Business & Enterprise

Unit 3 / Session 2

Interview and selection process

Once a shortlist of suitable candidates has been compiled, the business will make contact with each candidate and invite them to attend the next stage in the process – typically, this will be an interview (but may also include other activities that will help the business make its final selection).

Activity

Speak to someone that you know (perhaps a friend or family member) who has attended a job interview. Ask them about the experience – where was the interview held, what was involved, what questions were they asked, etc.

Make notes on your findings in the box below.

Now click through the slide panel below to learn more about interview and selection processes a business may use.

  • Interview

    An interview involves the candidate meeting with the potential employer for a face to face discussion – this could be at the business premises, or off site (maybe in a hotel or coffee shop), depending on how formal or informal the interview is going to be.

    During the interview, the employer will ask a series of questions to help them decide whether the candidate is suitable – for example, they may ask the candidate to talk about relevant work experience they have, their strengths/weaknesses, how they would handle a particular situation at work and so on. Candidates may also be asked to bring along examples of work they have done, to show during the interview. Typically, each candidate will be asked the same set of questions, to make it easier to compare candidates at the end of the interview process.

    Sometimes, one candidate may be interviewed by more than one person in the business. Similarly, candidates may be interviewed as a group, especially if the business wants to evaluate skills such as teamworking, listening, etc.

  • Aptitude tests

    A business may ask candidates to complete aptitude tests during the interview process – these tests are designed to measure how well a candidate can perform specific skills/tasks required for the job.

    The tests may be carried out before or after the interview, and they will be done in exam conditions. As all candidates will be asked to carry out the same tests, the results can be compared to help identify the most suitable candidate.

    Examples of aptitude tests include:

    • Verbal reasoning tests (designed to test verbal logic and how quickly a candidate can read and understand text)
    • Numerical reasoning tests (made up of questions based on statistics, charts, diagrams and numbers)
    • Written communication, spelling or punctuation tests
    • Abstract reasoning tests
    • Typing tests
    • Computer tests
    • Situational judgement tests (to assess a candidate’s judgement when faced with having to resolve a particular work-based problem)

  • Psychometric tests

    While aptitude tests are designed to assess a candidate’s skills and abilities, psychometric tests focus more on personality. These tests can help a business to see how well a candidate will fit in with the existing team. As with aptitude tests, psychometric testing will usually be carried out prior to or after the interview, and in exam conditions.

    Psychometric tests typically give candidates a series of statements, and candidates will indicate whether they strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree with each statement. Based on their responses, a profile of their personality can be produced – this profile can tell the employer a lot about the candidate’s personality and it can be compared against the person specification to check suitability.

  • Selection day

    Sometimes, a business will organise a selection day (also known as an assessment centre). On this day, all potential candidates will attend and they will be asked to complete a series of activities throughout the day. This may include interviews, aptitude tests, psychometric tests, group tasks/challenges, etc. The activities will be designed to assess the full range of skills, knowledge and qualities needed for the job and show the business how well the candidates will perform in the workplace. The candidates will be observed throughout the day, and notes on their performance will be considered when deciding on the best candidate for the job.

    Large organisations are most likely to use selection days in their recruitment process – they are a great way to evaluate large numbers of potential candidates, but they can be very expensive to run.

  • Activity (such as a simulated work task, role play or presentation)

    A great way for a business to test a candidate’s ability to do the job is to give them an activity or task that is similar to the type of work they will be required to do in the workplace. For example, a candidate may be asked to:

    • Take part in a role-play exercise – this typically involves the candidate role-playing (acting out) the position that they have applied for. They will be given a common workplace scenario/problem and act out how they would respond. For example, a candidate may be asked to role play dealing with a difficult customer, responding to a customer complaint, encouraging a customer to try out a new product/service, etc. The candidate will be observed during the role-play exercise and their performance will be assessed as part of the overall interview process.
    • Carry out a simulated work task – this is similar to a role-play exercise, where the candidate will be asked to perform a typical work task and then have their work evaluated as part of the interview process. This could be an individual task, such as proof-reading some content, writing a short blog for the company’s website, creating a spreadsheet for a particular purpose, etc or it could be a group task, with candidates required to work as a team on a particular activity/challenge.
    • Give a presentation on a subject set by the employer – the candidate will be given time ahead of the interview to research and prepare their presentation, and then they will give their presentation during the interview process (perhaps with a question and answer session afterwards). This is a great way for an employer to evaluate a candidate’s research skills, organisational skills, communication skills and presentation skills.