Interview Process

ASC of SUNY Cortland Manager and Supervisor Training

Sam’s last day

Evaluation of PositionAll positions should be evaluated when a

vacancy occurs: -Changes in the schedule-Change in the job description, duties, or skills-Is the position needed-New positions, not included in the annual

labor budget, must be approved by the Executive Director

Sam’s Grill positionThe hours were changed to arrive one half-

hour later because another employee can perform that prep work

Skills needed were reviewed in the job description

Internal Posting Bargaining Unit Positions must be posted

according to the CSEA/ASC union contractNon-Bargaining Unit Positions will usually be

posted unless reorganization is neededNo external candidates may be offered

employment until the end of the Union posting period is completed

A manager/supervisor may begin interviewing external candidates, before the posting period ends (time spent may be unnecessary if there is an internal candidate)

Sam’s position is posted and there are no internal applicants

Equal Opportunity EmploymentASC does not discriminate on the basis of

race, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status color, creed, military status, genetic predisposition, carrier status, or veteran status.

Hire for Skills, Aptitude, and AttitudeHire the best person for the job

Preparing for selection without discriminationCheck your biases at the door

“He is the right man for the grill job.” The right person maybe a woman.

“Someone in a wheelchair will be distracting to customers.” The person in the wheelchair maybe the best person for the job.

“ Those people are trouble. Be sure to check that one out carefully!” Stereotyping means you will over look talented employees.

Confidentiality All applicant information should we share only

with those who have a need to know such as selection committee members, Human Resources, or those involved in the hiring decision.

Federal and State law make it illegal to share applicant and employee medical information, DMV, Criminal History, and Social Security numbers with those who have no need to know

Significant harm can be done to an applicant’s career if their current employer find out about their employment search

Hiring the best personThe goal of any selection process is to hire

the best person to do the jobYou are not hiring a best friendOften looking for someone like you, or that

you like to socialize with, is discriminatory

Consistency Consistency is the best defense to claims of

discrimination and is helpful when making useful comparisonsTreating all candidates (internal/external) the

same Same criteria for interview – education and

experience Same planned questions Phone/ in person interview Tour Tests

Applicant Tracking You must review all applications in the pool A pool would be a web search Here is one for applications applying for grill work since July 1, 2009 A search for the last 30 days for entry-level positions will usually result

in those who are still interested in employment

Applicant Pool

Application Red FlagsHoles in work history that are not well

explainedMany jobs in a short period of timeLeaving a career choice and coming back to itNot listing former supervisors as referencesLeaving employment without a position to go toReferring to past employers, supervisors,

coworkers as problemsLeaving a position to take a large cut in pay Sloppy or spelling mistakesOut of order telephone numbers

Application Red Flags Salary rather than title is usually a better

indicator of responsibilityQuestions are left blankResume is not up to date

Criminal HistoryASC has a liquor license and must comply with

the Alcohol Beverage Control Act which states we may not hire someone with a felony conviction that does not have a document showing relief

Other criminal convictions must be carefully explored to determine if there is a “direct relationship between the offense and employment”

It is illegal to automatically disqualify an applicant based on a criminal conviction

Criminal History If they have been convicted of a Felony applicants should

contact their lawyer, Probation Officer, or the Alcohol Beverage Control Board for information on a Certificate of Relief

All other crimes and Felonies with relief should be reviewed based on: Fitness to perform the job duties Supervision and access to money, vehicles, residence halls,

etc. Time that has lapsed since the crime Age at the time of the crime Seriousness of the offense Any rehabilitation information or documents Interest of ASC in protecting property and the safety and

welfare of a vulnerable population such as young adults away from home for the first time

Contact HR for any questions about Criminal History

Applicant List Government agencies or upper-level

management may request to review your list of all applicants considered for any particular opening. List why did or did not interviewList why you did or did not hire after an

interview

-You can create your own list with required skills or education (see next slide)

-You can print the search list from the website

Example of an Applicant List

List of applicants from Sam’s Grill Job Joe Johnson – 5 years grill exp. - Interview Sue Sunshine – 4 Years food service exp., no grill- Interview Mary Johnson – 5 years grill exp., last job fired for lateness - No interview Sally Enrique – 2 Years food service exp., won’t work evenings – No interview

Review Legal Interviewing QuestionsDo not ask discriminatory/illegal questionsThere is never an “off the record” time –

Beware of small talkSafe topics – sports, weather, traffic, campus

factsYou are always the interviewer:

Giving a tourlunch or dinnerWalking to the parking lotOpen sessions

Interview Questions Please use the standard interview questions

developed for entry-level positionsAny unique positions that require new

questions must be reviewed by Human Resources before using them.

Any tests must be reviewed by Human Resources before using them

Behavioral Questions Candidates can bluff you in an interview by

preparing answers or giving hypothetical answers

In 2003 Fox Channel had a reality show called “Joe Millionaire”, and a $19,000 bulldoze operator convinced 20 women that he was an heir to $50 million dollars. He learned to ride a horse and play polo, he studied wine and etiquette. He practiced to become a convincing liar.

Is your applicant “Joe Millionaire”?

Behavioral QuestionsUse Behavioral questions

These are questions about how the candidate reacted in a real-life situation

They will often give you the first thing that comes to mind, which is a truthful, accurate answer

It is harder to prepare for these questionsGive them time to come up with an answer –

allow silence

Behavioral Questions Tell me about a time when you were late to

work? What did you do? What was the outcome?

Tell me about a time when you ……..What did you do or say?What was the outcome?

