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INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES.
Term Paper ID:23515
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Essay Subject:
Compares structured & unstructured interviews, advantages & disadvantages, interviewee rights.... More...
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5 Pages / 1125 Words
7 sources, 7 Citations,
MLA Format
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Paper Abstract:
Compares structured & unstructured interviews, advantages & disadvantages, interviewee rights.
Paper Introduction:
Introduction
Many managers believe that the traditional interview remains the best method for finding high-quality workers, despite techniques such as pre-employment psychological testing and other innovative processes available to recruiting personnel. When conducted properly, the interview can provide a good picture of the applicant. The employment interview may be used to judge an applicant's interpersonal reactions, communication skills and fitness for a particular job. This research examines two types of interview techniques, the structured and unstructured interview, including appropriateness and applicability in today's work environments.
Structured Interviews
The structured interview consists of prepared questions or situations given by an ind
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This means that the interviewercan ask follow-up questions, which may take the interview away from theoriginal subject but which may yield information about the applicant'sstrengths or weaknesses which would otherwise not be adequately addressed.Applicants may favor the unstructured interview for this same reason, sinceit gives them the opportunity to present their qualifications in the bestlight and to base the answers they give to specific questions about skillsor background on the work environment for which they are interviewing. Disadvantages of Structured Interviews The primary disadvantage of structured interviews is that they do notpermit candidates to demonstrate their unique skills and talents asadequately as the unstructured interview. 1994: 29-3 .Solomon, Robert J. If the interview is highly structured, the applicant maynot find ample opportunity to ask questions about the company in general orthe position in particular, with the result that the applicant may not beable to determine if the company and the job are a good fit. 612). Because the interviewer focuseson a predetermined set of questions and hypothetical situations, importantcharacteristics of the individual may be overlooked if they do not fit thecategory of questioning that the interviewer is following. Regardless of which technique is used, carefulpreparation and subsequent follow-up are critical to the success of theinterview process. Structured interviews also provide the interviewer with the greatestamount of control over the interview process. "The Validity of Employment Interviews." Journal of Applied Psychology 79 (Aug 1994): 599-616.Pell, Arthur R. The structured interview enables theinterviewer to evaluate each applicant's responses against every otherapplicant and to make a determination as to the suitability of anyparticular individual for employment based on these responses. They may read meanings into answers to questionsthat are not truly present, and they may overstate their own ability to"read" an applicant. Applicants can favor the unstructured interviewbecause it gives them the opportunity to present their qualifications inthe best light and to have more control over the interview process than thestructured interview does. 1992: 49-51.Half, Robert. Interviews and Equal Employment Opportunity Standards Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) standards and legislation makeillegal questioning potential employees about their age, marital status,religious affiliation and similar areas. 1993: 12.Lowry, Phillip E. This most oftenhappens when the interviewer and the applicant are able to build a strongpersonal rapport during the interview process or when the applicant isparticularly charismatic or skilled in the interview process (Half 12). Interviewersshould be trained in whichever technique they use and should be careful toavoid letting their personal feelings intervene in the unstructuredinterview. "Nine Interviewing Pitfalls." Managers Magazine Jan. Advantages of Unstructured Interviews Unstructured interviews offer the interviewer greater latitude in theareas discussed and the topics covered. Because the unstructuredinterview gives the interviewer more latitude than the structuredinterview, it enables employers to follow lines of questioning that mayexpose strengths or weaknesses that the more structured interview would notuncover (Solomon 22). The structured approach isappropriate for highly structured organizations and highly structured jobs;the unstructured approach is appropriate when applicants are expected topossess a high degree of creativity and independent thought. Works CitedBrink, T. This is one of the main problems that unskilled or untrainedinterviewers face, and one which the structured interview helps to overcome(Pell 29). This finding must be considered in light of the type of positionbeing filled, however, since the structured interview is most appropriatewhen the position is not at senior levels of the organization (McDaniel etal. The employment interview may beused to judge an applicant's interpersonal reactions, communication skillsand fitness for a particular job. "A Discouraging Word Improves Your Interviews." HRMagazine Dec. Applicantsmay be able to wrest control of the interview process