Unit 8: The Interviews (Assignment 2)
Sample work for unit 8: Recruitment and Selection. BTEC Business Studies Resources
The Shortlisting Process
I asked 12 people to complete application forms but decided that I would like to shortlist to approximately 6 people due to the time available to interview.
I firstly focused on the evidence of qualifications and experience as it was easy for the applicants to communicate these on the application form. As a result, Emma Goodwin, Enrica Chan, Olivier Bakalag and Lucy Hui were not shortlisted at this point.
The next stage was to look at applicants who had the desirable qualifications and experience. Naomi Darling, Steve Rudall, Aisling Gormally and Hoyin Cheung all provided evidence of desirable qualifications and experience so were shortlisted for interview.
Chris Head, Daniel Kafka, Amy Fu and Carlos Diaz all had evidence of essential qualifications and experience. Carlos Diaz provided evidence of desirable skills and attributes and Amy Fu provided evidence of desirable attributes. Therefore they were the 5th and 6th candidates shortlisted for interview.
I then proceeded to be interviewed for this role by a classmate and I then interviewed one of my classmates for a role they had prepared for.
| Candidate | Qualifications | Experience | Skills | Attributes | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence of desirable | Evidence of essential | No evidence | Evidence of desirable | Evidence of essential | No evidence | Evidence of desirable | Evidence of essential | No evidence | Evidence of desirable | Evidence of essential | No evidence | |
| Naomi Darling | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| Chris Head | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||
| Steve Rudall | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Emma Goodwin | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||
| Daniel Kafka | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||
| Enrica Chan | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||
| Olivier Bakalag | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
| Aisling Gormally | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Amy Fu | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
| Carlos Diaz | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Hoyin Cheung | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Lucy Hui | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
Practise Interview Questions
Prior to the interview, I planned answers to my questions. This is good practice because it helps you to remember the times in your career where you have demonstrated skills and attributes that make you stand out. It would be hard to remember in an interview situation.
Questions
Tell me about yourself
I am an enthusiastic science graduate who is has a lot of experience working in food science. I am passionate about food, I love experimenting with food at home and the current developments in food science are of great interest to me. My background is in chemistry and I would like to be part of a team that explores the chemical background of food and innovate new food products.
Why are you interested in a career in food science?
My passion lies mainly with the environment. It concerns me that the damage we as humans do to the environment is not sustainable and the food industry is responsible for so much of that damage. It is difficult for people to change the way they eat because food is so ingrained in culture. I believe that if we can provide food solutions that people will enjoy, we can all work together to reduce our environmental impact.
What would you say are the key developments in the food science industry and how do you see them changing in the future?
Major developments have been GMOs, plant based meals and meat substitute products. I believe that in the future, people want to eat less meat but at the moment, meat free options are not to everybody’s tastes. I feel that it is our responsibility as scientists to continue to find tasty meat alternatives to support this desire to eat less meat and reduce environmental impact.
If you were responsible for the health and safety of the lab, what would you put in place? Why?
I would have signs with images at the entrance with dos and don’ts of what to wear, including clean lab coats, proper shoes, face masks and goggles. This is to avoid contamination of the food from staff and to avoid staff injury or illness as a result of contaminants from the lab.
I would ensure that everything in the lab is labelled from samples to equipment, including dangerous or toxic items. This would ensure that nothing gets mixed up and staff do not handle anything potentially dangerous without being well prepared.
I would also insist on thorough and regular training for all staff. In this training I would cover things like how to move around the lab and what to do in the event of an accident such as a spill. This means that there is reduced chance of things being knocked and becoming a hazard and prepares staff on what to do in the event of an accident so hazards can be dealt with quickly and effectively.
Tell us about a time when you have dealt with a complaint from a customer/client.
I actually had training on dealing with unhappy clients in my previous position. I found this incredibly useful as it meant that I was well equipped to diffuse situations and reach a solution that we were both happy with quickly. One example is when I was working in product development, we sent out a batch of food samples that were out of date. It was a mix up in the labelling. When the client called, I first of thanked them for bringing the issue to our attention. I listened to them without argument to ensure they felt that they had been heard, I told them I understood why they were annoyed and how it can caused an inconvenience to them. This approach is important because a lot of the time people want to feel heard and will be more happy to work with you to find a solution than if you challenge them or try and avoid taking responsibility.
