Food-Service-Manual-for-Health-Care-Institutions

• The interviewer should reserve a private setting in which to conduct the interview.
Interruptions from phone calls and would-be visitors interfere with privacy, making it difficult
for both candidate and interviewer to give their full attention to the interview.
• The interviewer should set aside enough time to make sure that all questions planned
are asked of the candidate and that the candidate has enough time to ask questions he or she
has about the job and the organization.
Following are some questions that might be asked of candidates for food service jobs:
• Why did you choose food service as a field of work?
• What type of position are you most interested in? Why?
• What qualifications do you have that would make you a success in this job?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses as a food service worker?
• What hours of work do you prefer? Why? Could you work overtime in case of an
emergency?
• What did you like and dislike about your previous job? Why?
• What did you do in your last job?
• Why did you leave your last job?
• What do you enjoy doing most in food service?
• Do you work better in a group or alone? Please explain.
• What do you know about food service in a health care operation?
During the interview, certain steps establish an atmosphere conducive to conducting an
effective session. Interviewers can follow the steps outlined below.
1. Greet the candidate cordially while shaking the candidate’s hand, identifying yourself,
and telling the candidate what position you hold. Then ask the candidate what name
he or she prefers to be addressed by.
2. Describe how the interview will proceed so that the candidate knows what to expect.
Ask whether the candidate minds if the interviewer takes notes during the interview.
Notes are extremely valuable for making evaluations and comparisons of candidates
after the interview process. However, note taking can make some candidates apprehensive.
In addition, interview notes may be examined as part of legal proceedings if
an unsuccessful candidate later sues the organization for discrimination. Therefore,
interview notes must contain only objective and relevant comments. The same questions
must be asked of all applicants.
3. First, ask general questions about training and work history, but questions already
answered on the application form should not be repeated unless clarification or additional
information is needed. For example, the interviewer might ask, “I notice that
you left your previous job for personal reasons after just six months there. Can you
tell me why you stayed at that job for such a short time?” Because most interviewers
make the mistake of talking too much, the interviewer should be careful to allow the
candidate to answer all questions completely and to be given enough time to ask questions
in turn.
4. After the candidate’s educational background and work history have been explored
fully, describe the position and give the candidate a copy of the job description.
5. Ask a series of open-ended questions to see whether the candidate understands what
the position involves and whether he or she has the skills and knowledge needed to
perform the job. Again, avoid questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no.
6. Encourage the candidate to ask questions about the job itself, the organization, wage
levels and work schedules, the employment benefits available, and opportunities for
advancement or promotion.
Human Resource Management
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