Items 19 - 21

19. The Interview
20. Selection
21. Post-interview procedures

19.1 The Panel - Pre-Interview Preparation

19.1.1 The membership of appointment committees is set out in the Code of Practice on Composition of Appointment Committees.

For all other posts the interview panel should comprise at least two people. The advantages of a panel interview are that subjectivity and bias can be reduced and further expertise can be introduced into the questioning. Try to avoid an all-white or a single-sex panel wherever possible. However, do not make use of people in a token capacity, use their skills and experiences as selectors efficiently.

19.1.2 Before the interview takes place all members of the interview panel should receive:

• An interview timetable (the interview should be of equal length for all candidates)
• A copy of the advertisement and further particulars
• The job description and person specification
• A copy of the applications and candidate assessment forms
• Copies of references

19.1.3 Venue

Obviously the room booked for interviews should be free from distractions and interruptions, and some thought should be given to the physical layout so that the candidate does not feel ill at ease. The room should be accessible for candidates with a mobility disability.

19.1.4 The Chairperson

A Chairperson should be agreed who will facilitate the interview. The Chairperson will keep the proceedings under control and ensure fair play for the candidate and the interviewers by taking responsibility for:

• Ensuring that all panel members are properly prepared
• Introducing the panel
• Explaining the interview structure, including the fact that the panel will be making notes during the process
• Explaining when the candidate can ask questions
• Moving the questioning on and providing links between panel members
• Keeping the interviews to time. It is important to try to keep to schedule, however interviews invariably take longer than expected so do allow sufficient time for each candidate. Extended interviews are often counter-productive for both the candidate and the panel.
• Dealing with any problems or inappropriate questions
• Closing the interview and explaining the next stage
• Chairing the discussion in the decision-making process and ensuring that only relevant, justified points are considered and that these are supported by evidence

19.2 The Interview Structure

The selection panel should meet in advance of the interview to familiarise themselves again with the requirements of the post and with the candidates' application forms and this meeting may be scheduled just prior to the interview itself.

The panel should plan an interview structure which is clear to both the interviewers and the candidate. This should include sufficient time at the start of the interview to put the candidate at ease and to establish a rapport, followed by a period acquiring information from the candidate through questioning. It is important during the planning process to clarify the roles of each panel member, with the question areas being divided up according to the expertise of the selectors on the panel. Some specific sample questions should be agreed.

The questions that are to be asked must be related to the job requirements. Certain common questions will have been agreed beforehand, but each candidate will have different skills, abilities and experiences and will need probing on different areas. Candidates must not be asked questions about their personal lives, family commitments or domestic obligations.

The interview should then be focused on supplying information to the candidate about the University and the department, discussing expectations about the job and answering any queries which the candidate may have. Finally, the Chairperson will conclude the interview with details of what will happen next in the process.

19.3 Interview Skills

19.3.1 Candidates perform best at interview if they are able to relax and respond freely to questions, rather than being put under undue pressure. The following guidance is relevant to all interviews:

• Be relaxed and friendly in approach in order to encourage the candidate to feel relaxed and to be more open
• Cover all aspects of the candidate's application in relation to the post, identifying any particularly interesting points or discrepancies
• Allow the candidate to do most of the talking during the interview, avoiding interruptions
• Ensure that the candidate is aware of the specific requirements of the job
• Identify any misconceptions which the candidate may have about the job and rectify these
• From time to time, check that you have understood the candidate by re-interpreting their statements and gaining confirmation
• Give verbal and non-verbal encouragement. It is important to let candidates know that all panel members are paying attention to them throughout the whole interview, even when they are not asking any questions. It is bad practice for interviewers to sit stony-faced or unresponsive, worse still for them to be staring out of a window or engaged in other work during an interview
• Listen to what the candidate is saying. Much information will be provided during the interview which the panel will need to recall during the decision-making process
• Note what the candidate says and what he/she does not or cannot say. These notes should reflect the facts and information relevant to the post, rather than subjective impressions or evaluative words. A sample candidate assessment form suitable for recording interview notes is available from Human Resources.

19.3.2

The panel should ensure that their questions relate to the agreed criteria for the post:

