Job interview
The interview is usually preceded by the evaluation of submitted résumés from interested candidates, possibly by examining job applications or reading many resumes.
For example, interviewers can obtain information from search engines (e.g. Google, Bing, Yahoo), blogs, and even social networks (e.g. Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter).
[47] Interviewers tend to develop confidence in their ability to accurately rate interviewees,[48] detect whether applicants are faking their answers,[49] and trust their judgment about whether the person is a good candidate for the job.
[56] Best practices include basing both types of questions on "critical incidents" that are required to perform the job[57] but they differ in their focus (see below for descriptions).
Critical incidents are relevant tasks that are required for the job and can be collected through interviews or surveys with current employees, managers, or subject matter experts.
[57] Previous research has found mixed results regarding whether behavioral or situational questions will best predict the future job performance of an applicant.
[59][60] It is likely that variables unique to each situation, such as the specific criteria being examined,[5] the applicant's work experience,[7] or the interviewee's nonverbal behavior[61] make a difference with regard to which question type is the best.
[62] The use of high-quality questions represents an element of structure and is essential to ensure that candidates provide meaningful responses reflective of their capability to perform on the job.
[citation needed] In recent years, companies in other sectors like Design, Architecture, Marketing, Advertising, Finance, and Strategy have adopted a similar approach to interviewing candidates.
Technology has transformed the Case-based and Technical interview process from a purely private in-person experience to an online exchange of job skills and endorsements.
[77] Due to these findings, companies should weigh the costs and benefits of using technology over face-to-face interviews when deciding on selection methods.
For instance, applicants who engage in positive nonverbal behaviors such as smiling and leaning forward are perceived as more likable, trustworthy, credible,[85] warmer, successful, qualified, motivated, competent,[88] and socially skilled.
[90] As noted by several researchers, attractiveness may not be the most influential determinant of personnel decisions but may be a deciding factor when applicants possess similar levels of qualifications.
Information used by interviewees comes from a variety of sources ranging from popular how-to books to formal coaching programs, sometimes even provided by the hiring organization.
This type of coaching could include how to dress, how to display nonverbal behaviors (head nods, smiling, eye contact), verbal cues (how fast to speak, speech volume, articulation, pitch), and impression management tactics.
Another type of coaching is designed to focus interviewees on the content specifically relevant to describing one's qualifications for the job, in order to help improve their answers to interview questions.
On the other hand, the interviewer's goal is to obtain job-relevant information, in order to determine whether the applicant has the skills, abilities, and traits believed by the organization to be indicators of successful job performance.
One study found that over 80% of participants lied about job-related skills in the interview,[106] presumably to compensate for a lack of job-required skills/traits and further their chances for employment.
For instance, someone with high general mental ability may perform better in a cognitively demanding situation, such as a job interview, which requires quick thinking and responding.
[120] Interviewers’ initial impressions of narcissistic applicants are formed primarily on the basis of highly visible cues, which makes them susceptible to biases.
[148] Using questions that discriminate unfairly in law unsurprisingly are viewed negatively with applicants less likely to accept a job offer, or to recommend the organization to others.
Thus, candidates who experience anxiety in interviews should try to display assertive behaviors such as being dominant, professional, optimistic, attentive and confident[155] In addition, they should speak at a consistent pace that is not unusually slow.
[152] In many countries laws are put into place to prevent organizations from engaging in discriminatory practices against protected classes when selecting individuals for jobs.
"[161][162] The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1991 (Title VII) were passed into law to prevent the discrimination of individuals due to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
"In general, an accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done that enables an individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities.
Not having employment makes it harder for people with criminal histories to support their families, and a lack of a job can lead to an increased chance of the person becoming a repeat offender.
For example, studies of the United States of America (USA) to Canada have found conflicting results in average levels of agreeableness in each country.
This training is a first step in ensuring the process of using the job interview to decide whom to hire works the same in a selection situation where there are cross-cultural factors.
[212] Research has shown that differences in the levels of established cross-cultural constructs such as Cultural Tightness-Looseness increase or decrease the effect of the Five Factor Model personality traits.
[204] For example, in the West, applicants prefer to eliminate details and focus on the larger issue, tending towards a comprehensive evaluation starting from individual elements and then moving towards the whole.
