Everything you need to know about interview in human resource management. Interview” means “deliberate, active listing with a purpose to draw the other person out, to discover what he really wants to say, and to give a chance to express himself/herself freely.
The interview is used in practically every business and profession. Some activities call for a high degree of proficiency in interviewing; such as appointment of engineers, lawyers, managers, salesmen and supervisors.
The interview is also widely used in securing credit information, making loans, selling, and adjusting complaints as well as in personnel administration and management.
According to McFarland, “an interview is a purposeful two-way exchange of information between the participants. Both learn things of vital importance to their mutual decision, some intended and others not intended.”
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Interview is one of the important steps in selection procedure. It is probably the most widely used selection tools.
Employment interview and tests are two of the most important screening devices generally used in hiring procedure. Interview is the oldest method of evaluating a person’s potential for a job.
Learn about:-
1. Meaning of Interview 2. Definitions of Interview 3. Objectives 4. Importance 5. Types 6. Principles 7. Guidelines for Successful Interviewing and Interviewers
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8. Questioning Techniques 9. Steps 10. Competency Based Interview 11. Behavioural Event Interview 12. Advantages 13. Limitations and 14. How to Make an Employment Interview Effective?
Interview in HRM: Meaning, Definitions, Objectives, Types, Steps, Advantages, Limitation and Other Details
Contents:
- Meaning of Interview
- Definitions of Interview
- Objectives of Interview
- Importance of Interview
- Types of Selection Interview
- Principles of Interview
- Guidelines for Successful Interviewing and Interviewers
- Job Interview Questioning Techniques
- Steps of Interview
- Competency Based Interview
- Behavioural Event Interview
- Advantages of Interview
- Limitations of Interview
- How to Make an Employment Interview Effective?
Interview in HRM – Meaning
“Interview” means “deliberate, active listing with a purpose to draw the other person out, to discover what he really wants to say, and to give a chance to express himself/herself freely.”
“An interview is an attempt to secure maximum amount of information from the candidate concerning his suitability for the job under consideration.”
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“An interview is a purposeful exchange of ideas, the answering of questions and communication between two or more persons.”
The interview is used in practically every business and profession. Some activities call for a high degree of proficiency in interviewing; such as appointment of engineers, lawyers, managers, salesmen and supervisors. The interview is also widely used in securing credit information, making loans, selling, and adjusting complaints as well as in personnel administration and management.
Interview is one of the important steps in selection procedure. It is probably the most widely used selection tools. Employment interview and tests are two of the most important screening devices generally used in hiring procedure. Interview is the oldest method of evaluating a person’s potential for a job.
It assists to reveal, examine and assess the capabilities, qualities and traits of an individual to be selected for the job in an organisation. Interview technique is quite complex in substance and difficult to use property. Its scope includes measuring all the relevant characteristics and integrating and classifying all other information about the applicant.
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Through this technique, needed information like nature, attitude, behaviour, perception, interest, motives, likes, dislikes, intelligence, personality etc. of candidate can be obtained by a face-to-face contact. This technique is practically used in every business and profession.
Some activities call for a high degree of proficiency in interviewing candidates for the Posts like professors, engineers, psychiatrists, clinical psychiatrists, lawyers, social workers, employment managers, industrial relations, managers, market analysts, salesmen, supervisors etc.
Interview in HRM – Definitions Defined by Oxford Dictionary and McFarland
Interview is probably the most widely used selection tool. It is a most complex selection technique because its scope includes measuring all the relevant characteristics and integrating and classifying all other information about the applicant. In practically all organization interviewing is used for a variety of purposes, including selection, appraisal, disciplinary action, counselling and general problem solving.
The interview is a selection technique which enables the employer to view the total individual and directly appraise him and his behaviour. It is a method by which an idea about an applicant’s personality can be obtain by a face-to-face contact.
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It tries to achieve an exacting appraisal of an applicant, his previous experience, and education, training and family backgrounds.
Thus, an interview is a purposeful exchange of views, the answering of questions and communication between two or more persons. In simple term, interview is an interchange of views or face-to-face interaction between two persons for a particular purpose.
According to Oxford Dictionary “interview is a face-to-face meeting, especially for the purpose of obtaining a statement or for assessing the qualities of a candidate”.
It is an attempt to secure maximum amount of information from the candidates to judge their ability and suitability for a vacant position in the organization.
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Interview is conducted not only for selecting an employee; it is even conducted for placement, counselling, separation, disciplinary action and even for admitting students for higher learning.
