1. 7 Interviewing Candidates
Chapter 6 focused on important tools managers use to select employees. Now we’ll turn to one of these tools—interviewing candidates. The main topics we’ll cover include types of interviews, things that undermine interviewing’s usefulness, and designing and conducting effective selection interviews.

2. Learning Objectives
List and give examples of the main types of selection interviews.
List and explain the main errors that can undermine an interview’s usefulness.
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
1. List and give examples of the main types of selection interviews.
2. List and explain the main errors that can undermine an interview’s usefulness.

3. Learning Objectives
Define a structured situational interview and give examples of situational questions, behavioral questions, and background questions that provide structure.
What are the main points to know about developing and extending the actual job offer?
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
3. Define a structured situational interview and give examples of situational questions, behavioral
questions, and background questions that provide structure.
4. What are the main points to know about developing and extending the actual job offer?

4. Basic Types of Interviews
Human Resources Management 12e Gary Dessler
Basic Types of Interviews
Selection Interview
Appraisal Interview
Exit Interview
Types of Interviews
Managers use several interviews at work.
For example, an appraisal interview is a discussion, following a performance appraisal, in which supervisor and employee discuss the employee’s ratings and possible remedial (corrective) actions. When an employee leaves a firm, one often conducts an exit interview. This aims at getting information that might provide some insight into what’s right or wrong about the firm. Many techniques in this chapter apply to appraisal and exit interviews. However, we’ll postpone a fuller discussion of these two interviews until Chapters 9 and 10 and focus here on selection interviews.
Types of Interviews include: appraisal interviews, exit interviews, and selection interviews. This chapter focuses on selection interviews.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education

5. List and give examples of the main types of selection interviews.
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.

6. Selection Interview Structure
Human Resources Management 12e Gary Dessler
Selection Interview Structure
Interview structure
Interview administration
Selection Interview Characteristics
Interview content
Interview structure-
We can classify selection interviews according to:
1. How structured they are
2. Their “content”—the types of questions they contain
3. How the firm administers the interviews
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7. Selection Interview Formats
Human Resources Management 12e Gary Dessler
Selection Interview Formats
Unstructured (nondirective) interview
Structured (directive) interview
Interview Structure Formats
In unstructured (or nondirective) interviews, the manager follows no set format. A few questions might be specified in advance. Most selection interviews fall in this category.
In structured (or directive) interviews, the employer lists job-oriented questions ahead of time, and possible predetermined answers for appropriateness (correctness) and scoring. Structured or directive interviews generally identify questions and all applicants are asked the same questions. Sometimes acceptable responses are specified in advance and the responses are rated for appropriateness of content. Examples of structured interview guides are provided in Figure 7-1.
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8. Interview Structure Formats
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

9. Human Resources Management 12e Gary Dessler
Interview Content
Situational interview
Behavioral interview
Job-related interview
Types of Questions Asked
Stress interview
We can also classify interviews based on the “content” or the types of questions asked in the interview. At work, situational, behavioral, and job-related questions are most important.
Types of Questions –. Puzzle questions are also popular today, and are used to see how candidates think under pressure.
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10. Types of Questions Asked
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 the candidate reacted to actual situations in the past
job-related interview A series of job-related questions that focus
on relevant past job-related behaviors.
stress interview An interview in which 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)

11. Administering the Interview
Human Resources Management 12e Gary Dessler
Administering the Interview
Unstructured sequential interview
Panel interview
Phone interviews
Video/Web-assisted interviews
Computerized interviews
Mass interview
Structured sequential interview
Ways in Which Interview Can be Conducted
Employers also administer(manage) interviews in various ways: one-on-one or by a panel of interviewers; sequentially or all at once; and computerized or personally.
unstructured sequential interview
Panel interview
Mass interview
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12. How Should We Administer the Interview?
In-person Interviews – tend to be one-on-one where two people meet alone and one interviews the other by seeking oral responses to oral inquiries. Frequently, candidates are interviewed by several persons sequentially.
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 Interviews – occur when a group (panel) of interviewers questions the candidate together. A mass interview is where a panel interviews several candidates simultaneously.
Phone and Video Interviews – are often conducted entirely by phone. Technology has also made interviewing by videoconferencing possible, saving time and travel costs.

