Background

SAR Interview Trio (situation, action, resolution) resulted from a host of educational and training experiences. For instance, I took a seminar in 1995 titled, "Enhancing Your Interviewing Skills." We discussed interviewing techniques during a career development program that I attended in 1996. Its creation is also credited to my learning in a course I took while earning the BA in 1996 called, “Interviewing" in which I learned about STAR (situation, task, action, results). SAR is an adaptation of the STAR model as supported by my other experiences.

1995 Seminar

I also took an AlliedSignal sponsored BE THE BEST communication seminar called, "Enhancing your Interviewing Skills" in 1995. This workshop is designed to prepare individuals to be their best during a performance interview or a job interview. Each participant will learn strategies to:

• Prepare for an interview

• Communicate professionally during an interview

• Answer questions using specific behavioral examples

• Ask appropriate questions during an interview

Close the interview on a positive note.

1996 Course

SAR is not new. Many people use this acronym in triangulating these four elements. However, SAR Interview Trio applies "resolution" rather than "results" and for good reason. SAR Interview Trio doesn't just produce results, it produces resolution. Resolution is a typical term in the performance improvement field. The purpose is to address not just the outcome, but rather the significance of the solution. That is not all. In SAR Interview Trio you can discuss a past experience, but this device is particularly useful in discussing a hypothetical case related to the party involved in the interview process. You can discuss a measurable situation, followed by an observable action, followed by an imaginable resolution.

Once you are fully informed about the needs of the interviewee, you are able to conceive a situation that you might resolve. SAR Interview Trio is a tool that can guide this process.

In my 1996 course paper I described a number of interview types that have been contributory to my development of the SAR Interview Trio. As a result of my experiences and independent study, I have acquired an understanding of the theory, principles, and practical skills essential to the interview process, contributing to my development of this new interview device. During the course I did quite a bit of independent study. I found a similar construct put out by Indiana State University, called "CAR" (circumstance, actions, results), stating, "Behavioral-based interviewing focuses on experiences, behaviors, knowledge, skills, and abilities that are job related. It is premised on the belief that past behavior and performance predicts future behavior and performance. The CAR model of interview preparation provides you with a systematic way to practice and become familiar with behavioral-based interviewing."

Below is a guide to using the Indiana State University CAR system of interviewing:

My own model is called "CAR Analysis," which comprises "conception, application, and realization." Mine is a pretty simple model that can be used a great many ways to work through any project planning, problem solving, or decision making venture.

Interview Styles

Interview styles include the friendly, structured, news, stress, and performance approaches. The “friendly” and “structured” interview styles ask questions concerning situations. An example is, “Briefly tell me about your life experiences.” These may also be to inquire about particular actions that were taken. A “news” interview also asks situational questions, focusing on the individual. A “stress” interview concentrates on actions. Scenario questions are used to assess how well a candidate responds to the unexpected and if he or she can develop an appropriate plan of action quickly. A “performance” interview would concentrate on results. This anatomy of the interview style related to SAR Interview Trio can be broken down as follows:

From this organization it would appear that low keyed interviews concentrate on the individual, asking situation oriented questions. The more stressful, performance oriented interviews concentrate on action oriented and results oriented questions. To use SAR Interview Trio, it may be helpful to understand the tenets of interviewing.

Principles of Interviewing

Interviewing is a communication activity in which organizations and individuals participate. In business, interviews are conducted for employment purposes, to get information, and to give information. There is an interview to gain employment, a periodic evaluation interview, and an exit interview. Interviews may be conducted to learn workers attitudes, working conditions, managerial effectiveness, and worker goals and plans.

Generally, interviews consist of two people - the interviewer and the interviewee. Specific guidelines exist for both. 

