A closer look at interviewing strategies

Negligent hiring, sexual abuse, violence, harassment—these claims pose a serious risk of liability for the Church. The sobering lesson of employee lawsuits is that most problems could have been avoided if proper attention had been paid to the hiring process. In the last issue of Common Sense Risk Management™, you were introduced to four elements of an effective hiring screening program:

1. A completed employment application
2. A completed screening information form
3. A personal interview with the applicant
4. Reference checks

These hiring practices can result in your selection of employees and volunteers who not only are competent to do their job but also are safe to work with people of all ages. Although we prefer to think the best of people, not all people act their best. People have lied to obtain a job or a volunteer position that puts them in close contact with those whom they may wish to harm.

A workplace that is safe for everyone who participates in it begins with an effective interview. Interviewing strategies can be learned and should be applied in each applicant’s interview. What are some of those strategies?

Interviewers

First, interviews should be conducted only by those who are properly trained. Interview in private, using two interviewers—a safety practice that provides a valuable second perspective. Rehearsal makes for better interviews. Through role playing, you and a colleague can practice hypothetical interview questions and applicant responses to hone your interviewing skills.

Preparation

Next, prepare for the interview, considering the following: Have a list of questions to ask all applicants. This helps the interviewer avoid unrelated information and focus on verifying information critical to the employment position and needs of the Church. You may ask questions to verify the following applicant information:

• Name, current address, and social security number

• Employment and educational history

• Specialized training or license, if needed for the specific job

• The applicant’s signature

• Personal and professional references

• Current illegal drug use and criminal convictions.

Why be prepared to ask about convictions? The safety of children or other participants in your workplace should always be managed. Inquire into the criminal history of a job applicant. Don’t ask about arrest records, just convictions. Your asking about prior convictions should be related to the job in question.

This is an uncomfortable conversation for many people, but read or listen to the news reports on any day. Violence in the headlines is from our workplaces and neighborhoods. Workplace violence can involve a physical confrontation by or against an employee, or perhaps fighting, threatening, harassing, stalking, communicating hatefully or inappropriately, or confining victims. No employer is immune. No Church, school, or religious organization is immune.

So what should you pay attention to in an interview? Sometimes, you can determine if an applicant has a low tolerance for frustration if interpersonal or work-related conflicts arise. Use the interview to gain insight into their personalities. Listen carefully to what is said and not said when they recall how they have reacted to stressful situations in the past. Their reports may reveal a lack of tolerance or compassion. Engage applicants in a discussion of their views about authority, acceptance of criticism, and those who have personal beliefs that differ from theirs. Ask the applicant what they think their references will say about them and why.

Let every applicant know that your workplace does not tolerate violence or threats of violence or other forms of disrespect. Make it clear that employees are closely monitored. This could discourage certain people from seeking employment or volunteer positions within your parish or religious organization. Other interview preparation tasks include:

• Have a written job description that specifies the essential physical and mental functions of the job, as well as attendance. Be as detailed as possible.

• Review the applicant’s job application. Notice any gaps in the job history that suggest that the candidate has had a problem—perhaps an incarceration period—that may not be indicated on the application.

• Plan a smooth closing. Have a procedure in place to acknowledge the applicant in writing and tell them when a decision will be made. Let them know from whom they will hear the decision. Inform them about your application retention policy.

The Interview

• Take your time because the process requires you to do several things at the same time. Do not ask illegal questions. Respect the disability discrimination laws. Before an offer is made, you may not ask about a disability, but you may ask about an applicant’s ability to perform specific job functions. You can ask applicants to demonstrate that ability, if you ask all applicants to do the same.

• Treat all applicants equally. You may condition the offer on satisfactory results of a post-offer medical exam. Don’t make gratuitous statements about a disability. Even if a person has a visible one or volunteers information about an impairment, do not ask anything about it. Avoid questions about height and weight, unless a specific job function requires a certain height or weight. Otherwise, these questions can be considered discriminatory against gender or certain ethnic or racial groups.

It is also unlawful to discriminate based on an applicant’s race or ethnic group, national origin or citizenship, sex, age, or marital status. Merely mentioning any of those protected subjects could be considered discriminatory if it puts the applicant at a disadvantage and the question is not related to a bona fide job requirement.

• For example, don’t ask (indirectly or directly) for information about clubs or social organizations to which the applicant belongs that could indicate the race, color, or national origin of members. Don’t ask about the applicant’s feelings about working with people of different races.

• You are not entitled to know the birthplace of applicants, their parents, or their spouse. Don’t ask for a maiden name or ask about an applicant’s marital status, number and ages of children, pregnancy, or plans to have children in the future. Don’t rate an applicant on English proficiency if it isn’t a job requirement.

• Your documentation could be scrutinized one day, so do not make notes on the application, the resume, or the interview sheet that are not related to the job.

• Ask open-ended questions that put the applicant at ease and elicit information. Establish eye contact. Be interested. Don’t convey an impression that you’re uncomfortable with the applicant or that you’re doing him or her a favor. Don’t use offensive language.

• Listen to what is said, and notice when something is not said. Notice tone of voice and gaps in information. Notice body language. Listen intently. Don’t be planning what you intend to say next while the applicant is speaking.

