Discussion board | Applied Sciences homework help

1. Refusal. Explain politely but firmly that you will not provide the information requested: “I’d rather not talk about my religion. That’s a personal matter for me.” If you are sure you are not interested in the job, you could even end the interview immediately: “I’m very uncomfortable with these questions about my personal life, and I don’t see a good fit between me and this organization.”

Being interviewed does not mean you are at the interviewer’s mercy; laws do govern your rights as a candidate. If you choose to take a more assertive approach to illegal questioning you believe resulted in discrimination, you have the right to file a complaint with the EEOC and your state’s Fair Employment Practices Commission within 180 days of the interview. In practice, the EEOC will hold off on beginning its investigation until the state commission has completed its inquiry. Federal and state agencies have a backlog of cases, however, so it may take years to complete an investigation. The commission may mediate the case, file a suit, or issue you a letter to sue.45 Keep in mind that just because you can file a lawsuit, it does not mean this will always be the best course of action: A suit can take many months, or even years, to be settled, and a ruling in your favor may not result in a large settlement. Furthermore, knowledge that you have filed this kind of suit is not likely to make you an attractive candidate to other employers who hear of your action. Seeking professional counsel can help you make a decision that balances your personal values and practical considerations. The Performance Appraisal Interview Performance appraisal interviews are a special kind of interview in which superiors and subordinates meet at regularly scheduled intervals (usually annually) to discuss the quality of the subordinate’s performance. These interviews have several functions: 368 Letting the employee know where he or she stands. This kind of feedback includes praising good work, communicating areas that need improvement, and conveying to the employee his or her prospects for advancement. Developing employee skills. The review can be a chance for the employee to learn new skills. Among their other roles, managers and supervisors should be teachers. 178 The performance appraisal interview can be a chance to show an employee how to do a better job. Improving employment relationship. Performance reviews should improve superior–subordinate relationships and give employees a sense of participation in the job. Ideally, employees will leave the interview feeling better about themselves and the organization. Helping management learn the employee’s point of view. A performance appraisal should include upward as well as downward communication. It provides a chance for subordinates to explain their perspective to managers. Counseling the employee. An appraisal interview provides a chance for managers to learn about personal problems that may be affecting an employee’s performance and to offer advice and support. Setting goals for the future. One result of every performance appraisal interview should be a clear idea of how both the superior and the subordinate will behave in the future. Even though performance appraisal interviews serve valuable functions, they are not always a positive experience for employees or managers—especially when there are problems that must be addressed. As you learned earlier in this book, receiving criticism can be a challenge. The interviewing strategies outlined in this section can help make sure a performance review meets the needs of both management and employees. While following these guidelines will not guarantee a successful performance review, it can increase the chances that the meeting will be genuinely constructive and serve the interests of both the superior and the subordinate. 369 Provide an Overview After an initial exchange of pleasantries— usually brief—the manager should provide a rationale for the interview, an outline of what information will be covered and how it will be used, and a preview of the interview’s probable length. After the preliminaries, the body of an appraisal interview should go on to cover three areas: a review of the criteria established in past meetings, a discussion of the employee’s performance, and establishment of goals for the future. Review Progress The first step in the body of any appraisal interview should be to identify the criteria by which the employee is being evaluated. Ideally, these criteria will already be clear to both the manager and the employee, but it is wise to restate them. A manager might say: Bill, as I’m sure you remember, we decided at our last meeting to focus on several targets. We agreed that if you could reach them, you’d be doing your present job very well and you’d be setting yourself up for an assistant sales manager’s position. Here’s the list of targets we developed last time [shows employee list]. So these are the areas we need to look at today. Discuss Successes, Problems, and Needs After the criteria have been defined, the discussion can focus on how well the employee has satisfied them. This part of the discussion will be easiest when the goals are measurable: Are sales up 15 percent? Have jobs been completed on time? If the employee has explanations for why targets were not reached, it is the manager’s job to consider these fairly. When goals are subjective, the evaluation of their performance will be a matter of judgment. Even seemingly vague goals such as “being more patient with customers” can be at least partially clarified by turning them into simple behavioral descriptions such as “letting customers talk without interrupting them.” When evaluating past performance, it is important to maintain a balance among the points under consideration. Without meaning to let it happen, a manager and an employee 179 370 can become involved in discussing (or debating) a relatively unimportant point at length, throwing the overall look at the employee’s performance out of perspective. A skillful interviewer will focus only on the most important criteria, usually dealing with no more than three areas that need work. Even the most demanding manager will realize upon reflection that changing old habits is difficult and it is unrealistic to expect dramatic improvement in too many areas within a short time frame. Even when an appraisal is conducted with the best of intentions, its evaluative nature raises the odds of a defensive response. Feedback will be best received when it meets several criteria. Observing these guidelines can boost the chances of keeping the interview’s tone constructive: Feedback should be accurate. Perhaps the worst mistake an evaluator can make is to get the facts wrong. Before you judge an employee, make sure you have an accurate picture of his or her performance and all the factors that affected it. A tell-and-listen approach can help the manager understand an employee’s performance more fully. Feedback should be relevant to the job. For example, commenting on an employee’s appearance in a job that involves contact with the public may be appropriate, but it is out of line to be critical about the way he or she handles personal matters after business hours. Feedback should include a balance of praise and constructive criticism. Both everyday experience and research have demonstrated the power of positive reinforcement. Nevertheless, mentioning only the positives means forgoing the possibility of identifying areas for growth and improvement. Feedback should be delivered in a way that protects people’s dignity. Sooner or later, even the most outstanding employee will need to hear criticism about his or her work. Delivering negative information is one of the biggest challenges a manager or supervisor can face. The guidelines in the previous chapter offer tips on how to offer negative feedback in a supportive manner. Handling critical situations well is not just the boss’s responsibility; the subordinate needs to behave responsibly, too. The guidelines for responding in a nondefensive way to criticism outlined in the previous chapter should be helpful when it is your turn to receive critical messages. 371 Set Goals Once the employee and the manager have discussed past successes, problems, and needs, the task becomes defining goals for the future. These goals should meet several criteria: The goals should focus on the most important aspects of the job. The tried-and-true 80:20 rule applies here: Changing 20 percent of a worker’s behavior will usually solve 80 percent of the problems. The goals should be described as specifically as possible so both manager and employee will know which actions constitute the target. A time period should be stated for each target. People often work best when faced with a deadline, and setting dates lets both parties know when the results are due. The targets ought to provide some challenge to the worker, requiring effort yet being attainable. A manageable challenge will produce the greatest growth and leave workers and managers feeling pleased with the changes that occur. Review and Respond to the Written Record The appraisal process commonly has a written dimension in addition to the interview itself. Before the meeting, the manager often completes an evaluation form listing characteristics or behaviors that 180 are important for the job. Ideally, the information on this form will be taken from the goals set at the previous interview. In some organizations, the subordinate also completes a self-rating form covering similar areas. After the meeting, the performance review is typically summarized and documented with a written evaluation. In most cases, the manager completes a final report that summarizes the results of the session. The employee usually has the option of adding his or her own response to the manager’s report. This document then becomes part of the employee’s record and is used as a basis for future evaluations and as a source of information for decisions about promotions.

