Abstract

Sometimes the constraints of a traditional one-on-one interview will not allow for assessing whether a potential volunteer will get along well with other staff members or other participants/volunteers. Completing a team project in the context of a group interview helps to highlight the attributes that are necessary to serve as a team member, qualities such as a cooperative spirit, good listening skills, and direct communication. This group activity could also be helpful when needing to put together a team of volunteers for a specific task from a pool of volunteers that are already serving. Dan Condon of Public Allies shared this effective practice via ACList, the AmeriCorps e-mail discussion list, in May 2002.

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Issue

An important part of national and community service is the ability to work with other volunteers as a team member.Observing firsthand how potential members interact with their peers can be a powerful interview tool.

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Action

Utilize a group interview activity for the final selection of potential participants. (Applicants may be prescreened already at an initial interview.)

In advance, staff should:

• Make name tags for all participants, both staff and applicants.
• Fill a number of bags with stacks of newspaper and a small amount of masking tape.
• Post the criteria for a successful project on a dry erase board.
• Decide on key words (focus images) that can be used during the reflection portion of the exercise and post these on matt boards so they can easily be seen by participants.

During the activity:

• Staff and participants introduce themselves (all will be wearing nametags to facilitate note taking by staff).
• A staff member explains that this (second round) interview allows staff to see how applicants function in a group setting.
• A staff member reads the following:

We are going to give you an opportunity to plan, implement, and evaluate a project as a team. There are three phases to this exercise: planning, construction, and evaluation. Each part of the exercise is timed. You will be given a two-minute warning before the end of each phase. Your team's overall task is to construct a tower within the time allotted using only the contents of the bag we are providing you. (Each bag contains a stack of newspaper and a small amount of masking tape.) The criteria for a successful tower are posted. They are height, stability, and beauty. The tower must be at least 18 inches tall (height) and, can support a coffee cup filled with water for 1 minute (stability). Additionally, 80 percent of the team must rate the structure as aesthetically appealing (beauty).) You should work to construct a tower that meets all of these criteria. Staff members will be observing and taking notes on individual team's process.

A staff member asks if there are any questions, but staff should not give any more specifics on the criteria other than the type of object that will be placed on the towers to verify stability.

Set up project implementation by reading the following :

• The total time for the exercise will be 26 minutes.
• You will have 8 minutes for the Planning Phase and this is for planning only. No construction can take place during this period.
• You will receive a two-minute warning before your planning should be complete.

A staff member instructs participants to begin planning.

At the end of the planning phase a staff member says:

• Construction may now begin. You will have a total of 8 minutes to construct the tower.

Four minutes into the construction phase a staff member stops the teams' work and places the focus image (e.g., the word TEAMWORK) in front of the team.

After a moment of silence for reflecting on the image, a staff member asks these or related questions: (This period of reflection will not count as a part of the time allocated for the construction phase.)

What meaning does the word have for you?

• How does this concept/image relate to your project experience so far?
• Are you pleased with your level of teamwork?
• Could it be improved? How? What do you personally need?

After a maximum of 5 minutes of discussion and sharing, a staff member announces that it is time to resume the construction phase and tells participants that 5 minutes remain for this phase.

Give the two-minute warning for the construction phase.

Call an end to construction after two minutes and ask everyone to step back from the towers.

Evaluation phase (total of 5 minutes):

• Ask each team to evaluate themselves against the tower criteria. Was the goal achieved?
• Have a staff member visit each tower, evaluating them against the height and stability criteria.

Ask each team to discuss their complete process: Have participants ask themselves the following questions:

• How did it feel for them personally?
• What role did they see themselves and others playing?
• What was fun?
• What was frustrating?
• What behaviors did they take on that are typical team behaviors for them?
• Which behaviors were "out of character"?

Thank participants for their good work in achieving their goals during the exercise.

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Context

Public Allies, Milwaukee, uses this group interview technique as a second round interview for potential participants. Through its partnership with AmeriCorps, Public Allies recruits, trains, and supports diverse young adults, preparing them to assume national and community leadership on pressing public issues.

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Outcome

The exercise has proved helpful in selecting potential volunteers that work well as team members. Volunteers that are good team players help organizations run more efficiently and effectively.

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Posted On

May 17, 2002

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For More Information

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Related Practices

• Interviewing volunteer applicants using role playing

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Related sites

AmeriCorps

Topic Areas

• Development
• Recruitment
• Screening
• Supervision
• Teambuilding
• Capacity building
• Nonprofit management
• Sustainability
• AmeriCorps
• Volunteer
• Member
• Staff
• Program management

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