THE INTERVIEW

Good interviews -- ones that add to the knowledge the committee has about a candidate’s ability to fill a position -- don't just happen. As you prepare to interview candidates, the committee should review the following concerns before generating questions to be asked of each candidate interviewed.

1. To determine whether the questions you’ve prepared are legal, consult the “Brief Guidelines for Contemporary Employment Interviewing”. Also remember that even “small talk” over meals and at other apparently casual times should be job-related and nondiscriminatory. Be especially alert to how The Americans with Disability Act (ADA) has changed the interview process concerning persons with disabilities. Since the penalties are stiff for asking illegal questions, even unintentionally, consult with the assistant to the chancellor for affirmative action & diversity if you’re unsure of specific questions.

2. Develop interview questions based on the selection criteria previously approved by the assistant to the chancellor for affirmative action & diversity. The committee should strive to ensure that all candidates are treated equally, are asked similar questions, and see the same people during their campus visit. The standard set of questions can be modified and augmented for specific candidates so the entire committee gets appropriate information for selection, e.g., about a candidate’s credentials, experience, course work, or references, so long as the questions are nondiscriminatory. Questions should be designed to provide the committee with information it needs to make a solid recommendation. If constructed carefully, they may also be able to show us how the candidate is likely to function in the position.

3. Determine whether any materials should be sent to candidates before their interviews. Such materials might include campus publications, or search-specific materials, e.g., a scenario the committee would like each candidate to address during the interview.

4. Identify what will be expected of candidates when they are on campus. For example, faculty candidates might be asked to make a formal or informal presentation to faculty and/or students or to teach a sample class observed by departmental faculty. In one recent search, candidates were asked to prepare a presentation for an open forum in which they would identify the steps they would take in the first three months at UW-L to put together a communication plan. In another search, candidates for a distance education position were notified that they would be given a test to measure their technical competency.

5. Identify what will be expected of the chair, committee members, and others while candidates are on campus. Determine whether the committee wants all persons involved in the interview process, including those attending open forums, to submit written comments about all candidates, and how to obtain it in a useful, timely fashion. Schedule interviews so that they do not overlap and enable the candidates to see or meet one another.

6. Make all necessary arrangements for hosting candidates, e.g., motel room, travel, and food. Prepare necessary paperwork for reimbursement of the candidate’s expenses.