a candidate can’t spend 15 minutes on my company’s Web site,” Conlin
notes, “it immediately tells me that they are, at best, not serious and,
at worst, just plain lazy.”

A company’s Web site also gives you good clues about whether the
organization is growing or struggling.
The Web site addresses of most companies are obvious. At the place
in the browser where it says “address,” just type in “www” (for World
Wide Web), the name of the company, and the extension “.com.” Most
Web addresses are obvious.
 For example, 
Cisco Systems is www.cisco.com. 
General Motors is www.gm.com. 
General Electric is www.ge.com.

Another way to find a Web site is to use a search engine. I prefer
Google, although there are dozens of general and specialized search engines
that will do the job. Simply type in www.google.com and the lean
page of the Google Web site will appear. In the blank box, type in the
name of the company you want to research and click on “I’m feeling
lucky.” Google will almost always take you straight to the Web site you
want. It’s unlikely that Google will fail you, but if it does, click “Back”
and then click on the “Search Google” button. Now you will get a list
of possible destinations. The company you want to research will usually
be near the top of the list. Click on that item and you will go straight
to the Web site you want.
And if a company does not have a Web site, that tells you that the
company prefers to be invisible. Why would you want to work for an
invisible company? If you still want to be interviewed, a question like
this probably needs to be at the top of your list:

In my research on the company, I tried to find a Web site. I did not see
any reference to a Web site on the company materials, nor could I find
one using any of the search engines I tried. Is this intentional, and what
is the logic behind not having exposure on the Web?

Every company’s Web site is different, but they are all organized in standard
ways. The first thing is to look for a tab or button that says “About.”

Most companies put basic background information about themselves
in this area. Another area to look for is the “pressroom” or “newsroom.”
Many companies collect news releases and articles about themselves
under this designation.

Some corporate Web sites are pretty complicated affairs, with literally
tens of thousands of places to hide information. So if you are lost,
most Web sites have a feature called “Site Map.” This feature gives Web
site visitors a high-level look at where information may be found on the
site. It’s like the store directory you find in a shopping mall. Finally,
most Web sites have a search function. Click on the search function and
type in a term such as “about” or “news releases” and let the search engine
take you where you need to go.

For public companies, the annual report is almost always available at
the Web site. This document is an invaluable source of information about
the company and its challenges. Pay careful attention to the letter from the
management. In that letter, the organization’s CEO lays out the company’s
accomplishments and challenges. It will give you important clues for
questions you can ask. In some cases, there is a Q&A format, so many of
the questions you might want to ask in your interview are already there.

“The best questions to ask interviewers are those that demonstrate a
knowledge of the company and its market,” says Incentive Systems’
Bob Conlin. “I’m always impressed by good questions about specific
competitors, where the market is going in terms of trends, and how the
company is adapting to those trends.”

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DO YOUR HOMEWORK Interviewtips

When Sonja Parker interviews a candidate, she expects that the job
seeker will have done a reasonable amount of research into the company.
Before you interview with Parker, VP of Integrated Design in Ann
Arbor, Michigan, you will receive a folder with general information on
the company, a detailed job overview, and an application. During the
preliminary telephone interview, Parker always asks:

What do you know about us? Have you reviewed the packet I sent, or
have you poked around on our Web site?

If the candidate hedges, Parker questions whether she should invite
the candidate in for a job interview. If the candidate answers yes,
Parker asks:

What is your impression of what we do?

“I want to see if the candidate can articulate the information about our
company and the job,” she says. Her reasons for asking are twofold.
First, she wants some feedback on how effectively the company’s recruiting
materials are working. But even more importantly, she believes
that a candidate who has taken the time to thoroughly study the recruiting
materials demonstrates real interest in the job, while one who has
not is a poor risk.

“If you want to work at Integrated Design, I insist that you demonstrate
at least a basic understanding of what the company does,” she says. The best way to demonstrate that is to ask Parker informed questions

I’ve scanned your Web site and the materials you sent me. I understand
that Integrated Design specializes in employee data integration. As a
service business, has the recent economic downturn changed the weight
of the build-versus-buy calculation that every customer must evaluate?

