Part 5 - Conducting and Scoring the Interview

Provide Reasonable Accommodations 

To ensure that all candidates can compete on an equal basis, those candidates with impairments may require reasonable accommodations. Therefore, candidates should be asked about any need for reasonable accommodations at the time that they are notified of the time and place of their interview. Each request for reasonable accommodation must be addressed individually, and on its own merit. The candidate himself/herself (or his/her representative) can provide the best information regarding the required accommodation.

The ADA coordinator for each agency should be involved in all decisions concerning what constitutes reasonable accommodation.

Types of Impairment

Visual Impairment 

Typically, candidates with visual impairments do not require accommodations during a structured interview. However, if the applicant is required to read information during the interview, some form of accommodation will be required. Accommodations vary according to the candidate's degree of visual impairment, from providing the information in special large print to providing a reader.

Hearing Impairment 

Candidates with hearing impairments normally require accommodations. Once again, the specified accommodation depends on the degree of impairment. Sometimes all that is needed for accommodation is for the interviewer to sit facing the candidate, speak directly to the candidate, and enunciate clearly. Other candidates with hearing impairments can communicate more effectively by passing written messages back and forth with the interview panel. These candidates should be rated on the content of their answer, however, not on their writing ability.

Other candidates with hearing impairments, however, may require the use of a licensed sign language interpreter to be able to communicate with the panel. It is, therefore, helpful to be aware of available licensed sign language interpreters, and employ their services whenever necessary.

Learning Disability 

Candidates with learning disabilities may have problems understanding complex language or organizing visual, auditory, and/or other sensory information. If such disabilities are irrelevant to the position to be filled, but present difficulties regarding the interview, then the disability is considered an impairment, and reasonable accommodations must be made to permit candidates with impairments to compete for the job. Language difficulties may be addressed by reducing the complexity level of the interview language.

Motor Impairment 

Most candidates with motor impairments will not need accommodations for the oral part of any structured interview as long as the interview's location is accessible. Many persons who are unable to speak use one of several methods of electronically assisted communication.

Establish a Positive Atmosphere for the Candidate 

When the candidate enters the interview room, the interview chairperson should greet the candidate and introduce the other panel members. Additionally, the candidate should be given an explanation of the interview process. This involves informing the candidate of the following:

• All candidates will be asked the same set of questions, in the same order, and will be assessed using the same scoring criteria; and
• The panel will be taking notes throughout the interview. Therefore, while the panel may not maintain eye contact throughout the interview, the panel members will be listening intently, and the candidate should continue answering questions even while the panel members are taking notes.

Take Objective Notes

While the notes that are taken do not need to be verbatim transcripts of what the candidate said, they should accurately reflect how the candidate answered each of the questions. Notes can be taken using abbreviations, incomplete sentences, bulleted items, or paraphrasing. However, it is important that only the content of responses is recorded, NOT personal opinions of the candidate.

Remember! In some cases, it is just as important to note what a candidate fails to include in a response as it is to note the answer provided.

Standardize Interview Format 

The panel chairperson is responsible for:

• Ensuring that the candidates are asked the same set of questions, in the same order, by the same panel member.
• Ensuring that all candidates are afforded the same opportunities to demonstrate their qualifications. For example:
  • If a candidate provides an excessively lengthy response, the chairperson should tactfully interrupt the candidate and bring him/her back to the intent of the question.
  • If the candidate fails to address portions of a question, it is the responsibility of the chairperson to address this situation. In this case, the chairperson may query the candidate as to whether he/she has any additional comments to make, or the chairperson could specifically inquire about that portion of the question which the candidate failed to address.

It is important that all panel members avoid revealing either positive or negative reactions to either the candidates or their responses. Candidates should not be able to determine the suitability of their responses from the reaction of panel members, since the reactions of panel members could affect the candidates' subsequent performance.

It is always permissible to repeat any of the interview questions.

Each interview should be completed by thanking the candidate and answering any general questions.

Evaluate the Candidate Immediately After the Interview 

After each panel member has completed his/her notes and ratings, a discussion of the candidate should occur. Panel members should compare ratings to ensure that there are no major discrepancies between their ratings. It is desirable that the ratings of the panel members be within the same benchmark (e.g., well qualified, qualified, not qualified) for each question.

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