management-gaf: I have to interview someone tomorrow. Advice please...

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

AlimNassor

Banned
never done one before, and was never planning too either as we aren't supposed to interview people. But, since the manager above me was fired and we have a lot of interviews I was 'volunteered" to do an interview, not to hire, but to interview. First off, I'm socially awkward, and I have no idea how to give one. When i got promoted I was basically given a real quick crash course, and then the guy i was replacing quit.

I don't have any experience with this, or really leading anyone. I basically work alone, I have 1 other guy in my department but he barely speaks english and only works late and is rarely ever on the floor. I'm so nervous, I'm in a panic. I'm going to fuck this up I know I will. I'm bad at interviews and talking to people.

Got advice for me?
 
Ask them where they see themself in 5 years. That will determine if they're worth hiring.
 
Bronetta said:
Ask them where they see themself in 5 years. That will determine if they're worth hiring.
Click to expand...

This is retail. I have no say in whether i get to hire them oor not. All i got to do is ask questions and rate them, and the if they get a certain score a salaried manager will start the second round and then decide to hire them.
 
VaultBoy101 said:
Would be crazy if it turns out to be the lady who was a bitch to you yesterday.
Click to expand...

"So did I get the job or what?"

"Well actually I don't do the hiring, but let me direct you to the person that does."

"I don't believe you, you're lying."
 
I've been in so many interviews the past three weeks but the whole gist of interviews have been, first, you introduce yourself and the managers. Then, inform the applicant what the job is about and the details. Then, you start asking the applicant questions and then ask the applicant for any questions. Be pleasant with a professional demeanor, I'm sure you'll do fine.
 
kirblar said:
"Why do you want to work here?"

If they say it's their lifelong dream, just give them the stinkeye the rest of the time for being a terrible liar.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't really want a try-hard. I know management wants brain dead suck ups, but, we already got too many mindless drones who bend over for management, and thats why our managers can walk all over everyone. I won't pass anyone who can't think for themselves.
 
Ok, it's a retail position, so they should be good with people. They need to be good with all kinds of people. If they can make even you, with apparently really bad social anxiety, comfortable in the conversation then they are probably a good fit and you should hire them.
 
AlimNassor said:
never done one before, and was never planning too either as we aren't supposed to interview people. But, since the manager above me was fired and we have a lot of interviews I was 'volunteered" to do an interview, not to hire, but to interview. First off, I'm socially awkward, and I have no idea how to give one. When i got promoted I was basically given a real quick crash course, and then the guy i was replacing quit.

I don't have any experience with this, or really leading anyone. I basically work alone, I have 1 other guy in my department but he barely speaks english and only works late and is rarely ever on the floor. I'm so nervous, I'm in a panic. I'm going to fuck this up I know I will. I'm bad at interviews and talking to people.

Got advice for me?
Click to expand...

how can you say you're socially awkward when you reveal so much of yourself in this forum? pretend you're talking to a Gaffer when you do the interviews.
 
Don't be nervous. You are not the one who is interviewing for the job, so there's really no risk at all for you.

Aside from that, though, it would be good to compile a list of questions you'd like to ask beforehand.
 
Wait, this is at walmart yes?

Edit: it is, as long as they seem normal, competent and don't try to murder you it should be ok
 
evil solrac v3.0 said:
how can you say you're socially awkward when you reveal so much of yourself in this forum? pretend you're talking to a Gaffer when you do the interviews.
Click to expand...

it's easy to talk online...it's just in person. I loathe social interactions, but, I've gotten good at pretending I'm normal. I just be professionalish.
 
AlimNassor said:
never done one before, and was never planning too either as we aren't supposed to interview people. But, since the manager above me was fired and we have a lot of interviews I was 'volunteered" to do an interview, not to hire, but to interview. First off, I'm socially awkward, and I have no idea how to give one. When i got promoted I was basically given a real quick crash course, and then the guy i was replacing quit.

I don't have any experience with this, or really leading anyone. I basically work alone, I have 1 other guy in my department but he barely speaks english and only works late and is rarely ever on the floor. I'm so nervous, I'm in a panic. I'm going to fuck this up I know I will. I'm bad at interviews and talking to people.

Got advice for me?
Click to expand...

The interviewee will be just as nervous, or more. And he/she is the one that has the need to impress, not you.

Prepare yourself for the interview by writing down a list of questions you want to ask. Make it so they can work in logical order and move the conversation from one topic to the next. Also, be prepared to answer a few questions about the company and the job, so write down the basic facts about it as well.

If it helps you, take notes as the interviewee is talking, but be sure to stay engaged on the conversation and not seem distracted by it. You will be perfectly fine, hope the candidate works out for you.
 
Norante said:
The interviewee will be just as nervous, or more. And he/she is the one that has the need to impress, not you.

Prepare yourself for the interview by writing down a list of questions you want to ask. Make it so they can work in logical order and move the conversation from one topic to the next. Also, be prepared to answer a few questions about the company and the job, so write down the basic facts about it as well.

