• ANSWER QUESTIONS AND ALLOW ADDED INPUT

Allow the applicant to ask questions and voluntarily add predictive information.

• TERMINATE

Ensure that the interview does not extend beyond a useful period.  Once the information has been gathered, the interview should be over.  The applicant should know a) when you will be getting back to them and b) how you will be getting back to them i.e., telephone, mail.  It is very important that the applicant is subsequently contacted as promised.

Interviewing Tips

When interviewing, avoid making unnecessary small talk.  What may seem like a harmless question may accidentally violate the law.  For instance, realizing that you went to the same school and asking when they graduated reveals his/her age.  It is against the law to even subtly ask for this information. 

Do not coach the candidate on an answer.  Repeat the question and supply detail but do not ask them to keep trying.  This inadvertently lets the candidate know when they have answered correctly or not.  You are testing his or her knowledge, not yours.

Allow silence, this will prompt the candidate to elaborate and provide detail without having to directly ask for more.

Do not provide feedback, saying “That’s Great” or “Yes, that’s right.” This will lead the candidate to think he/she is getting the job when you may just be being polite.  This sets him up for a disappointment if he/she does not.

Do not fall victim to the common errors of interviewing.  They are:

• The halo effect – judging someone more positively based on one trait rather than the total package.
• The horn effect – judging someone negatively based on one trait.
• The primacy effect –judging the first candidate more favourably since they were the first you met, what happens first makes an impression.
• The recency effect – the same only this time with the last interview of the day or process, what happened last is the clearest in memory.
• The apprentice effect – picking someone who is just like you.  You may be great in your job, but variety is important to a strong team.  This can also lead to indirect discrimination.

If you think these cannot happen, think again.  Almost every interviewer subconsciously falls victim to one or more of these. 

Avoid personalizing the interview, keep the interview focused on the job and avoid having a friendly conversation that may lead to hiring the wrong person simply because you made a personal connection with him/her.

9.2 INTERVIEW FORMAT

All interviews should be structured and follow the same format so that candidates are each given the same opportunity.  The following steps should be followed in order:

INTRODUCTION TO AGENCY - Provide a brief overview of the different sectors and programs.  The introduction should be scripted to ensure all candidates are answering the questions based on the same basic information and background.

OVERVIEW OF JOB RESPONSIBILITIES – Review the job description.

INTERVIEW - Probe for information about the candidate’s background, education and experience.  Try to elicit reasons for gaps in employment history.

JOB DETAILS - Discuss wages, benefits, hours of work and any other job related information that could impact the candidate’s decision.

DECISION DATE - Inform the candidate when you will be making your decision.

MEANS OF NOTIFICATION - Inform the candidate how you will be notifying him/her of your decision.

IMPORTANT REMINDER

At no time during the interview should the candidate be asked to complete a “Disclosure of Criminal Record”, “Declaration of Fitness”, provide his licence number, date of birth, SIN or answer questions about his health status. 

These are only items that can be requested after an offer of employment is made.  Doing so before the offer of employment is against the law and could result in a Human Rights Complaint, one that the candidate will almost certainly win.

9.3 SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Federal and Provincial laws both deal with the employment process, specifically as it relates to discrimination. 

Under the Canadian Human Rights Act, employers are not allowed to base employment decisions on any of the following; race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability or conviction for which a pardon has been granted. 

Since even the appearance of discrimination can result in a complaint or lawsuit, avoid asking any questions that may either overtly or indirectly contravene human rights legislation. 

Examples of inappropriate topics and questions include:

AGE - How old are you?  What year did you graduate high school?

The only age related question you can ask is “Do you meet the age requirements to legally work in Canada?”

CHILD CARE - Do you have after school child care?  If you are required to stay late, will this be an issue for childcare?

Never even politely ask about children, this is one of the most commonly cited violations in terms of gender and sexual orientation.

CRIMINAL RECORD - When was the last time you were arrested?  Do you have any criminal convictions?

