Interviewing and Selection Techniques Flashcards

An interviewer asks a candidate, 'Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult coworker. How did you handle it?' What type of interview question is this?

Answer: A behavioral question

This is a behavioral interview question. These questions are based on the premise that past behavior is the best predictor of future performance. The question asks the candidate to describe a specific past experience to demonstrate how they handled a particular situation.

During an interview for a sales position, the hiring manager, an avid golfer, discovers the candidate is also a passionate golfer. The manager finds themselves favoring this candidate over others with similar qualifications. This is an example of which type of interview bias?

Answer: Similarity bias

Similarity bias, also known as affinity bias, occurs when an interviewer favors a candidate because they share similar interests, backgrounds, or qualities. In this scenario, the shared interest in golf is causing the manager to view the candidate more positively, irrespective of their job-related skills.

A hiring manager is preparing for a round of interviews. To ensure fairness and consistency, they create a list of the same job-related questions to be asked of every candidate in the same order, using a pre-defined scoring rubric. This method is best described as which of the following?

Answer: A structured interview

A structured interview is a standardized method where all candidates are asked the same predetermined questions in the same order and are evaluated using a consistent scoring system. This approach increases reliability and reduces bias in the selection process.

A company is hiring for a customer service manager. Which of the following interview questions would be legally impermissible to ask a candidate in the United States?

Answer: "Where did you grow up?"

Asking "Where did you grow up?" can be interpreted as an attempt to determine a candidate's national origin, which is a protected characteristic under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Questions in an interview should be strictly job-related to avoid discrimination claims. While some states have "ban the box" laws limiting inquiries about criminal history early in the process, the question itself isn't universally impermissible like those related to protected characteristics.

An interviewer presents a candidate with the following scenario: 'Imagine you are leading a project, and a key team member unexpectedly resigns one week before the deadline. What steps would you take to ensure the project is still completed successfully?' This is an example of what kind of interview question?

Answer: Situational

This is a situational interview question. It presents a hypothetical, future-focused scenario to gauge a candidate's problem-solving skills, judgment, and thought process. Unlike behavioral questions that focus on past experiences, situational questions assess how a candidate would handle potential future challenges.

Which of the following is a primary benefit of using structured interviews over unstructured interviews in the selection process?

Answer: They increase the predictive validity of the interview process.

Extensive research has shown that structured interviews are significantly more effective at predicting future job performance than unstructured interviews. By standardizing questions and scoring, they reduce interviewer bias and focus the evaluation on job-relevant competencies, thus increasing the validity of the hiring decision.