Pre-Interview Phone Call

Name:
Date:
Profile: Sales Associate Interview

PRE-INTERVIEW PHONE CALL

The purpose of the pre-interview phone call is to schedule a face to face interview and set the expectations for the interview. This will allow you to have the most productive interview possible, as well as uncover potential “red flags” prior to the interview. This pre-interview phone call process should be followed with every candidate regardless of whether you choose to use the interview scheduling process in SuccessFactors.

Once you receive an assessment from DeGarmo via email you should call a prospective hire within 24 hours.

As a reminder, this screening call is not an interview, and should not include reviewing a resume or covering any DeGarmo questions.

This is what the conversation should sound like:

SALES ASSOCIATE PRE-INTERVIEW PHONE CALL

Introduce yourself.“Hello, may I please speak with _____. I’m _____, the hiring manager for … Havertys Furniture. I received your information from the job you applied for. I’m calling to talk with you about our career opportunities with Havertys Furniture.”

Thank them for taking the time to complete the online information. “Thank you for taking the time to complete the online questions and information we had requested.”

Ask them for their time. “Do you have a few moments to talk?”

Explain the benefits of the Havertys compensation and schedule (nights, holidays, weekends). “Our compensation packages offer unlimited income potential and in addition you can feel safe knowing you will earn at least $12 per hour. Last year, the top performer made over $_____ and the average sales associate earned around $_____. We offer flexible schedules, however, you will have to work some nights, weekends, and holidays. An example of our flexible schedule is _____ (e.g., one weekend off per month, one Sunday off per month).”

Check for their interest. “How does this opportunity sound to you?”
If they are interested, proceed with step number six.
If they are not interested: “Thank you for y our time, I wish you the best of luck in your career search.”

Schedule an interview on a day when you have additional management coverage to prevent interruptions. “I’d like to schedule an interview and I’m available on _____ or _____. Which day works best for you?”

Schedule an interview at a time when you have additional management coverage to prevent interruptions. “I am available on _____ at _____ AM / PM, or _____ AM / PM. Which time works best for you?

Tell them how long to plan for. “Please allow at least one hour for the interview process. The length of the interview will vary based on what we need to cover and discussions that occur.”

Have them bring a resume and references (It may be a red flag if they say they don’t own a computer or have issues creating a resume and references). “Bring a typed resume and list of references with you to the interview, please.”

Ask for questions. “What questions do you have about the interview process?”

Let them know you will send a confirmation email. “I’ll be sending you an email confirmation of our interview time, location, and what to bring to the interview. Please confirm via email that you have received the email. If you don’t receive your email, please call me back at ___-___-____ and ask for _____. What is your email address so I may send you the email confirmation?”

Confirm the day and time. “I’ll see you _____ at _____ (AM or PM). When you arrive, please come to the customer service desk and ask for me - _____.”

Thank them. “Thank you, _____.”

Below is a sample email you can use to confirm the interview with a candidate. It is located in the SharePoint Stores Site on the Coaching Page under the DeGarmo Resources category as part of the DeGarmo Pre-Interview Call document. Simply copy and paste the template, update it with your local information, and send it to the candidate.

EXAMPLE EMAIL

Dear _____,

Thank you so much for your interest in Havertys Furniture here in _____. I am looking forward to our interview on (DAY OF WEEK), (MONTH) (DATE) at (TIME) (AM or PM). When you arrive at the store, please go directly to the Customer Service Desk and ask for me. As a reminder, allow at least an hour for the interview.

Finally, please be sure to bring a resume and reference list with you. If for any reason you need to change your interview day or time, contact me at the phone number provided below.

Sincerely,

(Manager Name)

(Manager Job title)

(Insert road name)

(City name), (State name), (Zip code)

(Phone number)

PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW

To prepare for the interview, follow these steps.

INTERVIEW PREPARATION CHECKLIST

Print out your interview guide and the candidate’s online assessment results. Allow yourself 15 minutes prior to the start of the interview to review these documents.

Read the definition of each competency and the “stronger” and “weaker” traits, which will allow you to rate the answers.

Review the questions for each competency. It is a best practice to add after each question and BEFORE the candidate answers, “Tell me about the event, the actions that you took, what the results were and how you reacted to those results.”

The interview guide contains a page of supplemental questions for each competency, along with probing questions to use if the candidate has difficulty answering the primary question for a competency. Please use these probing questions prior to using any supplemental questions.

Ensure there is management coverage to reduce or eliminate the disruptions and distractions during the interview. Inform your sales managers and office staff that you will be unavailable during the interview.

