CRSP Interview Design & Competency Assessment 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Situational interview questions differ from behavioral interview questions in that they ask candidates to:
- Describe what they have done in the past
- Explain how they would handle a hypothetical future scenario (Correct answer)
- Demonstrate a technical skill live
- List their professional references
Correct answer: Explain how they would handle a hypothetical future scenario
Situational questions present a hypothetical scenario and ask candidates what they would do, while behavioral questions ask about past actions.
Question 2: Which of the following is the BEST example of a legally compliant interview question?
- Are you a US citizen?
- Do you have any disabilities we should know about?
- Can you describe a time you managed a competing deadline? (Correct answer)
- What year did you graduate from high school?
Correct answer: Can you describe a time you managed a competing deadline?
Competency-based behavioral questions are job-related and avoid protected class information, making them legally defensible.
Question 3: The 'contrast effect' in interviewing occurs when:
- An interviewer compares a candidate to the previous candidate rather than to the job standard (Correct answer)
- Two interviewers disagree on a candidate's rating
- A candidate's answer contradicts their resume
- An interviewer applies different standards to internal versus external candidates
Correct answer: An interviewer compares a candidate to the previous candidate rather than to the job standard
The contrast effect happens when an interviewer's evaluation of a candidate is influenced by the quality of the preceding candidate rather than absolute job criteria.
Question 4: Inter-rater reliability in structured interviews refers to:
- The consistency of scores given by different interviewers evaluating the same candidate (Correct answer)
- The stability of a candidate's answers across multiple interviews
- The ability of a test to predict job performance
- The fairness of interview questions across demographic groups
Correct answer: The consistency of scores given by different interviewers evaluating the same candidate
Inter-rater reliability measures the degree to which independent raters assign similar scores to the same candidate's responses.
Question 5: Which competency assessment method requires candidates to prioritize and respond to a simulated inbox of emails, memos, and requests?
- Leaderless group discussion
- In-basket exercise (Correct answer)
- Role-play simulation
- Structured behavioral interview
Correct answer: In-basket exercise
The in-basket exercise simulates the candidate's work environment by presenting a backlog of realistic work items to process under time pressure.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes a 'competency dictionary' in the context of selection?
- A glossary of HR legal terms
- A standardized catalog defining key competencies with observable behavioral indicators (Correct answer)
- A database of candidate competency scores
- A list of required certifications for each role
Correct answer: A standardized catalog defining key competencies with observable behavioral indicators
A competency dictionary provides consistent definitions and observable behavioral indicators for each competency, ensuring all assessors apply the same standards.
Question 7: When should interview guides be developed relative to posting a job opening?
- After the first round of interviews
- Before candidates are screened, ideally during job analysis (Correct answer)
- After reviewing resumes from all applicants
- Only when the hiring manager requests one
Correct answer: Before candidates are screened, ideally during job analysis
Interview guides should be developed before screening begins, based on the job analysis, to ensure consistent and job-relevant assessment of all candidates.
CRSP Interview Design & Competency Assessment 3
Situational interview questions differ from behavioral interview questions in that they ask candidates to: