Mock Interview of a Prospective Staff Member by Employer - Essay Example

The four main elements of interview practice applicable to all disciplines including nursing, include the acquiring of “background information of the candidate, interview analysis, protocol creation and revision, and self-reflective interviewing”, states Dilley (2000, p.131). The Appropriate Lines of Questioning to be Employed in Mock Interviews Fulton, Lyon, and Goudreau (2010) state that the best technique should be selected for a given situation, and practice is key to achieving higher levels of efficiency and performance outcomes.

Thus, interview process strategies include the 80/20 Rule, Sequence Themes, Behavior-based Interviewing, Closed-ended, Open-ended, and Multilayered questions (Fulton et al., 2010). The 80/20 Rule is based on the concept of 20% of an interview to be devoted to asking questions, and 80% in listening to the interviewee’s answers, to find out to what extent the candidate was suitable for the position. Commenting on every answer is unnecessary, while “the interviewer controls the pace and emphasis areas of the interview” (Fulton et al., 2010, p.307).. The Themes that will be explored by the interviewer should be considered and practised during the mock interview.

The preferable sequence for the themes has to be determined before the questions for each theme are decided on. For example, an interviewer may wish to question the candidate on goal orientation before finding out about their analytic ability. It may be ideal for an interviewee to sequence items about nursing staff project readiness, before answering questions on multidisciplinary commitment. In the technique of Behavior-based Interviewing, the interviewer’s approach bases the interview questions on behaviors rather than on beliefs.

However, because “past behavior is often the best predictor of future actions, emphasis on behavior-oriented questions is important” (Fulton et al., 2010, p.307). Other appropriate lines of questioning by the interviewer include the use of closed-ended questions which Yale (2006) suggests should be used only to pose questions about a commitment, or to seek clarification about any factual matters. The open-ended questions compel the interviewee to give more details on their approach or their experience regarding a particular situation.

The multilayered approach may not be successful, because it is possible that because of the various issues within the same question, the interviewer may receive an incomplete answer (Fulton et al., 2010). Interview Questions to Avoid in Mock Interviews Mock interviews should not include questions based on the candidates’ race, age, gender, nationality, marital status, religious beliefs, disability, or sexual orientation. These issues are best