• Interviewing Strategies

372 Every good interview shares some common characteristics and communication strategies. This section introduces skills you can use in almost every interview you will conduct in your career. Planning the Interview A successful interview begins before the parties face each other. Interviewers must make important choices with the purpose of structuring the interview in a way that will elicit the desired information from the respondent. Define the Goal Although it may seem obvious, it is important to first identify a clear goal for the interview. You will keep this goal in mind as you prepare the list of topics and the structure of questions. As an interviewer, you should make your goal as clear as possible: Vague: Learn about prospective web designers. Better: Evaluate which web designer can do the best job for us. Best: Determine which web designer can create and maintain an affordable website that attracts and retains customers. Identify and Analyze the Other Party You cannot always choose who you will interview, but when you do have options, choosing the right person can make your conversation more useful and successful. Mark McCormack, the owner of a sports promotion agency, once explained: One of the biggest problems we have had as a sales organization is figuring out who within another company will be making a decision on what. Very often in our business we don’t know if it’s the advertising department, the marketing department, or someone in PR, or corporate communications. It may very well turn out to be the chairman and CEO of a multibillion-dollar corporation if the subject is of personal interest to him.46 373 Finding the right interviewee is important in other fields besides sales. For example, if you want to know more about the safety procedures in a manufacturing area, the plant manager can tell you more about them than, say, the publicity staff—who probably get their information from the plant manager anyway. ©Chris Ryan/Ojo Images/AGE Fotostock RF 181 Prepare a List of Topics A list of topics will help you get all the information you need to accomplish your goal. An office manager who is purchasing new tablet computers for the staff might consider the following topics when interviewing sales representatives from different companies: Goal: To purchase tablet computers that will be affordable, reliable, and compatible with our current setup.

