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Fool-proof
interviews: by Marla Emery Fool-proof Interviews During my tenure as manager, I have interviewed over 50 candidates for technical writing and technical editing positions. Managing a team of eight technical writers with diverse personalities brings challenges for any manager. Finding members of a team that can work well together, work well on their own, and are always up to the task doesn’t happen by chance. I’ve found that finding the right person for the job is achieved through the interview process. A well-defined and comprehensive interview process gives the manager the information that he or she needs to successfully choose the best candidate for any position. This article discusses the interview process that I use at Platinum Technology. In sharing the interview process that we use to hire technical writers and technical editors, I hope that you will be able to glean some strategies that will help you the next time you conduct an interview. While not every interview is handled the same way or with the same amount of structure, we’ve developed an interview process that is comprehensive, adaptable and suits our needs. Purposes of an Interview The purposes of an interview are:
A well-defined and comprehensive interview process gives a manager the information needed to successfully choose the best candidate for any position. I'm convinced that our interview process at Platinum Technology helps us to find the right people for the job. Beyond that, though, I've been told by the folks we hired that they accepted the job offer because our interview process gave them the information they needed to make their decision. The interview process provides the applicant with a job description, a first-hand view of the work environment, and a meeting with the people that he/she will be working with. That's important because I believe both parties need to have a high level of comfort in order to make the relationship work on a day-to-day basis. Skills, background, and experience must all be compatible, and there has 's got to be the right chemistry! Recommended Reading There are many books on the market that explain how to review a resume, how to interview effectively, how to assess the applicant’s strengths and weaknesses, what questions to ask, and how to ask them. In my opinion, one of the best books on this subject is Knock' Eem Dead 1999 by Martin Yate. In 1994, when I was looking for a job, I personally followed all the advice outlined in the predecessor to this book, which was called Knock'em Dead Interviews. It so influenced my perception of the interviewing process that I have chosen to incorporate the author’s excellent advice into my interviewing techniques. Even though this book is written for job hunters, I also highly recommend it for hiring managers. Phases of the Interview Process The phases of the interview process that I use to hire technical communicators are: Phase 1 Resume review Phase 2 Phone interview Phase 3 Applicant has a personal interview with:
Phase 4 Take-home writing test Phase 5 Choosing the best candidate for the job Phase 1: Resume Review Today, the Internet is commonly used to post resumes. If you're a recruiter or manager looking for qualified candidates, you can do a keyword search to retrieve literally hundreds of resumes. In addition, if you place an ad for a position that you want to fill, you can easily get a mountain of responses. Sifting through resumes looking for qualified candidates can be very time consuming. I’ve looked through many stacks of resumes, skimming through and picking out the relatively few that catch my eye. I look for resumes that stand out because they provide the information that I need. Visually appealing is nice, but the information presentation is essential. At this stage, it’s very helpful to identify exactly the information you are looking for what you need to know. There are many things, such as work history and education that most managers would be interested in. However, as a manager of a documentation group, I look for there are a few key bits of information that I look for that are specific to our industry. Key Points to Look for in a Resume A skills summary along with a work history simplifies the job of reviewing resumes and decreases the amount of time you spend per resume trying to figure out whether the applicant is qualified for the job. The resume should include the industries in which the applicant has experience and the value that the applicant offers to your company. A well-written cover letter and resume are particularly crucial in our field because the resume serves as an initial writing sample. An applicant’s resume is held to the same standards as the documentation that comes out of my department, which means that I am only interested in resumes that are well-organized and consider the audience’s need for information. Software skills should be categorized by levels of expertise. Most people in the technical documentation field are interested in and capable of learning new technology. That’s why I feel that knowing how to use tools is of less importance than what the applicant has done with the tools that he/she has used. Look for Job descriptions that should include the types of documentation that the applicant has written, the audience, the medium, what types of products the documentation was written for, and the type of platforms that were used. Occasionally managers decide not to accept cover letters with resumes. I believe, however, that a cover letter can help expedite the resume review process. Also, when