Page 40 - 101 Dynamite Answers to Interview Questions

Interview Types and Techniques 33

viewer’s tone of voice may be threatening, and the questions, which may
be quicldy fired at the applicant - like a barrage, may be accusatory in
nature.
The purpose of a stress interview is to see how the applicant reacts in
a stressful situation. Some employers use this method when interviewing
for positions which require coping with on-the-job stress. A chief of
campus security, for example, points out he always subjects potential
officers to a stress interview. He’s hard on them, and his goal is to reduce
an applicant - male or female - to tears. If he’s successful, however, the
applicant is not hired, He wants people who can remain in control of
themselves and stressful situations, and he believes the stress interview
gives some indication of how well the candidate will perform under stress.
Not always is the connection between the stress interview and the
stressful job as obvious as in the above case of the chief of security. But
many employers want employees who can work in a pressure-filled
atmosphere. While they can review the individual’s record to learn how
he or she has handled stress in the past, the stress interview gives some
indication of how well the candidate will perform under stress.
If you encounter a stress interview, simply understanding what is
happening and why should help you through the interview. Try to keep
calm; tale a deep breath and don’t allow the interviewer to upset you;
remain in control of yourself; and be complete but concise and to the
point as you answer.

Behavioral Interviews

You think you have a lot on the line in an employment interview - that
to a large degree your future rests on the outcome. You are not alone in
your anxiety; the employer has anxiety as well.
The employer lcnows that you, the job candidate, will try to make a
favorable impression during the interview. He lcnows you will present
yourself in the most positive way you can. He expects you have read
books on how to interview, that you will have already considered how you
will respond to certain questions, and he is afraid. He is afraid that you
may have prepared so well that you may fool him - convincing him that
you are right for the job when in reality you are not. He is afraid that you
may possess greater interview slulls than job slulls and he may hire the
wrong person!