Prepare your interview space, keeping in mind that the best practice is to be in a location that will be conducive to you taking notes, make the candidate feel comfortable, and will be in a location that is not disruptive to customers or other employees. Silence all phones and turn off your computer monitor to eliminate those distractions.

Proceed to greet the candidate and begin the interview by using the Opening the Interview steps.

OPENING THE INTERVIEW

Prior to asking any questions of the candidate, you must first open the interview. Using this 12-step process, you will be more likely to have a more productive interview, and one that is more enjoyable for both you and the candidate. Follow these steps, in order, once you have greeted your candidate and sat down to begin the interview. Do not add steps or additional verbiage to what is below, as these steps should be completed quickly.

OPENING THE INTERVIEW

“Hello, ______. Welcome to the store. I am ______, and I am the hiring manager here at Havertys in ______. It’s nice to meet you!”

“This interview is just one part of our hiring process, along with information from your online assessment, your resume and references. All of this helps us choose the best candidates to join our Havertys Team. There will be time at the end of the interview for you to ask me questions.”

“The interview process will include questions that you’ll need to answer with specific details.”

“This interview may be different from others, as this will be focusing on past events or situations.”

“I’ll be asking you very specific questions regarding your past experiences and your reactions.”

“We’re looking for responses as a result of an actual event or situation.”

“In your answers, I’ll be looking for you to describe a specific event or situation, the action that you took, the result of your action, and the reaction you had to the situation.”

“I’ll be taking very detailed notes during the interview.”

“There may be times that I ask you to pause or repeat your answers to ensure my notes are complete.”

“Please do not use the same event or situation to answer multiple questions.”

“You may ‘pass’ on a question and answer it later in the interview.”

“What questions do you have on the interview process before we continue?”

SALES ASSOCIATE INTERVIEW COMPETENCIES

Assessing the candidate’s possession of key competencies.
Special note:
A successful candidate will demonstrate the following traits.

Ability to build rapport
Bright, verbal, assertive, confident

Desire to build relationships

Goal-driven (enjoys sales challenges)
Participative (enjoys being part of a team)

Comfort with using technology

COMPETENCY / DEFINITION
The descriptions of the competencies are provided to help familiarize you with the specific aspects this interview will focus on.
DO NOT READ OR PROVIDE THESE DEFINITIONS TO THE CANDIDATE.
SELF-CONTROL / Maintaining composure, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior when facing obstacles, hassles, or difficulties.
INITIATIVE / Willingness to take on new responsibilities and challenges.
DEPENDABILITY / Being reliable, responsible, and dependable and fulfilling obligations.
COOPERATION / Being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative disposition.

SELF-CONTROL

Maintaining composure, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior when facing obstacles, hassles, or difficulties.
WEAKER / STRONGER
Gets upset in difficult situations /  / Calmly deals with difficult situations
Has overly assertive reactions to stress /  / Maintains composure when stressed
Experiences intense negative emotions /  / Appears to not get upset easily

Please ask the candidate this question. If the answer given is insufficient for you to be able to accurately rate the candidate, use probing questions from the “Alternative Interview Questions” page in this guide to learn more. If probing does not lead to a sufficient answer, you may choose another interview question to ask from the “Alternative Interview Questions” page.

After each question, add:“Tell me about the event, the actions that you took, what the results were and how you reacted to those results.”

QUESTIONS

1)Tell me about a time when you were upset with another person or a situation at work. What happened?

INITIATIVE

Willingness to take on new responsibilities and challenges.
WEAKER / STRONGER
Lacks initiative /  / Shows initiative
Passively waits for direction /  / Seeks out opportunities for challenge
Reluctantly accepts new responsibilities /  / Willingly accepts new responsibilities

After each question, add:“Tell me about the event, the actions that you took, what the results were and how you reacted to those results.”

QUESTIONS

1)Describe a situation in which you chose to take on additional responsibilities in a work environment.
COMPETENCY RATING (please circle)
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Significantly
below expectations / Slightly
below expectations / Meets
expectations / Slightly
exceeds expectations / Significantly exceeds expectations

DEPENDABILITY

Being reliable, responsible, and dependable in fulfilling work obligations.
WEAKER / STRONGER
Is not bothered by minor tardiness /  / Highly values promptness
Less concerned about commitments /  / Shows concern for commitments
Ignores some obligations /  / Fulfills obligations

After each question, add: “Tell me about the event, the actions that you took, what the results were and how you reacted to those results.”

QUESTIONS

1)Unexpected situations occur that can throw off your schedule. Tell me about the most recent time you were unable to meet a commitment and what happened.

