Solution and Answer Guide
Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234;
Chapter 16: Interviewing and Following Up
Table of Contents
Zooming In—Critical Thinking Answers …………………………………………………………………………… 1
Thorough Preparation Triggers Interview Success ………………………………………………………………………… 1
Zooming In—Your Turn Solution ……………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Applying Your Skills With Don Georgevich …………………………………………………………………………………… 2
Ethics Check Answers …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
Job Looky-Loo? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
Never Faced an Ethical Challenge? ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
Teasing Out Information by Asking Indirectly ……………………………………………………………………………….. 4
The Ethics of Requesting Access to Social Media Accounts……………………………………………………….……. 4
Critical Thinking Answers ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Activities Solutions …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6
Zooming In—Critical Thinking Answers
Thorough Preparation Triggers Interview Success
• Can novice job seekers predict what a job interview will involve?
Solution
Surprisingly enough, even novice job seekers can closely predict what a job interview will
entail. Most interviewers ask similar questions, sometimes in the form of an invitation such
• How is interviewing a two-way street? What does this mean for job candidates?
Solution
Interviewing is indeed a two-way street. Candidates must promote their best qualities and
impress the company. However, companies must sell the position and the company to
candidates. Recruiters realize that good candidates are difficult to find and that they may
• How can job seekers show recruiters or hiring managers that they are invested in a
position during the job interview?
Solution
Job candidates can demonstrate their interest and investment in a position by doing
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Zooming In—Your Turn Solution
Applying Your Skills With Don Georgevich
• Identify three to five skills that employers seek among new hires in your career area.
LinkedIn research revealed that the most important “soft” skills in demand today are
creativity, persuasion, collaboration, adaptability, and time management. A list from
the National Association of Colleges and Employers named the following six top
attributes desired by employers: written communication skills, problem-solving,
ability to work in a team, initiative, analytical-quantitative skills, and strong work
ethic. In an e-mail memo addressed to Don Georgevich (but mailed to your instructor),
describe a success story showing how you developed each skill or attribute that you
name.
Solution
Many students find it difficult to translate experiences from course work in school or entry–
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Ethics Check Answers
Job Looky-Loo?
• Nichole was happy with her job, but she was curious about other job possibilities. Is it
unethical for her to seek job offers if she intends to stay at her current job?
Solution
It’s not unethical for Nichole to keep her options open and explore the job market in her
Never Faced an Ethical Challenge?
• As businesses increasingly emphasize workplace ethics, you may be asked to tell
about a time when you were challenged ethically. One workplace compliance officer
advised candidates not to respond that you have never faced an ethical challenge.
“You want a candidate,” he said, “who avoids misconduct, not someone who lies and
says they’ve never done anything wrong.” —Tim Mazur, COO of the Ethics and
Compliance Officer Association. Do you agree?
Solution
Students may agree that job candidates should not lie by saying that they never were
challenged ethically. But what should they say? Tim Mazur, COO of the Ethics and
Compliance Officer Association, recommends saying something like this: “I was part of a
Teasing Out Information by Asking Indirectly
• In conducting job interviews, a company recruiter knows that it is illegal to ask
questions directly related to age. However, he especially wants to know the age of a
candidate. Is it unethical for him to find what he wants to know indirectly by asking
when the candidate graduated from high school?
Solution
Yes, it is not only unethical but also illegal to solicit information about age by taking an
The Ethics of Requesting Access to Social Media Accounts
• During a job interview, Cheryl was startled to be asked to provide her password and
login credentials for her social media accounts. Is this an illegal or unethical request?
Solution
It is now illegal in nearly half of the U.S. states for employers to require applicants (and
employees, too) to provide access to their private social media accounts. Each year more
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Critical Thinking Answers
1. Put yourself in the shoes of an employment recruiter. You’re impressed by a job
candidate’s résumé and references. During her interview, she responded well and
asked insightful questions about the company. She’s the best fit of all the applicants
you have interviewed thus far. But, oh, no! She failed to send a thank-you after she
met with you. Should you cross her off the list? Jessica Liebman, a publishing
executive who has been hiring for ten years, did just that. Ms. Liebman followed her
own simple rule: If someone doesn’t send a thank-you e-mail, don’t hire that person.
