Policy capturing in the employment interview.

Employed an information-processing perspective to analyze the judgments of individual employment interviewers in a corporate setting. Linear policy-capturing equations were estimated from 3 interviewers' ratings of 120 job applicants in live and audiotaped interviews. The equations were evaluated across interviewers to identify sources of predictive validity and consistency in information use. In competition with the interviewers from whom they were derived, regression models displayed higher predictive validities in a majority of instances. Following training on selected rating dimensions, interviewers' predictive validities improved. After interviewer training, the regression models of the training dimensions yielded higher predictive validities than all 3 interviewers. Results suggest specific directions for enhancing the effectiveness of interviewing in the employee-selection process. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Applicant decisions in the employment interview.

237 college students who had been interviewed for jobs at a university placement service completed a questionnaire concerning their reactions to an interviewer and their subsequent decisions. Factor analysis of their impressions of the interviewer yielded 6 factors. Factor scores were computed, and multiple regression analyses were used to relate these factor scores to applicant decisions. Perceived interviewer personality, manner of delivery, and adequacy of job information affected interviewee evaluations of the interviewer and his company and the interviewee's likelihood of job acceptance. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Racial group differences in employment interview evaluations.

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the effect of race on employment interview evaluations. A meta-analysis of 31 studies found that both Black and Hispanic applicants received interview ratings that on average were only about one quarter of a standard deviation lower than those for White applicants. Thus, interviews as a whole do not appear to affect minorities nearly as much as mental ability tests. Results also suggested that (a) high-structure interviews have lower group differences on average than low-structure interviews, (b) group differences tend to decrease as the complexity of the job increases, and (c) group differences tend to be higher when there is a greater proportion of a minority in the applicant pool. Implications and directions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Another look at contrast effects in the employment interview.

Extended the work of M. Hakel, J. Ohnesorge, and M. Dunnette (see PA, Vol. 44:574l) and R. Leonard and M. Hakel's 1971 study of the effects of induced expectation on resume ratings. In Study 1, 90 undergraduates and 90 professional interviewers rated 12 resumes (random sets of 3 good, 3 average, and 3 poor), the last of which was the target resume. The 2 preceding ones (10 and 11) were used to induce the expectation; both were good, average, or poor. A 9-point criterion rating scale was used by 60 professionals to rate 3 resumes in Study 2. Results of both studies show no contrast or assimilation effects in judgments. Professionals indicated a tendency not to base hiring decisions on resumes alone. Results of previous studies and methodological problems are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An investigation of information favorability in the employment interview.

A consistent finding in both the employment-interviewing and impression-formation literature is that unfavorable information receives a greater weight in decision making than does favorable information. The present study investigated the influence of normative-deviant and relevant-irrelevant conditions on interview information that is favorable and unfavorable. 112 university students (aged 18-48 yrs) rated tape-recorded interviews varying in information favorability (favorable-unfavorable), normativity (normative-deviant), and relevancy (relevant-irrelevant). Based on the results, several major conclusions are drawn: (a) Judges evaluated information that deviated from the social norms more extremely than information that was normative. (b) Judges responded to unfavorable information that was relevant by rating the applicant lower than when the same information was irrelevant. (c) Judges responded to favorable information by rating the applicant high regardless of the relevancy of the information. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring faking in the employment interview: Development and validation of an interview faking behavior scale.

An Interview Faking Behavior (IFB) scale is developed and validated in 6 studies (N = 1,346). In Study 1, a taxonomy of faking behavior is delineated. The factor structure of a measure is evaluated and refined (Studies 2 and 3). The convergent and discriminant validity of the measure is examined (Study 4). The IFB scale consists of 4 factors (Slight Image Creation, Extensive Image Creation, Image Protection, and Ingratiation) and 11 subfactors (Embellishing, Tailoring, Fit Enhancing, Constructing, Inventing, Borrowing, Masking, Distancing, Omitting, Conforming, and Interviewer Enhancing). A study of actual interviews shows that scores on the IFB scale are related to getting a 2nd interview or a job offer (Study 5). In Study 6, an experiment is conducted to test the usefulness of the new measure for studying methods of reducing faking using structured interviews. It is found that past behavior questions are more resistant to faking than situational questions, and follow-up questioning increases faking. Finally, over 90% of undergraduate job candidates fake during employment interviews; however, fewer candidates engage in faking that is semantically closer to lying, ranging from 28% to 75%. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relation between speaking times and decision in the employment interview.