• Respond with appropriate probing questions, such as:

"Describe a typical day in your former job."

"What gives you satisfaction in a job?"

"What things sometimes frustrate you about a job?"

• Avoid making misleading statements or unintended promises. Don’t make any comments that could lead an employee to believe that employment isn’t immediately terminable at will by either party for any reason.

Bottom Line: Ask a job-related question—or don’t ask.

Smart advice for decision makers and supervisors:

Learn to apply the Core Principles of VIRTUS™ 
to your interviewing process

Applying the Core Principles of VIRTUS™ can support your goal of having appropriate employees and volunteers in your workplace. The core principles are:

• Awareness

• Communication

• Timely response

Awareness—When interviewing job applicants or potential volunteers, your ability to observe their behaviors, tones of voice, and attitudes is important. It is not just important to listen to the words they speak, but you should be aware of whether the words are consistent with the way the interviewees are behaving. Follow up any inconsistencies with questions designed to elicit specific information. Trust your instincts. If the way an applicant or potential volunteer is acting seems "not quite right" to you, do not ignore that impression.

Communication—Those in your parish trained to conduct interviews should clearly express to all potential volunteers or job applicants the Church’s commitment to the safety of all those who work, volunteer, or participate in the workplace. An effective communication skill is to ask the applicant or potential volunteer to repeat his or her understanding of the Church’s commitment. Those who have difficulty communicating the policy may ultimately have difficulty adhering to it.

Timely Response—It is important to avoid discrimination claims that can arise out of an interview process. One of the ways to do this is to inform unsuccessful applicants or potential volunteers of the decision not to work with them. Do this promptly in writing, thanking them for their interest and efforts. When those who have gone to the trouble to seek employment or a volunteer opportunity are not communicated with and left to imagine why they were not accepted, they typically decide there must have been some aspect of themselves that was rejected—including, perhaps, their race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.

No exceptions: interview policies apply to everyone

The Core Principles of VIRTUS™ can make a difference in your workplace

Training Scenario: Read the following chronological training scenario and answer the questions. This scenario will help you apply the Core Principles of VIRTUS™ to a situation that could occur in your workplace.

Scenario begins: Marlene has been a volunteer in her parish for over ten years. She has handled many volunteer responsibilities: assisting in the nursery, working on the grounds committee, and serving as the parish historian. Everybody loves having Marlene support his or her project around the parish. She gets a task done on time and does it well. A few days before parish summer camp begins, the parish employee who drives the camp’s minivan became seriously ill. Because the camp cannot operate legally without a driver available for health emergencies and other tasks, Sherry, the camp coordinator, is stressed and wondering how to handle this development. After working a frantic day to find another driver, Sherry shares with Marlene her desperation. Marlene tells Sherry "not to worry" because she is available to take on the job. Sherry is relieved to have a dependable volunteer like Marlene willing to become an employee on such short notice.

Exercise #1: What procedures should Sherry follow before hiring Marlene?

Scenario continues: There is a lot of preparation work to be done before camp starts. Sherry meets with Marlene to "go over the paperwork" so that Marlene is employed to drive the minivan. Because she has worked with Marlene for years, Sherry does not interview Marlene. She has Marlene complete the employment application "for the file," but does not review it.

Exercise #2: What should Sherry have asked in an interview? What are the risks to be managed?

Scenario continues: On the third day of camp, a young camper became ill in the middle of the night. While driving the camper down to the health lodge, Marlene swerved off the road. The minivan went down an incline and hit a tree. Both Marlene and the camper were seriously injured. The investigation showed that the accident was caused by Marlene’s negligence. She had been driving while intoxicated. Marlene has fought alcoholism for years, and three years ago, had her license suspended for driving while intoxicated and causing injury to another.

Exercise #3: What liabilities does Marlene’s parish face now?

Application of Core Principles:

Application of the Core Principles of VIRTUS™—Awareness, Communication, and Timely Response—provides some answers to reduce potential liabilities associated with your interview practices.

Awareness—When the former minivan driver became suddenly ill, Sherry thought she must solve the situation with an immediate hiring decision. She did not follow her parish’s established interview procedures, relying instead on her personal experience of Marlene. Be aware that you may not know everything that is important to know about a job applicant, potential volunteer, or even your current staff of employees and volunteers. Never skip interview policies and practices. While Marlene was an exemplary volunteer, aspects and challenges of her personal life were easily hidden. This exception to the interviewing practices could have had fatal consequences.

Communication— Using hiring teams of at least two people forces the kind of communication about a hiring decision that should occur. While Sherry was caught up in finding a minivan driver quickly, a hiring team member with other responsibilities would have checked Sherry’s procedures and focused her on the importance of following them, even in what seems to be circumstances not allowing enough time to do so.

Timely Response—In the daily rush to get our jobs done, it is a common approach to ignore or shorten established policies. Use time wisely, rather than allow time to dominate you and your essential decision processes. The few minutes necessary to communicate about job expectations, essential functions, licensure requirements, and job history are always a valuable investment of time.

Concluding thoughts: Effective risk management requires you to rely on information in addition to your observations and personal relationships. Interviewing procedures are a protection that you and your parish or religious organization need to maintain a safe workplace and limit liabilities.