13. Human Resources Management 12e Gary Dessler
- Cont’d
Computerized Interviews – involve computers administering the interview. Typically the questions are presented in a multiple-choice format, one at a time, and the applicant is expected to respond to the questions on the screen by pressing a key. Web-Assisted Interviews – utilize PC video cameras to conduct interviews online via Webcasts. Improving Productivity through HRIS – Automated video-based interview systems – combine Web technology to streamline the interview process.
Via Webcasts
Streamline , reorganize , make more efficient
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14. EEO Aspects of Interviews
Human Resources Management 12e Gary Dessler
EEO Aspects of Interviews
Use objective/job-related questions
Standardize interview administration
Use multiple interviewers
Avoiding Discrimination in Interviews
A study of federal district court cases involving alleged employment interview discrimination indicates that the courts will look at whether the interview process is structured and consistently applied.
This feature emphasizes that employment interviewers must exercise caution in which questions they ask, lest they expose their companies to accusations of discriminatory treatment. Questions regarding an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, or disability trigger red flags.
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15. Three Ways to Make the Interview Useful
Human Resources Management 12e Gary Dessler
Three Ways to Make the Interview Useful
Sue Structured situational interviews to increase validity
Carefully choose what sorts of traits are to be assessed
Beware of committing interviewing errors
Making the Interview Useful
The interview holds an ironic place in the hiring process: If done poorly, it’s generally not too useful. If done properly, then the interview can be a much better predictor of performance than previously thought and is comparable with many other selection techniques.
Three Ways to Make Interviews Useful – Studies confirm that the validity of interviews is greater than previously thought. Structured interviews are more valid than unstructured interviews for predicting job performance. Some traits, however, are not able to be accurately assessed in an interview.
1. Structure the Interview – Structured interviews are more valid than unstructured interviews for predicting job performance.
 2. Be careful what sorts of traits you try to assess – Interviews are better for revealing some traits than others.
3. Bewared of committing interviewing errors – Understand and avoid the various errors that can undermine - weaken any interview’s usefulness.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education

16. Review Structured vs. unstructured Administration Panel
Questions to ask
Situational
Behavioral
Job-related
Stress
Puzzle questions
Administration
Panel
Phone
Video/web- assisted
Computerized
In unstructured interviews, the manager follows no set format. In structured interviews, the employer lists the questions ahead of time. Possible answers also may be provided. The types of questions we have discussed include:
Situational
Behavioral
Job-related
Stress
Puzzle questions
Interviews may be conducted by a panel, on the phone, using video or web-assisted technology or via the computer.

17. List and explain the main errors that can undermine an interview’s usefulness.
One reason selection interviews are often less than useful is that managers make predictable, avoidable errors. We’ll look at these next.