Where do you see your role in relation to your colleagues?
I believe that my role in the team is to ensure that the laboratory scientists have everything they need to investigate in a safe and efficient manner. By managing admin such as samples, maintaining stock levels and by ensuring the lab health and safety, the scientists are less likely to encounter avoidable problems and as a result, make progress faster.
The Interviews
I took part in two interviews, first as the interviewer where I interviewed another student in my class. Then I was interviewed by another student. Below is an observation record completed by my teacher.
| BTEC Record of Practical Activity | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Observation Record | |||
| Learner name: | Teresa Monaghan | ||
| Qualification: | BTEC Level 3 Diploma/Subsidiary Diploma in Business | ||
| Unit number & title: | 8: Recruitment and Selection process | ||
| Name of Observer: | Emily Buckland | ||
| Date of Activity: | 2nd March 2021 | ||
| Assessment criteria targeted : | |||
| P4 | Participate in the selection interviews, as an interviewer and interviewee | ||
| M2 | In recruitment interviews demonstrate analytical responses and questioning to allow assessment of skills and knowledge | ||
| Description of activity undertaken: | |||
| As an interviewer, Teresa was very confident and projected her questions well. She was welcoming and professional with a good handshake before inviting the interviewee to sit down. She maintained eye contact throughout and her tone was positive and encouraging. She remained on the planned questions which is important with regard to ethics as all candidates should receive the same questions. However, she could have used more ‘active listening’ skills to help the candidate to develop their answers further. As the interviewee, Teresa was clearly well prepared. She had anticipated questions based on the job description and person specification and prepared answers including examples of where she had demonstrated skills. Her body language was professional and confident including a strong handshake at the start of the interview. Teresa maintained good eye contact with the interviewer throughout which can demonstrate confidence. However, she did seem nervous at times which can make the atmosphere less relaxed and make it more difficult for the interviewer to get a good picture of her personality. At the end of the interview, the interviewer asked Teresa if she had any questions, which she didn’t. This can indicate a lack of interest or preparation so its always a good idea to have a bank of questions prepared. | |||
| Please state the evidence this record is in support of: | |||
| Observation of interviews as interviewee and interviewer | |||
| I confirm this is an accurate record of the activity undertaken | |||
| Learner signature: | Teresa Monaghan | Date: | 02/03/2021 |
| Observer signature: | Emily Buckland | ||
| Role: | Teacher | Date: | 02/03/2021 |
For further perspectives in feedback, I also asked the teaching assistant to complete a witness statement.
| BTEC Record of Practical Activity | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Witness Statement | |||
| Learner name: | Teresa Monaghan | ||
| Qualification: | BTEC Level 3 Diploma/Subsidiary Diploma in Business | ||
| Unit number & title: | 8: Recruitment and Selection process | ||
| Name of Witness: | Pok Cheung | ||
| Date of Activity: | 2nd March 2021 | ||
| Assessment criteria targeted : | |||
| P4 | Participate in the selection interviews, as an interviewer and interviewee | ||
| M2 | In recruitment interviews demonstrate analytical responses and questioning to allow assessment of skills and knowledge | ||
| Description of activity undertaken: | |||
| As the interviewer, Teresa acted very professionally. She had open body language and good eye contact throughout and listened well to the interviewee’s answers. She stuck to the planned questions and had a confident demeanour. The interview was very short so more questions could have been planned or she could have asked for more depth on the answers given. As the interviewee, Teresa came across as well prepared. She gave some specific scenarios of where she demonstrated the skills being referred to in the interview questions which gives the interviewer a good sense of how she will deal with the responsibilities in the position she is applying for. Her body language appeared very confident and she made a great first impression with a strong handshake and introduction. However, her answers at times did seem very scripted. Although this demonstrated good preparation, it would have been good to have seen her relax into the conversation a little more so her personality could have shone through. | |||
| Please state the evidence this record is in support of: | |||
| Learners have prepared for interviews both as the interviewee and the interviewer and took part in a role play activity to demonstrate interview skills. | |||
| I confirm this is an accurate record of the activity undertaken | |||
| Learner signature: | Teresa Monaghan | Date: | 02/03/2021 |
| Witness signature: | Pok Cheung | ||
| Role: | Teaching Assistant | Date: | 2nd March 2021 |
Evaluating the Process
SWOT Analysis
Based on my own feelings of going through the recruitment process and the feedback I received from observers, I have constructed a SWOT analysis to better inform my future experiences as interviewer and interviewee.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Preparation Communication skills Body language | Nerves Active listening as an interviewer |
| Opportunities | Threats |
| Advice from recruitment agencies Job interview demonstration videos Courses on job interview training Practising with friends and classmates | Competition from other candidates Difficulty finding out information about the company Changing industry trends and technology |
Strengths
In order to prepare to be interviewed, I wrote out a list of questions that I could potentially be asked. In order to do this researched tips for interviews online. I also referred to the job description and person specification to anticipate typical questions I may get asked that were specific to the post. I tried to think of specific examples of times when I could have demonstrated specific skills and attributes from the person specification as I have read that this gives interviewers a better idea of my capabilities. During the interview, I felt that I could answer all of the questions well due to the preparation I did.
