Gary Dessler

tenth edition

Chapter 7 Part 2 Recruitment and Placement

Interviewing Candidates

© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. PowerPoint Presentation by Charlie Cook

All rights reserved. The University of West Alabama
Interviewing candidates
➢ An interview
– A procedure designed to obtain information from a
person through oral responses to oral inquiries
Types of Interviews

Selection Interview

Types of
Appraisal Interview
Interviews

Exit Interview
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.
Basic Features of Interviews

Selection Interviews

Interview Interview
Interview Structure
Content Administration
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.
 FIGURE 5–1
Officer
Programs
Applicant
Interview
Form

Source: Adapted from

http://www.uscg.mil/jobs/dc/DC
Programs/OProgramForms/PDF
S/DCA/Interview%20CG-
5527.pdf. Accessed May 9,
2007.
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.
 Administering the Interview
Unstructured
Sequential
Interview

Structured
Web-Assisted
Sequential
Interviews
Interview

Ways in Which
Interviews Can
Computerized Be Conducted Panel
Interviews Interview

Phone and Video Mass

Interviews Interview
How to Administer an Interview
➢ 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(board) interview
– An interview in which a group of interviewers
questions the applicant.
How to Administer an Interview cont.
➢ Mass interview
– A panel interviews several candidates
simultaneously. Panel asks a question and
watches to see which candidate takes the lead.
➢ Phone interview
– More accurate for judging an applicants
conscientiousness, intelligence and interpersonal
skills.
➢ Web Assisted Interviews
– With the widespread use of skype-type products.
– Reduce travel and recruiting expenses.
 How to Administer an Interview cont.
Computerized 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.
– Avoids problems of interpersonal interviews
– Mechanical nature of computer-aided interview
can leave an applicant dissatisfied.
What Can Undermine An Interview’s Usefulness?

Nonverbal Behavior
First Impressions
and Impression
(Snap Judgments)
Management

Interviewer’s Factors
Applicant’s Personal
Misunderstanding Affecting Characteristics
of the Job
Interviews

Candidate-Order
Interviewer
(Contrast) Error and
Behavior
Pressure to Hire
Factors Affecting Interviews
➢ First impressions
– The tendency for interviewers to jump to
conclusions—make snap judgments—about
candidates during the first few minutes of the
interview.
– Negative bias: unfavorable information about an
applicant influences interviewers more than does
positive information.
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.
Factors Affecting Interviews (cont’d)
➢ 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.
Factors Affecting Interviews (cont’d)
➢ 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
Factors Affecting Interviews (cont’d)
➢ 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 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 Interview Panel and Conduct
Interviews
How to Conduct a More Effective
Interview

Suggestions
1 Structure Your Interview

2 Prepare for the Interview

3 Establish Rapport
4 Ask Questions
5 Close the Interview
6 Review the Interview
How to Conduct an Effective Interview
➢ Make sure you know the job:
➢ 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.
 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: So that direct comparisons can 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.

Source: Michael Campion, David Palmer, and James Campion, “A Review of

Figure 5–3
Structure in the Selection Interview,” Personnel Psychology (1997), p. 668.
How to Conduct an Effective Interview (cont’d)
➢ Get organized
– 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.
➢ Take unobtrusive notes during interview
➢ Close the interview
➢ Review the interview
 FIGURE 5–3 Suggested Supplementary Questions for Interviewing
Applicants
1. How did you choose this line of work?
2. What did you enjoy most about your last job?
3. What did you like least about your last job?
4. What has been your greatest frustration or disappointment on your present job? Why?
5. What are some of the pluses and minuses of your last job?
6. What were the circumstances surrounding your leaving your last job?
7. Did you give notice?
8. Why should we be hiring you?
9. What do you expect from this employer?
10. What are three things you will not do in your next job?
11. What would your last supervisor say your three weaknesses are?
12. What are your major strengths?
13. How can your supervisor best help you obtain your goals?
14. How did your supervisor rate your job performance?
15. In what ways would you change your last supervisor?
16. What are your career goals during the next 1–3 years? 5–10 years?
17. How will working for this company help you reach those goals?
18. What did you do the last time you received instructions with which you disagreed?
19. What are some things about which you and your supervisor disagreed? What did you do?
20. Which do you prefer, working alone or working with groups?
21. What motivated you to do better at your last job?
22. Do you consider your progress in that job representative of your ability? Why?
23. Do you have any questions about the duties of the job for which you have applied?
24. Can you perform the essential functions of the job for which you have applied?
Source: Reprinted from www.HR.BLR.com with permission of the publisher Business and Legal Reports, Inc. 141 Mill Rock Road East, Old Saybrook, CT © 2004.
 FIGURE 5–4
Interview
Evaluation
Form

Source: Reprinted from

www.HR.BLR.com with permission of the
publisher Business and Legal Reports
Inc. 141 Mill Rock Road East, Old
Saybrook, CT © 2004.
 FIGURE 5–A1 Interview Questions to Ask
1. What is the first problem that needs the attention of the person you hire?
2. What other problems need attention now?
3. What has been done about any of these to date?
4. How has this job been performed in the past?
5. Why is it now vacant?
6. Do you have a written job description for this position?
7. What are its major responsibilities?
8. What authority would I have? How would you define its scope?
9. What are the company’s five-year sales and profit projections?
10. What needs to be done to reach these projections?
11. What are the company’s major strengths and weaknesses?
12. What are its strengths and weaknesses in production?
13. What are its strengths and weaknesses in its products or its competitive position?
14. Whom do you identify as your major competitors?
15. What are their strengths and weaknesses?
16. How do you view the future for your industry?
17. Do you have any plans for new products or acquisitions?
18. Might this company be sold or acquired?
19. What is the company’s current financial strength?
20. What can you tell me about the individual to whom I would report?
21. What can you tell me about other persons in key positions?
22. What can you tell me about the subordinates I would have?
23. How would you define your management philosophy?
24. Are employees afforded an opportunity for continuing education?
25. What are you looking for in the person who will fill this job?
Source: H. Lee Rust, Job Search: The Complete Manual for Job Seekers, 1991 H. Lee Rust. Published by AMACOM, division of American Management Assn. Intl., New
York, NY.