COOPERATION

Being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative disposition.
WEAKER / STRONGER
Appears inflexible and unaccommodating /  / Appears helpful and accommodating
Is disagreeable toward others /  / Is pleasant toward others
Seems skeptical of others /  / Seems trusting of others

After each question, add:“Tell me about the event, the actions that you took, what the results were and how you reacted to those results.”

QUESTIONS

1)Describe a time when it was challenging to work with others to complete a task.

COMMUNICATION

Characterize the candidate’s demonstration of a professional image and accompanying manners and oral communication skills demonstrated during the entire interview.

If the candidate demonstrates strength in a particular area, circle a plus (+). If the candidate demonstrates weakness, circle a minus (-).

RATING CRITERIA FOR VERBAL COMMUNICATION
+ / - / Articulation (words and sentences) / Was it clear? Concise? Distinct?
+ / - / Grammar / Was it correct?
+ / - / Use of vocabulary / Was it broad? Appropriate?
+ / - / Volume of voice / Was it modulated? Consistent with message?
+ / - / Rate of speech / Was it too fast? Too slow?
+ / - / Pronunciation / Was it succinct? Concise?
+ / - / Structure / Was it logical? Coherent? Organized?
RATING CRITERIA FOR NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION & PROFESSIONALISM
+ / - / Posture / Was it professional? Attentive?
+ / - / Eye contact / Was it appropriate? Comfortable?
+ / - / Gestures / Were they appropriate? Informative?
+ / - / Behavior / Was it mature? Showing emotional control?
+ / - / Attitude / Was it polite? Respectful? Attentive? Interested?
+ / - / Punctuality / Was candidate on time?
COMPETENCY RATING (please circle)
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Significantly
below expectations / Slightly
below expectations / Meets
expectations / Slightly
exceeds expectations / Significantly exceeds expectations
COMPETENCY RATING (please circle)
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Significantly
below expectations / Slightly
below expectations / Meets
expectations / Slightly
exceeds expectations / Significantly exceeds expectations

ALTERNATIVE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Provided below are some general probing questions to gather additional information from candidates, as well as some supplemental questions for the competencies included as part of the interview. You should use the general probing questions prior to using the supplemental questions.

General Probing Questions:

COMPETENCY RATING (please circle)
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Significantly
below expectations / Slightly
below expectations / Meets
expectations / Slightly
exceeds expectations / Significantly exceeds expectations

Can you remember a specific example of … ?
Tell me the specific details surrounding a similar experience you’ve had.
Specifically, what caused you to feel this way?
Explain to me exactly what you did.
Talk me through the experience step-by-step.
How did that make you feel?
Give me another example that you remember more clearly.
Why did you do that?
What kind of feedback did you get?
What else can you remember about that situation?
Give me more detail about what you did, please.

Self-Control

1)Think about a time when you were under pressure in a tense situation and needed to maintain your composure. How did you handle this situation?

2)Describe a time when you were in a difficult situation at work, and you were very upset. What happened?

3)Tell me about a time in which you were very angry regarding a situation and needed to act rationally, even though you may have preferred to do something else.

4)Tell me about a time when you were in a difficult situation at work, and you were very upset, but had to restrain impulses to react in anger or frustration.

Initiative

1)Tell me about a time when you felt you needed to take a risk at work.

2)We’ve all had the experience of having to take on additional responsibilities or tasks. Think back to a time when this happened to you and tell me about it.

3)Tell me about a time when you needed to anticipate what would be needed to complete a task or project prior to starting work on it.

4)Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond your normal responsibilities in order to get a job done.

Dependability

1)Describe a time when you held some important responsibilities at work.

2)Describe a situation in which you had to schedule your activities to meet a work objective.

3)Tell me about a time when you demonstrated dependability at work.

4)Tell me about a time in which you were depended on to follow a specific procedure in order to complete a task.

Cooperation

1)Tell me about a time in which you had to maintain a pleasant disposition at a difficult time.

2)Think back to a time when you had to maintain an upbeat disposition at work.

3)Tell me about a time when you worked with others who had very different ideas on how to get a job done.

4)Tell me about a time when you needed to work closely with another person with whom you disagreed on how to approach a task.

CLOSING THE INTERVIEW

Before you close the interview with the candidate, you must ensure you have asked all the questions you planned to ask within the interview guide.

If you are not moving forward with the candidate, do not indicate to the candidate you will not be moving forward in the process. Be mindful of your body language and tone, as those behaviors from the interviewer can be an indicator of the outcome of the interview to the candidate. While they may not be an associate for Havertys, they may be a current or future customer and need to be treated as such.