7 Interviewing Candidates

4-

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Where We Are Now…. Chapter 7 Interviewing Candidates

Chapter 6 focused on the important tools managers use to select employees. Now
we’ll turn to one of these tools – what we refer to as the employment interview.

The main topics we’ll cover include types of interviews, things that undermine
interviewing’s usefulness, designing and conducting effective selection interviews,
using a total selection process to improve employee engagement, and making the
offer.

1
 Learning Objectives

7-1. List and give examples of the main

types of selection interviews.
7-2. List and explain 4-the main errors that
can undermine an interview’s
usefulness.

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After studying this chapter, you will be able to:

7-1. List and give examples of the main types of selection interviews.
7-2. List and explain the main errors that can undermine an interview’s
usefulness.

2
 Learning Objectives

7-3. Define a structured situational interview

and explain how to design and conduct
effective selection interviews.
7-4. List the main points4- to know about
developing and extending the actual job
offer.

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After studying this chapter, you will also be able to:

7-3. Define a structured situational interview and explain how to design and
conduct effective selection interviews.
7-4. Discuss how to use employee selection methods to improve employee
engagement.
7-5. List the main points to know about developing and extending the actual
job offer.

3
 I.
List and give examples of
the main types 4-
of selection
interviews.

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An interview is a procedure designed to obtain information from a person through

oral responses to oral inquiries. A selection interview (the focus of this chapter) is a
selection procedure designed to predict future job performance based on applicants’
oral responses to oral inquiries.

4
 Basic Types of Interviews

Can be classified according to:

1. Structure
4-
2. Content
3. Administration
4. Pros & Cons

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Managers use several interviews at work, such as performance appraisal interviews

and exit interviews.

A selection interview (the focus of this chapter) is a selection procedure designed to

predict future job performance based on applicants’ oral
responses to oral inquiries. Many techniques in this chapter also apply to appraisal
and exit interviews. However, we’ll postpone discussions of those two interviews
until later chapters.

There are several ways to conduct selection interviews.

For example, we can classify selection interviews according to the following:

1. How structured they are.

2. Their “content” – the types of questions they contain.
3. How the firm administers the interviews (for instance, one-on-one or via a
committee).

Each has pros and cons. We’ll look at each….

5
 Basic Types of Interviews
Structured vs. Unstructured Interviews

4-

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In unstructured (or nondirective) interviews, the manager follows no set format.

In structured (or directive) interviews, the employer lists the questions ahead of time.
He or she also may even list and score possible answers for appropriateness.

Structured interviews are generally best. In such interviews, all interviewers generally
ask all applicants the same questions.
Partly because of this, these interviews tend to be more consistent, reliable, and
valid. Having a standardized list of questions can also help even less talented
interviewers conduct better interviews. Standardizing the interview also enhances job
relatedness.

In a situational interview, you ask the candidate what his or her behavior would be in
a given situation. Behavioral interviews ask applicants to describe how they reacted
to actual situations in the past. In a job-related interview, the applicants answer
questions about relevant past experiences. In stress interviews, the applicant is made
uncomfortable by a series of often rude questions. This technique helps identify
hypersensitive applicants and those with low or high stress tolerance. Puzzle
questions are popular. Recruiters like to use them to see how candidates think under
pressure.

6
 Structured Interview Unstructured Interview

• Directive • Non Directive

• Candidate are • No set format

asked the same 4- • Requires more
questions experience.
• More consistent • Less consistent
• Standardized

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In unstructured (or nondirective) interviews, the manager follows no set format.

In structured (or directive) interviews, the employer lists the questions ahead of time.
He or she also may even list and score possible answers for appropriateness.

Structured interviews are generally best. In such interviews, all interviewers generally
ask all applicants the same questions.
Partly because of this, these interviews tend to be more consistent, reliable, and
valid. Having a standardized list of questions can also help even less talented
interviewers conduct better interviews. Standardizing the interview also enhances job
relatedness.

