Interviewing Candidates

HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER 7:
INTERVIEWING CANDIDATES
Gary Dessler
LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. List the main types of selection interviews.
2. List and explain main errors that can undermine an
interview’s usefulness.
3. Define a structured situational interview.
4. Explain and illustrate each guideline for being a more
effective interviewer.
Basic Types of Interviews
Selection Interview
Types of
Appraisal Interview
Interviews
Exit Interview
Basic Types of Interviews
• Appraisal Interview
 a discussion, following a performance appraisal, in which
supervisor and employee discuss the employee’s ratings and
possible remedial actions.
• Exit Interview
 When an employee leaves a firm, one often conducts an exit
interview.
 This aims at eliciting information that might provide some
insight into what’s right or wrong about the firm.
Selection Interview Structure
Selection Interview
Characteristics
Interview Interview Interview

structure content administration
Selection Interview Formats
Interview Structure
Formats
Unstructured Structured
(nondirective) (directive)
interview interview
Selection Interview Formats
• Unstructured (or nondirective) interview

 the manager follows no set format.
 A few questions might be specified in advance. Most selection
interviews fall in this category.
• Structured (or directive) interview
 the employer lists job-oriented questions ahead of time, and
possible predetermined answers for appropriateness and
scoring.
Interview Content
Types of Questions Asked
Situational Behavioral Job-related Stress

interview interview interview interview
Interview Content
• Situational interview
 A series of job-related questions that focus on how the
candidate would behave in a given situation.
 Situational questions start with phrases such as “ Suppose
you were faced with the following situation …What would
you do?”
• Behavioral interview
 A series of job-related questions that focus on how the
candidate reacted to actual situations in the past.
 Behavioral questions might start with a phrase like, “Can
you think of time when …What did you do?”
Interview Content
• Job-related interview
 A series of job-related questions that focus on relevant past job-
related behaviors.
 Interviewer asks job related questions such as “ Which
courses did you like best in business school?”
• Stress interview
 An interview in which the applicant is made uncomfortable by a
series of often rude questions .
 This technique helps identify hyper-sensitive applicants and
those with low or high stress tolerance.
 Puzzle questions: Adis and Haris have 21KM between
them. Adis has 20KM more than Haris. How much money
has Adis and how much money has Haris?
Administering the Interview
Unstructured
sequential interview
Structured Panel
sequential interview interview
Ways in
Which
Mass
Interview Can Phone
interview be Conducted interviews
Computerized Video/Web-assisted
interviews interviews
Administrating the 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 conducted by a team of interviewers who together
interview each candidate, and then combine their ratings into a
final panel score.
• Mass interview
 A panel interviews several candidates simultaneously.
• Phone and video interview

 Some interviews are done entirely by telephone and
videoconference.
• Computerized interview
 One 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.
 How would your supervisor rate your customer service
skills?
a. outstanding c. average e. poor
b. above average d. below average
• Web-assisted interview
 Many firms use the Web to assist in the employee interview
process.
Three Ways to Make the Interview Useful
Structure the interview to

increase its validity
Making the Carefully choose what sorts of

Interview Useful traits are to be assessed
Beware of committing
interviewing errors
What Can Undermine An Interview’s Usefulness?
Nonverbal behavior
First impressions (snap
and impression
judgments)
management
Interviewer’s Factors Affecting

Applicant’s personal
misunderstanding An Interview’s characteristics
of the job Usefulness
Candidate-order
Interviewer’s
(contrast) error and
inadvertent behavior
pressure to hire
How to Design and Conduct
An Effective Interview
• The Structured Situational Interview
 Use either situational questions or behavioral questions that
yield high criteria-related validities.
Step 1: Analyze the job.
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
Being Systematic and Effective
1 Know the job.

2 Structure the interview.
3 Get organized.
4 Establish rapport.
5 Ask questions.
6 Take brief, unobtrusive notes.
7 Close the interview.
8 Review the interview.
Creating Effective Interview Structures
• Base questions on actual job duties.
• Use job knowledge, situational or behavioral
questions, and objective criteria to evaluate
interviewee’s responses.
• Use the same questions with all candidates.
• Use descriptive rating scales (excellent, fair,
poor) to rate answers.
• If possible, use a standardized interview form.
FIGURE 7–2 Examples of Questions That Provide Structure
Situational Questions
1. Suppose a more experienced coworker was not following standard work procedures 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 coworker?
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?
FIGURE 7–3 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?
Guidelines for Interviewees
• Preparation is essential.
• Uncover the interviewer’s real needs.
• Relate yourself to the interviewer’s needs.
• Think before answering.
• Remember that appearance and enthusiasm are
important.
• Make a good first impression.
• Ask questions.
KEY TERMS
unstructured (or nondirective) interview

structured (or directive) interview
situational interview
behavioral interview
job-related interview
stress interview
unstructured sequential interview
structured sequential interview
panel interview
mass interview
candidate-order error (or contrast) error
structured situational interview

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HUMAN RESOURCE

Interview Interview Interview

• Unstructured (or nondirective) interview

Types of Questions Asked

Situational Behavioral Job-related Stress

• Unstructured sequential interview

• Phone and video interview

Structure the interview to

Making the Carefully choose what sorts of

Interviewer’s Factors Affecting

Being Systematic and Effective

1 Know the job.

Past Behavior Questions

Job Knowledge Questions

1. How did you choose this line of work?

unstructured (or nondirective) interview

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