Is a job applicant more likely to be hired if the personnel interviewer does the most talking? "A sample of 115 employment interviews conducted by six Army personnel officers was examined. The applicant was accepted by the interviewer in 70 cases and rejected in 45 cases. From a recording of each interview measures were taken of the time the applicant spoke, the time the interviewer spoke, and the total time. The time vacant of speech was determined by subtracting the speaking times from the total time of the interview… . The interviewer influences both the amount the applicant talks and the amount of the time free of speech that accumulates during the interview. The amount the interviewer talks appears to be directly related to his decision to accept an applicant." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Note-taking in the employment interview: Effects on recall and judgments.

Although note-taking in the employment interview is highly recommended, little research has examined its effects. This study investigated the effects of note-taking styles, review of the notes, and content of the notes on participants' cued recall of information and decisions made from videotaped employment interviews. Note-taking increased recall accuracy but not judgment accuracy. Being able to review notes resulted in increased judgment accuracy for those taking conventional-style notes. The content of the notes also had important implications for conventional note-takers, suggesting some benefits of recording notes using the key-points style. The findings suggest that the act of note-taking may be more important for memory and legal reasons than for improving the decisions made by interviewers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Unfair discrimination in the employment interview: Legal and psychological aspects.

Reviews the psychological and legal literature concerning evidence of bias or unfairness in the employment interview with regard to Blacks, females, handicapped persons, and the elderly. This review indicates that (a) the interview is highly vulnerable to legal attack, and one can expect more litigation in this area; (b) the mechanisms and processes that contribute to bias in the interview are not well specified by researchers; (c) findings based predominantly on resume research show that females tend to receive lower evaluations than males, but this varies as a function of job and other situational characteristics; (d) little evidence exists to confirm the notion that Blacks are evaluated unfairly in interview contexts; (e) a relative dearth of research exists investigating interview bias against the elderly and handicapped individuals; and (f) evidence concerning the differential validity of the interview for these minority and nonminority groups is virtually nonexistent. A number of research needs and directions are specified. (79 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bias against overweight job applicants in a simulated employment interview.

This study assessed whether moderately obese individuals, especially women, would be discriminated against in a mock employment interview. Potential confounding factors were controlled by having 320 Ss rate videotapes of a job interview that used the same professional actors appearing as normal weight or made up to appear overweight by the use of theatrical prostheses. Results suggested that bias against hiring overweight job applicants does exist, especially for female applicants. Bias was most pronounced when applicants were rated by Ss who were satisfied with their bodies and for whom perceptions of their bodies were central to self-concept. The decision not to hire an obese applicant was, however, only partially mediated by personality attributions. Implications and limitations of these results are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Confirming first impressions in the employment interview: A field study of interviewer behavior.

Examined behavioral styles used by interviewers to confirm their 1st impressions of job applicants. Three interviewers in a corporate setting formed 1st impressions based on application blank and test score information. They then conducted audiotaped interviews. Coders independently coded 79 interviews and found that 1st impressions were related to confirmatory behavior. Interviewers followed up positive 1st impressions, for example, by showing positive regard toward applicants, "selling" the company and giving job information, and gathering less information. Applicants' communication style and rapport with interviewers also differed. Significant differences in confirmatory behaviors also occurred among the 3 interviewers. A number of interviewer behaviors, especially positive regard, were related to applicant behavior in interviews. Although previous studies of expectancy confirmation have produced mixed results, the present results suggest that interviewers in natural settings do use confirmatory strategies, underscoring the importance of additional research on "self-fulfilling prophecies." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nonverbal cues in the employment interview: Links between applicant qualities and interviewer judgments.

Investigated the role of nonverbal behavior in the employment interview inference process, using a modified Brunswik lens model. Job interviews for an actual research assistant position were conducted and videotaped with 34 candidates (aged 18–67 yrs). Job applicants' self-appraised motivation to work and social skill were assessed, and their nonverbal behaviors during the interview were scored. 18 judges with training and experience in employment interviewing watched the videotaped interviews and rated the Ss on their motivation, social skill, and hirability. Social skill was more accurately inferred by the judges as a group than was motivation to work. Ss' social skill was apparently transmitted to the judges via 3 nonverbal cues: rate of gesturing, time spent talking, and formality of dress. In contrast, there was a lack of correspondence between cues correlated with Ss' self-appraised motivation to work and those used by judges in making their attributions. Implications for employment interview training are discussed. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Initial evaluations in the interview: Relationships with subsequent interviewer evaluations and employment offers.