included, a skills summary can also decrease the amount of time you spend reviewing an applicant’s qualifications. A cover letter should demonstrate how the applicant’s experience matches the job description and can be very helpful in expediting the resume review process. Phase 2: Phone Interview A phone interview is a fairly new part of the traditional interview process. I find the phone interview to be extremely helpful because it gives me the opportunity to meet the person behind the resume and it gives the applicant the first chance to "sell his or her skills" to me, the interviewer. Phone Interview Pointers Always make an appointment for phone interviews to give the applicant a chance to prepare. The interviewer should always call the job applicant, so you don’t put the candidate in an awkward position of locating you if you step away from your desk. I usually begin the interview by introducing the company and the products, and describing the position, before asking questions about the candidate’s background. The candidate should answer questions directly and concisely. An applicant who asks questions is prepared and inquisitive. Phase 3: Personal Interview At our company, the personal interview has several important components. Each component is meant to provide the interviewer and the interviewee an opportunity to find out as much as possible about each other in a relatively short time period. Elements of the Personal Interview The elements of the personal interview that I use are:
Initial Interview with the Applicant During the initial meeting with the applicant, I make observations regarding:
Communication skills, knowledge, and chemistry are all related. For instance, when I ask the applicant a question, he/she should answer the question directly based upon his/her knowledge of the topic. This is particularly important considering that I am interviewing for a technical communicator. Answering the question simply and concisely is an indicator of how well he/she will fit into a technical communications job in my office. Group Interview My whole team is usually involved in the interview process. A group interview gives the applicant a chance to meet the team and gives the team a chance to meet a prospective member. This is another opportunity to discover whether the applicant is right for the job. A group interview can be difficult for the interviewee, who has to respond to the questions and expectations of multiple people at the same time. A large group may be broken into two so that interactions provide meaningful feedback. With some consideration and planning, though, group meetings are very effective in helping a manager to identify an applicant’s strengths. After a group interview, consider how the applicant did with these indicators:
Summary Interview with Applicant After the last team interview, I always meet with the candidate. By that time, the candidate is often worn to a frazzle. This is certainly understandable. At this point, I try to help him/her regroup and make some sense of what he/she has just experienced. I start this meeting with the question "What did you learn today?" The answer to this question will reveal what the applicant thought was the most important information that he/she received that day, how he/she feels that he/she would fit into the department, and his/her current feelings about the opportunity with your company. It’s a good idea to close this meeting by discussing your interviewing and hiring timelines, the number of applicants that you’re interviewing, when you’ll get back to the applicant, and company policies on the amount of time a resume will stay in the personnel database if he/she is not hired for your position. Phase 4: The Writing Test If the applicant looks promising, you will need to know if the candidate has the skill set and knowledge to actually do the job.! What better way than to give them a realistic work problem to solve? Give the writer a description of the problem to solve, with directions on the length of the assignment and any other particulars that he/she will need to know. Provide him/her with an envelope to mail it back, or provide have him/her send an electronic file to an e-mail address. Make sure to give a deadline or ask the applicant when he/she thinks it can be completed. When the test comes back, check it out. Did the applicant:
Phase 5: Choosing the Best Candidate for the Job Once I receive the writing test back from the applicant, I hold a team meeting to evaluate the candidate based on the personal interview and the writing test. Generally speaking, there's usually a strong consensus among the group as to whether or not the candidate "has what it takes!" That judgment is based on several facts: Hiring Considerations When deciding whether to hire a candidate, the team takes the following factors into consideration:
My most important consideration is chemistry! Although we’re talking about chemistry here, you may not feel that this is a very scientific way to judge someone's technical abilities. In our department, chemistry is the one common ingredient for success. We've had very talented and skilled candidates come through the doors, but only those candidates who are also well received by the group come back through those doors as employees! About the Author Marla Emery has been in the technical communications field for over 20 years and currently works at Computer Associates. This article was adapted from her presentation at Career Day 1999, sponsored by the Philadelphia Metro Chapter of the Society for Technical Communications.
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