Competency

This deliverable will allow you to demonstrate your knowledge of different communication theories as they are used in practice.

Scenario

Your place of employment has expanded and is looking to hire people who will be working with you. Because you will be working with the new hires, you will be a part of the interviewing process. Identify a position in a company or organization that you have previously held, or a position you wish to hold sometime in the future. Your interview process will be for this position.

Instructions

Select a friend, coworker, or relative in a professional position to be your interviewee. Interview this person as if you were planning on hiring him or her for the position using at least six of the following questions:

1. What are your strengths?
2. What are your weaknesses?
3. Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?
4. What can you offer us that someone else cannot?
5. What are three things your former manager would like you to improve on?
6. Tell me about an accomplishment you are most proud of.
7. What would you look to accomplish in the first 30 days/60 days/90 days on the job?
8. Describe yourself.
9. Tell me how you handled a difficult situation.
10. How would you deal with an angry or irate customer?
11. What motivates you?
12. How do you handle pressure?
13. What are your career goals?
14. What gets you up in the morning?
15. Are you a leader or a follower?

*Give this list of questions to your subject at least 24 hours in advance.
You may find it helpful to record the interview. It is also important that you engage in conversation. When your interviewee responds, use the response to formulate a dynamic discussion between the two of you. Be sure to have this conversational component.
Once you have completed the interview, write a report on your interviewee either recommending he or she be hired or not hired. Include the following in your report:

• A recommendation to either hire or not hire the interviewee that includes clear and specific reasoning. Base your response on the following communication elements:
  1. Discuss the conversation you had with your interviewee. Look at each of the questions you asked and the answers you received within the context of one or more of the communication models outlined in this module. Discuss how the theories are used within this conversation. You may pick any of the communication models to use for this.
  2. Discuss the back-and-forth nature of the conversation. How did your interviewee respond to questions and other forms of your interaction? How did you respond to your interviewee? Use specific communication examples.
  3. Be sure to write this document as if it is an official report to an employer. Grammar, punctuation, and formatting are important.