According to McFarland, “an interview is a purposeful two-way exchange of information between the participants. Both learn things of vital importance to their mutual decision, some intended and others not intended.”
Interview – Objectives of a Well-Designed and an Effective Interview
Though interview is primarily meant for soliciting maximum possible information about the candidate, it may be used for other purposes too during the interview process.
The following are the objectives of a well-designed and an effective interview:
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1. To seek more information about the candidate, which is not mentioned in “Application Blank.”
2. To judge an applicant’s qualities and characteristics as a basis for sound selection and placement.
3. To verify the information given in the application form and in the Application Blank.
4. To give essential and accurate facts about the job and the organisation such as nature of the job, hours of work, opportunities for advancement, employee welfare facilities, benefits and services available, organisation’s policies, plans, future prospects etc. to the candidate. So that the candidate will be in a position to decide, whether to accept or not the employment in that organisation.
5. To establish rapport to create a feeling of mutual understanding, confidence and trust between the organisation (personnel department) and the applicant who is to be employed.
6. To create a good image and to promote goodwill towards the organisation, whether the interview culminates in employment or not.
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7. To give an idea of disciplinary action, grievance handling and relations with unions to the candidate, because interview is a valuable tool for all these.
8. Interview is the only technique which seeks correct and factual information about the candidate.
Thus in brief, selection interviews give a chance to personally “size up” the candidate and to pursue questioning in a way employment tests can employ not. In other words interviews can be described as a very important screening tool of the candidate.
Interview in HRM – Importance: Helps in Selection of a Suitable Candidate, Exchange of Information, Helps to know the Facilities and a Few Others
Interview offers the following importance:
(i) Helps in Selection of a suitable candidate – Candidates who have claimed different qualities in their application can be tested directly through face to face conversation and those who are suitable can be selected.
(ii) Exchange of information – Face to lace conversation helps to exchange views and opinions between interviewer and interviewee and any doubt regarding the terms and conditions of the job can be cleared then and there only.
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(iii) Helps to know the facilities – Interview helps to know the facilities offered and opportunities available to the employees and also the terms and conditions of employment. This helps the candidates to decide whether to offer their service or not to the organization.
(iv) Helps to tell about company – Interview helps to tell about company’s policy, rules, regulations, discipline and conditions of appointment. If the conditions are acceptable, candidates may accept the job and vice-versa.
(v) Widely accepted tool – Interview is the oldest and most commonly used device in selecting the employees. Though test and group discussion are conducted to select the employees, they do not provide complete information about the candidates. Under such circumstances interview acts as a great help to the organization.
Interview in HRM – 3 Types of Selection Interviews: One-to-One Interview, Sequential Interview and Panel Interview
Interviews form an essential component of the selection process. It provides an opportunity to the recruiters to be in direct interaction with the screened candidates.
The types of selection interviews are as follows:
Type # 1. One-to-One Interview:
a. This interview involves two participants — the interviewer and the interviewee.
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b. This interview can be considered as a preliminary or interactive interview
Type # 2. Sequential Interview:
It involves a series of interviews, usually utilizing the strength and knowledge-base of each interviewer, so that each interviewer can ask questions in relation to his/her subject area of each candidate, as the candidate moves from one room to another room.
Type # 3. Panel Interview:
It consists of two or more interviewers who might come from different subject specializations.
Interview in HRM – Top 12 Principles Mentioned by Bingham and Moore
Interviewing is a universal tool utilises in any selection procedure.
The primary object of interview is to determine the suitability of applicant for the job. Interviewing is an art. Successful interviews follow established principles in matching man and his qualifications to the job requirements.
Bingham and Moore have mentioned the following principles of interview:
Principle # 1. Expert, Skilled, Experienced and Trained Interviewers:
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The interviewers must possess the ability and skills required for interviewing the candidates. They should be expert, skilled, experienced and trained for interview. They should be well-versed in Behavioral Science, which helps them to Judge the different personality traits of the candidates. They have to get them prepared for interviewing by making a list of questions based upon the job specifications.
Principle # 2. Provide Privacy and Ample Time:
Full privacy should be provided for conducting the employment interview. There should be no disturbances, obstacles, phone calls, noise, visitors. Specific and healthy atmosphere should be deliberately created for interview purpose. Ample time should also be given for interview to the candidate during the interview.
Principle # 3. Proper Reception of the Interviewees:
All the interviewees should be warmly welcomed and be treated nicely. A warm reception of the interviewees helps to create a favourable impression in the mind of the candidate appearing for the interview.
Principle # 4. Comfort and Ease:
These help the interviewee feel at-ease and willing to give you the facts about himself. The interviewers must be straight forward and frank rather than clever.