The main objectives of the interview process is to:

·         make a positive impression

·         communicate professionally

·         answer questions using specific behavioral examples

·         ask appropriate questions

·         close on a positive note

Tips for a successful interview includes:

·         review the job description/specifications

·         communicate positively and professionally (verbal and written)

·         support your current or previous boss

·         learn about the “big picture”

·         add value

·         dress for the position

·         be politically correct/honest

·         focus on specifics

·         prepare questions

·         say so if you don’t know the answer

·         send a thank you note/letter immediately

The Job Interview

The essence of the job search is to get interviews; to persuade the interviewer that you can meet the organization’s business needs and fit comfortably into the work environment.  Competence, track record, and accomplishments establish this; and must be conveyed at the interview.

In the initial job search, you may meet with an executive search firm, an employment agency, or other outside party (third-party screeners). The informational meeting is likely to be the first interview of the job campaign. This meeting provides the opportunity to gather pertinent information about the target company. The informational meeting can give you a chance to practice interviewing skills. This type of meeting is often held with Personnel or Human Resources representatives, placement directors, employment mangers, or recruiters (inside screeners). Bypassing the screeners may be difficult and risky if they control the door to a position; they can exclude you from consideration.

Finally, the interview with the decision maker arrives. If you have done well with the previous screeners, you will have some positive momentum when you meet the decision maker because favorable evaluations will precede you.

It is increasingly popular for organizations to conduct interviews before a group or panel of interviewers, at once or successively. The purpose is to pool opinions about the candidate and to narrow the field of applicants.  Sequential interviews are also popular. 

Types of Interviews

There are significant differences among interviews with screeners. Objectives differ; knowledge of interviewing techniques differ; and interview structures differ.

The Interview Process

Interviews may be handled in many ways. Some interviewers like to conduct what they call a “stress interview.” The most acceptable interview style is the “friendly” interview. It follows the following steps:

1.       Introduction

2.       Making small talk

3.       Questioning

4.       Describing the job to the applicant

5.       Answering questions

6.       Ending the interview

7.       Evaluation and selection

It is important for you to practice your interviewing skills leading up to the actual interview. Interviewing presents unexpected turns and twists and the interviewee must be prepared for anything. The best remedies are preparation and positive mind set.  There are several training steps that can sharpen your interaction skills:

·         Assess your skills, accomplishments, values, communication style, and research data

·         Study the process and practice answering questions and responding to a situation

·         Observe others interviewing process (video/audio tape, etc.)

·         Practice role-playing or tape yourself for adjustment feedback

Preparation:

·         How you would briefly tell your life story, your work experience, and your current situation

·         Which accomplishments, skills, and strengths your want to highlight

·         How will you answer the toughest, anticipated questions

·         Sort through the research data for the best information to use

In preparation for the interview, it is eminently helpful to have researched the organization. This information helps guide the interview. You can ask questions based on the information you obtained.  Some information to obtain before the interview is:

·         address, telephone number of the company headquarters

·         other locations, branches, divisions

·         nature of the business

·         products, services, etc.

·         names of corporate officers

·         size of staff

·         stock exchange

·         financial information: sales, profitability, efficiency, etc.

·         competitive strength, rank of company in industry

·         biographical information about the officers

·         history of the company

·         potentially critical problems

·         new developments:  products, services, facilities, methods, mergers, acquisitions, etc.

Points of interest and concern are:

·         personal fit

·         corporate culture

·         affirmative action programs

·         opportunities for minorities

·         staff turnover

·         attitude of employees toward company

·         morale in the office, department, division, company as a whole

·         corporate climate

Literature the company supplies to applicants or placement offices sometimes will answer questions in these areas:

·         promotion from within

·         benefits

·         opportunities to further education

·         support for career progress

Other questions are often answered in interviews:

·         communications within the organization

·         organizational chart

·         career paths for specific hiring situations

One question that is usually answered toward the end of the interviewing process:

·         compensation for the specific position under discussion

Every interviewer has a preferred communication style.  There are clues in the interviewer’s opening questions that will often determine how the interview will go.  Specific characteristics identify the interviewers style, which allow you to modify your own style.

Source: DBM 1991

The Unstructured Interview

The unstructured interview is a non-directed interview.  It is casual and geared toward more openness on the part of the candidate.  The interviewer usually outlines the agenda of the meeting; shows interested and empathy toward the candidate; and will begin the interview with general, non-threatening questions.