Such a question tells Parker that the candidate not only researched the
company’s mission but has a mature understanding of the challenges of
a service company. On the other hand, Parker experiences a visceral
turn-off for applicants who show no evidence they looked at the recruitment
information packet she sent about the company. She also has
no use for applicants who expect her to repeat all the information contained
in the information packet. Such applicants—they hardly rise to
the status of candidates—are too unmotivated to get Parker’s attention.

“If candidates ask no questions at all, especially after I sent them an information
packet of recruitment materials, I know they are cruising,” agrees
Bob Conlin, VP of marketing at Incentive Systems in Bedford, Massachusetts.
“If a candidate tells me she is considering committing the next phase
of her career to Incentive Systems, I want to know she is thinking hard
about the opportunity. I expect to hear some very probing questions.”


One of the strongest candidates in Conlin’s experience was prepared
not only with great questions, but with a portfolio of materials the candidate
could point to during the interview. The candidate for a senior
marketing position had copies of Incentive Systems’ company’s data
sheets and full-page ads and those of its competitors. Using these materials,
the candidate asked informed questions about the merits of specific
marketing campaigns on behalf of specific products. “As soon as
he pulled out the portfolio, I said to myself, ‘This is my guy!’” Conlin
recalls.



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What Recruiters think about interviewtips

WHAT RECRUITERS THINK ABOUT

Asking for the job directly is tricky, and there’s some disagreement from
recruiters and job coaches. Some consider asking for the job assertive;
others think it cheeky or smacking of desperation. My personal preference
is to err on the side of being assertive. The meek may, as the Bible
says, inherit the earth, but they don’t necessarily get jobs. As always, you
have to use your radar and trust your instincts.

It’s good to be direct when asking for the job, says Tony Stanic, resource
manager at CNC Global, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. “I think it
is good to come across as enthusiastic and direct as possible. The person
that appears to want the job the most will get the offer. Try to find out
their level of interest in you by asking them directly.” Stanic has been
impressed with candidates who could deliver lines such as:

• Do you feel that I am suitable for the position?
• Do you have any reservations about my ability to do this job?

“Don’t be afraid to ask these questions,” Stanic continues. “You may be
able to overcome any objections that they may have. It may feel a bit uncomfortable
but it’s better to find out what their concerns are than it is to
find out that you did not get the job. Asking for the job can be a crucial
factor in the interviewer’s decision-making process.”

“There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance,” says KnowledgePoint’s
HR director, Rich Franklin. To be successful in some jobs,
you need to be pushy and demonstrate in the job interview how aggressively
you can sell. For example, Franklin recruited stockbrokers for
Dean Witter for 10 years before he joined KnowledgePoint. Stockbrokers,
of course, are salespeople who sell securities. One question from
a sales candidate that that impressed him was:

• I’m the person for the job! Can you tell me when you can make me
an offer?

“In the software industry where things are more laid back,” Franklin
continues, “I’d be a little less comfortable with a guy coming on that
strong.”

The Pacific Firm’s Nancy Levine also urges caution. For her, such
direct questions are indications of too much thinking inside the box.
What Levin likes to hear from candidates are more subtle probes for
objections:

I am very interested in this position. Do you have any questions or
concerns I can address?
• It has been a pleasure meeting you. I really want this job. Can you
tell me where you are in your process?

“Then, hopefully, the interviewer will cough up objections that the
job-seeker can address and overcome,” Levine says.
The important thing, she says, is not to appear like you’re trying
too hard. For example, Levine criticizes a formulation such as
this:

As I understand it, the successful candidate will be someone with x education,
y qualifications, and z experience. Do I understand the opportunity
correctly?

“For me this formulation is too cookie cutterish, too car salesman-y, a
bit transparent in terms of trying to close,” she says. “It may work as a
line of questioning in a first phone call, but not to close in an interview.
I would expect that our discussion would pinpoint what we’re
looking for.”





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Sunday, March 1, 2009

Question For Company Founder And Owner

If your interview is with the founder or owner of the company, especially
if your position proposes to take on activities currently handled by
the founder or owner, you have a special challenging.

All the other question in this books are fair game, and will give you
good information. But the main challenge of working with a company
founder or owner is not in getting the job offer, but in succeess at
the job. If it does not  work out, often it won’t be because of performance
but because of the inability of the company founder or owner to
let go of the reins. Thus, the questions you ask in this circumstance
need to give you sharp information about fit.