Inform the candidate that they will need to pass a “Vulnerable Sector Query” but do not ask them if they can indeed pass.

ETHNIC ORIGIN - Is your last name Polish?  You have such a unique accent, where is it from?

This is another situation where harmless small talk can lead to complaints.  Do not ask about someone’s origin and instead ask “Are you legally able to work in Canada?”

LANGUAGE - Do you speak English at home?  Is English your first language?

Asking if someone is fluent in English is only legal if the job has a bonafide occupational requirement to be fluent.  Avoid these questions as they rarely decide that it is a requirement.

MARITAL STATUS - How long have you been married?  Where does your husband/wife work?

These questions can reveal whether someone is planning on starting a family, which is a major ground for Human Rights complaints.  It may also reveal someone’s sexual orientation.

NATIONALITY - Are you Chinese or Japanese?  Were you born in Canada?

Again, you may only ask if the person is legally able to work in Canada.

RACE - What race are you?

Under no situation are these questions allowed.

RELIGION - Are you Catholic?  This position operates 365 days a year, are there any days you cannot work and why?

Staff have the right to approach an employer with specific religious needs under the duty to accommodate, however, the employer cannot ask about religion.

Examples of appropriate topics and questions that can be used to set the framework for the interview include: 

Begin with general questions and progress to job specific questions.

1. What about this specific position or our Agency in general, prompted you to apply?
2. Please summarize your work experience to date and describe how your previous experience relates to this position.
3. What do you consider to have been your chief accomplishment at your present/previous position?
4. Did you have any setbacks, disappointments or things that failed to meet your expectations?  Please describe.
5. What work experience has been the most valuable to you and why?
6. Can you describe a time when you have been a member of a team?  What was your role and what did you achieve?
7. Can you describe a high stress situation when it was desirable for you to keep a positive attitude?
8. Can you describe a situation in which you were able to positively influence the actions of others in a desired direction?
9. Can you describe a situation where you needed to get help/consultation from a co-worker or Supervisor?
10. Can you think of a situation in which an innovative course of action was needed?
11. Can you tell me about a time when you had to cope with strict deadlines or time demands?
12. Can you describe the system that you use for setting and meeting goals?  To what extent does it involve using written objectives?
13. Can you tell me about your experience in documenting your work activities in a written form?
14. Can you describe a situation involving a client that was difficult for you?
15. Can you describe a situation involving a client that was positive for you?
16. How did you prepare for today’s interview?
17. What is the single greatest contribution you could make to our Agency?
18. In what areas will you require the most support?

The following is a list of behaviour-based interview questions that can be used to probe for predictive information.  These questions will enable the interviewer to gather information based on the desired attributes for the vacant position.

COPING - Able to maintain a mature problem-solving attitude while dealing with interpersonal conflicts, personal rejection, hostility or time demands.

DECISIVENESS - Able to make decisions quickly on available information and take action, make commitments and deal with emergencies as necessary.

ASSERTIVENESS - Able to maturely express one’s feelings and opinions in spite of disagreement: accurately communicate to others regardless of his/her status or position.

ENERGIZING - Able to create positive energy (motivation) in both individuals and groups. 

PROBLEM SOLVING - Able to use a systematic approach in solving problems through analysis of problems and evaluation of alternative solutions.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION - Able to write clearly and effectively present ideas and to document activities; to read and interpret written information.

COMMITMENT TO TASK - Able to start and persist with specific courses of action while exhibiting high motivation and a sense of urgency.

1. Tell us about a time in your background when you were a driving, highly motivated worker.
2. Tell us about a time when you had to work very hard to reach your goals and be specific about what you achieved.

ORGANIZATION AND PLANNING - Able to organize or schedule people or tasks; to develop realistic action plans while being sensitive to time constraints and resource availability.

1. Tell us about a time when your organizational and planning skills were instrumental to your success.  What method(s) did you utilize to plan your work activities?

TEAM BUILDING - Able to work with people in such a manner as to build high morale and group commitments to goals and objectives.

