interviewingskillstoolkit
TRANSCRIPT
Toolkit
The Ideal Candidate
Think back to past top residents, think about what contributed to their success.
Now, if you could “build” your resident, list characteristics of that top resident.
How will you identify outstanding?
Pre-Interview
Truly Understand Your Needs, Identify a Candidate Profile
Determine what measures success in the position, assess attributes of top performers, and
determine qualities that mesh with your organization and the organization culture. Knowing
what you're looking for and ensuring everyone involved in the job selection process has the
same vision, will make the task much, much easier.
1. What should a person in this position accomplish?
2. What makes the person outstanding (skills, accomplishments, right personality,
interpersonal skills, interests)? Skills are important, but so are attitude, the right
personality, and interpersonal skills.
Specific Skills:
Examples – Outcomes/Objectives
Provide medication, practice-related education/training
Demonstrate project management skills
Exercise leadership/practice management skills
Provide patient-centered medication therapy management
Manage and improve medication use process
Examples – Technical, Role Specific Skills
Sterile product preparation
Sterile product technique
Non-sterile compounding preparation
Non-sterile compounding technique
Perform dosing calculations
Take medication safety precautions
Safe and effective medication therapy
Drug distribution – preparation, dispensing, verifying accuracy of
prescriptions /medication orders
Drug procurement process – drug selection, inventory
management, backorders, recalls, handling drug shortages
Basic functionality of commonly used automated systems related
to medication use
Understand appropriate and safe use of automated systems
Order receipt, evaluation and review process
Appropriate use of injectable materials - unique preparation
techniques, concentration considerations, rates of administration,
special infusion devices, and compatibility considerations
Access appropriate drug information resources to provide
accurate and credible answer to drug information questions
Success Competencies:
Examples - Success Competencies
Interpersonal: Building Strategic Relationships
Collaboration
Communication – verbal & written
Compassion
Concern for Quality
Conflict Resolution/Management
Customer Service
Delegation
Informing
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Interpersonal Sensitivity
Listening
Managing Relationships
Networking
Positivity
Providing Feedback
Relating to and Influencing Others
Trustworthiness
Understanding Others
Leadership:
Coaching
Contribution to the Team
Change Agent
Delegation
Depth of Industry Knowledge
Drive and Assertiveness
Driving Change
Driving Strategic Direction
Employee Involvement
Empowering Others
Engenders Trust
Entrepreneurial Leadership
Focus
Follow-up
Goal Setting
Intrapersonal:
Adaptability / Flexibility
Adaptability / Stress Tolerance
Adhering to Performance Standards
Composure
Critical Thinking
Decisiveness / Judgment
Drive / Self Motivation
Leading Change
Managing Self
Professional Behavior – attitude,
dress, appearance, non-verbals
Responsiveness
Self Control
Self Development
Inspiration
Leading Teams
Negotiation / Conflict Management
People Management
Performance Evaluation
Performance Management
Performance Monitoring and Control
Planning
Problem Analysis
Problem Solving
Recognizing / Rewarding
Seeking and Giving Feedback
Team Building
Team Development
Team Support
Do Your Homework There's a recipe for success. You can't ask intelligent questions and create compelling conversations
unless you know the candidate ahead of time. The goal is to know as much about your candidate as
possible.
Review the Resume / CV What did they accomplish? What did they work on? What does that say about their interests and work
ethic? Try to read between the lines to get a sense of the person's interests, goals, successes, failures, etc.
Do a Quick Survey of Social Media What are the candidate's interests? What does he/she like to do in her spare time? Who does he/she
network with?
If you find someone in the candidate's network that you also know well, make a note. They could be a
great reference either before or after the interview.
Develop Questions Relating to Position
Most Common Interview Questions
What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
Why are you interested in working for COA?
What can you offer us that someone else can’t?
Tell me about an accomplishment you are most proud of.
Tell me about a time you made a mistake. How did you handle it?
What would you want to accomplish on the first 30 days here? 60 days? Etc.
Describe yourself.
Tell me about the last difficult situation you handled.
