Interviews
Often the first stage in a recruitment process within BOC is an interview. This can take many forms, but the aim of the exercise is to ascertain information about the candidate in a fair and unbiased way. The interview also should be seen by the candidate as an opportunity to find out more about the company.
All Company interviewers should be fully trained in Interviewing Skills Techniques, and often you will find that recruiting line manager have asked a colleague from within their part of the organisation to attend the interview to get a second opinion.
Usually HR professionals are involved in second round stage interviews only, but you may find if the recruiting line manager feels he/she can complete the recruitment process in one stage that the interviewing team are made up of the recruiting line manager and a HR Advisor. You will be informed at time of invitation who will be conducting the interview.
As mentioned there are a number of different types of interviewing techniques that we employ, these include:
1 Telephone Screening
You may find yourself being asked to take part in a telephone screening interview, this type of interview is particularly useful for us when we have received a large number of good quality applications. This tool enables pre-interview screening and selection, which provides us with a prepared and relevant second interview shortlist of candidates.
Telephone screening interviews are likely, but not exclusively, to focus on the candidate’s match to the key criteria for the role, such as relevant work experience; clean driving licence; technical skills etc
Telephone interviews can take anything from 15-30 minutes, it is not a full interview and candidates should be prepared for the interview to follow a very structured format with set questions that will be asked of each candidate. There is usually little time at this stage for the candidate to engage the interviewer in length questions about the role or the company.
2 Biographical Interview
A biographical interview is usually conducted by the recruiting line manager, sometimes accompanied by a HR Advisor or a colleague. Candidates should be prepared to talk about themselves in detail. The interviewers will focus on past experience, relevant work history and what the applicant can contribute to the company and department. Recruiting managers will also be considering whether or not the applicant’s personality will fit into their team. You are also likely to be questioned on your future career aspirations.
Like the telephone interview this is likely to follow a structured format to ensure consistency between interviews. Don’t be put off by the interviewers taking notes, this is normal practice.
Biographical interviews can last anything between 45 minutes to an hour and a half.
3 Competency Interviews
Competency or Behavioural based interviewing is a very common method of interviewing within the company.
Each role usually has a competency role profile assigned to it. These are softer skills required for the role, and relate to the way people behave rather than past experience.
BOC’s competency framework is termed “The ACTS Behavioural Competencies”, and there are ten of them. They are:
• Strategy Delivery (or Results Delivery)
• Performance through People
• Partnership Building
• Influencing
• Customer Intimacy
• Information Sharing
• Visible Leadership (or Visible Values)
• Growth Drive (or Improvement Drive)
• Capability Development
• Change Leadership
For further information on these competencies please click here ………
Competency interview questions are phrased in a way that asks the candidates to give examples of past experiences that demonstrate the required competency, for example for:
Customer Intimacy the question may be “Talk us through an action you have take to respond to a specific customers’ need or to resolve a customers particular problem? Describe the details”
Partnership Building the question may be “Tell us about a time when you have worked in a team or in co-operation with others to help achieve a common goal?”
A competency interview will be of at least one hour’s duration and is likely to be conducted by the recruiting line manager and a Resourcing Specialist.
Again notes will be taken during this type of interview.
Often interviews may be a combination of either of the two above interviewing methods.
General Information
Interviews are likely to be held at the site where the vacancy exists, so take the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the environment and atmosphere on site.
Many of our sites are secure locations and you should always sign in at reception or the gatehouse. Most sites have visitor’s car parking, however when you ring to confirm your interview, you may like to check this sort of detail.
Some sites have a business casual dress policy, you should not be disconcerted if your recruiting manager is not in business dress, even though you will be!
Interview Preparation
In advance of the interview candidate may like to carry out research into what the company does, and also consider some questions that they may like to ask of the interviewers, as they will be given the opportunity to ask about anything they need clarifying. The web site www.boc.com is a useful site, to consider when doing research into the company.
The interview may be your first direct contact with the The Linde Group and it will give you an insight into the company and its culture, you should be taking this opportunity of assessing whether we are the type of company you feel you would like to work with as well as us assessing you.
All Interviewers should have undergone an Interview Techniques training programme and therefore should be conducting the process in a fair and unbiased way. There are strict guidelines regarding discrimination through selection processes and you should not be asked any question that could be misconstrued as discriminatory. These could include any questions / comments on:
Gender
Age
Sexual orientation
Racial or ethnic origin
Political opinions
Religious beliefs or other beliefs of a similar nature
Trade Union membership
Physical or mental health condition
Proceedings for any offence committed or alleged to have been
committed.
Our Recruitment & Selection policy states that
“An employer may only collect information as to an applicants’ criminal record or health in the recruitment process, if this can be shown to be necessary to enable the employer to meet its obligations in relation to the safety of its workers or others to whom it owes a duty of care. The collection of sensitive personal data must however be ‘necessary’ for exercising or performing a right or obligation which is conferred or imposed by law”.