If it helps you, take notes as the interviewee is talking, but be sure to stay engaged on the conversation and not seem distracted by it. You will be perfectly fine, hope the candidate works out for you.
Click to expand...

I have no idea if the person is going to be in my department. management hasn't said anything, and since my department is the one management hates it's unlikely I'll ever get someone here. They'd rather just have someone from electronics zone the place when I'm not around.
 
Ask them about past experiences. Make them be specific. Don't let them answer with "I would normally" or vague generalities. Look up "targeted selection interview".
 
Chibits12 said:
I've been in so many interviews the past three weeks but the whole gist of interviews have been, first, you introduce yourself and the managers. Then, inform the applicant what the job is about and the details. Then, you start asking the applicant questions and then ask the applicant for any questions. Be pleasant with a professional demeanor, I'm sure you'll do fine.
Click to expand...
I like to twist the bolded part so that the applicant tells me what he (or she, but I will use "he" for simplicity; don't be offended, please) thinks the job is about. If the applicant doesn't know, then clearly he clearly failed to do his research and shouldn't get the job. After you get an answer, then, all you need to do is add some details.

If the applicant is experienced, you can also create a hypothetical, but realistic situation and ask him how he would handle it. For example, you can ask him what he would do if a customer asks him for help after he's off the clock. Then you gauge whether or not you like his answer.
 
Bronetta said:
Ask them where they see themself in 5 years. That will determine if they're worth hiring.
Click to expand...

If the person says, "Me celebratin' the five year anniversary of you asking me this question", high five them and go to the snack machine and push the HH button.
 
My philosophy when interviewing people (I have hired 15 - 20 positions before)

1.) Listen - This is the hardest thing. It is tempting to write out your questions and then just read them from your list. You get so caught up in your role as an interviewer that you forget to really listen.

2.) Make it a conversation - This is tied in to step 1. If you are listening to them, their answers will prompt questions that you did not prepare ahead of time. If you cannot have a conversation with this person that flows in a somewhat natural way, you may not be a good fit working together and you probably should not hire them. At the same time, give them a bit of slack to be nervous.

3.) Give them a chance to ask you questions. If they say "well, I don't really have any questions" then they probably are not a good hire.

4.) Explain what you are looking for right at the start. If you cannot define what you are looking for in the position in a clear and articulate way, get busy between now and interview time. If you cannot explain what you want, you cannot possibly hire the right person. It doesn't need to be specific skill sets for this type of job, but more generally the type of person you are looking for.
 
Try and make them relaxed and comfortable so they let down their guard and you can see what kind of person they really are.

Not really about their qualifications and more trying to figure out if they're a fit with your team.

Should probably note that our hiring process is 2 interviews. The first is to figure out if you actually can do what your resume said and the second interview is to figure out if you're a jerk.
 
nateeasy said:
Avoid stupid generic interview questions. Ask shit relevant to the job.
Click to expand...

i have a list of questions I gotta ask, and they're all generic. Though they are relevant to the job in general, i.e. customer service questions. Basically I gotta rate their replies, 1-5, if they get a 1 on anything they're pretty much automatically rejected.
 
Also, don't be nervous. It's supposed to be the other way around, with an interview. You'll know if you have a good or bad interview right away.

I worked at WM and for my interview, the question was "why do you want to work here?" My answer was "because I don't want to work at McDonald's any more." I got hired. I also worked overnight with people who drank cleaning products in an attempt to get high. Some bad ones will slip through, but that's not for you to decide. Just mark it bad if they seem sketchy or dangerous, and imagine them all in their underwear.
 
AlimNassor said:
i have a list of questions I gotta ask, and they're all generic. Though they are relevant to the job in general, i.e. customer service questions. Basically I gotta rate their replies, 1-5, if they get a 1 on anything they're pretty much automatically rejected.
Click to expand...
If you *have* to ask those, use them in a way to spark a conversation. I've given interviews many times (no formal training, just based on my own experience) , and if I can't turn the questions in a conversation, I find it pretty telling about the other person and how he would be on the job.

And honestly, giving interviews are a great experience. I became a great interviewee after being an interviewer. Make the most of it!
 
Geezus, I've know about being nervous when you are going to be interviewed but being nervous to interview someone, what the hell? You are under no pressure OP, they need the job, in their eyes you are god. There is literally nothing you can do to screw anything up, you don't even have to listen to them as long as they look and sound competent pass them on to the person who will be doing the real deciding.

Seriously, how are you nervous?
 
Just ask them about their previous jobs, what the biggest challenges they've faced are, and how they handled them. Basically just ask questions that would give you an idea of how they would perform on the job.

And don't act nervous, that'll look really bad lol
 
AlimNassor said:
never done one before, and was never planning too either as we aren't supposed to interview people. But, since the manager above me was fired and we have a lot of interviews I was 'volunteered" to do an interview, not to hire, but to interview. First off, I'm socially awkward, and I have no idea how to give one. When i got promoted I was basically given a real quick crash course, and then the guy i was replacing quit.

