Training courses for interviewers, especially for public sector interview panels

Helping you improve your interview skills through training courses

I am an experienced interviewer and have trained thousands of candidates and interviewers, especially in the public sector in Ireland.

I have chaired interview panels or boards and I have led the shortlisting process in public sector organisations. I bring all of that experience with me into the training room to deliver interview skills training both online and in-person.

Interview training for candidates

I deliver interview preparation courses for candidates to help you be successful when completing applications and attending for interview. I have trained thousands of candidates in the civil and public service in Ireland.

Interview preparation training courses

Completing application forms for public sector interviews
Interview preparation for competency-based interviews
Interview preparation for capability-based interviews
Interview preparation webinars

Interview preparation for competency-based and capability-based interviews

I deliver interviewee skills courses specifically designed for candidates going forward for public sector interviews. The courses covers both completing the application forms (or CVs) and your performance during the interview, including online interviews. This is a group training course rather than a one-to-one coaching session but covers the same information.

I have one version of the course for competency-based interviews and another version of the course for those being interviewed using the new Civil Service Capability Framework.

Participants have commented on how useful they found the courses and that it helped them understand better how to approach competency-based or capability-based questions and how to prepare for their interviews.

I deliver these courses to groups through in-person training in client organisations and through online training using Zoom or Teams. In addition, I deliver these training courses on behalf of Public Affairs Ireland. My next training course on behalf of PAI is Preparing for Capability-Based Interviews.

Interview preparation webinars and information sessions

We deliver interview preparation webinars designed for candidates preparing for interviews. This is a group-based information session with an opportunity for attendees to ask questions. Information about what's included in those webinars and how to buy the Interview Preparation e-Course are here.

Interview training for interviewers

I deliver interviewer skills courses for interviewers to help them be successful when recruiting and selecting. I have trained thousands of interviewers in the civil and public service in Ireland and I also train interviewers in the private sector.

Interview skills courses for interviewers:

Interview skills for interview board/panel members
Mastering interviewing candidates using the new Capability Framework NEW
Chairing interview boards training
One to one interviewer training
Shortlisting training
Notetaking training

Interview board training for interviewers

My training course for interview board/panel members is about understanding what interviewers are trying to achieve in an interview and how to go about doing that. I have trained thousands of interviewers in the public sector, in line with the Commission for Public Service Appointment's (CPSA) Code of Practice for Appointment to Positions in the Civil Service & Public Service and relevant legislation.

The agenda includes:

the shortlisting approach,
the roles of the interview board members,
note taking,
how to prepare appropriate questions to ask during the interview,
how to probe and ask follow-on questions,
what interviewers need to do when assessing and scoring candidates and
additional considerations for conducting interviews online.

Some attend this training because they have been asked to be part of a public sector interview panel for the first time. Others attend because it has been a while since they had last interviewed. Other interviewers want a re-fresher as some time has passed since they have done their interviewer training or their organisation mandates that all interviewers must have attended training.

I deliver this course to groups through in-person training in client organisations and through online training using Zoom or Teams. In addition, I deliver these training courses on behalf of Public Affairs Ireland.

Interviewer training for capability-based interviews

NEW TRAINING COURSE
My Mastering interviewing candidates using the new Capability Framework course will help you understand and fulfil your role as an interviewer working on a Civil Service or Public Sector Interview Panel when interviewing using the new Civil Service Capability Framework.

This new Capability Framework underpins the questioning and assessment of candidates and enables interviewers to adopt a more holistic approach to assessing candidates’ capability more broadly.

This course provides you with the essential skills to fulfil your role on for a capability-based interview. The agenda includes:

A detailed review of the Capability Framework
Similarities and differences from the previous competency-based interviewing approach
What is required in terms of types of questions to consider the candidates' capability more broadly
How to approach questions about behaviours, strengths, knowledge, values, motivation and interests.
Practical activities for question development
Changes to the scoring mechanism and it's impact on how to assess candidates.

People have attended this course who will be members of Interview Boards for Civil Service and Public Sector roles using the new Capability Framework. It has also been attended by members of HR, Recruitment and Talent Acquisition teams who are involved in interviews themselves or who are advising staff members about interviews under the new framework.

I deliver this course to groups through in-person training in client organisations and through online training using Zoom or Teams. My next open delivery of this training course is via PAI, details here.

One to one training for interviewers

I also train interviewers on a one-to-one basis. This suits some interviewers better than attending a training course.

Some interviewers have worked with me this way because the timings for the course didn't suit their requirements. Others have worked with me this way because they preferred working one to one rather than being in a group on a training course.

Working on a one-to-one basis allowed us to focus in on exactly what they needed to know and we were able to concentrate on the interview they were preparing for.

What I appreciated most about this interviewee training course was Tina’s presentation and real-life experience. And she answered all the questions we asked.

After this training, I am feeling more confident about being a member of the interview board next week.

Thank you for your time, effort and professionalism in helping achieve an excellent result during our recent interviews.

Tina obviously has great knowledge of interviewing and encouraged us to contribute throughout the session.

Excellent days training, would highly recommend it. Excellent insight into both sides of the interview table.

Hi Tina, Just to let you know I made the panel. Really happy I attended your webinar!!! Will defo be recommending to friends. I'm over the moon!! Thanks again for such an informative webinar.

I found the webinar to be extremely helpful and useful and I will put what I have learned into practice for my upcoming interview.

Met all my expectations for an interview skills update. Issues were discussed in a tangible example-led way. Tina is knowledgeable, instructive and inclusive.

An absolute pleasure working with you and thanks so much for all your help and guidance.

Very informative and engaging training course. The most useful part was about preparing competency-based questions and how to follow up with probing questions.