What to Expect
The Invitation
When you are invited to continue in our hiring process, you will be able to select from a list of dates for your evaluation, which will often include an interview, or you may be assigned to a particular date and time. You will be informed of the location and estimated length of time for the interview and/or other assessment methods, such as a written test or exercise. On some occasions, you will be required to make a presentation during the interview and you may be given the topic during the invitation so that you have time to prepare your material. In our commitment as an equal opportunity employer, when you receive the invitation you will also be asked if you have any special accommodation needs in order to allow you to participate in the hiring process to your full potential as per the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Note: If there are a large number of applicants that meet the initial screening criteria of a posted position, the first phone call you receive may be a screening test or telephone interview to select the most qualified candidates to continue in the process.
Other Assessment Methods
In most cases, there are additional assessment methods before, during, or after the interview to further determine a candidate’s skills and knowledge for a position. These could include a writing test, a technical test, a work sample, a presentation, a role-play or an in-box exercise. For example, to assess budgeting skills, you may be given financial data and asked to forecast a budget in MS Excel. To assess written communication skills you may be given summary information and instructed to write a briefing note based on that information. To assess oral communication, and/or analytical and problem-solving skills, you may be asked to complete a presentation or act out a common work situation (role-play) within the interview.
Note: If the job indicates a level of French language proficiency, and you are selected to continue in the hiring process, your ability to communicate and/or write in French will be formally tested and rated. Proficiency in both English and French is a mandatory requirement for designated French Language Services positions.
The Selection Panel
A group or panel interview is the preferred format used in OPS interviews to ensure fairness to all candidates through multiple raters and averaged scores. A selection panel has between two and four people, including the manager of the position. Other members of the selection panel may be representatives from the Ministry HR Branch or Regional Recruitment Centre, other managers, technical experts, or even clients who may have an interest in a successful hiring outcome.
The Interview
Interview panelists do their best to ensure that candidates are not kept waiting, but they are often interviewing a number of candidates one after the other, so from time to time the panel may get behind schedule. The chair of the interview panel (generally the hiring manager) will begin the interview by explaining how the interview will be conducted, followed by a brief description of the job and how it fits in the organization.
All interview questions asked are open-ended, meaning that they require more than a standard yes or no response in order for marks to be scored appropriately. Interview questions are designed to explore your skills, experience and knowledge as they relate to the position you applied for and described in the qualifications of the job ad to determine your potential to take on the new role. Normally, the panel members will take turns asking you the questions. The interview panel will write down your responses so that they are able to refer to them later to assess the results, so they may not be able to look at you while you are talking. The panel will assess your skills and knowledge, as related to the position’s qualifications, in the interview as well as in other assessment methods (i.e. tests, presentations, etc). The chair will then wrap up the interview by asking you if you have any questions. He/She will also tell you about the next step in the process, which may include further assessment methods and when you can expect to hear back about a decision.
Interview Scoring – A Reflection of OPS Values
OPS interviews reflect OPS values of fairness and consistency in the treatment of staff. As a result, each interview question is assigned a pre-determined weight on a rating scale according to the importance of particular skills, knowledge or experience to the position. The interview panel will compare your responses to established expected responses to determine the score you receive for each question. Each candidate is asked the same set of questions, and scored using the same rating system. The more relevant points that you make based on the position’s qualifications, the more marks you will receive. This ensures fairness to all candidates and is a key component of OPS interviews that may not be the same as other organizations.
Reference Checks and Personnel Screening Checks
Reference checks are a part of the OPS selection process. References are a way for employers to confirm what you have told them in an interview and to find out additional information about you. All candidates are expected to provide the names of current and former supervisors and other individuals who are able to provide valuable information regarding work performance.
Some positions also require personnel screening checks to be conducted prior to an offer of employment to the most qualified applicant. Where a ‘personnel screening check’ is noted as a requirement on the job ad, the top applicant is required to have an OPS security clearance prior to receiving an offer. The evaluation panel will explain this process to candidates in more detail and it may include the following:
- Verification of personal data (name, address, date of birth) with photo ID
- Reference check with previous employers (last five years) and given references
- Police records check
- Driver history check (for positions requiring a valid driver’s licence).
