Effective School Management

SELECTION SHEET
Position..................................................
Candidate............................................
Job Description and Criteria For Effectiveness (attached)
Personal profile
E = Essential
D = Desirable
Application
Reference
Interview
Notes on
form
question
candidate’s
Personal and physical
response
.......................................(E)
.......................................(E)
.......................................(D)
Achievements and
experience
Abilities
Motivation
Personality
Overall summary
Interviewer.................................................
Figure 6.2
Selection sheet

---

8 2
EFFECTIVE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT
and profile questionnaires which can provide interesting insights for
subsequent follow-up in interview. This input can usefully be collected by the
head or head of department before the formal panel meets.
The formal panel members should each be given a copy of the ‘selection
sheet’ for each candidate and taken through it beforehand by the head or
head of department. A decision should be taken on how the procedure will be
structured. How will the candidate be welcomed, introduced and put at
ease? Who will lead the panel? Who will cover what areas of questioning?
How shall we allocate time?
Questioning technique is important. Some useful ‘do’s and don’ts’ to bear
in mind are as follows:
Do not
(1) Start with intimate, personal, aggressive or argumentative questions.
(These can come later when rapport has been established.)
(2) Use ‘closed’ questions which will lead to a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer unless
there is a need to establish a clear fact which is uncertain (or about which
the candidate is ‘hedging’) or unless you are going to follow up by an
open-ended supplementary.
(3) Use multiple questions, loaded questions, trick questions or jargon.
(4) Lead – for example ‘I suppose you …‘, ‘I think … What do you feel?’, ‘No
doubt you enjoy good relations with …’ (Even if the candidate would be
willing to tell you about problems, you make it almost impossible for him
or her to do so.)
(5) Indicate disapproval or show that you are shocked.
(6) Worry about silences.
(7) Allow your prejudices (accent, dress, men with beards, women with ear-
rings, as well as colour, sex, etc.) to affect your judgement.
Do
(1) Use  ‘open’ questions which allow the candidate to express him or
herself, to demonstrate knowledge, to add to the picture (you do not
want them to repeat information that you already have).
(2) Probe tactfully, using ‘Why?’ ‘What?’ ‘How?’ questions, or
• ‘Tell me about …?’
• What did you enjoy most about …?’
• What was your role in …?’
• How does our job compare with …?’
• ‘What did you enjoy least about …?’
(3) Reassure a nervous candidate by ‘congratulating’ on achievements,
smiling, making reinforcing noises, etc.
(4) Listen for at least two-thirds of the time.
(5) Guide tactfully into the areas you wish to explore.
(6) Close down one area and open up another with remarks such as ‘OK, I
think we’ve covered that; now, could you tell me about …’

---

RECRUITING, EMPLOYING, APPRAISING, DEVELOPING & DISMISSING STAFF
8 3
(7) Come back to areas a candidate tries to avoid.
(8) Get his or her views on the job on offer and encourage criticism of the
school.
(9) Observe behaviour (tenseness, etc.).
(10) When the candidate has had time to settle down, investigate
relationships by covering social and work life. Look for clues of difficult
adjustments, loyalty, etc. (NB The inability to relate well to other people
is the most frequent cause of dissatisfaction with staff members of all
kinds.)
 (11) Give the candidate a chance to ask about the job, and check whether he
or she is still interested and whether there are any reservations (family
moves, etc.).
(12) Make sure the candidate knows what the next steps are.
(13) Close when both you and the candidate have enough information.
(14) Record your overall impressions before you meet the next candidate
(otherwise you will forget).