PAs are often called upon to conduct interviews, but donโt underestimate the importance of proper training โ otherwise you may end up with someone unsuitable
Interviewing skills are fast becoming another string to the PAs bow. As senior secretaries take on more and more management roles, many are expected to interview people to work under their supervision. In addition, many PAs are being asked to interview for completely separate roles within the organisation โ perhaps because the boss simply hasnโt got time.
In large companies they are likely to get training, but in smaller ones this is less certain, according to recruitment agency Crone Corkill. The firm says the results can be awful โ businesses may inadvertently be judgemental, making decisions based on whether someone is wearing the right suit or if they fit in with the company culture, for instance. Itโs not because theyโre not intelligent, but because these mistakes are so easy to make without realising youโre doing it.
Indeed, the โhalo and horns effectโ is so well known that the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) warns about it on its website. The organisation explains that sometimes when a manager is doing a whole day of interviewing, he or she might see someone as being completely hopeless and that makes the next person โ who is perhaps only marginally better โ seem really, really good. Itโs only when they start the job that they realise they were wrong.
There is also a danger of PAs falling into the โsimilar to me effectโ. Interviewers sometimes give preference to candidates they perceive as having a similar background, career history, personality, or attitudes to themselves. This does nothing for diversity in an organisation and companies may in fact need someone in the role who is completely different.
The biggest concern is PAs falling foul of discrimination law. Interviewers sometimes assume that particular characteristics are typical of members of a particular group. In the case of sex, race, disability, marital status, or ex-offenders โ decisions made on this basis are often illegal.
Free training days
Recruitment consultancy Angela Mortimer estimates that 60% of PAs in small and medium sized businesses have never received training on interviewing skills. But thereโs no substitute for training โ and the good news for PAs where the budget has been slashed since the recession is that some recruitment agencies offer courses for free. Meanwhile, in larger organisations, where there is an HR department, PAs can ask for internal training, even informally โ again at no cost.
One of the most important things for PAs to do is ensure the interviewee has a comfortable experience. Make them welcome and remember this is an interview, not an inquisition. Prepare interesting questions to understand what motivates them and give constructive feedback. Interviews are so stressful and this can make a huge difference in getting the best out of them, as well as ensuring they talk positively about your organisation for years to come. The alternative is that your brand may be damaged and every time itโs brought up in conversation, that person will say: โI had a terrible experience with that company.โ
In any case, adds Hays PA & Secretarial, the most talented professionals will be attending many interviews and may receive multiple offers. The recruitment company advises starting with the โgetting to know youโ questions, following onto the more challenging competency-based interview subjects. This is the most widely used interviewing genre and is recognised as an indicator of a candidateโs suitability for a particular role, greatly increasing the odds of a favourable job match. It examines the core and secondary competencies as laid out in the job description, by asking the job seeker to discuss previous, real-life work scenarios, the actions taken and the resulting outcomes.
An example of this could be, โTell me about a time when you had to influence your colleagues… What obstacles did you have to overcomeโ, or โProvide an example where you had to juggle several deadlines… how did you prioritise these?โ Eliminating subjectivity is one of the great advantages of this method and makes for more effective hiring decisions. If the rules are followed, you wonโt form an opinion straight away โ one of the most common failings of the traditional interview.
Two-way interviewing
Tate recruitment consultants agrees that thereโs no substitute for good training. It says that many companies have PAs who know the role so well they are asked to get involved in all interviews of other PA-related roles in the company. They do very well at delving into things like international travel to gain an understanding of the candidateโs skills and knowledge โ but there are a lot of cases where their actual interviewing technique needs tweaking.
In particular, Office Angels advises inviting the candidate to ask questions. Interviewing must be a two-way thing. Just as youโre trying to get a feel for the candidateโs personality, theyโll want to get a sense of the kind of company culture they might be buying into. Be prepared to discuss elements of the business other than the strict confines of the role theyโre interviewing for.
The specialist recruitment company advises questioning a candidateโs resume. While itโs not always the case for the most part, CV writing has become somewhat standardised, with many candidates using the same words and phrases as each other. Asking interviewees to cite examples or demonstrate ways in which they have done the things they say they have can help narrow down those with the most relevant experience.
Notice the basics too. Interviewees will probably have heard all the advice about making eye contact, shaking hands firmly and dressing appropriately. Take notice if they have or havenโt followed through on it as it may give you an intangible but valuable clue about what theyโre like.
Particularly dangerous for PAs is the fact that interviews tend to accrue paper trails, from notes and feedback, to arranging next meetings or sharing documentation. Especially when youโre interviewing several candidates, there is room for these to get out of control, so make sure you document and file all information as accurately and regularly as possible.