No thank-you, no job! She claims that a thank–you note differentiates the “bad eggs”
from the “good eggs.” Do you agree with this reasoning? Why or why not?
Solution
When Ms. Liebman, executive managing editor at Business Insider, expressed this view in an
2. In a LinkedIn survey of over 5,000 talent professionals, respondents reported that
they value so-called “soft skills” equally or higher than hard skills. Many recruiters,
however, confess that they do not know how to measure emotional intelligence and
other job-ready intangibles. How do you think a hiring manager determines whether
an interviewee has strong emotional intelligence?
Solution
Some organizations are turning to psychometric tests and games to measure skills, but most
3. Like criminal background checks and drug tests, social media background checks have
become commonplace in today’s recruiting. What are the pros and cons of conducting
such checks as a primary or sole means of screening applicants?
Solution
This would make an excellent debate topic with some class members taking the part of
employers and others taking the part of job candidates. Some of the following arguments
4. If you are asked an illegal interview question, why is it important to first assess the
intentions of the interviewer?
Solution
Most illegal interview questions are asked in true innocence. Inexperienced interviewers are
ignorant of the law. They do not know what questions are proper and are unaware of how
5. A recruiter for an organization has an outstanding prospect for a position. As part of
his screening process, the recruiter checks the online presence of the candidate and
discovers from her social networks that she is 18 weeks pregnant—and happily so. He
knows that the target position involves a big project that will go live just about the
time she will be taking maternity leave. He decides not to continue the hiring process
with this candidate. Is his action legal? Ethical? What lesson could be learned about
posting private information online?
Solution
His action seems to violate numerous laws, such as Title VII, the ADA, GINA, and ADEA. Many
of these laws were enacted to prohibit discrimination in the following categories: age, sex,
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Activities Solutions
16.1 Document for Analysis: Lexie’s Poor Interview Follow-Up Letter
Solution
Weaknesses:
a. Expresses excessive exuberance in opening (altogether extremely enjoyable), which is
unprofessional in business writing
b. Fails to mention in the opening the date of the interview or the exact position for which
she was interviewed.
Revision:
415 South Cory Lane
Sunny Slopes, IN 47401
June 11, 2021
Mr. Jared M. Rogers
Watkins & Associates, CPAs
3205 East Covenanter Drive
Bloomington, IN 47402
Dear Mr. Rogers:
Thanks for speaking with me on Thursday, June 10, about the goals of Watkins & Associates,
CPAs and the duties of the person hired for the assistant account manager position. The job
you described seems to be an excellent match for my training and skills.
16.2 Surviving Cattle-Call Interviews
Solution
Although controversial, cattle-call interviews have been conducted by organizations as varied
as IBM, various airlines, and secondary school systems. Students are likely to find articles
and blogs about group interviews in mainstream publications such as Fortune and the Forbes
or at career advice sites.
16.3 What Social Media Info Helps or Hurts Your Job Prospects?
Solution
We tend to turn a blind eye to our own shortcomings but discover other people’s flubs and
flaws much more readily. This exercise may sharpen students’ perceptions of the danger
they may be courting with inappropriate social media content. Whereas friends may not feel
the need to warn their Facebook buddies about risqué online material, the critical eye of a
classmate may help identify potential pitfalls.
On a related note, a PhD student from Brazil studying in Hannover, Germany, developed a
Web tool called FireMe!, the goal of which is to “raise awareness about the danger of public
online data.” FireMe! collects potentially offensive tweets in several categories—for example,
16.4 Using Glassdoor to Prepare for Interviews and Find Salary Data
Solution
Results will vary. Suffice it to say that Glassdoor is a terrific resource for any job seeker or
16.5 How Much Are You Worth?
Solution
Students should find ample salary information for a job title they choose. Consider having
16.6 Superwoman Conquers Stress Before Interview
Solution
Students should have no trouble locating both common stress-reducing tips as well as
offbeat ones. Following are possible items for their lists:
• Have a game plan. Scope out the company building. Arrive early. Take a walk.