I don't have any experience with this, or really leading anyone. I basically work alone, I have 1 other guy in my department but he barely speaks english and only works late and is rarely ever on the floor. I'm so nervous, I'm in a panic. I'm going to fuck this up I know I will. I'm bad at interviews and talking to people.

Got advice for me?
Click to expand...

There's no possible way for you to fuck this up since it's not an interview to hire.

From the perspective of the company, the worst case scenario is that you send somebody through that isn't qualified, but the whole reason it's not an interview to hire is that they know that might happen, so no problem. From the perspective of an objective observer, the worst case scenario is that you say no on somebody who would be a great worker, but that basically happens so often that it's also an expected part of the process, and either way nobody will ever know if you do this, so again no problem.

Just practice sitting up straight, smiling, and saying "Hi, I'm X and I do Y. Do you want any water?"
 
foxtrot3d said:
Geezus, I've know about being nervous when you are going to be interviewed but being nervous to interview someone, what the hell? You are under no pressure OP, they need the job, in their eyes you are god. There is literally nothing you can do to screw anything up, you don't even have to listen to them as long as they look and sound competent pass them on to the person who will be doing the real deciding.

Seriously, how are you nervous?
Click to expand...

I don't think I'm a God...nor do I think I'm good for being manager. I get nervous still when ordering food. My anxiety isn't crippling, but, it's still bad and gives me such a feeling of dread.

pigeon said:
There's no possible way for you to fuck this up since it's not an interview to hire.

From the perspective of the company, the worst case scenario is that you send somebody through that isn't qualified, but the whole reason it's not an interview to hire is that they know that might happen, so no problem. From the perspective of an objective observer, the worst case scenario is that you say no on somebody who would be a great worker, but that basically happens so often that it's also an expected part of the process, and either way nobody will ever know if you do this, so again no problem.

Just practice sitting up straight, smiling, and saying "Hi, I'm X and I do Y. Do you want any water?"
Click to expand...

yeah, but, i want to do a good job. I'm under a ton of pressure right now and if i ever want to move up I gotta impress.
 
AlimNassor said:
never done one before, and was never planning too either as we aren't supposed to interview people. But, since the manager above me was fired and we have a lot of interviews I was 'volunteered" to do an interview, not to hire, but to interview. First off, I'm socially awkward, and I have no idea how to give one. When i got promoted I was basically given a real quick crash course, and then the guy i was replacing quit.

I don't have any experience with this, or really leading anyone. I basically work alone, I have 1 other guy in my department but he barely speaks english and only works late and is rarely ever on the floor. I'm so nervous, I'm in a panic. I'm going to fuck this up I know I will. I'm bad at interviews and talking to people.

Got advice for me?
Click to expand...

Hey man, no worries! Remember they are in the worse spot. Ask them to explain their resume, Google BDI questions (behavioral interview questions) and then ask the candidate what they do for fun, what's their favorite book and why, etc.
 
AlimNassor said:
I don't think I'm a God...nor do I think I'm good for being manager. I get nervous still when ordering food. My anxiety isn't crippling, but, it's still bad and gives me such a feeling of dread.



yeah, but, i want to do a good job. I'm under a ton of pressure right now and if i ever want to move up I gotta impress.
Click to expand...

But there is no possible way to fuck up, you aren't responsible for hiring them you merely have to grade their responses on a 1-5 scale. Hell, you could make it all up and it wouldn't make a difference unless you gave straight 5's to a crazy person. You cannot screw up in anyway and you have all the power, calm down. I'm almost starting to feel bad for the people who have to get interviewed by you.
 
AlimNassor said:
I don't think I'm a God...nor do I think I'm good for being manager. I get nervous still when ordering food. My anxiety isn't crippling, but, it's still bad and gives me such a feeling of dread.

yeah, but, i want to do a good job. I'm under a ton of pressure right now and if i ever want to move up I gotta impress.
Click to expand...

No, you're not a god. You're just trying to figure out if somebody fits with your team and can do their job. I wouldn't worry about it. Higher ups should know that you can't figure out how a person will work out when you only have an extremely short period of with them. At best, it's an educated guess.
 
Although cheesy I usually found the roll playing type questions best when hiring people. Stuff like "what would you do in this situation" "how would you handle this if it happened to you" etc that kind of stuff. Since they will be dealing with the public always good to know their thoughts.
 
Think of a scenario that would occur during their work and ask them what they would do if confronted with some sort of problem.

Just be personable and set your expectations up front. Then hold a conversation - ask the questions and follow up with some more questions or thoughts as he/she responds.
 
Each time they answer one of your questions, silently raise an eyebrow, write something down in a notebook, then move on to the next question.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Anyone have experience with Snapdragon X laptops? Need advice lol.
3
251
Puscifer replied
Issue with management (Advice Needed)
Opinion Drama Community 
39
3K
GeekyDad replied
  • Locked
Pi (crypto) is launching tomorrow 20/02/2025
14
1K
Darchaos replied
I have to go for a mammogram next week.
Social Drama 
21
2K
DownLikeBCPowder replied
Humanity has peaked and I have proof
2
63
3K
Days like these... replied
Top Bottom