1. Tell us about a time when you had your greatest success in building a team spirit.  What specific results did the team accomplish?
2. Give us an example of a time when you confronted a negative attitude successfully with the result of building teamwork and morale.

LEADERSHIP - Able to influence the actions and opinions of others in a desired direction; to exhibit judgement in leading others to worthwhile objectives.

1. Give us an example of a time when you used facts and reason to persuade another person to take action.
2. Give us an example of a situation when you used your authority to influence another individual.



9.4 INTERVIEW COMMENT SHEET

Name: ____________________________ Date: __________

Department: ________________ Position: _____________________

Interviewed by: ____________________And:_________________

This is considered confidential information and should be attached to the resume after the interview.  All recording will be done on this sheet.  Please do not write on the resume.
________________________________________________________________________
Interview Responses / Comments:

 

 

 

 

SAMPLE

 

9.5 INTERVIEW COMMENT SHEET SAMPLE

Name: ______________________Date: _________________

Department: _______________ Position: _______________

Interviewed by: ______________________ And ___________________
________________________________________________________________________
This is considered confidential information and should be attached to the resume after the interview.  All recording will be done on this sheet.  Please do not write on the resume.
________________________________________________________________________
Interview Responses / Comments:

Give us an example of a time when you confronted a negative attitude successfully with the result of building teamwork and morale. 



Key ideas:      

Goal Focus
Concentrate on the issue not the personality
Create Buy-In.

Score:   2/3
Describe a situation in which you had to take immediate action in a crisis situation.
 

Key ideas:

Communication
Focusing on the Clients
Proper Follow-Up
Debriefing
Setting priorities

Score:     3/5

 

Tell us about a time when your organizational and planning skills were instrumental to your success.  What method(s) did you utilize to plan your work activities?
 


Key words:     Setting goals               Tracking progress        Prioritizing Tasks
           
Keeping a to do list     Creating short and long term time frames

9.6 REALISTIC WORK SAMPLE

As a component of the interview, the candidate should be required to complete exercises that demonstrate his/her knowledge, skills and abilities as they relate to the position.  It is very important that any exercises or testing will be directly related to the position and will demonstrate a reliable and valid link between performance on the exercise and/or test and successful performance on the job.

Examples of appropriate work samples may include but are not be limited to:

1. Case studies;
2. Sample report or letter writing;
3. Creating a plan or objective to achieve a specified outcome and/or
4. Role-plays.

10.0 CONDUCTING REFERENCE CHECKS

References provide valuable information about the candidate’s qualifications and work experience.  Checking references for prospective staff or giving references for former staff can result in lawsuits if the data provided, either too positive or too negative, misrepresents the person or his/her performance.  To protect yourself and the Agency, all checks should be conducted using the following guidelines:

• Always obtain consent from the applicant before checking references.  In particular, verify if it is appropriate to contact the candidate’s current employer.
• Check the same number of references for all candidates (at least 3).
• Treat all candidates fairly and consistently.
• Only ask for information that is relevant to the candidate’s skills and qualifications for the position.
• Ensure that all references are individuals who have recently worked or are currently working, with the candidate in a professional capacity and who are not relatives or friends.
• When checking references look for consistency in the evaluations provided.  When more than one reference indicates that the applicant has a specific strength or weakness, then the information can be considered valuable.
• Protect the confidentiality of the process and the privacy of the applicant, whenever possible, by sharing only the information needed to secure the reference.
• Keep your reference check brief.

 



10.1 TELEPHONE REFERENCE CHECK FORM

Date: _______________________
Conducted by: _______________________
Name of applicant: ___________________
Name of reference: ___________________
Company: __________________________
Telephone: __________________________

______________________ has applied for employment as a ___________________
with St. Leonard’s Community Services and I would appreciate a few minutes of your time to verify some information given to us.  Your response will be kept strictly confidential.
 
When did he/she work for your company?  Or How long has he/she been employed by your company?

From ______________________  To ________________________

What was his/her position?

