Page 51 - Communication in Organizations Basic Skills and Conversation Models

Communication in organizations 40

First we want to provide you with information about our company and
about the vacancy. After that we want to ask you some questions. At the
end of the interview you will be given the opportunity to ask us questions,
and finally we will inform you about the rest of the selection procedure.

Skill
Giving information about the goal and structure of the interview in a clear and concise
way.

Information about the organization and the position
In order to provide the applicant with a clear picture about the tasks, the chairman of the
selection committee starts off by providing some background information about the
company. Subjects discussed include:

• What are the most important goals of the company?
• How is the organization set up? (perhaps presenting a diagram of the organizational
structure)?
• What activities are carried out by the organization?
• What were the most important projects of the last few years?

After this overview the chairman moves on to the vacant position and discusses the
following themes:
• What are the most important tasks and responsibilities?
• To whom is the employee accountable?
In some cases this phase can be kept very short: for example, when the applicant has
received information about the organization and position at a prior stage.

Skills
Giving information about the company and the vacant position: structure, conciseness,
and attractiveness of this information are important (see pp. 21–23). The committee
members should realize that there is a two-way interaction: they have to decide whether
the applicant is suitable for the function, while the applicant has to decide whether the
goals and people in this organization are attractive enough for them to want to work
there.

The interview

Before the committee members start asking questions, the applicant gets the opportunity
to clarify the application. Usually one already has information, in particular the
application letter. The chairman can mention that letter by asking an open question:

You have applied for the position of …The reasons for your application
you have already mentioned in your application letter, but I would like