List of Topics:

Wireless and networking capabilities 374 Compatibility with existing software and operating systems Pricing and quantity discounts Warranties and tech support Choose the Best Interview Structure Several types of interview structures may be used. As Table 6-5 illustrates, each calls for different levels of planning and produces different results. Table 6-5 Differences between Structured and Unstructured Interviews Structured Interview Unstructured Interview Usually takes less time than an unstructured interview Usually takes more time than a structured interview Easier for interviewer to control More difficult for interviewer to control Provides quantifiable results Results more difficult to quantify Requires less interviewer skill Requires high degree of interviewer skill Low flexibility in exploring responses High flexibility in exploring responses A structured interview consists of a standardized list of questions that allow only a limited range of answers with no follow-up: “How many televisions do you own?” “Which of the following words best describes your evaluation of the company?” Structured interviews are preferable when the goal is to get standardized responses from a large number of people, as in market research and opinion polls. They are less appropriate in most other situations. The moderately structured interview consists of a set of major questions that the interviewer would like to explore, but leaves room for follow-up questions that may emerge from the interview discussion. Specifically, the interviewer prepares a list of topics, anticipates their probable order, and then designs major questions and possible follow-up probes. The planned questions ensure coverage of important areas, while 375 allowing for examination of important but unforeseen topics. Moderately structured interviews are well suited for most situations because they provide measures of both control and spontaneity. As its name suggests, an unstructured interview stands in contrast to its structured and moderately structured counterparts. The interviewer has a goal and perhaps a few topical areas in mind but no list of questions. Unstructured interviews allow considerable flexibility about the amount of time they take and the nature of the questioning. They permit the conversation to flow in whatever direction seems most productive. Unstructured interviews are usually spur-of-the-moment events. For example, you might meet a useful contact at a party and use the opportunity to explore career options. 182 Consider Possible Questions As you might expect, the type and quality of questions asked are likely to be the biggest factor in determining the success or failure of an interview. As Table 6-6 shows, a question can fit into several categories. For instance, the prompt “Describe some experiences that demonstrate your leadership abilities” is primary, open, factual, and direct. A question could also be secondary, closed, and hypothetical: “You said you welcome challenges. If the chance arose, would you be interested in handling the next round of layoffs?” A good interviewer considers these question types as tools and chooses the right combination to get the information he or she wants to uncover. Table 6-6 Types of Interview Questions Type Use Primary Introduces new topic. To open a new line of discussion: “Tell me about your past experience …” Secondary Gathers additional information on the topic under discussion. When a previous answer is incomplete: “What did she say then?” When a previous answer is vague: “What do you mean you think the figures are right?” 376 When a previous answer is irrelevant: “I understand the job interests you. Can you tell me about your training in the field?” When a previous answer seems inaccurate: “You said everyone supports the idea. What about Herb?” Closed Restricts the interviewee’s response. When specific information is needed: “When do you think the order will be ready?” “How long have you worked here?” To maintain control over the conversation: “I understand you’re upset about the delay. When was the shipment supposed to arrive?” When time is short: “If you had to name one feature you want, what would it be?” When a high degree of standardization between interviews is important: “On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the importance of each of these features …?” Open Invites a broader, more detailed range of responses. To relax the interviewee (if the question is easy to answer and nonthreatening): “How did you hear about our company?” To discover the interviewee’s opinions, feelings, or values: “What do you think about …?” To evaluate the interviewee’s communication skills: “How would you handle an extremely irate customer?” To explore the interviewee’s possession of information: “What do you know about the missing documents?” Factual Seeks concrete information. To seek objective information: “Can we apply lease payments to the purchase price, if we decide to buy?” Opinion Explores the respondent’s viewpoint. To seek the respondent’s analysis: “Do you think the investment is worth it?” To evaluate the respondent’s judgment: “Which vendor do you think gives the best service?” “Do you think Al is being sincere?” Direct 377 Straightforward request for information. When the respondent is willing and able to provide the information being sought: “Do you have a list of the employee benefits that come with this position?” Indirect Elicits information without directly asking for it. When the respondent is not in a position to answer a direct question (e.g., “Do you understand?”): “Suppose you had to explain this policy to other people in the department. What would you say?” When the respondent is unwilling to answer a direct question (e.g., “Are you satisfied with my leadership?”): How do you think most of your coworkers view my leadership? Hypothetical Seeks an answer to a “what if?” question. When the respondent lacks experience to answer a direct question: “If you were manager of this department, which changes would you make?” To get input that will help the interviewer make a good decision: “If you were me, what would you do under these circumstances?” Critical Incident Asks about a specific account of a real— rather than hypothetical —situation. To evaluate the respondent’s experience: “Think of a time when you felt you had to break an implicit company policy to achieve the larger company vision. Describe the situation and how you handled it.” Some questions look legitimate but have no place in most interviews. Leading questions suggest the answer the interviewer expects: “You’re interested in helping us work on this year’s United Way campaign, aren’t you?” “You aren’t really serious about asking for a raise now, are you?” Arrange the Setting The physical setting in which an interview takes place can have a great deal of influence on the results. The first consideration is to arrange a setting free of distractions. Sometimes it is best to choose a spot away from each person’s normal habitat. Not only does this lessen the chance of interruptions, but people often speak more freely and think more creatively when in a neutral space, away from familiar settings that trigger habitual ways of responding. 