Principles of Scientific Interview

                                    Principles of Scientific Interview

An interview is face to face oral communication. Each communicant, the (interviewer and the interviewee) gets immediate feedback and can make suitable adjustment and modification in the style and manner of speaking.

          The purpose of an interview is to find out the views, attitudes and ideas of person who is being interviewed; however, while an interview is in progress, the interviewee as well as an observer can find out the skill and ability of the interviewer also. An interview is a test of both the communicants and parties engaged in the interview; intelligence. Knowledge, some aspects of personality and character is revealed in an interview. Both must, therefore, be well prepared.

The interviewer’s task is carried out the following stages:

 a)      Preparation: consists of examining the bio-data of each candidate and studying the job description and personnel specification. Questions are prepared in the areas of the candidate’s education, experience, personal interests, personal life history, family background and circumstances. The questions go beyond the facts presented in the bio-data; they are usually open ended, beginning with a Wh-question-word (what, when, why etc.) so that the candidate has to give information and not merely say yes or no.

       A question can be asked in several ways; each type makes a different impression on the candidate, who tries to answer accordingly.

b)      Clerical Preparations: Tabulation of lists of candidates sending out interview calls, arranging the room for the interview etc. is clerical preparations, which need supervision by the interviewer.

c)      Conducting of Interview: Conducting the interview requires skill to modify the prepared set of questions according to the candidate’s answer. The questions and answers and the discussion take the longer time. It is useful to make candidate speak by giving encouraging responses to what he says. The interviewer must get the candidate’s co-operation by making him feel comfortable and by re-assuming him. Interviewing a nervous candidate is usually a waste of time as it is not possible to assess his abilities. The following points should be considered :

(i) As soon as a candidate enters, he must greet and requested to sit down. A few general remarks to check his name and to put him at ease, may be of each one’s bio-data.

(ii) While the candidate speaks, the interviewers assess him and may put down their observations on paper. Questions may also be asked on the basis of observations made during the interview.

(iii) The candidate is usually encouraged to ask questions at the end of the interview. A complete and satisfactory interview gives the candidates an opportunity to find out whatever information they may need. Candidate’s questions must be answered; the questions may be related to salary, allowances, retirement benefits, prospects, company’s plan for expansion, training programmes for employee’s nature of duties, conditions of service etc. A candidate needs this information to take a decision.

(iv)  At the end the interview is concluded, usually by the chair – man of the panel, by thanking him for coming for the interview and telling him when to expect the result.

d) Assessment: Assessment is a continuous process during the entire interview. Every candidate is assessed separately for his individual ability. Each one is also assessed in composition with all the previous candidates. Their suitability for the job is also graded. Members of the panel discuss each candidate after interviewing him and constantly review their grading.

e) Decision: Decision is the conclusion of the assessment process. After all the candidates have been interviewed and their performance as been discussed and reviewed , the panel members together decide on the grading of the best three candidate I order of merit and performance in the interview.