• Open questions are useful as a means of gaining the most information from candidates as they are designed to encourage the candidate to talk, to provide facts, to describe events and to express opinions. Such questions are usually prefaced by "What, When, How, Who or Where" and allow the interviewee to give a more considered and substantial reply.
• Probing questions should be used to provide a clearer focus on answers that are too short or too vague.
• Sometimes rather than being too vague, the candidate will be too verbose or will have strayed from the point. This is a difficult situation and should be retrieved tactfully rather than destroying the rapport with the candidate; for example, a comment such as "I was most interested in your original comment..." Or "Thank you for that, but I would rather we now concentrate on..."
• Avoid closed questions which generally require a "Yes" or "No" answer e.g. "Do you like dealing with the public?" "Do you know which are the most prestigious journals to be published in?" Whilst some closed questions may have to be asked, the panel should try to ensure that the majority of questions are open ones.
• Avoid multiple-headed questions where two or more questions are asked at once e.g. "What is it that interests you about this post, why do you want to leave your current post and what are your future career expectations?" Candidates will either answer only the part which they want to or are able to, or they might become confused and forget parts of the question. Remember interviews are stressful so it is better to ask one question at a time.
• Avoid leading questions where the answer expected is given away in the question itself e.g. "How accurate do you think you are?" or "This job requires someone with good interpersonal skills and initiative -how do you think you measure up to these requirements?" Such questions should be avoided as the panel does not gain from the response and is playing into the hands of a good talker or the individual with more interview experience.
• Similarly, self-assessment questions such as "What makes you think you are the best candidate for this job?" should be avoided. Such questions are difficult to answer satisfactorily and are of little value in assessing the candidate against the person specification. Again they tend to favour a more experienced interviewee and may be to the detriment of a more modest candidate.
• Avoid hypothetical questions where a situation is described and the candidate is asked what they would do in those circumstances. These types of question are best avoided as what an individual says they will do in such a situation may bear little resemblance to their behaviour in reality. It is better practice to allow the candidate to draw on their own experiences e.g. "Out of your past experience, what would you extract which would help in the administration of the department which would be truly innovative?" Or "How have you handled a situation in which somebody is not performing to the level required of them?

20.1 Decision-Making

A structured approach is needed to make sense of all of the information which has been gathered. The criteria previously agreed (the person specification) should be used as a basis for decision-making. The panel should compare the notes they made in the interviews against the essential criteria and use these to see how the candidates measure up to the skills/qualifications and experiences necessary. The main issues should be highlighted to ensure that the professional needs of the post are balanced against the ability of the candidates to do the job effectively. In making the choice of who should be appointed the successful candidate usually emerges as a result of consensus and it is hoped that unanimous agreement can be reached. Where this is not possible, then a vote can be taken. (The Chairperson should be mindful of the impact of inter-personal power relations amongst the interview panel and the effect this may have on the selection decisions made.)

The panel need to be clear about why people were not selected, and must make notes about their decisions. Selectors should not rely on "gut feeling" as there is a danger of unconscious discriminatory assumptions creeping into the decision-making process. Simply relying on whether the candidate will "fit in" may lead to discrimination in the decision-making process and recently several organisations have fallen foul of Employment Tribunals by using this as their defence.

It may be that the panel does not find a suitable candidate after the interviews have been carried out and whilst this may be disappointing or frustrating, it is better in the long-term not to appoint, rather than to appoint an unsuitable candidate.

20.2 Record Keeping

It is advisable to keep all the original documentation relating to the recruitment and selection process for a period of twelve months after the appointment has been made. This should include the application forms, a copy of the job advertisement, job description and person specification as well as the details of shortlisting, the interview notes of all the panel and the reasons for selection/non-selection. These are a vital record of exactly what happened and could be needed either to give constructive feedback to candidates who request it and/or to provide as evidence to an Employment Tribunal. Employment Tribunals take a particularly dim view of employers who are unable to produce notes on the discussions as to which of the candidates they preferred and the evidence for this decision.

If a complaint of discrimination is upheld at an Employment Tribunal, panel members have a personal responsibility and there could be financial penalties, for the University, the department and, exceptionally, for the individual. Departments are therefore advised to take advantage of the information in this guide and of appropriate training courses offered through Human Resoures and Staff Development.

21.1 Notification

Once a decision has been made, the successful candidate may be informed verbally of the recommendations of the interview panel. Confirmation of the appointment will be given in a formal offer letter, issued by Human Resources. Unsuccessful candidates should be informed promptly by letter of the result of the interview. (Rejection letters for vacancies administered by Human Resources will be sent out by the relevant person in Human Resources. Departments are responsible for sending rejection letters for all other posts). For unsuccessful internal candidates it is good practice to give an effective debriefing session on their performance.

21.2 Induction

21.2.1 All new members of staff should have an induction to the University which should be planned and thorough. It will be most beneficial if it is tailored to the needs of the individual. It should aim to familiarise the new employee with the University, the Department and the full extent of their role, whilst also giving them confidence and the necessary information to succeed. There is a legal obligation on employers to provide specific information to new employees with regard to health and safety issues.

Thought should be given as to whether it would be helpful to the new employee for a mentor to be appointed to guide them through this induction period.

21.2.2 A general half-day induction to the University is provided each term by Staff Development for new starters. They issue induction packages and this information is also available on the University's Home Pages at www.lboro.ac.uk/service/std/ This is to supplement the induction already provided by the department.

21.3 Probation

When appointments are subject to probation the new employee should be given the following details:

• The length of the probationary period
• The purpose of the probationary period
• Details of how the probation will be reviewed and the standards expected

21.4 Training

The training needs of members of staff should be reviewed on a regular basis, in the light of the needs of the individual and the Department's own operational plan. It is the University's policy to encourage the development of all staff and this is explicitly stated in the current Strategic Plan.

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