Hiring a good employee starts with a thorough interview of experience, attitude, and problem-solving ability. Unfortunately, many interviewers ramble around an unstructured conversation.
Using a job description as the base for questions and comments focuses attention on essential job requirements and minimizes emphasis on personality or irrelevant issues. Sticking to job-specific questions is the best safeguard against illegal questions.
Even when interviewers use a guided interview form, unless that form incorporates the job description as the centerpiece, attention can slide into non-essential issues.
Not all job descriptions are equally useful, however. A duties- or task-oriented job description only gets you through the basics. A Results-Oriented Job Description that focuses on desired outcomes is better because it aims attention at testing an applicant’s talents at analyzing and pursuing necessary results.
As an example of the way to use a job description when interviewing job applicants, here is the Job Interview Guide for a waiter/waitress. You’ll find seven standard questions following each major job result to ask when examining a candidate’s qualifications.
Of course, additional questions will depend on the candidate’s responses. And, when team interviewing, using a job-based structured approach ensures that all interviewers will approach the interview from the same orientation.
Job Interview Guide A guide for interviewing job candidates to determine experience and competency regarding each job responsibility.
WAITER-WAITRESS 1. PREPARES TABLES FOR DINING by cleaning and covering tables; setting utensils, napkins, decorations, condiments, candles, and service plates.
What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?
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Where did you have these job responsibilities?
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When did you have these job responsibilities?
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How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?
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What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?
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In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?
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How did you overcome the challenges?
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2. HELPS DINERS SELECT FOOD AND BEVERAGES by presenting menu; suggesting courses; explaining daily specials; answering food preparation questions; offering beverages; identifying appropriate wines.
What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?
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Where did you have these job responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
When did you have these job responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?
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What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?
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In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?
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How did you overcome the challenges?
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3. TRANSMITS ORDERS TO KITCHEN AND BAR by recording diners’ choices; identifying diners’ special dietary needs and requests; noting timing of meal progression.
What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?
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Where did you have these job responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
When did you have these job responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?
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What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?
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In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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How did you overcome the challenges?
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4. SERVES FOOD AND DRINKS by picking-up and delivering items from bar, kitchen, and service areas.
What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?
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Where did you have these job responsibilities?
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When did you have these job responsibilities?
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How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?
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What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?
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In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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How did you overcome the challenges?
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5. MAINTAINS DINING EXPERIENCE by inquiring of needs; removing courses as completed; replenishing utensils; refilling water glasses; being alert to spills or other special needs.
What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?
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Where did you have these job responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
When did you have these job responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?
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What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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How did you overcome the challenges?
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6. CONCLUDES DINING EXPERIENCE by acknowledging choice of restaurant; inviting diners to return.
What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?
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Where did you have these job responsibilities?
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When did you have these job responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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How did you overcome the challenges?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. OBTAINS DINING REVENUES by totaling charges; issuing bill; accepting payment; returning change or credit card.
What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?
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Where did you have these job responsibilities?
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When did you have these job responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
How did you overcome the challenges?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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8. PROTECTS RESTAURANT AND DINERS by adhering to sanitation, safety, and alcohol beverage control policies.
What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?
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Where did you have these job responsibilities?
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When did you have these job responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?
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In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?
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How did you overcome the challenges?
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9. IMPROVES WAITER/WAITRESS JOB KNOWLEDGE by attending training sessions; reading technical publications.
What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?
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Where did you have these job responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
When did you have these job responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
How did you overcome the challenges?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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10. CONTRIBUTES TO FOOD SERVICE AND RESTAURANT SUCCESS by welcoming related, different, and new requests; helping others accomplish job results.
What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?
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Where did you have these job responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
When did you have these job responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?
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How did you overcome the challenges?
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Closing Interview Questions:
What are your greatest strengths?
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What do you need to improve?
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What would you like to learn in a new job?
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What would you like to ask me?
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Interviewing Job Applicants: More Powerful with a Results-Oriented Job Description - To learn more about this author, visit Roger Plachy's Website.
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Roger Plachy
(Visit Roger's Website)
Roger Plachy and Sandy Plachy are a
husband-wife human resources management
consulting team.
Their interest in results-oriented
thinking and managing employee performance
led them to establish the Job Results
Management Institute, and to create the
Results-Oriented Job Description. At www.jrmi.com they
offer the world’s largest database of
results-oriented job descriptions.
They have also responded to management’s
need to keep employment actions centered
on job requirements instead of
personality, creating management forms
tailored to each job description, for
interviewing, orienting, training, and
appraising performance.
Free family job descriptions on their site
bring a results-orientation to non-work
aspects of life.
Roger and Sandy consult with all types of
organizations worldwide, and are authors
of the books, Results-Oriented Job
Descriptions, More Results-Oriented Job
Descriptions, Performance Management, and
Building a Fair Pay Program. Roger also
wrote: When I Lead, Why Don’t They Follow?
At
www.results-orientedthinking.com, they
offer commentary about their
results-oriented management approach.
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