In a situational interview, you ask the candidate what his or her behavior would be in
a given situation. Behavioral interviews ask applicants to describe how they reacted
to actual situations in the past. In a job-related interview, the applicants answer
questions about relevant past experiences. In stress interviews, the applicant is made
uncomfortable by a series of often rude questions. This technique helps identify
hypersensitive applicants and those with low or high stress tolerance. Puzzle
questions are popular. Recruiters like to use them to see how candidates think under
pressure.

7
 Basic Types of Interviews
• Structured vs. Unstructured Interviews
• Questions to ask
o Situational
4-
o Behavioral
o Job-related
o Stress
o Puzzle questions
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In unstructured (or nondirective) interviews, the manager follows no set format.

In structured (or directive) interviews, the employer lists the questions ahead of time.
He or she also may even list and score possible answers for appropriateness.

Structured interviews are generally best. In such interviews, all interviewers generally
ask all applicants the same questions.
Partly because of this, these interviews tend to be more consistent, reliable, and
valid. Having a standardized list of questions can also help even less talented
interviewers conduct better interviews. Standardizing the interview also enhances job
relatedness.

In a situational interview, you ask the candidate what his or her behavior would be in
a given situation. Behavioral interviews ask applicants to describe how they reacted
to actual situations in the past. In a job-related interview, the applicants answer
questions about relevant past experiences. In stress interviews, the applicant is made
uncomfortable by a series of often rude questions. This technique helps identify
hypersensitive applicants and those with low or high stress tolerance. Puzzle
questions are popular. Recruiters like to use them to see how candidates think under
pressure.

8
 Interview Content
What Types of Questions to Ask

Questions to ask
o Situational
4-
o Behavioral – (S.T.A.R)
o Job-related
o Stress
o Puzzle questions

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We can also classify interviews based on the “content” or the types of questions
interviewers ask. Many interviewers ask relatively unfocused questions, such as
“What do you want to be doing in 5 years?” Questions like these generally do not
provide much insight into how the person will do on the job. That is why situational,
behavioral, and job-related questions are best.

In a situational interview, you ask the candidate what his or her behavior would be in
a given situation. For example, ask a supervisory candidate how he or she would act
in response to a subordinate coming to work late 3 days in a row.

Situational questions start with phrases such as, “Suppose you were faced with the
following situation….
What would you do?”

In behavioral interviews, ask applicants to describe how they reacted to actual

situations in the past.

Behavioral questions start with phrases like, “Can you think of a time when…. What
did you do?” In one variant, Vanguard uses an interviewing technique it calls STAR.
Vanguard managers ask interviewees about a particular situation (S) or task (T) they
faced to uncover the actions (A) the candidates took, and the results (R) of their
actions. Behavioral interviews are increasingly used.

9
Other Types of Questions:

Job Related – In a job-related interview, the interviewer asks applicants questions

about job-relevant past experiences. The questions here don’t revolve around
hypothetical or actual situations or scenarios. Instead, the interviewer asks questions
such as, “Which courses did you like best in business school?” The aim is to draw
conclusions about, say, the candidate’s ability to handle the financial aspects of the
job in question.

In a stress interview – the interviewer seeks to make the applicant uncomfortable

with occasionally rude questions. The aim is to supposedly spot sensitive applicants
and those with low (or high) stress tolerance.

Puzzle questions are popular. Recruiters like to see how candidates think under
pressure. For example, an interviewer at Microsoft asked a tech service applicant this:
“Mike and Todd have $21 between them. Mike has $20 more than Todd does. How
much money has Mike, and how much money has Todd? (Answer: Mike had $20.50
& Todd has $0.50).

9
 How Should We Conduct the Interview?

4-

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Employers administer/conduct interviews in various ways:

1. One-on-One
2. Sequential
3. Panel
4. Mass
5. Phone
6. Computer-based
7. Web-based Video

Let’s examine them…..

10
 How Should We Conduct the Interview?

1. One-on-One
4-
2. Sequential

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Most selection interviews are probably still one-on-one and sequential.

In a one-on-one interview, two people meet alone, and one interviews the other by
seeking oral responses to oral inquiries. Employers tend to schedule these interviews
sequentially.

In a sequential (or serial) interview, several persons interview the applicant, in

sequence, one-on-one, and then make their hiring decision.

11
 How Should We Conduct the Interview?

3. Panel
4. Mass 4-

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Employers also administer interviews in other ways: Let’s examine them…..