Business histories shows that few companies founders have the skills to
manage the company when it gets past a certain size. Few such managers,
however, acknowledge this reality. One of your main goals in the
interview, then, is to try to determine how you will be able to work with
this individual and, by extension, his or her heirs, all of which have a
stake in the business. To satisfy yourself of the viability of the situation,
you are entitled to a much greater degree of latitude.

Company founders and owners have tremendous proude in the success
of the organizations they built. They will generally resist sharing their
organizations with anyone else. The big issue, then, is how willingly the
company founder or owner is prepared to adjust the company’s balance
of power and, perhaps, ownership. The question which follow are designed
to give you a clue about how flexible the company founder or
owner might be. The questions assume the candidate is interviewing for
a senior executive position, perhaps the COO to the founder’s CEO.
Use these wordings as the basis for customizing questions to your
unique situation:

What are the success factors that will tell you that the decision to bring
me on board was the right one?

This question starts the conversations off on the successive factors that you
will bring to the organization.

How would you describe the company you’d like to leave your heirs
in terms of sale, size, number of employees, and position in the
industry?

This opens the conversation about heirs and what impact they may have
on the negotiations.

Have you considered the degree to which you want your heirs to have
strategic or operational influence in the company until one of them is
ready to assume the role of COO or CEO?

If there is an heir waiting in the wings, this is a good way to start a conversation
about it.

If for any reason you were unable to function as CEO, how would you
like to see the company managed? Is this known, understood, and agreed
to by your heirs? Is it in writing?

Transition strategies, or more frequently the lacking of them, derail many
organizations. If a transition strategy exists in writing, you can have
some confidence that the organization is relatively mature in its governance.

To make our working relationships successful—something we both
want—we’ll need to be sure we have good chemistry together.How might
we determine this, and then what action would you see us engage in to
build that relationship?

This question alerts the CEO that one of your success factors is the relationship
between the two of you.

If you and I were developing some sort of philosophical difference, how
would you want to go about resolving it?

Here is a refreshingly candid question that goes to how inevitable differences
will be resolved.

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QUESTIONS FOR Hire The Manager

What specific skills from the person you hire would make your
life easier?

This question focuses the conversation squarely on the proposition that
the employer has a problem. As the potential new hire, you want the employer
to tell you that you can make his or her life easier because your
skills are just the ticket.

What are some of the problems that keep you up at night?

This is another way to uncover the employer’s hot buttons, subtly suggesting
that hiring you will bring immediate relief to the interviewer’s
insomnia.

What would be a surprising but positive thing the new person could do in
the first 90 days?

The wording here is designed to reveal the interviewer’s “wish list” for
what the new hire can offer.

How does upper management perceive this part of the organization?

The response to this question will give the job seeker a feel for how
valuable the department is to upper management, because if and when
the organization goes through a financial crisis, you want to know that
your department will not be the first department cut.

What do you see as the most important opportunities for improvement
in the area I hope to join?

This is another way to get some clues about what specific improvements
the hiring manager desires.

What are the organization’s three most important goals?

This answer will provide an important clue for you if you take the job,
because you’ll be evaluated on your contribution to those three goals.

How do you see this position impacting on the achievement of those goals?

This answer will give an important clue about whether the job is important.
If the answer is essentially “not much,” you are being considered
for a nonessential position.

What attracted you to working for this organization?

Get the hiring manager to tell you a story. Listen carefully for clues
about what makes for success.

What have you liked most about working here?

Shared stories are what create community. Here’s another way to bond
with the interviewer around a story.

In what ways has the experience surprised or disappointed you?

Follow-up is good. If the interviewer feels safe, he or she may actually
share a disappointment.

What are the day-to-day responsibilities I’ll be assigned?

No better way to know what you’ll be doing. Notice how the question
gently assumes you are already on the team.

Could you explain the company’s organizational structure?

Ask this question if there is something you don’t understand about the
organization.

What is the organization’s plan for the next five years, and how does this
department or division fit in?

Any question that implies you have the long term in mind is great. The
hiring manager is thinking, “This guy aims to stick around for the long
term.”