• Prepare an interview cheat sheet (Activity 16.16) and review it when necessary to relieve
your anxieties.
16.7 Engaging Social Media to Investigate Jobs
Solution
Students should enjoy this activity. More and more company blogs are being created every
16.8 Building Interview Skills With Worksheets
Solution
This is an excellent activity to help students think about what employers are looking for in
16.9 Telling Success Stories
Solution
Students must learn how important it is to develop success stories in advance of an
16.10 Digging for Digital Dirt: Keeping a Low Profile Online
Solution
This exercise should generate a lively discussion. It should also raise awareness in students
who often don’t think twice about posting inappropriate photos of themselves and their
friends. Young people may feel safe posting on Facebook even with minimal or no privacy
Aside from questionable images on Facebook and elsewhere, job seekers should worry
about inflammatory statements or controversial comments they may have made online.
Likewise, certain causes and associations that job seekers may have openly embraced could
be viewed negatively by recruiters. Fairly or not, this digital dirt may come back to haunt
young job hunters.
16.11 Talent Assessments: Reviewing Test Scenarios
Solution
A careful search will reveal quite a few sources online that post sample talent or soft skill
assessments. The three scenarios in the activity come from the website Everything Soft
Skills.
The answers are as follows:
1. Answer B: About 60-70 percent is correct. Any more than that would make the person
A discussion of the questions and answers might reinforce chapter content and prompt
further reflection on tact, workplace etiquette, and so on. Parts of the assignment could be
Here are additional questions without answers to spark a discussion of the purpose such
questions may serve:
• On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy are you?
• Would you disturb a busy supervisor with a problem, or try to resolve it on your own?
• How often do you yell at customers, colleagues, and your boss?
• How much have you stolen from your employer?
16.12 Practicing Answers to Interview Questions
Solution
This activity could also be done in pairs or small groups. Have students select three
16.13 Anticipating Situational Interview Questions
Solution
Students may enjoy writing their own situational interview questions and playing the roles of
16.14 Examining Behavioral Interview Questions
Solution
Students should list some of the following skill areas: analytical/problem solving,
16.15 Negotiating a Salary
Solution
Have two students role-play a short scenario with preliminary interview questions before
16.16 Creating a Digital or Paper Interview Cheat Sheet
Solution
Preparing an interview cheat sheet is an excellent strategy, particularly for new job seekers.
16.17 The End of the Handshake: A New Etiquette Emerges
Solution
Students will find ample information describing not only the history of handshaking but also
16.18 Responding to Inappropriate and Illegal Interview Questions
Solution
Students may be confronted with questions in interviews that they do not even realize are
16.19 Asking Your Own Questions
Solution
Students are sometimes caught off guard when asked if they have any questions at the end
16.20 Role-Playing Mock Interviews
Solution
Students will enjoy this activity and learn from it. Carefully observe these mock interviews to
16.21 YouTube: Critiquing Interview Skills
Solution
In classrooms equipped with Internet access and video screens, students could watch
instructor-selected video clips of successful and unsuccessful job interviews or share
16.22 Interviewing Over Meals: Table Manners on Display
Solution
Students may enjoy this activity because they tend to fear violating table manners more than
any other etiquette blunder. Fortunately, with some diligence, recent graduates can acquire
16.23 Thanking the Interviewer
16.24 Following Up After Submitting Your Résumé
16.25 Refusing to Take No for an Answer
16.26 Saying Yes to a Stellar Job Offer
Solution
Activities 16.23—16.26 enable students to prepare an interview thank-you message, a résumé
follow-up message, a follow-up to a rejection message, and a job acceptance message.
16.27 Demonstrating Your Growing Value to the Organization
Solution
This activity prompts students to think in terms of targeted employer benefits rather than