18. What Can Undermine An Interview’s Usefulness?
Human Resources Management 12e Gary Dessler
What Can Undermine An Interview’s Usefulness?
Nonverbal behavior and impression management
Applicant’s personal characteristics
Interviewer’s inadvertent behavior
Factors Affecting An Interview’s Usefulness
First impressions (snap judgments)
Interviewer’s misunderstanding of the job
Candidate-order (contrast) error and pressure to hire
This slide summarizes potential interviewing errors to avoid:
• First impressions (snap judgments)
• Not clarifying what the job involves and requires
• Candidate-order error and pressure to hire
• Nonverbal behavior and impression management
• The effects of interviewees’ personal characteristics
• The interviewer’s inadvertent (unplanned , unintentional) behavior
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19. What Can Undermine An Interview’s Usefulness?
Human Resources Management 12e Gary Dessler
What Can Undermine An Interview’s Usefulness?
A. First Impressions – One of the most consistent findings is that interviewers tend to jump to conclusions about candidates during the first few minutes of the interview.
B. Misunderstanding the Job – Interviewers who don’t know precisely what the job entails and what kind of candidate is best suited for it usually make their decisions based on incorrect or incomplete stereotypes of what a good applicant is.
C. Candidate-Order (Contrast) Error and Pressure to Hire – means that the order in which you see applicants affects how you rate them. Pressure to Hire can weaken an interview’s usefulness.
Precisely Stereotypes
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20. D. Nonverbal Behavior – can have a surprisingly large impact on an applicant’s rating. Inexperienced interviewers may try to conclude the interviewee’s personality from vocal and visual cues such as energy level, voice modulation, and level of extraversion.
E. Impression Management – Ingratiation, agreeing with the interviewer’s opinions, and self-promotion to create an impression of competence are used by clever interviewees to manage the impression they present.
F. Effect of Personal Characteristics: Attractiveness, Gender, Race – Interviewers have to guard against letting an applicant’s attractiveness, gender, and race play a role in their rating.
G. Interviewer Behavior – Telegraphing refers to the interviewer inadvertently evoking the expected answers.
Perhaps the most consistent finding is that interviewers tend to jump to conclusions—make snap during the first few minutes of the interview. Sometimes this occurs before the interview starts, based on test scores or résumé data.
Interviewers may not have an accurate picture of the job requirements and what sort of candidate is best suited for it. If that’s the case, they may make their decisions based on incorrect impressions or stereotypes of what a good applicant is.
Candidate-order error means the order in which you see applicants affects how you rate them. There is some indication that the effects of primacy (who you interviewed first) or recency (most recently interviewed) can impact your decisions.
The applicant’s nonverbal behavior 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.”
Unfortunately, physical attributes such as applicants’ attractiveness, gender, disability, or race also may distort an interviewer’s assessments.
Interviewers may make numerous mistakes such as:
Having favorable pre-interview impressions
Playing district attorney or amateur psychologist
Asking improper questions
Being inept