3. Panel
4. Mass

A panel interview, also known as a board interview, is an interview conducted by a

team of interviewers (usually two to three), who together question each candidate
and then combine their ratings of each candidate’s answers into a final panel score.

The panel format enables interviewers to ask follow-up questions, much as reporters
do in press conferences. This may elicit more meaningful responses than a series of
one-on-one interviews.

The mass interview – Here a panel interviews several candidates simultaneously. The
panel might pose a problem, and then watches to see which candidate takes the lead
in formulating an answer.

12
 How Should We Conduct the Interview?

5. Phone
6. Computer-based
4-

7. Web-based Video

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Employers also administer interviews in some more ways: Let’s examine them…..

5. Phone
6. Computer-based
7. Web-based Video

Phone Interviews – Employers also conduct interviews via phone. Somewhat

counterintuitively, these can actually be more useful than face-to-face interviews for
judging one’s conscientiousness, intelligence, and interpersonal skills. Because they
needn’t worry about appearance or handshakes, each party can focus on answers.
And perhaps candidates—somewhat surprised by an unplanned call from the
recruiter—give more spontaneous answers.

Computer-Based Job Interviews – A computerized selection interview is one in which

a job candidate’s oral and/or keyed replies are obtained in response to computerized
oral, visual, or written questions and/or situations.

Web-Based Video Interviews – With phone and tablet video functionalities and
FaceTime and Skype , Web-based “in-person” interview use is widespread; about
18% of candidates took such interviews in one recent year. With the InterviewStream
360 Video Practice Interview System, college career centers and outplacement firms
can have students or job seekers record interviews for their own development and for

13
prospective employers.

13
 Online Video Interview Preparation

• Look Presentable
• Clean Up The
Room 4-

• Test First
• Do A Dry Run
• Relax

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An online video interview requires little special preparation for employers, but Career
FAQs ([Link]) lists things that interviewees should keep in mind.

● Look presentable. It might seem silly sitting at home wearing a suit, but it could
make a difference.
● Clean up the room. Do not let the interviewer see clutter.
● Test first. As Career FAQs says, “Five minutes before the video interview is not a
good time to realize that your Internet is down…”
● Do a dry run. Record yourself before the interview to see how you’re “coming
across.”
● Relax. The golden rule with such interviews is to treat them like face-to-face
meetings. Smile, look confident and enthusiastic, make eye contact, and don’t shout,
but do speak clearly.

14
 Trends Shaping HR:
Digital and Social Media

Mobile-based Interviews
4-

Let’s take a look…

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Trends Shaping HR: Digital and Social Media

Today the growing popularity of mobile-based (iPhone or iPad, for instance)

interviews is disrupting how job interviewing is done. They enable the interviewee to
“do” the interview at his or her leisure from wherever the person wants, and even
allow prescreen interviews to occur directly between hiring managers and job
applicants, rather than HR.

The HireVue system is an example. As described at [Link] the

free HireVue tool (available as an app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod) enables
interviewees to take their HireVue Interviews anytime, anywhere when invited by a
potential employer. You can complete your HireVue Digital Interview on your own
time, when it works for you, anywhere you have an Internet connection.

The hiring manager can arrange for candidates to first respond to several
prescreening questions, and then arrange for a set time for a synchronous online
interview. Another HireVue tool uses data analysis to examine what the vendor says
is more than 15,000 digital interview attributes to predict which candidates are most
likely to be top performers and identify which interviewers make the best hiring
decisions.
The Improving Performance feature on the next slide illustrates this.

15
 Trends Shaping HR:
Digital and Social Media

▪ The free HireVue tool (available as

an app for iPhone, iPad, and
iPod)
▪ Enables interviewees to take
4- their

HireVue Interviews anytime,

anywhere when invited by a
potential employer.

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Trends Shaping HR: Digital and Social Media

Today the growing popularity of mobile-based (iPhone or iPad, for instance)

interviews is disrupting how job interviewing is done. They enable the interviewee to
“do” the interview at his or her leisure from wherever the person wants, and even
allow prescreen interviews to occur directly between hiring managers and job
applicants, rather than HR.