What was/is the attendance and punctuality record of _____________ while in your employment?

Could you briefly outline strengths that this staff member displayed/displays in his/her employment with you?

What was ________’s ability to work under pressure or handle stress?

Can you describe __________’s experience working as a member of a team?

Could you briefly outline an area where _______________ may have been lacking as a staff member?

What was _____________’s reason for leaving your employment?

If the opportunity arose would you rehire this individual?

I would appreciate any additional comments that would help us make an accurate assessment of __________________’s abilities to successfully perform as ________________ in our Agency.




11.0 POST INTERVIEW PROCESS/MAKING YOUR DECISION

After the interview process and telephone reference checks have been completed, it is time to select the most suitable candidate to fill the job vacancy.

This is the most important decision during the hiring process and should not be rushed.  If additional questions require answers, a second interview should be arranged.  A wrong hire can be costly to the Agency.

It is unfair to hire a person who is unqualified for the position.  This could be a detriment to the Agency and its clients, plus it is difficult for the person being placed into a position they are not qualified to fill.

The applicant who most closely meets or possesses the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the position should be the first choice for the job.  An applicant’s past education, experience and performance is often a good predictor of future performance and behaviour.

The interview scores provide a valuable tool when making this decision, however it is also helpful to consider the comments from the reference checks.  The realistic work samples should also be scored and factored into the decision.

12.0 MAKING A JOB OFFER

Once a suitable candidate has been selected, an offer of employment will be made upon approval from the Service Director, by the Human Resources Administrator, respective Service Director or Manager.  Successful candidates should be contacted by telephone and offered the position subject to the conditions listed below. 

If the position is accepted, the candidate will be asked to pick up the required forms that need to be completed as a condition of employment.  These forms can be picked up at his/her home department.  The candidate will be instructed to call the Human Resources Administrator once they have completed all required documentation (i.e., medical exam, proof of immunization, police clearance/vulnerable sector query), to receive the letter of hire and sign an acceptance of employment form (see HR Appendix 6).  This meeting must occur before the staff member begins to work within the program. 

This creates the employment contract and will occur prior to employment, to ensure the terms and conditions in the letter are legally enforceable.

During this orientation meeting with the Human Resources Administrator, the start date for the staff member will be arranged and the completed documentation for the Human Resources file will be submitted.  Additional documents needed for the orientation meeting include a void cheque, valid Driver’s Licence, proof of liability insurance, First Aid/CPR certificate, Social Insurance Card, record of education and any other relevant documentation.

All offers of employment are subject to the following conditions:

1. Prospective staff must attend for a medical examination, receive a written favourable assessment from a physician including proof of immunizations and return the Medical Examination Form completed, to the satisfaction of the Agency;
2. Prospective staff must obtain a current Police Clearance Certificate and Vulnerable Sector Query from his/her local Police Service and the information contained therein must be acceptable to the Agency;
3. Prospective staff must provide verification of education, i.e.) diplomas or degrees;
4. Prospective staff must complete a Staff Orientation Checklist and the documents noted therein must be reviewed by the staff prior to being appointed to permanent status;
5. Prospective staff must submit documentation verifying valid certification in CPR and First Aid either at the time of hire or within the first 3 months of employment with the Agency;
6. 6)  Prospective staff must possess a valid driver’s licence and provide proof of $1 million liability insurance and report any changes to the status of his/her licence to the Agency immediately.

12.1 CONTACTING UNSUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWEES

All candidates who are interviewed but not hired will be notified as soon as possible by telephone as to the reasons they were not hired.  This may provide the candidate with constructive feedback for future interviews and job searches.

13.0 RETURNING RESUMES TO THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT

Upon completion of the recruitment and selection process, all resumes, applications and interview score sheets will be forwarded to the Human Resources Administrator.  Unsuccessful applicants will be kept on file for 6 months for possible future consideration. 

As a professional courtesy, a letter of rejection is sent to all unsuccessful candidates who were interviewed.  Therefore, it is important that resumes be returned to the Human Resources Administrator within one week of the decision date. 