The traditional unstructured or informal interview, which has no fixed question format or systematic scoring procedure, has been criticized because:

·         It is highly susceptible to distortion and bias.

·         It is highly susceptible to legal attack.

·         It is usually indefensible if legally contested.

·         It may have apparent validity, but no real validity.

·         It is rarely totally job-related and may incorporate personal items that infringe on privacy.

·         It is the most flexible selection technique, thereby being highly inconsistent.

·         There is a tendency for the interviewer to look for qualities he or she prefers, and then to justify the hiring decision based on these qualities.

·         Often the interviewer does not hear about the selection mistakes.

·         There is an unsubstantiated confidence in the traditional interview.

Structured Interview

Structured interviews are the recommended alternative to traditional unstructured or informal interviews.  A structured interview is defined as a series of job-related questions with standardized answers that are consistently applied across all interviews for a particular job.  Structured interviews are constructed, conducted, and scored by a committee of three to six members to try to eliminate individual bias.  The structured format and scoring of structured interviews eliminate the weaknesses inherent in unstructured interviews.  Four types of questions are typically found in structured interviews: 

1.       situational

2.       job knowledge

3.       job sample simulation

4.       worker requirements

The structured interview is conducted according to a predetermined order.  It is carefully designed to elicit maximum data from the candidate with a minimum number of interviewer questions.  The structure will usually follow the example below:

·         Greetings/small talk

·         Introduction

·         Work experience

·         Education

·         Activities and interests

·         Summary of strengths and weaknesses

·         Description of position; candidate questions

·         Close

The trained interviewer conducting a structured interview will be likely to do the following:

·         Ask open-ended questions and focus on past behavior

·         Encourage the candidate to talk 70 - 80 percent of the time

·         Give limited specific information about the job until the candidate’s qualifications have been confirmed

·         Maintain eye contact

·         Be comfortable with silences and wait for the candidate to speak

·         Not ask personal or illegal questions

Legal questions require special attention. A selection interview and a performance interview should be a planned, focused, and contain legal conversation. During a selection interview, the purpose of the discussion is to provide the interviewer with information to evaluate the candidate and to provide the candidate with information to evaluate the position. All parties should be careful to refrain from illegal questions.

Stress Interview

The stress interview (less common these days) can be a frightening experience for the uninitiated candidate.  The interviewer deliberately creates a charged, threatening atmosphere; contradicts or argues with the candidate; changes conversational course without warning; and uses other techniques to create tension in the candidate.  One or more “scenario” questions may be asked:  “What would you do if .... ?” is a common opening to this type of question.  Scenario questions are used to assess how well a candidate responds to the unexpected and if he or she can develop an appropriate plan of action quickly. In general, stress interviews solicit the probing what, when, who, how, why, and where questions.

The interviewer who chooses to conduct a stress interview is rarely a trained interviewer.  They are likely to be the decision maker, however, who wants to ascertain how the candidate handles stress.  (The stress interviewer may also be the stress boss!)

Panel Interviews, Multiple Interviews, and Presentations

In a group or panel interview, you should try to pace yourself and relax for a moment or two between interviews.  Then, concentrate on viewing each new interviewer as the decision maker or most important person you’ll be meeting, and focus on style adaptation, active listening, and thoughtful responses for that individual.

Tips for the Interviewee:

·         Try to recognize the type of interview quickly and respond accordingly.

·         Listen carefully to every question to be sure you understand it before answering. Rephrase and request clarification if needed.

·         Maintain external calm in a stress interview or when you are asked inappropriate questions.

·         The more embarrassing or sensitive the question is, the shorter your answer should be.

·         Stop after answering a question. Don’t elaborate or ramble.

·         If asked behavioral (“what if”) questions, take time to think before answering.

·         Try to get the interviewer to talk; ask questions (take control).

·         If specific job criteria is explained early, gear your responses to meet those criteria.

