Young People s Guide to Interviewing

Transcription

1 Young People s Guide to Interviewing Finding the right person to work with children and young people is very important to us. That s why we want you to help us interview candidates... so that we recruit the right person for the job!

2 What does it involve? The purpose of an interview is to find out more about the people you are interviewing and most importantly, find out if they are suitable for the job. As part of the young person s interview panel, you will put together a set of questions and interview a number of candidates. A main interview panel of professionals will also take place and you, together with the adult interview panel, will make a final decision on who is the most suitable candidate. Any job role that involves working with or making decisions about children and young people should involve a young person s interview panel. You could interview candidates for the role of Social Worker, Youth Worker, Teacher, or even the Director of Children s Services. What s in it for you? You add a valuable perspective to the interview process; you may notice something that we don t! Being on the other side of the interview table will help you prepare for your own interviews in the future. You can be provided with a reference on request. You are able to influence services which affect you. You have your voice and recommendations are heard by professionals and decision makers. You are actively involved in choosing the most suitable person for the job. You have the opportunity to gain a range of experience and skills which will enhance your CV.

3 The Recruitment Process 1 Identify a vacancy A new job is created or a person leaves. 2 Produce a job description and person specification The job description explains the roles and responsibilities and the person specification describes qualities the candidates should have for the role. 3 Produce an advert This is so people know that the job is available. 4 Application forms are returned 5 Shortlisting Choosing who you will invite for an interview. 6 Interview This is your opportunity to find out more about the candidates. 7 Decision After interviews, a decision is made on who gets the job. 8 Job offer The successful candidate gets offered the job References and checks Asking previous professionals if the candidate is suitable. New employee appointed!

4 Before the interviews... Questions On the day of interviews, you ll have some time to put together the questions you will be asking each candidate. Interview questions help you find out how the candidate can meet the qualities in the person specification. Each candidate should be asked the same questions. Things that will help you put together your questions: Read the job description this will help you understand the role you are recruiting for. Think about what you would like to know about the candidate what qualities are important for them to have in the job role. Look at the questions to main interview panel will be asking this is so you don t ask the same questions, but it may also give you a few ideas Open and closed questions Open questions start with how, why, what, tell me... and have open answers, meaning the person answering the question isn t limited in what they can say. These questions are better to use as they get the candidate talking and the candidate has more freedom in their answer. Closed questions have 2 answers, yes and no. These questions are not as useful in getting all the information you need from a candidate. Closed questions are good if you need a specific answer, Are you ready to begin?. Examples Open: What qualities do you think are important for a person working with young people? Closed: Do you like working with young people?

5 Laws It s very important for you to understand the laws we have to follow when recruiting. Equalities Act 2010 The Equalities Act 2010 protects candidates from discrimination. When recruiting, all interview panel members are not allowed to discriminate against any candidate or worker because of their: Age Gender Disability Marital status Pregnancy Ethnicity Religion Sexual Orientation These are called protected characteristics. You re also not allowed to discriminate against any perceived protected characteristics. Data Protection Act 1998 You ll be given lots of information on the candidates you will interview, and it s important that you do not pass on any of the candidate s personal information. This includes things such as: Name Contact details (address, phone number, address) Information on the candidate s application form, such as their academic achievements and employment history If you know one of the candidates you will be interviewing, it s important that you tell us, as it may not be appropriate for you to sit on the interview panel. This is to ensure all candidates are treated equally. Remember: anything said in the interview room about the candidates stays in the interview room.

6 During the interviews... Do Introduce yourself, and shake hands if that feels appropriate Offer the candidate a glass of water Listen and take an interest in what the candidate is saying (after all, they will be answering your questions) Treat each candidate equally Offer to repeat questions if needed Respect the candidate Speak clearly Be polite and respectful Make notes on each candidate (candidates can ask to see your notes so make sure they are clear and appropriate) Be yourself Don t Make judgements on appearance Look bored or uninterested Talk when the candidate is talking Use your mobile phone Say anything inappropriate to the candidate Evaluating It is important that you evaluate each interview in some way. You should make notes on what you like or dislike about each candidate, and why. You may find it useful to rate each candidate, so that you can compare their strengths and weaknesses. You could rate each question, and add up the numbers to get an overall score for the interview.

7 After the interviews... After you have interviewed all candidates, you ll have the opportunity to express your opinion on which candidate(s) you think were the strongest. You should have the opportunity to meet with the main interview panel and compare you thoughts on the candidates (which is why you should make clear, details notes!). You, together with the main interview panel, will come to a decision on which candidate you think is the most suitable for the job. Make sure you voice your opinion when discussing candidates with the main interview panel, we want to know what you think! Once you ve made a decision on which candidate to appoint, the main interview panel will have the unpleasant job of informing the unsuccessful candidates that they have not got the job. Many candidates who have been unsuccessful ask for feedback on their interview (which again is why you should make clear and detailed notes!). Candidates will be very interested to hear your feedback, so make sure it is constructive so that they can look to improve for future interviews. Tip: You should ask for feedback too! You can ask the professionals supporting you how they thought you did. Being on an interview panel is fun, but challenging, and it s great experience. You never know, the professionals supporting you may provide you with a reference for when you re looking for jobs, or applying for higher education.

8 If you have any questions, or would like any more information on taking part in interview panels, please contact Speak Up, York Children s Rights and Advocacy Service: showmethatimatter@york.gov.uk