Behavioral Questions The best indicator of future performance is

past performance

Prepare for the interviewSet up a quiet spaceMake sure the space is accessible for people with

disabilities or have a plan to accommodate on short notice

Be prepared with questions and review applicationHave the applicant do most of the talking

Allow for silence and time to thinkThis is good time to add notes to your question

sheet

Sam’s Grill Job - InterviewInterview Questions

Ice breaker question: Why are you interest in this position?Behavioral question: Tell me about a time when…Technical questions: What is cross-contamination?

Tour grill area and coolers

Give them the food preparation test

Sam’s Grill Job Tell me about a time when you were

overwhelmed with orders. What did you do or say? What was the outcome?

Joe Johnson’s Answer: I had a day like that Friday when a bus pulled in to my current job. I turned the second burner on the grill. I began making burgers as soon as I saw them pull in. I asked the cashier to pull the buns and wrap the burger, while I just kept cooking.

The answer shows Joe can problem solve, do things without being told, and can work well with others to gain their assistance.

Sam’s Grill Job Tell me about a time when you were

overwhelmed with orders. What did you do or say? What was the outcome?

Sue Sunshine’s Answer: I don’t know if I ever had that happen. I guess I would just hurry up.

The answer shows Sue may not have real experience dealing with volume cooking, she may not be truthful because she has handled it poorly in the past and does not have a good example.

Interview Notes Keep notes and test results from all

interviewsAttached them to the person’s application Send your applicant list and your interview

notes to Human Resources

Objective vs. Subjective Research has proven that a face-to-face

interview is not as accurate at predicting successful performance as simply a review of the application.

Selection tools such as questions or tests that are objective and not just a “gut feeling” is a better predictor of future performanceHave a chef cook from a recipeHave an accountant perform at debit/credit

exercise (T accounts)Have a data entry person use Excel or WordHave a cashier count money or make change

TestsAll tests must be approved by Human

Resources Review this MSDS for the chemical name and the

safety equipment needed Create a spreadsheet to track daily customer counts

at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Use a formula to total the meal counts for the day.

If you are replacing a floor, figure out the square footage you will need for a room 4.5 feet by 10.6 feet.

Here is a recipe for 25 customers. Explode it and calculate the amount of ingredients needed for 225 customers.

Benefits Be sure to highlight to the applicant all the

benefits such as health, dental, and vision insurance, safety shoes, free meals, generous pension – a full-time benefit list is available on the website

Human Resources can do an example benefit summary for supervisor and management positions if needed

Review academic calendars for layoff and collecting unemployment

ReferencesRemember: Past behavior is the best

indicator of future behaviorReferences can tell you about past behaviorReferences have the answer to: Is this person

going to be successful in my job?1 in 3 candidates lie on their resumeThis is a very important task take time and

care to do it well – contact HR for assistanceRemember: The cost of hiring the wrong

person

References - DiscriminationYou must be consistent in checking

references Wrong: only check references on African-

AmericansWrong: only requiring transcripts from older

applicantsYou may not ask references questions that

you are unable to ask the applicantWrong: ask the reference if the applicant is

married or how old they are

Reference Form

References- TranscriptsGet transcripts for all positions that require a

degree or where someone was granted a position based on their education and experience

This can take some time so ask the applicant for these when inviting them for an interview.

References – DMV record If someone will be driving a ASC vehicle HR will

need to check their driving record before they are offered employment

DO NOT ask for or make a copy of a Driver’s License as that contains information that may be used to discriminate

DMV REQUIRES that an application be on file before accessing the records. Please send one with all requests.

NY State law requires that you give the applicant a copy of the Labor Law regarding convictions (It is attached to the permission slip)

Employees at Raquette Lake Due to the access or living quarters and

under age campers, all applicants going to Raquette Lake (including existing ASC employees) must have a criminal history performed

ReferencesChecking references protect you and ASC

from a lawsuit of negligent hiring – failure to perform due diligence in protecting customers or coworkers

Don’t you want everyone hiring your coworkers to make sure they are not a violent individual or a thief?

Document even attempts to contact references

ReferencesDo not limit yourself to only calling those

they list as references.Contact the past employers

Use the internet and phone book for telephone numbers

Ask for the department where they worked first

Only use HR as a last resort

References What if the employer won’t give any

information?Document you tried to obtain it –Due diligenceGet what you can – dates; eligible for rehireUse the 1 – 5 Trick

“My HR department says I really need to get this reference. Can you just rate her as an employee 1 thru 5. 1 being poor and 5 being great? (Pause after they give you a number, they will feel compelled to fill the empty sound)

Offer of employmentDo not make an offer of employment contingent on

waiting for any items such as transcripts, DMV check or references

Do not make any promises regarding job securityWrong: Do a good job and you will not be firedWrong: Show up and you can work here forever

Do not discuss wages, salary, or benefits unless you are 100% sure your answer is accurate

HR is the only office that may put offers in writing with the exception of a completed status sheet that may be given to a candidate

Status Sheet This is a legal document that may be

reviewed by government agencies or union arbitrators

Only use the title listed on the job postingPlease be accurate with the number of hours

and employment status

Complete status sheet

Eligible to work documentation Federal Law requires everyone to prove they

are who they say they are with picture ID issued by a government agency

Federal Law requires everyone to prove they are legally able to work in the U.S. most commonly Birth Certificate, US Passport, and Social Security Card will prove this

NY state law requires everyone under the age of 26 to provide proof of age

NY state law requires everyone under the age of 18 to produce working papers

Eligible to work documentationA complete list of legally acceptable

documents is available in HREmployers may not require which of the

legally acceptable documents an new employee must produce

Complete the checklist