CRSP Interviewing & Selection Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A candidate performs brilliantly in the early rounds but gives a mediocre final interview. The interviewer still rates them highly overall. This is an example of:
- Recency effect
- Primacy effect (Correct answer)
- Contrast effect
- Halo effect
Correct answer: Primacy effect
The primacy effect occurs when early impressions disproportionately influence the overall evaluation, overshadowing later performance.
Question 2: What is the purpose of using 'probing questions' after a candidate's initial response?
- To intimidate the candidate into revealing weaknesses
- To fulfill a structured question quota
- To gather more specific behavioral evidence (Correct answer)
- To redirect the candidate to a different topic
Correct answer: To gather more specific behavioral evidence
Probing questions dig deeper into a candidate's initial answer to elicit specific, concrete behavioral evidence rather than accepting vague or general responses.
Question 3: In the STAR behavioral interviewing framework, what does the 'R' stand for?
- Reasoning
- Result (Correct answer)
- Response
- Responsibility
Correct answer: Result
In STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result), 'R' stands for Result — the outcome or impact of the candidate's actions in the described scenario.
Question 4: A job posting requires '5 years of experience' for a role that could realistically be performed with 2 years. Under EEO guidelines, this requirement may be considered:
- Best practice for screening efficiency
- A valid bona fide occupational qualification
- An artificial barrier with potential adverse impact (Correct answer)
- A legally protected screening criterion
Correct answer: An artificial barrier with potential adverse impact
Arbitrary experience thresholds that exceed what the job actually requires may constitute artificial barriers and could disproportionately exclude protected groups.
Question 5: Which of the following is a key advantage of video-recorded interviews reviewed asynchronously?
- They eliminate all interviewer bias
- They allow multiple evaluators to assess the same responses independently (Correct answer)
- They are exempt from adverse impact analysis
- They replace the need for structured interview guides
Correct answer: They allow multiple evaluators to assess the same responses independently
Asynchronous video interviews allow multiple reviewers to independently score the same candidate responses, improving inter-rater reliability and reducing scheduling burdens.
Question 6: A recruiter unconsciously rates candidates who attended the same university more favorably. This is an example of:
- Affinity bias (Correct answer)
- Attribution error
- Leniency effect
- Criterion contamination
Correct answer: Affinity bias
Affinity bias occurs when interviewers favor candidates who share similar backgrounds, interests, or experiences with themselves.
Question 7: Which document should guide all interviewers to ask the same core questions in the same order during a structured interview?
- Candidate scorecard
- Interview guide or script (Correct answer)
- Job analysis report
- Offer letter template
Correct answer: Interview guide or script
An interview guide or script standardizes questions, order, and rating anchors across all candidates, making structured interviews legally defensible and reliable.
CRSP Interviewing & Selection Techniques 3
A candidate performs brilliantly in the early rounds but gives a mediocre final interview.
The interviewer still rates them highly overall.
This is an example of: