Chapter 10: The Selection Interview This chapter goes over interview, one of the most popular methods in selection procedure. It is practically the first chance candidates and recruiters are able to interact in real life. Therefore, it provides valuable information that application forms or written tests can’t access. There are many aspects of interviews that need to be kept in mind in order to yield the best selecting decisions and avoid discrimination. Structured vs unstructured interview is always a dilemma for recruiters. Many prefer unstructured interviews because it is flexible and more comfortable for both interviewers and interviewees. However, structured interviews are found to be more relevant to jobs and therefore, are more reliable and valid in making selections. Regardless of types, the desired outcome of an interview is to find the best candidates for the organizations; thus, businesses need to be careful in which type they choose to use. Organizations can follow some guidelines for a successful interview: set a clear purpose(s) for the interview process, use questions that are related to job qualifications, train interviewers and have structured interviews with an established rating scale. In my previous jobs, almost all the time, unstructured interviews were used. I was frequently asked “why should we choose you?” and I think this question is not necessarily related to the specific job I applied for because it is very easy to distort the truth and tailor the answer around what the organization wants to hear. One disadvantage of interviews is that interviewers can’t verify the answers. With the advancement of technology, more and more interviews are conducted through phone calls, Zoom, Google Meet, etc. rather than just in person like before. This clearly provides a convenience regarding to commute time, travel expense, etc. Personally, I prefer in person interviews as I feel more interactive and it provides a more natural, realistic overview of the organization. Phone calls or video calls interviews make me feel more comfortable without the intimidation of personal interaction but that is also its biggest disadvantage since it entirely relies on the internet to operate. As an interviewee, there is always one struggle I encountered: I have too little information about an organization to decide whether or not to accept the offer. Often times, I was presented with questions at the interviews and some descriptions of my job. But I don’t have a lot of information about organizational culture, working environment, etc. to decide job fit or organization fit whereas they are important factors to accept the job offer and stay with the job. Before, during, and after the interviews, the interviewers engage in evaluation and decision-making process. There are a lot of factors that can affect interview ratings and selecting decisions. It is easy to obtain a favorable decision from the interviewers if they have the same background, cultures, etc. The more attractive the applicants, the more likely they will be offered the position. Halo effect, first impressions, primacy effect, etc. are some of the factors that influence interviewers’ decisions. As human being, it is very difficult to eliminate entirely bias and favoritism. Therefore, it is important that interviewers are trained and a structured interviews are used. It would be best if we can combine the easy and comfort of unstructured interviews with the validity and relevance of the structured interviews. Overall, interviews are meant to find the best candidates for the organizations to enhance its growth and profits.