Will we be expanding or bringing on new products or new services that
I should be aware of?

Notice the use of the word “we.” This is another question that allows
the hiring manager to discuss future plans and prospects.

What are some of the skills and abilities you see as necessary for someone
to succeed in this job?

This is another way to uncover possible objections or conflicts. Again,
you can’t address an objection unless it’s articulated.

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Asking Questions That Focus on What the Company Can?

The hiring manager is less interested in how much you want to better
yourself than what you can do to ease his or her problem. “What about
me?” questions like this are a turnoff.

I’m very committed to developing my intellectual property by learning
new technologies. What kinds of tuition benefits and other educational
support can I expect?

It’s nice that you want to improve yourself, but the hiring manager is
not interested in your commitment to education on his time. He has a
problem to solve and wants to know if you can help solve it. If you can,
maybe then the company can invest in your skills so you can solve even
more of its problems. Compare the above question to:

I want to put all my experience and everything I know in the service of
solving the challenges you have outlined. At the same time, I hope to increase
my value to the company by learning new skills and technologies.
Does the company have any programs that help me add value by learning
new skills?

Don’t Ask Questions That Are Irrelevant to the Job or
Organization

Another awkward moment comes when the interviewer challenges your
question with something like, “Now, why on earth would you want to
know that?”

In the same way that you can respond to interviewer’s illegal questions
with, “I fail to see what that question has to do with my ability to
do the job,” don’t give the interviewer an excuse to apply a similar
phrase to your question. To be safe, make sure that every question can
pass this test: Does the answer the question elicits shed light on the job,
the company, and its desirability as a workplace? If not, the question is
irrelevant.

Also, stay away from marginal queries about competitors, other positions
that don’t relate to the position you’re interviewing for, or current
trends that have no bearing on the organization.

While asking about the interviewer’s individual experience at the
company is okay. try not to interrogate the interviewer
about his or her career history. It’s okay, for example, to ask specific
questions about what the interviewer likes best and least about working
at the organization, but don’t go beyond that. If the interviewer chooses
to share some in-depth information about his or her career path or experiences
at the organization, then feel free to ask follow-up questions.
Just keep them open-ended and don’t push it.






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Avoid Leading or Loaded Question

Avoid Leading or Loaded Question

Leading questions signal the interviewer that you are looking for a specific
answer. They also signal that you are, at best, an awkward communicator
and, at worst, manipulative. In any case, skewing questions
is not in your interest. Be on guard that your questions are phrased to
be impartial. For example, this is a leading question:

Isn’t it true that your company is regarded as paying slightly better than
average?

This attempt to box in the interviewer is so transparent it will backfire.
Keep the question straight:

How do your company’s compensation schedules compare with the industry
average?

The wording of this next question is arrogant and makes you look
foolish.

I’m sure you agree with the policy that the customer is always right.

How are employees rewarded for going out of their way to put the customer
first?

What gives you the right to assume what the interviewer agrees with?
Ask it straight. There’s no harm in reporting a part of a company’s positive
reputation, if it’s true.

The company has a reputation for excellent customer service. How do
you motivate and empower employees to make exceptional customer
service a priority?

Loaded questions also make you look bad. Loaded questions reveal your
prejudices and biases. Besides being out of place in a job interview, such
questions convey a sense of arrogance or even contempt. They make you
look like a bully. They always backfire on you, no matter how much you
think your interviewer shares your biases. Typical loaded questions
might be:

How can the company justify locating manufacturing plants in the
People’s Republic of China with its miserable record of human rights
violations?

With all the set-aside programs for minorities and people who weren’t
even born in this country,what progress can a white American man hope
to have in your company?

Questions like these reveal your biases, often unintentionally, and cannot
advance your candidacy.

Avoid Veiled Threats

Interviewers hate to be bullied, and they will send you packing at the
first hint of a threat. That means if you have another job offer from
company A, keep it to yourself until after company B has expressed an
interest in making you an offer as well. Unfortunately, candidates have
abused the tactic of pitting employers against each other by brandishing
genuine or, as is more likely the case, fictitious job offers. A few
years ago, this tactic created an unreasonable and unsustainable climate
for hiring. Don’t test it with today’s crop of interviewers;

will wish you luck with the other company and never look back. For
example:

I’m considering a number of other offers, including a very attractive one
from your main competitor, and need to make a decision by Friday. Can
I have your best offer by then?