The HireVue system is an example. As described at [Link] the

free HireVue tool (available as an app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod) enables
interviewees to take their HireVue Interviews anytime, anywhere when invited by a
potential employer. You can complete your HireVue Digital Interview on your own
time, when it works for you, anywhere you have an Internet connection.

The hiring manager can arrange for candidates to first respond to several
prescreening questions, and then arrange for a set time for a synchronous online
interview. Another HireVue tool uses data analysis to examine what the vendor says
is more than 15,000 digital interview attributes to predict which candidates are most
likely to be top performers and identify which interviewers make the best hiring
decisions.
The Improving Performance feature on the next slide illustrates this.

16
 II.
List and explain the main
errors that can4-
undermine
an interview’s usefulness.

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One reason selection interviews are often less than useful is that managers make
predictable, avoidable errors. We’ll look at these next.

17
 Avoiding Errors That Can Undermine an
Interview’s Usefulness continued
• First Impression (Snap Judgments)

• Not Clarifying What the Job Requires

• Candidate-Order (Contrast)
4- Error and
Pressure to Hire

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First Impressions (Snap Judgments) – Probably the most widespread error is that
interviewers tend to jump to conclusions—make snap judgments—about candidates
during the first few minutes of the interview (or even before the interview starts,
based on test scores or résumé data).

Not Clarifying What the Job Requires – Interviewers who don’t have an accurate
picture of what the job entails and what sort of candidate is best for it usually make
their decisions based on incorrect impressions or stereotypes of what a good
applicant is. Then they erroneously match interviewees with their incorrect
stereotypes. You should clarify what sorts of traits you’re looking for and why, before
starting the interview.

Candidate-Order (Contrast) Error and Pressure to Hire – Means that the order in
which you see applicants affects how you rate them. In one study, managers had to
evaluate a sample candidate who was “just average” after first evaluating several
“unfavorable” candidates. They scored the average candidate more favorably than
they might otherwise because, in contrast to the unfavorable candidates, the average
one looked better than he actually was. Pressure to hire accentuates this problem.
Researchers told one group of managers to assume they were behind in their
recruiting quota. They told a second group they were ahead. Those “behind”
managers rated the same recruits more highly.

18
 Avoiding Errors That Can Undermine an
Interview’s Usefulness continued
• Nonverbal Behavior and Impression
Management

• Effect of Personal Characteristics:

Attractiveness, Gender,
4- Race

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The applicant’s nonverbal behavior (smiling, avoiding your gaze, and so on) can also
have a surprisingly large impact on his or her rating. Interviewers infer your
personality from your nonverbal behaviors in the interview.

Clever candidates capitalize on non-verbal behavior and impression management.

One study found that some used ingratiation to persuade interviewers to like them.
Psychologists call using techniques like ingratiation and self-promotion “impression
management.”

Effect of Personal Characteristics: Attractiveness, Gender, Race – Unfortunately,

physical attributes such as applicants’ attractiveness, gender, disability, or race also
may distort an interviewer’s assessments.

19
 III.
Define a structured situational interview
and give examples of situational
questions, behavioral questions, and
background questions
4- that provide
structure.

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There is little doubt that the structured situational interview—a series of job-relevant
questions with predetermined answers that interviewers ask of all applicants for the
job—produces superior results.

Now we will look into this a bit more.

20
 How to Design and Conduct an
Effective Interview

4-

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You may not have the time or inclination to create a structured situational interview.
However, there is still much you can do to make your interviews more systematic and
effective.

Ideally, the basics is to (1) write situational (what would you do), behavioral (what did
you do), or job knowledge questions, and (2) have job experts (like those supervising
the job) also write several answers for each of these questions, rating the answers
from good to poor.

21
 Designing the Structured
Situational Interview

1. Analyze the job

2. Rate the job’s main duties
3. Create interview
4-
questions
4. Create benchmark answers
5. Appoint interview panel and
conduct interviews

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The procedure is as follows:

Step 1. Analyze the job. Write a job description with a list of job duties; required
knowledge, skills, and abilities; and other worker qualifications.

