BUILDING A TEAM
3. INTERVIEWING YOUTH
Interviewing youth applicants allows for
greater insight, personal connections, and
an excellent learning experience.
General planning.
• Ensure interview times and locations are
accessible to all applicants.
• Provide the interview schedule to
all interviewers.
• Confirm scheduled interview with applicants.
• Provide expectations to all applicants including:
• Attire — applicants should be notified
ahead of time about preferred attire.
This creates a sense of professionalism
and increases the commitment level to the
youth council. Youth rise to the standard
you provide.
• Consider using an ice-breaker at the
beginning of the interview to make the
youth feel comfortable.
• Interviews are two-way; encourage applicants
to prepare questions ahead of time and allow
time for them to ask their questions.
• Provide general categories of questions
(e.g., “you will be asked about your leadership
experience, personal assets, etc.”)
• Remember, this could be the first time an
applicant has interviewed for anything; consider
it a learning opportunity for them.
• Consider using an activity as part of the
interview.
• Youth interviewers may create an activity
to see how the interviewee would respond
to a real-life scenario of the youth council.
• Create a process with youth for decision-making
prior to interviews. This may include items such
as a matrix, score, waitlist option, etc.
• Create a matrix or rubric that is used by all
interviewers that provides a score/rank for
each applicant. These rubrics and associated
applicant scores can be used during a debrief
conversation with all youth interviewers and
adult leaders.
• For example, have each interviewer score
applicants from a 1 to 5 (5 being the
highest) and write down thoughts that
justify the score they chose.
• Ensure the membership criteria includes
youth council needs and gaps so that the
decision is not made based on a popularity
contest, fashion, etc.
• Also consider criteria that promotes
different perspectives on the team and
that informs the work, such as grade l evel,
diversity of background, experience, and
voice, etc.
• Adult partners should facilitate the process
and meet with youth interviewers prior to
interviewing the applicants to coach them on
confidentiality, questions, and professionalism.
• Vet interview questions.
• Youth interviewers create their own
questions, which may include topics
about leadership skills, assets, and
personality strengths.
AFTER THE INITIAL YEAR, INCLUDE YOUTH
MEMBERS IN THE INTERVIEWING PROCESS.
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