This question smacks of bullying and desperation. It’s hard to come up
with alternative wording, but this is more effective:

Everything I know about your company and the opportunity you described
leads me to believe that I can immediately start adding value.
I would very much welcome receiving an offer.Another company has
made me an attractive offer to join them, and I said I would give them
my decision by Friday. If my application is receiving serious consideration
here, I would very much like to consider it before then. Is that
possible?




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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Preparation The Interview 

Interview is an opportunity for both the employer and the applicant to gather information. The employer wants to know if you, the applicant, have the skills, knowledge, self-confidence, and motivation necessary for the job. At this point you can be confident that the employer saw something of interest in your resume. He or she also wants to determine whether or not you will fit in with the organization's current employees and philosophy. Similarly, you will want to evaluate the position and the organization, and determine if they will fit into your career plans. The interview is a two-way exchange of information. It is an opportunity for both parties to market themselves. The employer is selling the organization to you, and you are marketing your skills, knowledge, and personality to the employer. 

Interview Preparation 

Research is a critical part of preparing for an interview. If you haven't done your homework, it is going to be obvious. Spend time researching and thinking about yourself, the occupation, the organization, and questions you might ask at the end of the interview. 


Step 1: Know Yourself 

The first step in preparing for an interview is to do a thorough   self-assessment so that you will know what you have to offer an employer. It is very important to develop a complete inventory of skills, experience, and personal attributes that you can use to market yourself to employers at any time during the interview process. In developing this inventory, it is easiest to start with experience. Once you have a detailed list of activities that you have done (past jobs, extra-curricular involvements, volunteer work, school projects, etc.), it is fairly easy to identify your skills.

 Simply go through the list, and for each item ask yourself "What could I have learned by doing this?" "What skills did I develop?" "What issues/circumstances have I learned to deal with?" Keep in mind that skills fall into two categories - technical and generic. Technical skills are the skills required to do a specific job. For a laboratory assistant, technical skills might include knowledge of sterilization procedures, slide preparation, and scientific report writing. For an outreach worker, technical skills might include counselling skills, case management skills, or program design and evaluation skills 
Generic skills are those which are transferable to many work settings. 

Following is a list of the ten most marketable skills. You will notice that they are all generic. 

Analytical/Problem Solving 
Flexibility/Versatility 
Interpersonal 
Oral/Written Communication 
Organization/Planning 
Time Management 
Motivation 
Leadership 
Self-Starter/Initiative 
Team Player 

Often when people think of skills, they tend to think of those they have developed in the workplace. However, skills are developed in a variety of settings. If you have ever researched and written a paper for a course, you probably have written communication skills. Team sports or group projects are a good way to develop the skills required of a team player and leader. Don't overlook any abilities you may have 

When doing the research on yourself, identifying your experience and skills is important, but it is not all that you need to know. 
Consider the answers to other questions such as: 

How have I demonstrated the skills required in this position? 
What are my strong points and weak points? 
What are my short term and long term goals? 
What can I offer this particular employer? 
What kind of environment do I like? (i.e. How do I like to be supervised? Do I like a fast pace?) 
What do I like doing? 
Apart from my skills and experience, what can I bring to this job? 

Step 2: Know the Occupation 

The second step in preparing for an interview is to research the occupation. This is necessary because in order to present a convincing argument that you have the experience and skills required for that occupation, you must first know what those requirements and duties are. With this information uncovered, you can then match the skills you have (using the complete skills/experience inventory you have just prepared) with the skills you know people in that occupational field need. The resulting "shortlist" will be the one that you need to emphasize during the interview. 
It is also in your best interest to identify the approximate starting salary for that position, or those similar. 

There are several ways to find out about an occupation: 
Acquire a copy of the job description from the employer (Human 
Resources/Personnel) or check with Student Employment Services. If you are responding to an advertisement, this may also supply some details. 