21. How to Design and Conduct An Effective Interview
Human Resources Management 12e Gary Dessler
How to Design and Conduct An Effective Interview
Designing a Structured Situational Interview
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.
Web-based programs are available to help interviewers design and organize behavior based selection interviews.
In creating structured situational interviews, people familiar with the job develop questions based on the job’s actual duties. They then reach consensus on what are and are not acceptable answers. The procedure is as outline in this slide.
There are five basic steps involved in designing and conducting structured interviews.
STEP 1: Write a job description with a list of job duties; required knowledge, skills, and abilities; and other worker qualifications.
STEP 2: Rate each job duty, say from 1 to 5, based on its importance to job success.
STEP 3: Create interview questions for each of the job duties, with more questions for the important duties.
STEP 4: 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: Select a panel consisting 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.
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22. How to Conduct a More Effective Interview
Human Resources Management 12e Gary Dessler
How to Conduct a More Effective Interview
Being Systematic and Effective 1 3 2
Know the job. 4
Structure the interview. 5
Get organized. 6
Establish rapport. 7
Ask questions.
Step 1: First, make sure you know the job. Do not start the interview unless you understand the
job’s duties and what human skills you’re looking for. Study the job description.
Step 2: Structure the interview. Any structuring is better than none. If pressed for time, you can
still do several things to ask more consistent and job-relevant questions, without developing
a full-blown structured interview. They include:
• Base questions on actual job duties. This will minimize irrelevant questions.
• Use job knowledge, situational, or behavioral questions, and know enough about the
job to be able to evaluate the interviewee’s answers. Questions that simply ask for
opinions and attitudes, goals and aspirations, and self-descriptions and self-evaluations
allow candidates to present themselves in an overly favorable manner or avoid revealing
weaknesses. Figure 7-2 illustrates structured questions.
• Use the same questions with all candidates. This improves reliability. It also reduces bias
by giving all candidates the same opportunity.
• Perhaps use descriptive rating scales (excellent, fair, poor) to rate answers. For each
question, if possible, have several ideal answers and a score for each. Then rate each
candidate’s answers against this scale.
• If possible, use a standardized interview form.
Step 3: Get organized. Hold the interview in a private room to minimize interruptions (including
text messages). Prior to the interview, review the candidate’s application and résumé. Note
any areas that are vague or that may indicate strengths or weaknesses.
Step 4: Establish rapport. The main reason for the interview is to find out about the applicant.
Start by putting the person at ease. Greet the candidate and start the interview by asking a
noncontroversial question, perhaps about the weather that day.
Step 5: Ask questions. Try to follow the situational, behavioral, and job knowledge questions
you wrote out ahead of time. You’ll find a sampling of other technical questions (such as
“What did you most enjoy about your last job?”) in Figure 7-3. As a rule,
Don’t telegraph the desired answer.
Don’t interrogate the applicant as if the person is on trial.
Don’t monopolize the interview, nor let the applicant do so.
Do ask open-ended questions.
Do encourage the applicant to express thoughts fully.
Do draw out the applicant’s opinions and feelings by repeating the person’s last comment
as a question (e.g., “You didn’t like your last job?”).
Do ask for examples.
Do ask, “If I were to arrange for an interview with your boss, what would he or she say
are your strengths, weaker points, and overall performance?
Step 6: Take brief, unobtrusive notes during the interview. Doing so may help avoid
Making a snap decision early in the interview, and may also help jog your memory once
the interview is complete. Take notes, jotting down just the key points of what the
Interviewee says.
Step 7: Close the interview. Leave time to answer any questions the candidate may have and,
if appropriate, to advocate your firm to the candidate.
Try to end the interview on a positive note. Tell the applicant whether there is any interest
and, if so, what the next step will be. Make rejections diplomatically—“Although your
background is impressive, there are other candidates whose experience is closer to our
requirements.” Remember, as one recruiter says, “An interview experience should leave a
lasting, positive impression of the company, whether the candidate receives and accepts an
offer or not.” If the applicant is still under consideration but you can’t reach a decision
now, say so.
In rejecting a candidate, one perennial question is, should you provide an explanation
or not? In one study, rejected candidates who received an explanation detailing why
the employer rejected them felt that the rejection process was fairer. Unfortunately,
doing so may not be practical. Most employers say little, to avoid pushback and legal
problems.
Step 8: Review the interview. After the candidate leaves, review your interview notes, score the
interview answers (if you used a guide), and make a decision.
We’ll address what interviewees can do to apply these findings and to excel in the interview in
Appendix 2 to this chapter.
Discussion Question: Write a one-paragraph (single-spaced) memo to the people who do your
company’s recruiting on the topic, “The five most important things an interviewer can do to have a
useful selection interview.” 8
Take brief, unobtrusive notes.
Close the interview.
Review the interview.
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23. How to Conduct a More Effective Interview
1- know the job. Do not start the interview unless you understand the job’s duties and what human skills you’re looking for. Study the job description 2.Structure Your Interview: a) base questions on job duties b) use specific job-knowledge, situational, or behaviorally-oriented questions and objective criteria to evaluate the interviewee’s responses c) train interviewers d) use the same questions with all candidates e) use rating scales to rate answers f) use multiple interviewers or panel interviews g) design questions that reduce subjectivity, inaccurate conclusions, and bias h) use a structured interview form i) control the interview take brief notes.

24. - Cont’d
3. Prepare for the Interview – The interview should take place in a private room where interruptions can be minimized. Prior to the interview, the interviewer should review the candidate’s application and resume, as well as the job duties and required skills and traits.
4. Establish Rapport – The interviewer should put the interviewee at ease so he/she can find out the necessary information about the interviewee.
5.Ask Questions – The interviewer should follow the interview guide.

25. - Cont’d
7.Close the Interview – Leave time to answer any questions the candidate may have . Try to end the interview on a positive note. 8.Review the Interview – Once the candidate leaves, and while the interview is fresh on the interviewer’s mind, he/she should review his/her notes and fill in the structured interview guide.

