The Interview Process

August 22, 2016 3:19 pm Published by Olivia Watt Leave your thoughts

As I proceed forward into a career in Human Resources, I think conducting interviews will likely be an area of work I will enjoy. It has certainly been one of my favourite experiences so far at Canfor.

When I was asked to help review resumes for a certain position, I was excited to be able to look at resumes and develop a short list. I didn’t imagine that I would get to take part in the interviews, but I was happy when Mindy asked me if I would like to listen in on the interviews over the phone. It was a great way to gain insight into the interview process and how it works from the side of the employer.

I noticed that all of the interviewers were well prepared. Each member of the panel had questions written out covering the areas they wanted to explore with the candidate. They took turns asking questions to the candidate. It was interesting to hear their perspective on how the candidate answered the questions. They listened carefully and asked follow-up questions when they needed further information from the candidate. These are interviewing skills that I wouldn’t have been able to learn from a book and ones I will definitely model when I have an opportunity to interview a candidate. The experience will also help me when I am in the position of being interviewed – an added bonus.

With the telephone interview complete, I thought that would also be the end of my participation. However, Canfor’s HR team takes coaching interns seriously. I was asked again to be a part of the next round of interviews, which would be in person. This time I had the chance to ask some of the interview questions. I admit, I was both nervous but very excited for the opportunity.

During the interview I asked technical and behavioral questions. These questions are very different from one another. Technical questions refer to a person’s skill set and are specifically job related. Behavioral questions are based on competencies required for the position. Out of the two types of questions, I think it is probably easier to answer the technical questions because they are more straightforward. Behavioral questions offer insight into a person’s personality and how they handle situations, which means they are an extremely important part of the interview process. It was interesting to see how different people go about answering the different types of questions. Some candidates are highly confident and know exactly what to say and others take their time and think carefully about their answers. After all the interviews were complete, the interview team discussed each candidate’s answers and who would be the best fit for the role.

This was a great experience for me to be part of the interview process from beginning, right to the final decision on the best candidate. I gained a sense of confidence that I didn’t know I had. I discovered that I really enjoy being a part of an interview panel and hope that in the future they will be a part of my job duties.

Thanks for reading!

-Olivia