5.11 Interview Structures
Interview Structures
Having a trained interviewer is one way in which to reduce biases in the interview and increase the chances of selecting the right candidate. The other is to structure the interview and treat it less like a free flowing conversation but rather, like a standardized test.
- Unstructured interviews are when the interview does not have a plan for the interview or the interview questions. The interviewer makes up the questions as they interview the applicant. There are no guidelines or rating scales to rate applicants. Each interview may vary with different questions asked of the candidates. The interviewer does not make a reliable and valid decision, can be time-consuming, and lead to hiring mistakes. Some interviewers may argue that unstructured interviews allow for creativity and free flowing ideas to be shared. Most HR managers would agree that unstructured interviews lead to poor quality results.
- Structured Interviews are when candidates are asked a set of standardized, pre-determined questions based on the job analysis. The expected or desired answers to these questions are determined ahead of time, which allows the interviewer to rate responses as the candidate provides answers. This allows for a fair interview process (everyone is treated the same way) and one that is
Think!
Types of Structured Questions
Situational Questions: Questions focus on situations that may arise in the actual job that the applicant is applying for in the company. They are job-specific questions that test the applicant’s cognitive ability as it relates to the job. They are being evaluated on judgment in practice situations that resemble the real work experience at the company.
- Example: “If you were managing the team of Accountants, how would you deal with their work load on a daily basis?
Here are some examples of situational questions with possible answers.
Behavioural Questions: The interview asks questions from the applicant’s past work experiences to evaluate how they have dealt with challenging situations in the past. The idea of behavioural questions is that the best predictor of future performance is past performance. It helps the interviewer to get to know the applicant from the work experience. As well, the answers are concrete, and shows how an applicant has used their skills and experience to solve problems in the past.
- Example: “Tell me about a time when you made a risky decision in your past job, and it worked out well.”
Here are some of the most common behavioural interview questions and answers.
Personality Based Questions: The interviewer may want to get to you on a more personal level. They might ask questions about your hobbies and interests outside of work. Also, they may want to know what excites you, motivates you; or what your passions are professional or personally. The applicant wants to attempt to align interests, passions or motivators with their work.
- Example: “Tell me about the most exciting experience you have had in a past job that motivated you, and was a success for you and/or the company.”
(Dept of Psych EDI committee McGill, n.d.)
“5.11 Interview Structures” from Human Resources Management – 3rd Edition by Debra Patterson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