and use it to presenttheir strengths to the exclusion of other information. In general, the structuredinterview is used when all applicants are expected to have a similar skilllevel and the position has a limited need for personal creativity. Interviewers should always seek to maintain control of thedirection of the interview, which can be more difficult in unstructuredsituations, and should refrain from pursuing lines of questioning thatviolate EEO standards. A similardisadvantage arises from the fact that personality traits which may renderthe applicant an inappropriate choice for the position or the company maynot be discovered during this structured process. Structured interviews have a high degree of reliability andusefulness when used to screen applicants for clerical and technical jobs,such as secretaries or computer programmers. Unstructured Interviews The unstructured interview does not have a set of prepared questionsthat are the same for each applicant, although guidelines cover generalareas that the interviewer wants to pursue. L. "How Do You Prepare for Nonstandard Interviews?" Management Accounting Nov. While most individualswho conduct employment screening are aware that direct questions cannot beasked, the unstructured interview makes possible indirectly ascertaininginformation that would, if asked directly, be inappropriate. "What Do You Want From Us?" Across the Board June 1993: 11-12. The structured interview letscompanies and interviewers more easily remain in compliance with theseguidelines since the questions and hypothetical situations are preparedahead of time and can be reviewed by the human resources department or eventhe legal department. However, the unstructured interview increases the possibility that anillegal or inappropriate question will be posed. Thestructured interview eliminates the problem of the interviewer forgettingto ask a particular question and makes possible having non-human resourceprofessionals conduct interviews through the use of a standardized format.Applicants may perceive this method as the most equitable since each isasked the same questions as every other applicant. This research examines two types ofinterview techniques, the structured and unstructured interview, includingappropriateness and applicability in today's work environments. "The Structured Interview." Public Personnel Management Summer 1994: 2 1-215.McDaniel, Michael A., et al. Another disadvantage of the unstructured interview is thatinterviewers may assume that they have greater psychological skills thanthey in fact possess. Advantages of Structured Interviews Structured interviews have higher validity than unstructuredinterviews when the criteria is the ongoing performance of the individualhired. The interviewprocess is a two-pronged event which leads to information being exchanged:the employer learns about the applicant, and the applicant learns about theemployer and the corporate culture. As aresult of situations like this, interviewers who use the unstructuredapproach must be very careful to avoid lines of questioning that wouldinadvertently expose the company to potential liability. Because each applicant isasked the same set of questions or presented with the same set ofhypothetical situations, no one applicant can control the interview to thepoint where the interviewer does not cover all appropriate areas ofquestioning. Disadvantages of Unstructured Interviews The primary disadvantage of unstructured interviews is no objectiveway to compare the interviews from one applicant to another. Introduction Many managers believe that the traditional interview remains the bestmethod for finding high-quality workers, despite techniques such as pre-employment psychological testing and other innovative processes availableto recruiting personnel. When conducted properly, the interview canprovide a good picture of the applicant. If either of these factors isshortchanged, the company and the applicant both suffer (Watkins 11). Conclusion Both structured and unstructured interview techniques can be used toadvantage for different types of jobs. 1992: 22-23.Watkins, Thomas L. Unstructured interviews are best used for those positions whichrequire personal creativity or those positions in which the candidate willbe required to work independently and without a great deal of supervision.Typically, unstructured interviews are used for top-level management andprofessional positions and for sales positions. The free-form nature of the unstructured interviewalso makes possible the interviewer asking an inappropriate or perhapsillegal question (Brink 5 ). "How to Make Effective Use of Applicant Interviews." American Medical News 21 Sep. In this way,a male candidate who volunteers that "we like fishing" in response to aquestion about hobbies may be asked a follow-up question by a maleinterviewer such as "gee, my wife doesn't like the outdoors; how did youget your wife to enjoy roughing it?" In an unstructured interview, thiscould be considered just a conversational follow-up with no intention onthe part of the interviewer to question the applicant's marital status.However, the applicant might well assume that the interviewer was using a"back door" to ascertain whether or not the applicant was married. Another disadvantage of the structured interview from the candidate'sstandpoint concerns the amount of interaction between the interviewer andthe applicant. Structured Interviews The structured interview consists of prepared questions or situationsgiven by an individual trained in interview techniques to all applicantsfor a given position (Lowry 2 1).
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