Why should I hire you?
How would you deal with an angry customer?
What was your biggest failure?
What motivates you?
Tell me about your mentor and how he/she influenced you.
Tell me about a time you disagreed about a decision that was made.
Tell me about a time you were under a great deal of pressure and how you handled it.
What is the name of our CEO?
Tell me about your bosses’ strengths/weaknesses.
Describe your last leadership experience.
What do like most about working in this field? Least?
Give me an example of a goal you reached and how you achieved it.
Give me an example of how you set goals and make sure you achieve them.
Give me an example of your role in the last team you worked with. In retrospect, how could
you have been a better teammate?
What do you do if you disagree with someone at work?
Share an example of how you were able to motivate someone at work – co-worker, other
employees, etc.
Behavioral Interview Questions by Competency
ABILITY TO HANDLE STRESS 1. What has been the most stressful situation you have ever found yourself in at work?
How did you handle it? 2. What have you done in the past to prevent a situation from becoming too stressful for
you or your colleagues to handle?
ADAPTABILITY 3. Tell me about a situation in which you have had to adjust to changes over which you
had no control. How did you handle it? 4. Tell me about a time when you had to adjust to a colleague’s working style in order to
complete a project or achieve your objectives. 5. How was your transition from high school to university? Did you face any particular
problems? How did you handle them?
ANALYTICAL SKILLS / PROBLEM SOLVING 6. Describe the project or situation that best demonstrates your analytical abilities. What
was your role? 7. Tell me about a time when you had to analyze information and make a
recommendation. What kind of thought process did you go through? Was the recommendation accepted? If not, why?
8. Tell me about a situation where you had to solve a difficult problem. What did you do? What was the outcome? What do you wish you had done differently?
9. What steps do you follow to study a problem before making a decision? Why?
ATTENTION TO DETAIL 10. What process do you use to check that you have the right details from a customer? 11. Give me an example of a time you discovered an error that been overlooked by a
colleague. What did you do? What was the outcome? 12. Tell me about a time that you were confused by a customer’s request. What steps did
you take to clarify things?
CLIENT FOCUS / CUSTOMER ORIENTATION
13. When have you had to deal with an irate customer? What did you do? How did the situation end up?
14. Tell me about a time you have “inherited” a customer. What steps did you take to establish rapport with them? What did you do to gain their trust?
15. How have you handled a situation in the past where your client has changed the brief or “changed the goalposts”?
16. Give an example of a time you went well out of your way to ensure a customer received the best possible service from you and organization. What was their reaction?
17. When have you ever gone out on a limb to defend a customer? What happened?
COMMUNICATION 18. Tell me about a recent successful experience in making a speech or presentation? 19. When have you had to present to a group of people with little or no preparation? What
obstacles did you face? How did you handle them? 20. Have you ever had to “sell” an idea to your co-workers? How did you do it? 21. Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with
another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa).
22. What obstacles or difficulties have you ever faced in communicating your ideas to a manager?
23. Tell me about a time in which you had to use your written communication skills in order to get an important point across.
24. When have you chosen to communicate a particular message in person as opposed to via email even though the email channel would have been a lot faster?
CREATIVITY 25. When was the last time you thought “outside the box” and how did you do it? Why? 26. Tell me about a problem that you’ve solved in a unique or unusual way. What was the
outcome? Were you happy or satisfied with it? 27. Give me an example of when someone brought you a new idea that was odd or unusual.
What did you do? 28. When have you brought an innovative idea into your team? How was it received?
DECISION MAKING
29. Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision without all the information you needed. How did you handle it?
30. Give me an example of a time when you had to be quick in coming to a decision. What obstacles did you face?
31. What is the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make at work? How did you arrive at your decision? What was the result?
32. Give me an example of a business decision you made that you ultimately regretted. What happened?
GOAL SETTING 33. Give me an example of an important career goal which you set yourself and tell me how
you reached it. What obstacles did you encounter? How did you overcome the obstacles?