To control the interview, it is helpful to ask the following sample interview questions:

1.       How is this position open?

2.       How often has it been filled in the past 5 to 10 years?

3.       What have been the primary reasons for persons leaving?

4.       Why did the person who held this position most recently leave?

5.       What would you like done differently by the next person who fills this job?

6.       What would you like done differently by the next person who fills this job?

7.       What are some of the objectives you would like accomplished in this job?

8.       What is most pressing?  What needs to be accomplished in the next 2 -3 months?

9.       What freedom would I have in determining my work objectives, deadlines, and methods of measurement?

10.   What kind of support does this position receive in terms of people and finances?

11.   What are some of the more difficult problems facing someone in this position?  How do you think these could be handled?

12.   Where could a person go who is successful in this position and within what time frame?

13.   In what ways has this organization been most successful in terms of products and services over the years?

14.   What significant changes do you foresee in the near future?

15.   How is one judged? What accounts for success?

16.   What are the most critical factors for success in your business?

17.   Where do you see the company (or function) going in the next few years?

18.   How would you describe your own management style?

19.   What are the most important traits you look for in a subordinate?

20.   How do you like your people to communicate with you?  (Orally, in writing, informally, in meetings, only when necessary?)

Managing Your Image

First impressions are important and long-lasting.  You should carefully plan how you want to be perceived.  Some critical factors to consider are:

·     Physical presence.  Pay attention to your grooming and hygiene.  Express your energy and fitness.  Assume a posture that is neither too rigid or too sloppy.  Lean forward.  Avoid fidgeting, smoking, chewing gum, wearing sunglasses, etc.  Leave coats and luggage outside.

·     Manner of speaking.  Make sure you can be heard (don’t be too loud either).  Avoid verbal “tics,” fill-ins (um, ya know, etc.)  Strive for natural - not canned - presentation.

·     Demeanor.  Convey enthusiasm, warmth, and sincerity to suit the dynamics of the interviewer.  Be positive; avoid negative topics, and don’t vent hostility.  Smile!

·     Listening skills.  Listen with full concentration and maintain eye contact about 90 percent of the time.  Indicate attention and acceptance with nods and smiles; avoid interrupting; allow silence when thought is needed.

·     Communication skills.  Mirror the style and pace of your interviewer.  Answer credibly. Don’t over-elaborate.  DON’T INTERRUPT!  Organize your thoughts with a logical structure.  If you don’t know something, say so.  Clarify difficult questions.  Listen before you talk.

·     Interview techniques.  Get names and exact titles; exchange business cards. Solicit company or departmental needs early in the interview using open-ended questions. Weave your strengths and accomplishments as responses to those needs. Respond to doubts or objections positively without being defensive.

·     Closing.  Try to get commitment or a follow-up interview. Ask if others need to see you. Evaluate the impact of the interview when you are leaving. Re-affirm your interest and enthusiasm without sounding desperate.  Ask for the interviewer’s business card (to properly direct your follow-up/thank you note). Shake hands as appropriate.

Many of these pointers can be used as valid guidelines for all types of interactions, not just for the job interview.

Follow-Up and Post Analysis

Interview follow-up is vital.  Did you show enthusiasm without seeming desperate?  How did it go?  Did you leave anything out? You have a second chance with the follow-up letter or thank you note.  Write it and send it immediately. The goal is to include additional information if it was omitted and to keep your name impressed favorably in their mind(s). Rate your performance and be honest about yourself. You may have to make some modifications and try again.

The interviewer(s) will have completed an interview evaluation form or made notes on your performance.  There are any number of such forms with any number of factors being looked for. 

Information Gathering Interview

This type of interview is similar to a survey except that it is usually more detailed and assumes that the person being interviewed is in some way an expert on the topic. Before you can obtain useful information, you must carefully analyze beforehand what it is you want to know. You must then ask your respondents specific questions that will provide the information you need. Remember to allow your interviewees to talk freely when answering questions. Many responses give rise to other questions you can ask. Be sure to accurately record the information gathered during an interview. Clarify any quotations you intend to use. Be certain to credit the interviewee as your source.

