R S Interviewing Candidates CH 6a 27042023 011739pm

Interviewing Candidates
Basic Features of Interviews

 An interview is procedure designed to obtain information
from a person through oral responses to oral inquiries
 Types of interviews:
◦ Selection interview
◦ Appraisal interview
◦ Exit interview
 Interviews formats:
◦ Structured
◦ Unstructured
Types of Interviews
 Selection interview:
A selection procedure designed to predict future job
performance on the basis of applicants’ oral
responses to oral inquiries.
 Appraisal interview:
A discussion, following a performance appraisal, in
which supervisor and employee discuss the
employee’s rating and possible remedial actions.
 Exit interview:
An interview to elicit information about the job or
related matters to the employer some insight into
what’s right or wrong about the firm.
Formats of Interviews
 Unstructured or nondirective interview:
An unstructured conversational-style interview in which
the interviewer pursues points of interest as they come
up in response to questions
 Structured or directive interview:

An interview following a set sequence of questions
Interview Content: Types of Questions
 Situational interview:
A series of job-related questions that focus on how the
candidate would behave in a given situation.
 Behavioral interview:
A series of job-related questions that focus on how
they reacted to actual situations in the past.
 Job-related interview:
A series of job-related questions that focus on relevant
past job-related behaviors.
Interview Content: Types of Questions
 Stress interview:
An interview in which the interviewer seeks to make
the applicant uncomfortable with occasionally rude
questions that supposedly to spot sensitive applicants
and those with low or high stress tolerance.
 Puzzle questions:
Recruiters for technical, finance, and other types of
jobs use questions to pose problems requiring unique
(“out-of-the-box”) solutions to see how candidates
think under pressure.
Personal or Individual Interviews
 Unstructured sequential interview:
An interview in which each interviewer forms an
independent opinion after asking different questions.
 Structured sequential interview:

An interview in which the applicant is interviewed
sequentially by several persons; each rates the applicant
on a standard form.
 Panel interview:
An interview in which a group of interviewers questions
the applicant.
Personal or Individual Interviews
 Panel (broad) interview:
An interview in which a group of interviewers questions
the applicant.
 Mass interview:
A panel interviews several candidates simultaneously.
Computerized Interviews
 Computerized selection interview:
An interview in which a job candidate’s oral and/or
computerized replies are obtained in response to
computerized oral, visual, or written questions and/or
situations
 Characteristics:
 Reduces amount of time managers devote to
interviewing unacceptable candidates.
 Applicants are more honest with computers
 Avoids problems of interpersonal interviews
 Mechanical nature of computer-aided interview can
leave an applicant dissatisfied.
Factors Affecting Interviews
 Negative bias:
Unfavorable information about an applicant influences
interviewers more than does positive information
 First impressions:
The tendency for interviewers to jump to conclusions
(snap judgments) about candidates during the first few
minutes of the interview
Factors Affecting Interviews (cont’d)
 Misunderstanding the job:
Not knowing precisely what the job entails and what
sort of candidate is best suited causes interviewers to
make decisions based on incorrect stereotypes of what
a good applicant is.
 Candidate-order error:
An error of judgment on the part of the interviewer due
to interviewing one or more very good or very bad
candidates just before the interview in question.
 Nonverbal behavior and impression management:
◦ Interviewers’ inferences of the interviewee’s
personality from the way he or she acts in the interview
have a large impact on the interviewer’s rating of the
interviewee.
◦ Clever interviewees attempt to manage the impression

they present to persuade interviewers to view them
more favorably.
 Effect of personal characteristics:
(attractiveness, gender, race)
Interviewers tend have a less favorable view of

candidates who are:
 Physically unattractive
 Female
 Of a different racial background
 Disabled
 Interviewer behaviors affecting interview outcomes:
◦ Inadvertently telegraphing expected answers.
◦ Talking so much that applicants have no time to

answer questions.
◦ Letting the applicant dominate the interview.
◦ Acting more positively toward a favored (or similar to

the interviewer) applicant.
Designing and Conducting the Interview
 The structured situational interview:
Use either situational questions (preferred) or
behavioral questions that yield high criteria-related
validities.
Step 1: Job Analysis
Step 2: Rate the Job’s Main Duties
Step 3: Create Interview Questions
Step 4: Create Benchmark Answers
Step 5: Appoint the Panel and Conduct Interviews
How to Conduct an Effective Interview
 Structure your interview:
1. Base questions on actual job duties.
2. Use job knowledge, situational, or behaviorally
oriented questions and objective criteria to evaluate
the interviewee’s responses.
3. Train interviewers.
4. Use the same questions with all candidates.
5. Use descriptive rating scales (excellent, fair, poor)
to rate answers.
6. Use multiple interviewers or panel interviews.
7. If possible, use a standardized interview form.
8. Control the interview.
9. Take brief, unobtrusive notes during the interview.
How to Conduct an Effective Interview
(cont’d)
 Prepare for the interview
◦ Secure a private room to minimize interruptions.
◦ Review the candidate’s application and résumé.
◦ Review the job specifications
 Establish rapport
◦ Put the person at ease.
 Ask questions
◦ Follow your list of questions.
◦ Don’t ask questions that can be answered yes or
no.
EXAMPLES OF QUESTIONS
THAT PROVIDE STRUCTURE
Situational Questions:
1. Suppose a co-worker was not following standard

work procedures. The co-worker was more
experienced than you and claimed the new procedure
was better. Would you use the new procedure?
2. Suppose you were giving a sales presentation and a

difficult technical question arose that you could not
answer. What would you do?
Past Behavior Questions:
3. Based on your past work experience, what is the most

significant action you have ever taken to help out a co-
worker?
4. Can you provide an example of a specific instance

where you developed a sales presentation that was
highly effective?
Background Questions:
5. What work experiences, training, or other qualifications

do you have for working in a teamwork environment?
6. What experience have you had with direct point-of-

purchase sales?
Job Knowledge Questions:
7. What steps would you follow to conduct a brainstorming

session with a group of employees on safety?
8. What factors should you consider when developing a

television advertising campaign?
Note: For direct comparisons to be made, an example is

presented to assess both teamwork (1,3,5,7) and sales
attributes (2,4,6,8) for each type of question.
Q&A

R S Interviewing Candidates CH 6a 27042023 011739pm

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

R S Interviewing Candidates CH 6a 27042023 011739pm

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

R S Interviewing Candidates CH 6a 27042023 011739pm

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Interviewing Candidates

Basic Features of Interviews

 Structured or directive interview:

 Structured sequential interview:

◦ Clever interviewees attempt to manage the impression

Interviewers tend have a less favorable view of

◦ Talking so much that applicants have no time to

◦ Letting the applicant dominate the interview.

◦ Acting more positively toward a favored (or similar to

1. Suppose a co-worker was not following standard

2. Suppose you were giving a sales presentation and a

3. Based on your past work experience, what is the most

4. Can you provide an example of a specific instance

5. What work experiences, training, or other qualifications

6. What experience have you had with direct point-of-

7. What steps would you follow to conduct a brainstorming

8. What factors should you consider when developing a

Note: For direct comparisons to be made, an example is

You might also like