34. Tell me about a professional goal that you set that you did not reach. How did it make you feel?
35. How have you gone about setting short-term goals and long-term goals for yourself or your team? What steps did you take along the way to keep yourself accountable?
INITIATIVE 36. Describe a project or idea (not necessarily your own) that was implemented primarily
because of your efforts. What was your role? What was the outcome? 37. Describe a situation in which you recognized a potential problem as an opportunity.
What did you do? What was the result? What, if anything, do you wish you had done differently?
38. Tell me about a project you initiated. What did you do? Why? What was the outcome? Were you happy with the result?
39. Tell me about a time when your initiative caused a change to occur. 40. What has been the best idea you have come up with during your professional career?
INTEGRITY/HONESTY 41. Discuss a time when your integrity was challenged. How did you handle it? 42. Tell me about a time when you experienced a loss for doing what is right. How did you
react? 43. Tell me about a business situation when you felt honesty was inappropriate. Why? What
did you do? 44. Give a specific example of a policy you conformed to with which you did not agree.
Why?
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS 45. Give an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along
with. How/why was this person difficult? How did you handle it? How did the relationship progress?
46. Describe a situation where you found yourself dealing with someone who didn’t like you. How did you handle it?
47. Describe a recent unpopular decision you made. How was it received? How did you handle it?
48. What, in your opinion, are the key ingredients in guiding and maintaining successful business relationships? Give me examples of how you have made these work for you.
49. Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa). How did you handle the situation?
50. Tell me about a time when you had to work on a team with someone you did not get along with. What happened?
51. Describe a situation where you had a conflict with another individual, and how you dealt with it. What was the outcome? How did you feel about it?
LEADERSHIP 52. Tell me about a team project when you had to take charge of the project? What did you
do? What was the result? 53. Describe a leadership role of yours outside of work. Why did you commit your time to
it? How did you feel about it? 54. What is the toughest group that you have ever had to lead? What were the obstacles?
How did you handle the situation? 55. What has been your greatest leadership achievement in a professional environment?
Talk through the steps you took to reach it. 56. What have been the greatest obstacles you have faced in building/growing a team? 57. Describe a time when you have not only been responsible for leading a team of people
but for also doing the same job as your team members? How did you juggle/balance your time?
PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION / TIME MANAGEMENT 58. Describe a situation that required you to do a number of things at the same time. How
did you handle it? What was the result? 59. How do you prioritize projects and tasks when scheduling your time? Give me some
examples. 60. Tell me about a project that you planned. How did your organize and schedule the
tasks? Tell me about your action plan. 61. When has a project or event you organized not gone according to plan? What
happened? Why? How did you feel?
TEAMWORK
62. Describe a situation where others you were working with on a project disagreed with your ideas. What did you do?
63. Tell me about a time when you worked with a colleague who was not doing their share of the work. How did you handle it?
64. Describe a situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise or help others to compromise. What was your role? What steps did you take? What was the result?
65. Tell me about a time when you had to work on a team that did not get along. What happened? What role did you take? What was the result?
66. What was the biggest mistake you have made when delegating work as part of a team project?
67. Tell me about a time when you had settle a dispute between team members. How did you go about identifying the issues? What was the result?
68. What have you found to be the difficult part of being a member, not leader, of a team? How did you handle this?
TENACITY / RESILIENCE
73. Tell me about a particular work-related setback you have faced. How did you deal with it?
74. When have you ever found yourself in a competitive situation professionally? How did you handle it?
75. When have you seen your tenacity or resilience really pay off in a professional setting? What was the outcome?
Interview Structure
Environment
Create a comfortable atmosphere
Ensure the room is quiet, non-threatening and accessible
Introduction
Set candidate at ease with a couple of minutes of small talk
Explain how interview process is going to work
Ask questions you prepared - make sure you work with other interviewers when you develop
your set of questions.