In order to prepare to be the interviewer in the role play activity, I felt that I was well prepared. I reviewed the relevant documents such as the job description and person specification to check what I was supposed to be looking for. I also reviewed the application documents submitted by the interviewee. The questions were already prepared so I made sure I had a print out of the questions plus the interview feedback form for me to record my impressions of the candidate. It is important to have this ready so that the interview flows well, the questions draw out relevant details from the candidate and that my recorded findings in the feedback form are standardised across candidates to ensure that the selection is fair and transparent.
I also practiced key communication skills such as a good introduction, a strong handshake and maintaining eye contact with my classmates when preparing for the interview. During the interview, I felt that I did a good job of communication and body language. This is important as it can give a good first impression. It is believed that the impression you make within the first few minutes of an interview can have the biggest impact on whether you get the job or not.
I felt my body language and tone of voice were open and positive. This is important as it puts the interviewee at ease. The less nervous an interviewee is, the better chance they have of expressing themselves to the best of their potential which gives the panel the best opportunity to get to know all applicants before deciding on who to appoint.
Weaknesses
In the feedback I was told that my answers were too rehearsed. I did feel nervous during the interview and as a result, tried to stick to my answers rather than have a more relaxed conversation. If I was more relaxed, it would have given the interviewer a better impression of my personality. This would be important for them to see to decide how well my personality would fit in with the department culture.
In the feedback it was felt that I should listen more actively. Active listening involves encouraging respondents to provide further information on their responses. With hindsight, I did just ask questions and listen to the answers but I could have asked for further detail.
Opportunities
One opportunity available to improve my performance in job interviews is to make use of the advice available. There are many HR specialist websites who give advice on preparing for interviews and online videos which demonstrate key skills in a very visual way. As I do feel more comfortable when I am better prepared so I will spend some time preparing based on this advice.
Another opportunity available to me is to take an actual course in job interview training. This would give me an opportunity to receive more feedback from people observing me practising key interview skills. As an actual job interview is something that most people don’t do very often, experiencing how it feels in a role play situation will give a good opportunity to practise and getting feedback will allow me to focus on areas I need to improve without having to job through a real application process.
Another opportunity is to practise key skills with friends and classmates. I was nervous in the interview which led to me not developing my answers well. This is because it felt like a very serious interaction which was unfamiliar to me. By practising interview skills with friends, it should normalise those conversations and hopefully lead to me being more relaxed in future interviews.
Threats
One threat that could prevent me getting a job is the level of competition from other candidates. On the one hand, there could be candidates who have skills, experience and attributes that are better suited to the role and therefore get offered the position over me. However, there could also be candidates who don’t have better skills, experience and attributes but are better able to communicate and present themselves in an interview and get offered the position over me. This highlights the need to not just improve your employability in terms of experience and qualifications but how you present yourself.
Another threat is how difficult it is to find out information about the company. It is generally expected that you show knowledge of the company in the interview. Sometimes it is difficult to find out information from their website that might be relevant to the role. In which case, it is important to try and be more proactive in directly contacting people within the organisation or department I am applying for.