Principle # 5. Skillful and Tactful Questions:
The interviewers should ask the questions in a simple language, understandable to the applicant. Never argue or interrupt or change the subject abruptly.
They should not ask leading (which gives clues or hints to the answer) or tricky questions, because one of the objectives of interview is to seek more and accurate information about the candidate. The interviewers must respect the interest of the candidate. Direct and personal questions should be asked tactfully. The interviewer should try to get the relevant information and also answer candidate’s questions also.
Principle # 6. Do not “Oversell” the Job Opportunities:
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This means indirect disclosure that the organisation is in need of the services of the candidate Even if the candidate is the right person for the job, the organisation should not beg to him. On the other hand the interviewer should use his skill to impress the candidate in such a way that he himself accepts the job. The feeling that the candidate is obliging the organisation by accepting the job should never be created in the mind of candidate.
Principle # 7. Be Courteous Towards the Candidate:
The interviewers should adopt a courteous approach towards the candidate and let him feel at home, so that she/he can say everything about her/ himself with an open and free mind.
Principle # 8. Encourage the Candidate to Talk:
Give full opportunity to the candidate to talk more and there should not be much talking by the interviewers. The interviewer must avoid the temptation of too much talking and should give ample opportunity and encouragement to the candidate to talk more and in details about himself. The best interview is usually one in which the interviewers talk the least.
Principle # 9. Attentive and Patient Listening:
The interviewer must listen attentively and patiently to the interviewee during the interview. He should not divert his mind elsewhere during the interview, though the candidate may or may not be to their satisfaction. The interviewer should not impose upon the candidate, his own opinion, viewpoints and beliefs. The information from the applicant can be elicited only when the interviewer give him a patient, prolonged and skilful hearing.
Principle # 10. Objectivity in Decision Making:
The interviewer should understand the interviewee’s point of view and has to keep himself away from the bias, prejudice, personal judgment and whims. He must rely on the principle of objectivity rather than subjectivity. There should be a scientific process and methodology of testing and interviewing the candidates.
Principle # 11. Closing the Interview:
The interview should be concluded at the point of time when the interviewer becomes sure collecting adequate information about the candidate and that he has judged the personality traits as required. At this point the interviewer should stop the interview extending his thanks to the candidate for the interest he exhibited towards the organisation.
Principle # 12. Rational Selection:
After the interview is over, the chairman and members of the interview committee have to arrive at a specific decision with regard to the final selection of the candidates for the jobs to be filled-in. The interview board should be very rational in this. Their decision should base on the performance of the candidates and the information the board has collected during the course of interview.
Such decision should be conveyed to the concerned candidates in a clear-cut and simple language along with the terms of employment by timely sending them the appointment letters. Every interview should be result oriented. The interview programme should be scientifically implemented for this which ultimately helps in the final selection of the most suitable, competent and right employees for the jobs in the organisation.
Interview in HRM – Guidelines for Successful Interviewing (With Do’s and Don’ts)
In order to make the interview effective, certain established principles or guidelines are followed in matching the job requirements with the candidate’s qualifications, skills, traits, etc.
Some of the important guidelines of successful interviewing are as follows:
(1) The interviewer should be competent, trained and experienced and understand the nature and requirements of the job under consideration.
(2) Adequate information about the interviewee must be obtained before the interview.
(3) Privacy and sufficient time must be provided to each interviewee.
(4) Interviewee must be made to feel at ease so that he does not hesitate in giving relevant facts about himself.
(5) Questions to be asked in the interview must related to the requirements of the job, and they must be prepared well in advance.
(6) Interviewers must be straight forward and frank instead of being shrewd and clever.
(7) Arguments and personal remarks should be avoided by the interviewers.
(8) The feelings of the candidate should not be hurt.
(9) Personal prejudices about the candidates must not be allowed to affect the selection of the right kind of person.
(10) Proper record of interview must be kept after the candidate has left the interview room.
Some ‘do’s and ‘don’ts’ of interviewing are as under:
‘Do’s:
1. Use a quiet comfortable place.
2. Put the interviewee at ease.
3. Be interested in the person as well as the job.
4. Outline clearly the requirements of the job.
5. Explain fully the conditions of employment.
6. Tell about benefits, promotions, opportunities, and so on.
7. Encourage the applicant to ask questions.
8. Guide the interview.
9. Listen, lit him talk freely.
10. Be natural, use a conventional tone.
Know when and how to close the interview. Announce your decision or explain your next step.