The authors of this study examine how evaluations made during an early stage of the structured interview (rapport building) influence end of interview scores, subsequent follow-up employment interviews, and actual internship job offers. Candidates making better initial impressions received more internship offers (r = .22) and higher interviewer ratings (r = .42). As predicted, initial evaluations of candidate competence extend beyond liking and similarity to influence subsequent interview outcomes from the same interviewer (ΔR2 = .05), from a separate interviewer (ΔR2 = .05), and from another interviewer who skipped rapport building (ΔR2 = .05). In contrast, assessments of candidate liking and similarity were not significantly related to other judgments when ratings were provided by different interviewers. The findings of this study thus indicate that initial impressions of candidates influence employment outcomes, and that they may be based on useful judgments of candidate competence that occur in the opening minutes of the structured interview. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Disability disclosure effects on employment interview ratings of applicants with nonvisible disabilities.

Objective: To investigate the effects of timing of verbal disclosure of a disability on employment interview ratings of applicants with nonvisible disabilities. Study Design: Participants (56 college students) viewed 2 videotaped employment interviews: 1 involving an applicant who disclosed a nonvisible disability (transverse myelitis), either early or late in the interview, and 1 with an applicant who did not disclose a disability. Outcome Measures: Qualifications/hiring, liking, and comfort with disability disclosure scales. Results: Applicants with nonvisible disabilities who chose to disclosure their disability were rated as more qualified and likeable when disclosing early in an interview. Conclusion: Individuals who wish to disclose an externally caused nonvisible disability (similar to transverse myelitis) should consider doing so early in an interview rather than at the end. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Both sides of the employment interview interaction: Perceptions of interviewers and applicants with disabilities.

Examined perceptions of the interview process in a correlational field study of 70 applicants (APs) with disabilities and 36 interviewers (IRs) without disabilities. IRs provided ratings of APs. 56 APs responded to questions about the IR and the interview. Results support hypotheses contending that the interview is a mutual influence process. IRs' preinterview impressions were positively correlated with their postinterview evaluations. However, time spent actively recruiting the AP was negatively correlated with the APs' ratings of IRs. AP disclosure of some types of disability-related information was positively related with IRs' ratings of APs' interview performances. Findings suggest that APs may want to discuss job-related aspects of their disability in the interview. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Desirability of control versus locus of control: Relationship to paralinguistics in the Type A interview.

Examined the relationship between heightened preference for control of the physical and social environment and Types A (coronary-prone) and B (noncoronary-prone) personality ratings derived from structured interviews, using 67 undergraduates. There was a significant relationship between scores on the Desirability of Control Scale (DSC), the structured interviews and the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS). Scores on Rotter's Internal–External Locus of Control Scale and the DCS correlated only with the JAS. Findings suggest that autonomic nervous system arousal can create psychological discomfort that may serve to increase both need for control and Type A vocal stylistics and that such vocal mannerisms may actually facilitate control of the social environment. Evidence implicating genetic factors in these processes is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Similarity of post-interview trait rating intercorrelations as a contributor to interrater agreement in a structured employment interview.

Examined the influence of degree of interview structure, use of scaled-expectation rating scales, and similarity of postinterview trait rating intercorrelations on interrater agreement in employment interviews. 9 nursing interviewers sat as a selection board and interviewed and independently rated 54 senior nursing students. The interviews were highly structured, and ratings were recorded on scaled-expectation scales for general staff nursing positions. Although all interviewers shared essentially the same structure among their postinterview trait ratings, interrater agreement was no better than in previous studies. This finding shows the power of halo in the interview setting (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A personality-based similar-to-me effect in the employment interview: Conscientiousness, affect-versus competence-mediated interpretations, and the role of job relevance.

Past research on the employment interview has unearthed a "similar-to-me" effect signaling that rater-applicant similarity on various demographic and attitudinal variables will tend to inflate (bias) rater judgments. This study probes whether a similar-to-me effect hinging on personality dimensions also exists in the employment interview, using a sample of 40 male undergraduates (mean age 22.1 yrs). Results revealed rater-applicant similarity on the study's focal construct--conscientiousness--significantly influences job suitability evaluations. The similar-to-me phenomenon is explored in terms of competence- and affect-based explanations, and a modified paradigm applicable to job-relevant constructs is proposed. Contrary to conventional conceptualizations of the similar-to-me phenomenon, the authors suggest that the similar-to-me effect does not necessarily reflect rater error; in some cases, rater-applicant similarity may be leveraged to bolster interview validity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)