Employment Interview

What is the Employment Interview?

The employment interview is a human resource selection method that involves an interviewer or panel of interviewers asking questions of job applicants (interviewees) whose responses, reactions, and so on, are used for determining applicants' suitability for employment. The employment interview is generally regarded as the most often used selection device in personnel selection. Because of its widespread use, the method has received a great deal of attention from personnel selection researchers and academicians. Although early interview studies concluded the interview was an unreliable, ineffective means for assessing applicants, recent research has shown that the interview, when properly implemented, is useful in predicting applicants' future job performance. More specifically, the interview has been found useful for assessing applicants' job knowledge, interpersonal skills, and employee characteristics such as dependability and conscientiousness. Consequently, the employment interview is a viable employee selection device that can be incorporated into almost any health care organization, large or small.

Although there are positive aspects of employment interviews, they are not without their problems. For example, interviewers are susceptible to a number of errors. Among the more common are the following:

• Similarity error: Interviewers are positively biased toward applicants exhibiting characteristics similar to them and are negatively disposed toward applicants who are different.
• Contrast error: Interviewers are likely to compare applicants to other applicants interviewed at about the same time.
• First-impression error: Interviewers often form first impressions that are resistant to change.
• Overweighting information: Interviewers are inclined to overweight negative information.
• Stereotyping: Interviewers may be more or less positive about applicants based on their personal characteristics (for example, age, race, or gender).

Legal Issues and Question Topics to Avoid

As with any selection device, users of employment interviews should adhere to guidelines issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regarding the use of selection methods. When using employment interviews, it is critical that health care managers be knowledgeable of these guidelines; otherwise, the employing health care organization may be charged with employment discrimination.

One important source of employment discrimination can arise from the nature of the questions posed by an interviewer. Health care professionals should avoid asking job applicants any question associated with applicants' race, color, ancestry, age, sex, religion, physical handicap, marital status, or arrest/court record. For example, interview questions such as the following should not be asked:

• “What is your maiden name?”
• “What language do you commonly use?”
• “Does your religion keep you from working on weekends?”
• “Do you prefer being referred to as Miss, Mrs., or Ms.?”
• “Do you have any physical disabilities?”
• “Have you ever been arrested?”
• “When did you attend high school?”
• “Do you have any children?”

When an employment discrimination charge involving the employment interview has been made and gone to trial, research has shown that certain employment interview characteristics are associated with the outcome of the case. For instance, Laura Williamson and her colleagues found that employers were more likely to win the case when their employment interviews had certain characteristics: (a) Applicant behaviors rather than traits were assessed, (b) applicant interview performance was judged according to specific rather than general criteria, (c) interviewers had been trained in how to conduct the interview, (d) validity evidence was presented showing that interview performance was associated with job performance, (e) guides had been established on how to conduct the interviews, and [Page 174](f) predetermined, standardized interview questions were used with all applicants.

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