ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues

"Read every day something no one else is reading.  Think every day something no one else is thinking.  It is bad for the mind to be always a part of a unanimity." - Christopher Morley

SELECTION INTERVIEW TIPS

The January 1982 issue of Child Care Information Exchange offered these tips for conducting effective employment interviews from experienced center directors who were members of our Panel of 300:

*  To encourage a candidate to be open, praise her for answering questions fully.

*  To be sure you understand a candidate or to probe for more details, restate what she told you, but in an expectant tone—"You say you have had difficulty working with aggressive parents..."

*  Use silence to draw candidates out.  People tend to be uncomfortable with silence in conversation.  When a candidate stops talking but has not supplied enough details on a  point, don't rush to fill the void.  Wait for the candidate to speak up.
*  Don't do all the talking.  The more you talk, the less you learn.

*  Don't telegraph what you want to hear by describing the philosophy of  the center at the outset or by asking leading questions—"Do you believe in open education?"

*  Don't reveal your reactions or feelings through gestures, expressions, or remarks.  This may cause the candidate to clam up or tailor her remarks to suit you.

*  Don't ask trick questions.  You cannot encourage the candidate to be open and frank if you are being devious yourself.

*  Don't rely on general questions about teaching philosophies.  How a candidate describes her approach in theory and how she performs in practice often bear little resemblance.  Specific situational questions—"What would you do if . . .?" —may be more instructive.