Blake Sample
11/29/2006 3:25:26 PM
Staffing Call Center Combo Interview |
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Preparation:
- Review the application form
- Review the test results
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STEP 1: Open the InterviewHello, my name is ____________ and I'm
the _____________ (your position). We're pleased that you are interested
in this position. The purpose of this interview is to learn more about you
and your work experiences. I will be asking you some questions about your
previous experience, how you approach certain things, etc. You will
probably see me jotting down some notes -- that's to help me remember
better what you said after the interview is over. There are no correct or
incorrect answers; what we want is to learn more about you. At the end,
I'll leave some time to answer any questions you might have. If you are
ready, we can begin. |
STEP 2: Review the Application and Investigate Potential Problem
Areas
| ___All blanks completed? |
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___Employment gaps? |
| ___Application signed? |
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___Extremely high or low earnings? |
| ___Several jobs in the last 2 years? |
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___Earnings show progress? |
| ___Vague reasons for leaving job(s)? |
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___Can complete all essential
functions? |
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Example Questions:I see that you were unemployed from
_____to _____. Please tell me about this period of unemployment.
I see that you left your previous employer for personal reasons. Would
you explain further?
I noticed that you have changed jobs frequently in the recent past.
Why? |
STEP 3: Review Test Flags and Begin In-depth QuestionsWhile
asking the following interview questions, be sure to listen and probe in
the following areas:
- Low Social Comfort
- Low Assertiveness
- Low Multi-tasking
- Low Acceptance of Diversity
1.
Tell me about your responsibilities in your previous (or current) job.
Which did you like most and why? Also, which did you like the least and
why? (Listen for relevant work experience, likes and dislikes that may
or may not fit this job.) |
2. Have
you ever worked or volunteered in a position where you sold products or
provided services over the telephone? How did you like it? How successful
were you? (Probe for sales drive, positive competitiveness to be the
best.) |
3. How
would you describe yourself as an employee? What are your strengths? What
things do you think you might need to improve? (Listen for work ethic,
interpersonal skills, a willingness to influence others.) |
4. What
type of people do you like best? And least? Why? (Listen for openness
and a lack of prejudice.) |
5. What
type of supervisor do you like best? Why? (Listen for a willingness to
be supervised.) |
6. In
previous jobs how was your performance measured? What do you think would
be a good measure of your performance in this job? (Listen for a focus
on measurable results.) |
7.
Think of a company that you feel provides good customer service. What is
it about this company that makes you think of them? (Listen for service
knowledge, values.) |
8. Tell
me about a time when someone failed to provide good service to you. Give
me examples of what the person did poorly. How could he/she have improved?
(Listen for service knowledge, values.) |
9. What
do you think is most important in helping a customer decide to buy your
product or service? (Listen for sales knowledge, values, the ability to
influence others.) |
10.
What would you do if a customer did not want to buy your product or
service? (Listen for an ability to recover from rejection, flexibility
in approach.) |
11.
Sooner or later, we all have to work with a customer who is unreasonable.
What types of behavior would you find most frustrating? How would you
respond under such a circumstance? (Listen for openness, tact and
ability to handle difficult people.) |
12.
Tell me about a time when you were asked to do a task you knew nothing
about or a time when you had to solve an extremely difficult problem.
(Listen for self-reliance and personal responsibility for achieving
results.)
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If you are still concerned about the Performance Flag areas, here
are some additional questions to ask:Low Social
Comfort: In your previous jobs, were you required to work with the
general public? Have you had any other experience in being social with
strangers or casual acquaintances? What do you like and dislike about
these situations? (Listen for an interest in and an ability to interact
with people in casual
encounters.)
Low
Assertiveness: In previous sales jobs, how did you overcome
customer objections to influence them to buy your product? Please give
several specific examples. If you have not had a sales job in the past,
please describe other situations in which you persuaded people to do what
you wanted them to do. (Listen for how well he/she is able to control the
conversation with a customer. Also, observe his/her ability to be
persuasive with you during the
interview.)
Low
Multi-tasking: What type of work do you like? Do you like variety
or consistency? Would you rather focus on one task or do several at the
same time? (Listen for a dislike for or an inability to
multi-task.)
Low Acceptance
of Diversity: What types of co-workers do you like? What kind do
you dislike? Describe situations in which you have provided service or
done things for other people. What did you do? How did they respond? Are
there some types of people you do not like to serve (help)? Why? (Listen
for prejudices or biases that may influence how he/she would behave with
co-workers and others on the
job.)
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