26. Human Resources Management 12e Gary Dessler
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 7-2 illustrates several examples of structured job knowledge, situational, background or behavioral interview questions.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education

27. Human Resources Management 12e Gary Dessler
FIGURE 7–3 Suggested Supplementary Questions for Interviewing Applicants
How did you choose this line of work?
What did you enjoy most about your last job?
What did you like least about your last job?
What has been your greatest frustration or disappointment on your present job? Why?
What are some of the pluses and minuses of your last job?
What were the circumstances surrounding your leaving your last job?
Did you give notice?
Why should we be hiring you?
What do you expect from this employer?
What are three things you will not do in your next job?
What would your last supervisor say your three weaknesses are?
What are your major strengths?
How can your supervisor best help you obtain your goals?
How did your supervisor rate your job performance?
In what ways would you change your last supervisor?
What are your career goals during the next 1–3 years? 5–10 years?
How will working for this company help you reach those goals?
What did you do the last time you received instructions with which you disagreed?
What are some things about which you and your supervisor disagreed? What did you do?
Which do you prefer, working alone or working with groups?
What motivated you to do better at your last job?
Do you consider your progress in that job representative of your ability? Why?
Do you have any questions about the duties of the job for which you have applied?
Can you perform the essential functions of the job for which you have applied?
Figure 7-3 contains a sampling of technical questions to be asked in interviews.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education

28. Solutions for common interviewing mistakes
Snap Judgments: This is where the interviewer jumps to a conclusion about the candidate during the first few minutes of the interview. Using a structured interview is one way to help avoid this, as well as training of the interviewers.
Negative Emphasis: When an interviewer has received negative information about the candidate, through references or other sources, he or she will almost always view the candidate negatively. The best way to avoid this is to keep references or other information from the interviewer. If possible, have different people do the reference checks and the interviews not share the information until afterwards.
Misunderstanding the Job: When interviewers do not have a good understanding of the job requirements, they do not make good selections of candidates. All interviewers should clearly understand the jobs and know what is needed for success in those jobs.

29. - Cont’d
Pressure to Hire: Anytime an interviewer is told that they must hire a certain number of people within a short time frame, poor selection decisions may be made. This type of pressure should be avoided whenever possible.
Candidate-Order (Contrast) Error: When an adequate candidate is preceded by either an outstanding, or a poor candidate, by contrast he or she looks either less satisfactory or much better. This can be countered through interviewer training, allowing time between interviews, and structured interviews with structured rating forms.
Influence of Nonverbal Behavior: Candidates who exhibit stronger non-verbal behavior, such as eye contact and energy level are perceived as stronger by the interviewers. This can be minimized through interviewer training and structured interviews.

30. - Cont’d
Telegraphing: An interviewer might "give" the right answers to candidates they hope to hire. This can be combated through structured interview questions, multiple interviewers, and interviewer training.
Too Much / Too Little Talking: On either end of these extremes, the interviewer may not gather all the information that is really needed to make an appropriate selection decision. Structured interviews help keep this from happening.
Playing District Attorney or Psychologist: Some interviewers misuse their power by turning the interview into a game of "gotcha" or by probing for hidden meanings in everything the applicants say. Structured interviews help keep this from happening.

31. Talent Management: Profiles and Employee Interviews
Use the same job profile (competencies, traits, knowledge, and experience) for creating interview questions as for recruiting
Testing
Training
Appraising and
Paying the employee
To ensure an integrated, goal-oriented human resource effort, talent management adherents use
the same job profile (competencies, traits, knowledge, and experience) for creating interview
questions as for recruiting, testing, training, appraising, and paying the employee.
The manager can use the job’s profile to formulate job-related situational, behavioral, and
knowledge interview questions when selecting someone for a job or set of roles. For example,
Table 7-1 summarizes illustrative competency, knowledge, trait, and experience profile elements
for a chemical engineer candidate, along with sample interview questions. Selecting engineers
based on this profile focuses your questions precisely on those things someone must be proficient
at to do this job well.

32. What are the main points to know about developing and extending the actual job offer?
After all the interviews, background checks, and tests, the employer decides to whom to make
an offer.

33. Developing and Extending the Job Offer
The job offer will include:
Pay rates
Benefits
Actual job duties
There may be some negotiations
When agreement is reached, the employer will extend a written job offer to the candidate
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.

34. The Employment Contract
An employment contract includes:
Includes duration
Severance provisions
Nondisclosure requirements
Covenants not to compete
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 template-tools/toolkits for more information.

35. Human Resources Management 12e Gary Dessler
K E Y T E R M S
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
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education

36. Copyright