378 A manager at a major publishing company often interviews subordinates over lunch at a restaurant where company employees frequently eat together. The manager explains: The advantage of meeting here is we’re both relaxed. They can talk about their work without feeling as though they’ve been called on the carpet to defend themselves. They’re also more inclined to ask for help with a problem than if we were in the office, and I can ask for improvements and make suggestions without making it seem like a formal reprimand. The physical arrangement of the setting can also influence the interview. Generally, the person sitting behind a desk gains power and formality. Sitting together at a table or with no barrier promotes equality and informality. Distance, too, affects the relationship between interviewer and respondent. Other things being equal, two people seated 40 inches apart will have more immediacy in their conversation than those separated by a distance of 6 or 7 feet. As with other variables, the degree of formality depends on your goal. A supervisor who wants to assert his authority during a disciplinary interview might increase distance and sit behind a desk. In contrast, a health care provider who wants to gain a patient’s trust may avoid the barrier of a desk. The right time is as important as the place for a successful interview. When you plan an interview, give careful thought to how much time you will need to accomplish your purpose, and let the other person know how much time you expect to take. Consider the time of day and people’s schedules before and after the interview. For example, you might avoid scheduling an important interview right before lunch so neither person will be more anxious to eat than to accomplish the goal of the interview. Conducting the Interview After careful planning, the interview itself takes place. An interview consists of three stages: an opening (or introduction), a body, and a closing. In this section, we examine each of these stages in turn. 379 Opening A good introduction can shape the entire interview. Research suggests people form lasting impressions of each other in the first few minutes of a conversation. Dave Deaver, a national management recruiter, describes the importance of first impressions in 183 184 a job interview: “The first minute is all-important in an interview. Fifty percent of the decision is made within the first 30 to 60 seconds. About 25 percent of the evaluation is made during the first 15 minutes. It’s very difficult to recover the last 25 percent if you’ve blown the first couple of minutes.”47 These initial impressions shape how a listener regards everything that follows. A good opening contains two parts: a greeting and an orientation. The opening is also a time for motivating the respondent to cooperate and giving a sense of what will follow. ©Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com RF Greeting and Building Rapport The interviewer should begin with a greeting and a self-introduction, if necessary. In formal situations—when taking a legal deposition or conducting a structured survey, for example— it is appropriate to get right down to business. In most situations, however, building rapport is both appropriate and useful. If the interviewer and the respondent are comfortable with each other, the results are likely to be better for both. Small talk tends to set the emotional tone of the interview —formal or informal, nervous or relaxed, candid or guarded. 380 The most logical openers involve common ground, focusing on shared interests or experiences. “How are you coping with our record snowfall?” “Did you find your way around the airport construction?” Another type of common-ground opener involves job-related topics, though they are usually unrelated to the subject of the interview itself. For example, a manager interviewing employees to help design a new benefits package might start the conversation by asking, “How’s the new parking plan working out?” Orientation In this stage of the opening, the interviewer gives the respondent a brief overview of what is to follow. This orientation helps put the interviewee at ease by removing a natural apprehension of the unknown and helps establish and strengthen the interviewer’s control. In the orientation, be sure to do the following: Explain the reason for the interview A description of the interview’s purpose can both put the respondent at ease and motivate him or her to respond. If your boss called you in for a “chat” about “how things are going,” curiosity would probably be your 185 mildest response. Are you headed for a promotion or being softened up for a layoff? Sharing the reason for an interview can relieve these concerns: “We’re thinking about opening a branch office soon, and we’re trying to plan our staffing. I’d like to find out how you feel about your working situation now and what you want so we can consider your needs when we make the changes.” CAREER tip Successfully Navigating Job Fairs 381 Job fairs offer the chance to network with employers and to secure job interviews, sometimes on the spot. In this respect, job fairs serve as initial interviews. Some job fairs are set on college and university campuses, where employers look for graduating students. Community fairs are open to the public at large. Some target a specific field such as health care or engineering, while others feature a diverse array of organizations and fields.