Step 2. Rate the job’s main duties. Rate each job duty, say from 1 to 5, based on how
important it is to doing the job.

Step 3. Create interview questions. Create situational, behavioral, and job knowledge
interview questions for each of the job’s duties, with more questions for the
important duties. The people who create the questions usually write them as critical
incidents. For example, to probe for conscientiousness, the interviewer might ask this
situational question:
Your spouse and two teenage children are sick in bed with colds. There are no
relatives or friends available to look in on them. Your shift starts in 3 hours. What
would you do?

Step 4. Create benchmark answers. Next, for each question, develop ideal
(benchmark) answers for good (a 5 rating), marginal (a 3 rating), and poor (a 1 rating)
answers.

Step 5. Appoint the interview panel and conduct interviews. Employers generally

22
conduct structured situational interviews using a panel, rather than one-on-one. The
panel usually consists of three to six members, preferably the same ones who wrote
the questions and answers. It may also include the job’s supervisor
and/or incumbent, and a human resources representative. The same panel interviews
all candidates for the job.

22
 Profiles and Employee Interviews
• Use the same job profile (competencies, traits,
knowledge, and experience) for creating interview
questions as for recruiting

4-

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Employers using competency models or profiles (which list required skills, knowledge,
behaviors, and other competencies) can use the profile for formulating job-related
situational, behavioral, and knowledge interview questions.

Table 7-1 summarizes illustrative skill, knowledge, trait, and experience profile items
for chemical engineer candidates, with sample interview questions.

23
 IV.
What are the main points to know
about developing
4- and extending
the actual job offer?

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After all the interviews, background checks, and tests, the employer decides to whom
to make an offer.

24
 The Job offer Main Parameters

• The job offer will include:

o Pay rates
o Benefits
4-
o Actual job duties
• There may be some negotiations
• When agreement is reached, the
employer will extend a written job offer
to the candidate
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When the actual offer is made, for instance the job offer for the candidate’s apparent
attractiveness as a prospective employee, the level of the position, and pay rates for
similar positions will be reviewed. Next the employer extends an actual job offer to
the candidate verbally. Here, the employer’s point person (who might be the person
to whom the new employee will report, or the human resource director for instance)
discusses the offer’s main parameters. These include, for instance, pay rates, benefits,
and actual job duties. There may be some negotiations. Then, once agreement is
reached, the employer will extend a written job offer to the candidate.

25
 Issues to Consider with the Written Offer

• A job offer letter has the:

o Welcome sentence
o Pay information 4-

o Benefits information
o Paid leave information
o Terms of employment

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There are several issues to consider with the written offer. Perhaps most important,
understand the difference between a job offer letter and a contract. In a job offer
letter, the employer lists the offer’s basic information.

This typically starts with a welcome sentence. It then includes job-specific

information (such as details on salary and pay), benefits information, paid leave
information, and terms of employment (including, for instance, successful completion
of job testing and physical exams).

There should be a strong statement that the employment relationship is “at will.”
Then there is a closing statement. This again welcomes the employee, mentions who
the employer’s point person is if any questions arise, and instructs the candidate to
sign the letter of offer if it is acceptable.

26
 The Employment Contract

• An employment contract includes:

o Duration
o Severance provisions
4-

o Nondisclosure requirements
o Covenants not to compete
o Relocation provision

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For many positions (such as executive) a contract is in order. In contrast to a letter of

offer (which should always be “at will”), an employment contract may have a duration
(such as 3 years). Therefore, the contract will also describe grounds for termination or
resignation, and severance provisions. The contract will almost always also include
terms regarding confidentiality, nondisclosure requirements, and covenants not to
compete (although some job offer letters for positions such as engineer many include
such provisions as well).

See [Link]/ template-tools/toolkits for more information.

27
 Chapter 7 Review

What you should now know….

4-

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In review of Chapter 7, you should now be able to:

7-1. List and give examples of the main types of selection interviews.
7-2. List and explain the main errors that can undermine an interview’s
usefulness.
7-3. Define a structured situational interview and explain how to design and
conduct effective selection interviews.
7-4. Discuss how to use employee selection methods to improve employee
engagement.
7-5. List the main points to know about developing and extending the actual
job offer.

28