In some instances, a questionnaire may be recommended rather than an interview.  During an interview, respondents tend to become overexposed, saying things they may not wish to discuss.  Having an opportunity to think about what they say and write it down tends to reduce this, and they are more likely to be committed to talking about what they have written.  Respondents also more readily recognize their comments from a questionnaire summary then from an interviewer’s interpretation of what has been said.

When researchers wish to include both forced-choice categories and freely given opinions in a single survey, the questionnaire usually begins with open questions and then shifts to closed questions on the same subject. Survey instruments that rely on open questions are often called interview guides.  They guide the researcher’s questions in certain directions and emphasize certain categories of information, but they also allow the interviewer to follow up respondents’ comments with further questions.

Information interviews provide a fast, easy way to obtain information or news.  Unfortunately, interviews can be unreliable.  The quality of the interview is only as good as the skills and neutrality of the interviewer, and the knowledge and honesty of the interviewee. Trust is a major issued in this type of interview.

Reporters conduct two kinds of interviews:

·         News interview - to gather information that will explain an event or situation

·         Profile interview - focuses on an individual

There are four principles of information or journalistic interviewing:

1.       Prepare carefully whenever possible.

2.       Establish a relationship with the source conducive to obtaining information.

3.       Ask questions that induce the source to talk.

4.       Listen and watch attentively.

Both parties in an interview have certain assumptions and expectations. The rules that govern the interviewer can be justified with some certainty. Most agree the interviewer should:

·         Identify himself or herself at the outset of the interview

·         State the purpose of the interview

·         Make clear to those unaccustomed to being interviewed that the material will be used.

·         Tell the source how much time the interview will take.

·         Keep the interview as short as possible.

·         Ask short, specific questions the source is competent to answer.

·         Give the source ample time to reply.

·         Ask the source to clarify complex or vague answers.

·         Read back answers if requested or when in doubt about crucial material.

·         Insist on answers if the public has a right to know them.

·         Avoid lecturing the source, arguing or debating.

Abide by requests for non-attribution, background only, or off the record should the source make this a condition of the interview of a statement.

Performance Appraisal Interview

A performance appraisal interview is designed to evaluate individual job performance as a basis for making objective personnel decisions.  A survey of nearly 600 organizations belonging to the American Management Association (AMA) found that managers use performance appraisal results for compensation, counseling, training and development, promotion, staff planning, retention/discharge, and validation of a selection technique.

Although formal performance appraisal systems are considered essential in today’s organizations, they are often a source of dissatisfaction.  In a survey of 589 personnel administrators, 87 percent reportedly used formal performance appraisal systems, yet only 56 percent of those with such systems were satisfied with the. 

Performance appraisal can be effective and satisfying if systematically developed and implemented techniques replace haphazard methods.  There are five aspects of performance appraisal interviewing:

1.       legal defensibility

2.       general approaches

3.       alternative techniques

4.       frequency

5.       evaluation versus development dilemma

Appraising job performance tends to follow three general approaches: 

·         Trait-oriented appraisals - based on personality traits (tend to be unfair) - who

·         Behavior-oriented appraisals - based on job-related behavior - how

·         Outcome-oriented appraisals - based on management by objectives (MBO) - what

Performance appraisals are subject to legal defensibility.  After studying the verdicts of sixty-six employment discrimination cases in the U.S., one pair of researchers found that employers could successfully defend their appraisal systems if they satisfied four criteria:

1.       A job analysis was used to develop the performance appraisal system.

2.       The appraisal system was behavior-oriented, not trait-oriented.

3.       Performance evaluators followed specific written instructions when conducting appraisals.

4.       Evaluators reviewed the results of the appraisals with the rates.

Sources

Adler, L. (1998). Hire with your head. John Wiley & Sons.

Bell, A.H. (2002a). How to use behavior-based structured interviewing. WorkForce.com.

http://www.workforce.com/archive/feature/22/17/60/index.php

Bell, A.H. (2002b). Examples of behavior-based questions and follow ups. WorkForce.com. http://www.workforce.com/archive/feature/22/17/60/index.php

Bell, A.H. (2002c). How to score a behavior-based structured interview. WorkForce.com.

http://www.workforce.com/archive/feature/22/17/60/index.php