What is your greatest strength that would benefit our organization? How have you positively influenced others to get a job done? Describe a decision that you made when you did not have all the pertinent information. Tell me about a time you made a decision quickly. How have you supported a new policy or procedure with which you have disagreed? In what ways do you motivate your direct reports? Your peers? Describe a situation when you had to seek out information, analyze it, and make a decision. Describe a recent high-risk decision that you made. How did you make this decision? Assess a Candidate’s Style Of all the jobs you have had, which did you like the most? Why? How have you preferred to be supervised in your previous jobs? What role have your past supervisors played in supporting you in your job? Your career? What type of organization do you prefer to work for? Do you prefer working in groups or alone? Describe a work group experience that you found rewarding. What qualities do you value in your supervisor? In what types of environments do you feel most effective? How much direction and feedback do you need to be successful? What is most exciting to you about change? What is most frustrating about it? How have you dealt with organizational changes? How would you describe yourself as a supervisor? How would your supervisor describe you? What was the most difficult management decision you’ve ever had to make? Appendix B 147 HBE001_AppB_.qxd 10/02/2002 11:45 AM Page 147 TEAMFLY Team-Fly ® What kinds of people do you like to work with? What type of person do you find it most difficult to work with? Why? What things frustrate you the most at work? How do you cope with them? Career Aspirations and Goals What are some of the things you would like to avoid in your next job? Why? Why are you leaving your present job? How does this job fit into your overall career plans? Where do you see yourself three years from now? How have your career aspirations changed over the years? Why? What would you most like to accomplish if you got this job? Education What special aspects of your education, experience, or training have prepared you for this job? In what areas would you most need (like) additional training if you got this job? What aspects of your education or training will be useful for this job? What are your educational goals? Customer Service Describe a time when you worked to meet a customer’s needs.What were the customer’s needs? How did you assist the customer? What actions did you take and what was the outcome? 148 Appendix B HBE001_AppB_.qxd 10/02/2002 11:45 AM Page 148 Self-Control Describe a time when you dealt with a particularly stressful situation or with a hostile colleague or customer. What was the situation? What actions did you take? What did you say? What was the response or reaction? Critical Thinking Tell me about a time when you had to evaluate a situation in order to resolve a problem.What was the situation? What actions did you take? What was the outcome? How did you know you were successful? Results Orientation Describe a time when you took the initiative to improve how you worked or how something operated (a process, system, team).What led to the situation? What actions did you take? What was the out- come? How did you know your solution was an improvement? Closing Are there any additional aspects of your qualifications that we have not covered that would be relevant to the position we are discussing? What questions do you have about our organization? Appendix B 149 HBE001_AppB_.qxd 10/02/2002 11:45 AM Page 149 This Page Intentionally Left Blank appendix c Legal Landmines in Hiring Note: This appendix applies to U.S. hiring situations only. Employment in the United States is governed by many laws on hir- ing, firing, discrimination, sexual harassment, benefits and pension, and union activities, to name just a few. Hiring discrimination laws protect job applicants from questions that are not directly related to the applicant’s ability to do the job. The relevant laws applying to hiring are: • The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids the use of arbi- trary and artificial requirements that would create de facto barriers to employment because of a person’s race, gender, national origin, ethnicity, or religion. • The Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which prohibits workplace discrimination against persons of forty years and older. • The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, which forbids workplace discrimination on the basis of pregnancy or a related medical problem. • The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which forbids discrimination against physically and mentally disabled people. • The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which forbids discrimination against individuals based on national origin and citizenship. 151 HBE001_AppC_.qxd 10/02/2002 11:46 AM Page 151 This appendix offers suggestions on how you, as a job interviewer, can obtain the information you need while remaining on the right side of these various laws. It is by no means complete, nor is it intended as a source of legal advice. It’s only purpose is to alert you to aspects of the hiring process where care must be exercised. When hiring, there are some questions you cannot ask without fear of legal liability. HR departments are knowledgeable about these questions and make sure that none appear on job application forms. Questions prohibited on these forms are also prohibited dur- ing job interviews. Here are the areas where you must either not ask questions or observe great care: • Age or date of birth. This could run you afoul of the Age Dis- crimination in Employment Act. However, certain public safety positions have age limits for hiring. Questions about age may be asked if necessary to satisfy provisions of state or federal law. For example, you can ask, “If hired, can you show proof that you are at least 18 years old?” You will need the actual age and date of birth to comply with benefits and other company plans;how- ever, these can only be obtained after the individual is hired. Other age-related illegal questions include:“How soon do you plan to retire?”“Can you work for a younger manager?” “Do you think you could keep up with the rest of the younger employees?” • The applicant’s religion. No inquires on this subject may be asked except by religious organizations as provided by certain statutes. Nor may you inquire about the following:“Do you intend to take time off for your religious holidays?”“Do you have any unusual religious practices that we should be aware of?”“Do you think you can fit into our mostly (fill in the religion) department?” It is appropriate to ask,“This position requires weekend work (travel). Do you have any responsibilities that conflict with these requirements? 152 Appendix C HBE001_AppC_.qxd 10/02/2002 11:46 AM Page 152 • Marital status. Never ask if the applicant is single or married. Also, avoid any question that would be construed as an indirect attempt to determine marital status, such as,“What does your husband/wife do for a living?” • Intention to have children. This is another forbidden area. Do not ask “Do you have children?”“Do you intend to have chil- dren?” Indirect questions in this area are also off-limits, such as, “What child-care arrangement would you have to make if you took this job?” • Race. Never ask the applicant about his/her race or ethnicity. Nor can you require an individual to submit a photograph with his or her job application or résumé. • Gender or sexual orientation. Another off-limits area. • National origin, ethnicity, and/or ancestry. Do not ask any questions about these; nor may you inquire about the national origins of the applicant’s parents, spouse, or other close relatives. And don’t make the innocent mistake of saying,“Draculaskov is an interesting last name.What kind of name is that?” Other question not to ask are:“Do you speak English at home?”“Will you wear American clothes or your native dress to work?” • Citizenship. You may not ask “Are you a U.S. citizen.” Nor may you inquire into the citizenship of the applicant’s parents or spouse. However, you may ask “Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?” Or,“If hired, can you show proof of your eligibility to work in the United States?” • Disability or handicap. Make no inquiry whether the applicant has a physical or mental disability or handicap or about the nature or severity of either.The same applies to questions about alcoholism, drug addition, and AIDS. Other illegal questions include:“Are you taking any medications?”“Do you have frequent doctor appointments?”“Have you ever been hospital- ized or received workers’ compensation?” Appendix C 153 HBE001_AppC_.qxd 10/02/2002 11:46 AM Page 153 You may, however, ask,“Are you able to perform the es- sential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodation?” • Education. Make no inquiry unless educational background is demonstrably related to the ability to do the job. For example, someone applying for a position as a financial analyst must meet certain educational requirements in mathematics, finance, and statistics; a mail room employee would not. However, avoid questions designed to determine the age of the applicant. • Arrests and conviction records. Unless the person is applying for a security-sensitive job, you cannot ask about these. • Garnishment of wages. Never ask, “Are your wages being garnished?” If there is any simple advice in this maze of “don’t ask” categories it is this: if your question does not relate directly to the job at hand, don’t ask it. 154 Appendix C HBE001_AppC_.qxd 10/02/2002 11:46 AM Page 154 . the applicant’s ability to do the job. The relevant laws applying to hiring are: • The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids the use of arbi- trary and. You will need the actual age and date of birth to comply with benefits and other company plans;how- ever, these can only be obtained after the individual