14.0 NEW STAFF ORIENTATION

The Agency provides a comprehensive orientation upon hire, which includes a 3-day session focusing on the Agency’s mission and services.  This includes training in the use of the Client Service Model, CANS Assessments and Staff Supervision Model.

Scheduling for this orientation is done by the Human Resources Administrator.  Attendance is mandatory.  Service Directors and Managers are notified in advance of those scheduled to attend.  If a conflict arises, the Human Resources Administrator will be notified promptly so that other arrangements can be made.

New staff orientation also involves a review of the Job Description, Human Resources Policies and Procedures, Departmental Staff Handbook, Emergency Response Policy, Agency Policies and Procedures Manual and, where applicable, an on-site departmental review of the principles of residential treatment, methods of responding to specific health needs, method of responding to crisis situations, behaviour management and discipline, legal liabilities and responsibilities (child abuse reporting, serious occurrence reporting, injury to child, confidentiality and physical restraints), creating and maintaining a therapeutic milieu, methods of preventing injury and multi-disciplinary process.

At the completion of orientation, each staff will sign a Staff Orientation Checklist, which will be placed in the staff’s file.  This form is found in the Agency Human Resources Policy (HR Appendix 9).

All staff having direct contact with clients are required to possess current certification in First Aid, Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Prevention and Management of Aggressive Behaviour (PMAB) training.  New staff without current PMAB certification are required to complete a two day training session, which is scheduled by the Human Resources Administrator.  Annual recertification is required thereafter.  Until PMAB certified, new staff cannot work without a certified staff on shift and they are not permitted to perform physical restraints. 

14.1 PRIOR TO STARTING

The following is a list of documents and training that must be completed, obtained or reviewed prior to a new staff starting employment.

PRIOR TO STARTING ORIENTATION SHIFTS

• Application Form.
• Resume.
• Letter of Hire.
• Job Description.
• Written acceptance of the terms and conditions in the letter of employment (Appendix 6).
• Police Clearance Certificate/Vulnerable Sector Query.
• Medical Examination Form.
• Proof of immunizations.
• Driver’s Licence.
• Proof of $1 million liability insurance.
• Verification of education.

PRIOR TO STARTING ACTIVE SHIFT DUTY

• Staff Orientation Checklist and Departmental Orientation Form.
• WHMIS Training.
• WHMIS Training Acknowledgement Form.
• Emergency Response Policy.
• Fire Safety Plan.
• Staff Handbook.
• Client Handbook.
• Agency Policies & Procedures Manual.

WITHIN THE PROBATIONARY PERIOD

• First Aid & CPR Training.
• PMAB Training.
• New Staff Agency Orientation

Note:  Staff who do not have First Aid/CPR and PMAB training are not permitted to work without a certified staff on shift or perform restraints until training is received

14.2 AGENCY ORIENTATION CHECKLIST

Agency Orientation should include a review and understanding of the following:

• Job Description.
• Service Directory.
• Staff Handbook.
• Emergency Response Policy.
• Agency Policies and Procedures Manual.
• Staff Fund Policy.

The Agency maintains a confidential, current and accurate Human Resources and Payroll file on each staff, volunteer and student.  The following documents are required to complete the Human Resources File Inventory Checklist:

Human Resources File:

• Resume.
• Application.
• Reference Checks (3).
• Letter of Hire.
• Letter of Acceptance.
• Job Description.
• Medical Examination Form.
• Proof of immunizations.
• Police Clearance Certificate and Vulnerable Sector Query.
• Departmental Orientation Checklist.
• Staff Orientation Checklist.
• WHMIS Training and Acknowledgement Form.
• Driver’s Licence.
• Proof of Liability Insurance.
• Agreement to Work Excess Hours.
• Record of Education.
• First Aid/CPR Certificate.
• Emergency Response Information Form.

Payroll File:

• TD1 Form.
• Staff Fund Deduction Acknowledgement Form.
• Void Cheque.

Application Form

HRManual