Make it a conversation not an interrogation
Ask mainly open-ended questions
Press for specifics and probe
Look for STAR in answers (Situation ,Tasks – Actions – Results)
Ask candidate for their questions
Great candidates evaluate you, your organization
Listen and answer thoughtfully
Be open and candid
Describe next steps
Explain the rest of the process
Explain exactly what you will do and when you plan to do it
Follow up and provide closure to every candidate
It’s rude not to (a candidate is paying you the highest compliment by saying they want
to work for your organization)
If you neglect to do this they will probably complain about organization
Legal/Illegal Interview Questions
You cannot ask candidates about:
Age National Origin
Sex Marital or Family Status
Race Disabilities or Health Status
Religion Any other job-irrelevant factor
Illegal Legal Are you a U.S. citizen? Are you authorized to work in the U.S.?
What is your native tongue? What languages do you read, speak or write fluently?
Which religious holidays do you celebrate? Are you able to work our required schedule?
How much longer do you plan to work before you retire?
What are your long-term career goals?
Is this your maiden name? Have you worked or earned a degree under another name?
Do you have or plan to have children? Are you available to work overtime as needed? Can you travel?
How do you feel about supervising men/women?
Tell me about your experience managing teams.
Do you have any disabilities? Are you able to perform the specific duties of this position?
Are you a member of the National Guard or Reserves?
Do you have any upcoming events that would require time away from work?
Do you belong to a club or social organization?
Are you a member of a professional group that is relevant to our industry?
Can you get a baby sitter on short notice if you are needed at work?
You may be called in to work at short notice, is that a problem for you?
How far is your commute? Are you able to start work at 8 AM?
If a candidate reveals information you are not allowed to discuss, do not purse the topic
further.
Only ask questions specifically related to the job and its functions. Ask about their:
Specific roles and responsibilities at past or current jobs
Likes and dislikes pertaining to their work
Job knowledge and other job-related experiences
Let the Candidate Do the Talking
(80/20 Rule)
Ask open-ended questions
Stimulates 2 way interaction
Ensures candidate does the talking
Allows for extensive, complete responses and examples
Use the words how, what, why, describe, tell me
Ask probing questions
Elicit more information
Cannot be planned easily in advance
Examples of good probing questions:
Tell me more about that. What led you to . . . What eventually happened? What factors led up to this situation? Looking back, what would you do differently now, if anything? Compare this to what others have done. What did your supervisor say / do? What was the outcome? What was the situation? Why did you do that? How did others see it? What kind of feedback did you get? Is this typical for you? Is there anything you would have done differently? Can you think of another example of this? What did you learn? What did everyone else do? What else can you remember about that situation? Give me more detail about what you did, please. How did you respond? What exactly did you say? I’d like to hear more. How did that make you feel?
Use active listening techniques
Lend a sympathetic ear and exercise patience
Use active listening probes such as silence, good eye contact, and head nods
Use statements such as “OK, I see”… or “Mmm-hmm”
Non-Verbal Communication
Avoid giving non-verbal clues as an interviewer:
Nodding head
Tapping pencil
Looking at other things instead of the candidate
Avoid evaluating non-verbal behaviors of the candidate
Fidgeting
Tapping of feet
Shaky voice
Taking Notes
1. Take notes so you can refer to them later
Capture the content vs. relying on memory
Create a paper trail
2. Tell them you will be taking notes
3. Summarize the content and delivery of responses from the candidate
4. Be non-judgmental – note facts
Notes should reflect what the candidate said and observations
5. Ensure notes have sufficient quality and quantity to justify your final evaluation
Understanding the STAR Technique
Situation or Task The candidate will describe the situation they were in or the task they needed to accomplish. It should be a very specific event or task, not a generalized description.
Action The candidate will describe the actions they took. Even if they discuss a group effort, they should highlight their specific actions.
Results The candidate should conclude with how the event ended, what they accomplished and/or what they learned. (FYI, candidates typically leave off the result.)
Interviewing Pitfalls
Excessive delays
Being unprepared
Talking too much
Leading questions
Interruptions
Excessive note-taking
EEOC violations
Answering your own questions
Giving evaluative feedback – verbal and non-verbal
Bad-mouthing anyone or anything
Rapid-fire questions
