Introduction
If I were in charge of organizing the interview process for a number of candidates for a role of a customer support representative at an insurance company, I would advocate for the incorporation of video screening and departmental interviews. However, choosing the right type of interview is not enough to prepare sufficiently for the interview process. The purpose of this essay is to examine the benefits of selected interview styles, determine the main components of an efficient interviewer training program, and develop the most appropriate questions for all of the stages of the interview.
Recommendations Regarding the Interview Type
Video screening is essentially a live online conference between an employer and a chosen applicant (Husain et al., 2019). This type of interview would allow the company to establish continued interest in a prospective candidate in order to refer them to an in-depth departmental stage of the hiring process (Arthur, 2012). In addition, the purpose of such interviews is to determine whether a job applicant meets the specifications of the role of a customer support representative. The benefits of this type of interview include cost- and time-efficiency, opportunities to develop standardized screening it provides, as well as its convenience as a safe tool to conduct interviews during a pandemic. Apart from reducing costs and consuming less time, video screening demonstrates to applicants that the insurance company takes advantage of technologies. Additionally, it fosters collaboration in the customer service department as different members of the team can view the video recordings and provide their insightful comments on the candidates.
After the initial stage of video screening conferences via Zoom, Skype, or other applications, the candidates would go on to participate in departmental interviews. The main purpose of such interviews is to determine whether a prospective customer support representative can do their job within the department (Arthur, 2012). It is crucial for an applicant to meet the team they would potentially be working with, and vice versa. This allows employers to get to know the candidate on a more personal level and ask a variety of specific and scenario-driven questions instead of fixating on general questions related to education and qualifications. Another benefit of departmental interviews is the opportunity it provides to invite the candidates who may not necessarily meet the requirements but are eager to learn. Heads of the department can deliberate with their subordinates in order to conduct interviews with those who have the potential of working efficiently within the team.
Interviewer Training
For a human resource manager, it is important to recognize the significance of interviewer training programs. Interviewers need to possess a certain set of skills, which ensures that the process of hiring new employees is efficient. They must display excellence in communication, planning, as well as utilization of appropriate types of questions throughout the interview. In addition, they have to be able to follow time-scheduling guidelines, limit the number of interruptions and distractions during the interview, and ensure candidates do not give vague responses.
Well-structured training can ensure that interviewers can master all of the aforementioned skills. First, such programs should consist of a variety of theoretical blocks in order for interviewers to learn more about the preparation process, tools for interpretation of non-verbal communication, as well as post-interview procedures (Osman, 2020). Second, they must include anti-bias seminars in order to ensure interviewers remain professional and do not let their personal views affect the interviewing process. Lastly, shadow interviewing and mock internal interviews are some of the most crucial components of interviewer training (Osman, 2020). All of the aforementioned aspects of the training process should not be neglected as they are essential for interviewers to do their job efficiently.
Questions for the Introductory, Core, and Confirmation Stages
In order to learn more about the candidate’s ability to perform job-specific duties, it is crucial to include a variety of open-ended, hypothetical, and competency-based questions. During the introductory stage, it would be appropriate to ask: “What are your short- and long-term career goals?” Although the position of a customer support representative is often an entry-level one, it is extremely important for the employer to know whether a prospective candidate is interested in and committed to helping customers. This question allows the interviewer to learn more about the applicant’s career aspirations and make predictions as to how productive such an employee will be.
As for the core stage, the first question I find important to ask is, “Have you ever dealt with customer dissatisfaction in your previous position? If yes, how did you manage to ensure that the customer had the most positive experience in the end?” This allows the interviewer to assess the applicant’s behavioral patterns and their ability to deal with stress. The second question should be, “When was the last time you have been a part of an argument with a stranger, and how did you resolve it?” This question provides insights into the applicant’s interpersonal conflict resolution skills, which are crucial in customer support. The confirmation stage should include this question: “Do you have any concerns about our company’s recent actions or policies?” This question demonstrates the applicant’s interest in the company by allowing to examine the research they have done prior to the interview. Additionally, it gives a potential new employee to learn more about the company’s values, objectives, and corporate culture.
Conclusion
Interviewers should be committed to their task of selecting the best candidates for a specific role while ensuring that all of the applicants are comfortable. In order to do that, they have to possess the necessary skills, which is why well-structured training is important. Apart from that, applicants have to be presented with appropriate questions, which would assess their professional competency, interpersonal skills, and behavior.
References
Arthur, D. (2012). Recruiting, interviewing, selecting & orienting new employees (5th ed.). AMACOM.
Husain, A., Li, I., Ardolic, B., Bond, M. C., Shoenberger, J., Shah, K. H., Chung, A. S., Van Dermark, J., Bronner, J. M., White, M., Taylor, T., Cygan, L., Caputo, W., Silver, M., Krauss, W. C., Egan, D. J., & Weizberg, M. (2019). The Standardized video interview: How does it affect the likelihood to invite for a residency interview? AEM Education and Training, 3(3), 226–232.
Osman, O. (2020). Technical recruiting and hiring [eBook]. Holloway. Web.