A final threat is the changes in the industry or technological developments related to the job. These changes can lead to my skills and experience becoming out of date. This means that if I want to remain employable in a specific industry, I need to stay aware of these changes and continue to update my skills and knowledge.
Skill Development Plan
A skill development plan identifies the key skills that a person needs to improve their ability to perform well in a specific job role and sets out plans to improve on those skills. This can help me to prioritise what I need to work on, can help me to explain in an interview what I am doing to overcome any barriers and can help me to reflect on my progress in developing my skills.
| Teresa Monaghan Skills Development Plan | |
|---|---|
| Long term goal: Food Scientist Short term goal: Laboratory administrator | |
| Strengths Preparation Communication skills Body language | Weaknesses Nerves Active listening as an interviewer |
| Development plan | |
| Skill: Reduce nerves in interviews Practise interview situations to normalise the types of conversations. Get feedback from observers such as peers or attend a course to get feedback from a professional. I feel that by normalising the feeling of being interviewed I will be more relaxed during the interview. This way I will be less likely to try and stick to rehearsed answers and more likely to share examples of my past experience and give a better impression of myself. | |
| Skill: Provide more specific examples of when I have demonstrated skills Research potential interview questions. Write out answers to the questions. Keep updating this document with newer examples. I feel that the more familiar I am with these, the more likely I am to remember them in the interview when I am more nervous. This takes the pressure off trying to remember them on the spot and means that I can be more confident in my answers. Consider the times in my career, education and life where I have demonstrated key employment skills and skills related to my career goals. Keep a note of these and discuss with a mentor how they are relevant in the workplace. By being more aware of the times where I have demonstrated a high skill level, I can find ways to work them into an answer. I have become aware during this process that interviewers are asking questions to try and draw out explanations so rather than waiting until a question comes along that matches my experience, I can be proactive and present my best examples of my experience. I feel that this approach will allow me to ensure that by the end of interview, the interviewers are aware of the times I feel I have demonstrated a high skill level. | |
| Skill: Listen more actively to draw out deeper answers from interviewee Attend a coaching course or research coaching skills online. Practise ‘coaching’ techniques such as repeating an interviewee’s answers back to them and encouraging them to share beyond their initial answer. By doing this, they can hear what they said and decide whether that represents the full picture they want to share and they also will feel less rushed and therefore more relaxed. By doing this, I am more likely to find out more about a candidate and therefore select the candidate who has the skills and experience that fully meet the needs of the role rather than the candidate that feels most comfortable in an interview situation. | |
Conclusion
During this process, I learned a lot about the role and importance of different documents and how each stage plays a role in appointing the most appropriate candidate.
My biggest barrier is my nerves and what they do in terms of preventing me from taking my time to fully explain my relevant experience. This could lead to me not being appointed to a role that I would be perfect for because the interviewers only know what I tell them. A less suitable candidate who is less nervous could make a better impression and be appointed the position.
Another barrier is encouraging the same in candidates that I interview. It is important that as an interviewer, I take the opportunity to find out as much as possible about candidates to ensure that the best person is appointed to the role. This is because if I appoint somebody who is unsuitable, they may produce work of poor quality which will have a negative impact on the brand and will also cause a negative atmosphere in the organisation as other staff will find it frustrating to work with them.
My main strength is my preparation. I do feel that I prepare so much due to my nerves but I need to make sure my preparation is better focused on the areas I need to improve upon. This includes doing role play interviews to normalise this type of conversation and being proactive about working in my most impressive experiences into the interview whether they are directly asked for or not.
Another strength is my communication through body language and tone of voice. I did feel like I took this seriously and wanted to be very professional. This will give a good impression of me to my interviewers and make people I am interviewing more relaxed and comfortable in expressing themselves.
Overall I feel that I have learned a lot during this process. The feedback I received was very helpful in helping me understand how I come across during the interview process and I feel that I have set myself helpful targets in the skill development plan which will help me work towards my goal of becoming a food scientist. I hadn’t realised the importance of being proactive in terms of sharing my best strengths whether they are asked for directly or not.
Research Log
