In most human interactions, people think about each activity as it affects them, rather than how it affects the other person. Interviewing for jobs is just like that.

The interviewee is trying to convince the interviewer that they are perfect for the job, even if they are not.

The interviewer is looking to quickly find a person who will be able to do all of the aspects of the open position, without any training.

Neither of these goals is attainable. In reality, both sides should simply be checking to see if their personalities are compatible, so that they will be able to work together.

Things the interviewee should do

The interviewee should be sure that they convey their true personality, as it will be when they are working.

Anyone can successfully act well for an hour or so, but getting a job based upon an artificial personality will lose the job, or lead to misery, once the real personality comes out.

The interviewee should dress in a "professional manner," as it applies to the prospective job. One would not wear a three piece suit to interview as a mechanic. "Professional manner" means clean and neat. I once interviewed a woman for a store clerk job, and she arrived in old shorts and a stained shirt. She told me that she had just been gardening. She might have been a good candidate, but I couldn't get over the fact that her dress implied that the job and the interview were unimportant to her.

Things the interviewee should be looking for during the interview

The interviewee needs to be very aware of the character of the business during the interview. Are the offices neat? Do the staff members seem to be working happily? If they are in a corner gossiping, that is a clue that the workplace might not be a pleasant one. Does the interviewer devote their full attention to the interview or does she take phone calls and interruptions? This might imply that she would not be a good boss to work for.

Things the interviewer should be thinking about

The interviewer should realize that the interviewee is a guest. The interviewer should be ready, on time and should have a quiet place in which to carry out the interview.

The interviewer should be sure to explain to the candidate what the job entails. Once, when I was going over the description of an environmental technician job with a candidate, he interrupted me and said, "Wait a minute, this job involves working outdoors? Then I don't want it." He got up and walked out. It was much better for me to find that out before he started to work.

Things the interviewer should be looking for during the interview

The interviewer should ask questions that make the interviewee think. Situational "what-if" questions are good. The questions need to be non-typical, to bring out the interviewee's real personality. For example, you might ask, "What would you do if you were alone here at the office, three phone lines started ringing at once, and the Fire Department showed up at the door?"

The interviewer should watch the candidate and see if they can detect unpleasant personality characteristics. A store owner told me recently of a candidate who came in and began to re-arrange the store displays during the interview. We often tour a candidate around our facilities, and see if they touch things, or if they give suggestions for our improvement. We don't think that level of aggressiveness is a good trait for our employees.

The goal of the interview is to see if the candidate, the job and the work environment are compatible, and both sides need to be focused on this goal.

About the author:
Ruth Haag is the President and CEO of Haag Environmental Company, a hazardous waste remediation firm. She and her partner, Bob Haag, host a weekly radio show called, "Manage Living," which can also be heard on-demand at www.manageliving.com. Ruth has authored a four-book series for supervisors. She offers business management courses through Ohio colleges, and she also provides private contract training. She is the publisher of Ohio's monthly newspaper for thinking people, A Sandusky Bay Journal.