Before You Go:

Ask yourself what will make you stand out from the hundred people a recruiter might see in a day. Gain a competitive edge by learning about the employers that interest you. Learn what positions they are hiring for and what qualifications are required. If possible, discover whether companies will be conducting job interviews at the fair or soon thereafter. You may be able to discover this sort of information from the career fair sponsor. Also, if you contact the target company, you may be able to find out whether the person at the table is doing the hiring or if a human resources representative screens for quality candidates to recommend. Rehearse your “elevator” speech so you can present yourself clearly and professionally. Bring copies of both your generic résumé and customized versions for positions you will be seeking. Dress conservatively and profes-sionally. Carry a briefcase (a shoulder strap leaves your hands free for handshakes and writing notes) with a professional portfolio that you can easily pull out to retrieve résumés and letters of recommendation. Pack tissues and breath mints.

At the Fair:

Arrive early. Spend a few minutes getting a feel for the way the fair operates. Is the atmosphere formal or informal? Don’t ever ASK what an employer does. KNOW before you go. 382 Manage your time efficiently: Approach your second-tier choices first to “warm up” so you are confident when approaching your first choices. Some employers pack up an hour or so before the designated closing time, so don’t wait until the last minute. If you must stand in line, use that time to talk with other candidates: Find out what they’ve found about employers and positions. Approach the company’s representative with confidence: “Hello. I’m Janya Greer. I’m a journalism and English major, and I’m interested in the writing positions.” Remember, you are being evaluated from the moment you make contact. Always think about how your career objectives and qualifications meet the employer’s needs. Ask specific questions that show you’ve done your homework. Ask for the business card of anyone with whom you speak.

After the Fair:

For employers that look like a good match, follow up with a phone call or an e-mail to express thanks and confirm your interest. Remind the person where you met, what you talked about, and how your skills and qualifications match the company’s needs. Add any information you neglected to mention at the job fair. Express your interest in learning more about the fit between you and the organization. Source: University of New Mexico Career Center. Retrieved from http://www.collegegrad.com and www.career.unm.edu 186 Explain what information is needed and how it will be used A respondent who knows what the interviewer wants will have a greater likelihood of supplying it. In our example, the boss might be seeking two kinds of information to plan staffing at the new branch office. In one case, a statement of needed information might be, “I’m not interested in having you provide names of people you like or dislike. I want to know which 383 parts of the business interest you and what you’d consider to be an ideal job.” A quite different request for information might be, “I’d like to hear your feelings about the people you work with. Who would you like to work with in the future, and who do you have trouble with?” A description of how the information will be used is also important. In our current example, the boss might explain, “I won’t be able to tell you today exactly which changes we’ll be making, but I promise you that this talk will be off the record. No one else will hear what you tell me.” Clarify any ground rules Make sure that you and the other party understand any operating procedures. For example, you might say, “I’d like to record our conversation instead of taking notes.” Mention the approximate length of the interview A respondent who knows how long the session will last will feel more comfortable and give better answers. Motivation Sometimes you need to give respondents a reason to feel that the interview is worthwhile for them. In some cases, you can simply point out the payoffs: “If we can figure out a better way to handle these orders, it will save us both time.” If the interview will not directly benefit the other person, you might appeal to his or her ego or desire to help other people: “I’d like to try out a new promotional item, and you know more about them than anyone.” ©Antonio M. Rosario/Photodisc/Getty Images RF 384 Body Once pleasantries have been exchanged and an overview of the interview has been provided to the respondent, the main portion—or body —of the interview begins. Questions and answers are exchanged in the body of an interview. The interviewer performs several tasks during the question-and-answer phase of the discussion: Control and focus the conversation If an interview is a conversation with a purpose, then it is the interviewer’s job to make sure the discussion focuses on achieving the purpose. A response can be so interesting that it pulls the discussion off track: “I see you traveled in Europe after college. Did you make it to Barcelona?” Such discussion about backgrounds might be appropriate for the rapport-building part of the opening, but it can get out of control and use up time that would better be spent achieving the interview’s purpose. A second loss of control occurs when the interviewer spends too much time in one legitimate area of discussion, thereby slighting another. Difficult as it may be, an interviewer needs to allot rough blocks of time to each agenda item and then follow these guidelines. Listen actively Some interviewers—especially novices—become so caught up in budgeting time and planning upcoming questions they fail in the most important task: listening carefully to the respondent. Multitasking can present problems. It can be hard to juggle the tasks of asking and answering questions, taking notes, keeping eye contact, and budgeting time. Skillful listening will ensure that you focus on the most important aspect of the interview—the message being sent by the interviewee. Use secondary questions to probe for important information Sometimes an answer may be incomplete. At other times, it may be evasive or vague. Because it is impossible to know 187 in advance when probes will be needed, the interviewer should be ready to use them as the occasion dictates. An interviewer sometimes needs to repeat a question to get a satisfactory answer: 385 Interviewer: You said you attended Arizona State for four years. I’m not clear about whether you earned a degree. Respondent: I completed the required courses in my major as well as several electives. Interviewer: I see. Did you earn a degree? When a primary question does not deliver enough information, the interviewer needs to seek elaboration: Interviewer: When we made this appointment, you said Bob has been insulting you. I’d like to hear about that. Respondent: He treats me like a child. I’ve been here almost as long as he has, and I know what I’m doing! Interviewer: Exactly what does he do? Can you give me a few examples? Sometimes an answer will be complete but unclear. This requires a request for clarification: Respondent: The certificate pays 6.3 percent interest. Interviewer: Is that rate simple or compounded? A paraphrasing probe restates the answer in different words. It invites the respondent to clarify and elaborate on a previous answer: Interviewer: You’ve been with us for a year and have been promoted once. How do you feel about the direction your career is taking? Respondent: I’m satisfied for now. Interviewer: So far, so good. Is that how you feel? Respondent: Not exactly. I was happy to get the promotion, of course. But I don’t see many chances for advancement from here. 386 Often silence is the best probe. A pause of as long as 10 seconds (which feels like an eternity) lets the respondent know more information is expected. Depending on the interviewer’s accompanying nonverbal messages, silence can indicate interest or dissatisfaction with the previous answer. Prods (“Uh-huh,” “Hmmmm,” “Go on,” “Tell me more,” and so on) accomplish the same purpose. For example: Respondent: I can’t figure out where we can cut costs. Interviewer: Uh-huh. Respondent: We’ve already cut our travel and entertainment budget 5 percent. Interviewer: I see. Respondent: Some of our people probably still abuse it, but they’d be offended if we cut back more. They think of expense accounts as a fringe benefit. Interviewer: (silence) 188 Respondent: Of course, if we could give them something in return for a cut, we might still be able to cut total costs. Maybe have the sales meeting at a resort—make it something of a vacation. Closing An interview should not end with the last answer to the last question. Instead, it should include a good closing that brings the conversation to a satisfactory conclusion. Review and Clarify the Results of the Interview Either party can take responsibility for this step, though in different ways. The person with the greater power (usually the interviewer) is most likely to do so in the most forthright manner. For example, in an interview exploring a grievance between employees, a manager might say, “It sounds like you’re saying both of you could have handled it better.” When the party with less power (usually the respondent) does the reviewing and clarifying, the summary often takes the form of a question. A sales representative might close by 387 saying, “So the product sounds good to you, but before you make your final decision you’d like to talk to a few of our clients to see how it has worked out for them. Is that right?” Establish Future Actions When the relationship between interviewer and respondent is a continuing one, it is important to clarify how the matter under discussion will be handled. A sales representative might close by saying, “I’ll put a list of our customers in the mail to you tomorrow. Then why don’t I give you a call next week to see what you’re thinking?” A manager might clarify the future actions by saying, “I’d like you to try out the arrangement we discussed today. Then let’s all get together in a few weeks to see how things are going. How does the first of next month sound?” Conclude with Pleasantries A sociable conclusion need not be phony. You can express appreciation, concern, or talk about what comes next: “I appreciate the time you’ve given me today.” “Good luck with the project.” “We’ll follow up on this at the staff meeting tomorrow.”