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General Tips To Overcome An Interview

So what if you are not a mountaineer. Or a keen hiker. You still cannot treat your interview like a careless morning trot along a jogger's path. Your jaw-jaw at the interview table is nothing less than a cautious climb up a mountain trail--which begins around your early childhood and meanders through the years at the academia before reaching a new summit in your career.And as you retrace your steps down memory lane make sure that you post flags at important landmarks of your life and career, so that you can pop them before the interview panel scoops them out of you. You don't want to be at the receiving end, do you?
Face the panel, but don't fall of the chair in a headlong rush-and-skid attempt to tell your story. Take one step at a time. If you place your foot on slippery ground, you could be ejecting out on a free fall.

So prepare, fortify your thoughts, re-jig your memory, and script and design your story (without frills and falsity). Without the right preparation and storyboard, you could be a loser at the interview. Here are a few preparation tips that books on interviews sometimes overlook.                                                           
Before the interview  

1. Chronological Outline of Career and Education Divide your life into "segments" defining your university, first job, second job. For each stage, jot down :

The reason for opting certain course or profession; Your job responsibilities in your previous/current job; Reason of leaving your earlier/current job. You should be clear in your mind where you want to be in the short and long term and ask yourself the reason why you would be appropriate for the job you are being interviewed for and how it will give shape to your future course.

2. Strengths and Weaknesses

You should keep a regular check on your strengths and weaknesses. Write down three (3) technical and three (3) non-technical personal strengths. Most importantly, show examples of your skills. This proves more effective than simply talking about them. So if you're asked about a general skill, provide a specific example to help you fulfil the interviewer's expectations. It isn't enough to say you've got "excellent leadership skills". Instead, try saying:
"I think I have excellent leaderships skills which I have acquired through a combination of effective communication, delegation and personal interaction. This has helped my team achieve its goals."
As compared to strengths, the area of weaknesses is difficult to handle. Put across your weakness in such a way that it at leaset seems to be a positive virtue to the interviewer. Describe a weakness or area for development that you have worked on and have now overcome.

3. Questions you should be prepared for                                      
                                                 
Tell us about yourself.
What do you know about our company?
Why do you want to join our company?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
How have you improved the nature of your job in the past years of your working? Why should we hire you?
What contributions to profits have you made in your present or former company? Why are you looking for a change?

Answers to some difficult questions :                                          
Tell me about yourself ?
Start from your education and give a brief coverage of previous experiences. Emphasise more on your recent experience explaining your job profile.
What do you think of your boss?
Put across a positive image, but don't exaggerate.
Why should we hire you? Or why are you interested in this job?
Sum up your work experiences with your abilities and emphasise your strongest qualities and achievements. Let your interviewer know that you will prove to be an asset to the company.
How much money do you want?
Indicate your present salary and emphasise that the opportunity is the most important consideration.
 Do you prefer to work in a group?
Be honest and give examples how you've worked by yourself and also with others. Prove your flexibility.
                                  
4. Questions to As                  
                                                                        
 At the end of the interview, most interviewers generally ask if you have any questions. Therefore, you should be prepared beforehand with 2-3 technical and 2-3 non-technical questions and commit them to your memory before the interview.
Do not ask queries related to your salary, vacation, bonuses, or other benefits. This information should be discussed at the time of getting your joining letter. Here we are giving few sample questions that you can ask at the time of your interview.
Sample Questions
Could you tell me the growth plans and goals for the company?
What skills are important to be successful in this position?
Why did you join this company? (optional)
What's the criteria your company uses for performance appraisal?
With whom will I be interacting most frequently and what are their responsibilities and the nature of our interaction?
What is the time frame for making a decision at this position?
What made the previous persons in this position successful/unsuccessful?

 5. Do your homework         
                                                                                                                     
 Before going for an interview, find out as much information on the company (go to JobsAhead Company Q and A) as possible. The best sources are the public library, the Internet (you can check out the company's site), and can even call the company and get the required information. The information gives you a one-up in the interview besides proving your content company or position.
 Clearing the interview isn't necessarily a solitary attempt. Seek assistance from individuals who are in the profession and whose counsel you value most. Be confident in your approach and attitude; let the panel feel it through your demeanour, body language and dressing.
Getting prepared for your interview is the best way to dig deep and know yourself. You will be surprised that it would breed a new familiarity become more familiar with your own qualifications that will be make you present yourself better. All the best and get ready to give a treat.




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