DIRECTIONS FOR THE FINAL INTERVIEW
Imagine that you have been hired by two separate companies to serve as a Human Resources External Consultant. The supervisor would like you to serve as in impartial assessor of the work environment as it pertains to benefits, and whether or not they have established a workplace benefit and support system that is cultivating employee satisfaction.
Select an individual to interview regarding their current job satisfaction. Who they are and where they work will be completely confidential, which is one of the reasons this project is heavily on your honor. However, I want you to get some honest answers and real life feedback from a real employee, and I believe you will be more likely to get that experience IF you assure your interviewee that their name and workplace will not be disclosed.
You can pick your parents, siblings, friends, co-workers or favorite aunt. Y
It IS important that you conduct the interview in person. This is, after all, HUMAN Resource Management. A current failure of all too many human resource professionals – not getting out there and meeting their constituents in person – the employees! Successful HR professionals make a human connection. It may take less time to do an electronic survey – but there is no human connection in Survey Monkey or an online assessment tool. Do not use chat, messenger, skype, email or any other electronic method to conduct the interviews.
It does not matter WHERE you conduct the interview – over lunch, in a scheduled meeting, in the interviewees’ workplace or at home, but DO make it professional. Do not ask mom about her job while you are in your pajamas and she is washing dishes. Sit down. Make it real. Let the person know you care about their work experience and intend to learn something from it. At least get a shower and wear an ironed shirt – sit a table or on a bench together. Remember, you are imagining you are a professionally contracted external HR consultant!
Balance your note taking and your listening. Your interviewee does not only want to see the top of your head and moving pen. It’s okay to make bullet points and then write down more after the interview. Make eye contact – ask more questions that come from their answers to the questions below.
The Job Satisfaction Interview Questions
Introductory
Years of work experience
Year worked at the current employer
Current industry – do not submit the name of the workplace in your final project. (Assure your interviewee name, specific position and workplace are not disclosed in your submission.)
Does this person self-describe as an entry level employee, mid-level employee or senior manager?
Job Satisfaction Questions
How would you rate your overall satisfaction with the benefits package offered by your company?
Which specific benefits do you find most valuable and why?
Are there any benefits that you feel are lacking or could be improved?
How well do you feel the benefits package meets your personal and family needs?
Have you experienced any challenges or difficulties in understanding or accessing any of the benefits provided?
Do you feel adequately informed about all the benefits available to you? If not, what areas would you like to have more clarity on?
Have you utilized any of the wellness or employee assistance programs provided? If so, how would you rate your experience with them?
How do you perceive the competitiveness of your benefits package compared to other companies in our industry?
Are there any additional benefits or perks you would like to see added by your employer?
Can you share any suggestions or feedback on how your employer can enhance your benefits package to better meet the needs of employees?
Your questions – Add three questions of your own to the interview, based upon what you’ve learned about employee benefits during the course. (TIP: For the purpose of this project, do not ask questions about salary.)
PRESENTATION AND SUBMISSION
Please summarize the answers to your interview. Remember not to disclose interviewee or workplace information. If it’s helpful, you can make a pseudonym for the person you interviewed and the name of the company.
As if you were a consultant, create for the employee’s supervisors a one page recommendation report:
Reflect upon what you learned from your interview.
Would you describe each of these people as satisfied employees or unsatisfied? What led you to this conclusion?
Using your class materials – the text, the discussion board sharing, the supplementary readings – what would you commend or recommend to each of these employees’ supervisors to continue and/or increase the employees’ workplace satisfaction/satisfaction with benefits in the next 12 months?