• The Ethics of Interviewing Basic ethical guidelines and responsibilities should guide the exchange of information that occurs between interviewer and interviewee.48 In addition to the moral reasons for following these guidelines, there is often a pragmatic basis for behaving ethically: Because the interview is likely to be part of an ongoing relationship, behaving responsibly and honorably will serve you well in future interactions. Conversely, the costs of developing a poor reputation are usually greater than the benefits of gaining a temporary advantage by behaving unethically or irresponsibly.

Obligations of the Interviewer A conscientious business communicator will follow several guidelines when conducting an interview. 388 Make Only Promises You Are Willing and Able to Keep Do not make offers or claims that may later prove impossible to honor. For example, it is dishonest and unfair for an employer to excite a job applicant about the chances of receiving an offer until she is sure an offer will be forthcoming. Likewise, a candidate should not indicate a willingness to start work immediately if he cannot begin work until he has sold his home and moved to the town where his new job is located. 189 ETHICAL challenge Handling Difficult Questions a. You know an employee has been leaving work early for the past several months. You hope he will volunteer this information without your having to confront him. During a performance appraisal, how can you raise the issue with this employee? b. You are conducting a series of half-hour interviews with consumers, exploring their attitudes toward a variety of social issues, as part of a market research project for your employer. In the first few minutes of one session, the interviewee makes several racist comments. How do you respond? c. You are interviewing for a job you really want. The employer asks about your experience with a particular type of database software. You don’t know much about this type of program, but you are confident you can teach yourself before the job begins. How do you reply to the interviewer? Keep Confidences Interviewers and respondents should not reveal confidential information or disclose any private information gained during a session to people who have no legitimate reason to have it. Be certain to 389 let the respondent know if you plan to record the session, and make it clear who else may be reviewing the recording. Allow the Interviewee to Make Free Responses An interview that coerces the respondent into giving unwilling answers is a charade of an honest conversation. For example, a supervisor conducting a performance appraisal who asks a subordinate, “Who do you think is responsible for the problems in your area?” should be willing to accept whatever answer is given and not automatically expect the employee to accept the blame. Trying to persuade a respondent is a normal part of doing business, but coercing one is unethical. Treat Every Interviewee with Respect With rare exceptions, the interviewer’s job is to help the respondent do well. This means making sure the respondent feels comfortable and understands the nature of the session. It also means the interviewer must design clear questions and must help the respondent answer them as well as possible. Obligations of the Respondent The respondent is also obliged to behave ethically and responsibly during a session. Several guidelines apply here. Do Not Misrepresent the Facts or Your Position Whether the setting is an employment interview, a performance review session, or an information-gathering survey, it can be tempting to tell interviewers what they want to hear. The temptation is especially great if your welfare is at stake. But besides being unethical, misrepresenting the facts is likely to catch up with you sooner or later and harm you more than telling the truth in the first place. Do Not Waste the Interviewer’s Time If the choice exists, be sure you are qualified for the interview. For example, it would be a mistake to interview for a job you have little chance of landing or would not accept. Likewise, it would be unethical to volunteer for a customer sur

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