Student Employment Manual: Section 8.2

Career Center

Students

Section Eight: Application and Interview Process

Subject: Interview Process

Policy #8.2

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All employers are encouraged to interview students that appear to meet the qualifications of a posted position. While this does not have to be formal process, it is recommended that employers spend time with a potential employee to determine whether or not they are qualified for the said position and meet the dynamics of the office. This is also the time to go over the job description and list of workplace expectations.

When interviewing a student, try to avoid asking yes or no questions, as they do not tell you much about the student and their employment habits. Consider using questions that require the employee to elaborate, in detail, about their work habits, management style and maturity level.

Questions to consider include:

• You may have had this experience working in a previous work environment. You have been working hard on a project and your supervisor has asked that the priorities be changed and you need to do the project another way. How did you handle that? (Adaptability)

• Have you ever found an error in your work? If so, what did you do about it? (Attention to Detail)

• What was the toughest work-related decision you had to make last year? What made it so difficult? (Decision-Making and Problem-Solving)

• Describe a time when you had to overcome an obstacle in order to reach your goal. (Flexibility)

• If you were going to evaluate your own performance, what factors would you consider to be most important? (Identification with the Job)

• Describe a situation where you found you had a serious problem. What did you do to solve it? (Initiative)

• Give an example when you needed to make an exception to the rules to get something done.
(Integrity)

• Under what conditions do you do your best work? Which ones are the most difficult? (Stress Tolerance/Coping)

Keep in mind, when interviewing students, it is illegal to ask the following questions relating to:

Prohibited Questions	Permissible Questions
"That's an unusual name. Where is it from?	“What is your name?”

“Are you a U.S. citizen?”	“Are you authorized to work in the U.S.?”

“How old are you?”	“Are you over 18?”

“Are you married? Engaged?”	“Would you be willing to relocate?”

“How much do you weigh?”	“Are you able to lift a 40 lb. box as it is a requirement of the job?”

“Do you have any disabilities?”	“Are you able to perform the essential functions of the job?”

“What organizations or groups do you belong to?"	“Are there any professional organizations that you belong to that are relevant to this job?”

“Have you ever been arrested?”	“Have you ever been convicted of the following crime?” (Crime should be reasonably related to the performance of the job.)

“If you were in the military, were you honorably discharged?"	“In what branch of the Armed Forces did you serve?”

Before ending the interview, make sure to inform the student of the department’s timeline for filling the position as well as how they can expect to hear from you. At the conclusion of this meeting, employers are encouraged to record any notes on the application form and keep in a permanent file for at least three years.

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