Don’ts:
1. Keep the applicants waiting?
2. Build false hopes.
3. Oversell the job.
4. Interrupt the applicant or the interview.
5. Rush through the interview.
6. Repeat questions already answered on the application form.
7. Develop a ‘canned’ interview approach.
8. Give opinions, just answers.
9. Pry into his personal life needlessly.
10. Prejudge and reflect prejudices.
11. Use a phony excuse for turning him down.
12. Send him away with a bad taste in his mouth.
Interview can be made more effective by observing the following guidelines:
1. The interviewers should have higher status, calibre, necessary skill and knowledge. They should be competent and trained.
2. The interviewers should adopt a personal approach towards the candidates. They should develop a friendly and cordial relationship with the candidates. They should create rapport by pleasantly greeting the candidates and showing active interest.
3. The interviewers should clearly inform the purpose of the interview and clarify all the points so as to remove any doubts of the candidates.
4. The interviewers should not have any prior personal views and opinions.
5. The interviewers should make the candidates feel at ease and free and encourage them to tell freely without any fear.
6. The interviewers should study the background information, data and various other details about the candidates from their applications before they take interview.
7. The interviewers should adopt uniform and proper method for interviewing the candidates. They should not put awkward, unwanted, unconcerned, humbug and irrelevant questions to the candidates.
8. All the interviewers should use a specific set of guidelines while interviewing the candidates.
9. The interviewers should have patience. They should listen carefully to what the candidate says and record carefully any extra information collected from the candidate.
10. The interviewers should not abruptly end the interview but close it tactfully.
Interview in HRM – Job Interview Questioning Techniques: Directive and Non-Directive Questions
The way a HR manager approaches and opens the interview is important to its overall success. The types of questions he/she asks and the way the candidates are being asked are of prime importance.
There are two types of questions:
1. Directive
2. Non directive
Both can be used effectively in the interview to gain the information the manager might require from the job applicant.
1. Directive Questions:
A directive question leads the applicant onto making a specific response by limiting him to a choice of a yes or no answer.
i. “Do you prefer early morning or late afternoon schedules?”
ii. “Did you hear about us through an employment agency?”
Directive questions can often be effective in gaining precise answers or exact information, but, because they limit the applicant to a choice or yes or no answer, they often discourage free response and result in very little information. Questions that provide for little information are generally those that can be answered in one or two words. A definite answer will be offered, but the applicant probably will volunteer any additional information.
2. Non-Directive Questions:
Non directional questions allow the applicant to respond freely without being forced to make a choice or respond with a yes or no answer.
i. “What type of work schedule do you prefer?”
ii. “How did you happen to hear about our company?”
They may be used to direct the conversation to an area of the interviewer’s interest, but do not control the applicants response. The applicant is free to express his thoughts without being forced to make a choice, or respond with a yes or no. Non directive questions are prefixed by the following: how, why, what, when and where.
Interview in HRM – Steps Involved in the Interview Process: Preparation, Physical Setting, Conducting the Interview, Closing the Interview & Evaluation of Results
An effective interview involves the following steps:
Step # 1. Preparation for the Interview:
Advance preparation is essential for a successful interview.
The following arrangements should be made before the interview begins:
i. Determining the objectives of the interview.
ii. Choosing the appropriate type of interview.
iii. Acquainting oneself about the candidate.
iv. Determining the type of information to be obtained.
v. Selecting the right interviewers.
vi. Selecting the candidates to be interviewed by checking and comparing their applications and test scores.
vii. Finalizing the interview assessment forms.
Step # 2. The Physical Setting:
The place of interview should be both private and comfortable. It should be neat and clean, well-lighted. It should be free from noise and interruptions. The candidates should be properly received and should be guided into the interview room. The interview should start at the fixed time and the candidates should not be required to wait unnecessarily.
Step # 3. Conducting the Interview:
This step is heart of the interview process.
In this activities are follows:
i. Establishing rapport with the candidate and gaining his confidence exchange of a smile, offering seat to the candidate, etc.
ii. Getting complete information-for this purpose.
iii. Ask open-close question.
iv. Use the language which is clear to the candidate.
v. Recording the observation – Such notes will indicate the interviewer’s interest in the candidate and thereby encourage him to talk freely. These notes will also be helpful in evaluating the candidate later.
Step # 4. Closing the Interview:
The close of the interview is as significant as it beginning. The interview is a trying situation for the candidate. Therefore, it should end with a happy note without any awkward situation, before closing the interview the candidate should be asked whether he wants to make any comments in order to the interviewer may show some sing at an appropriates time.
Step # 5. Evaluation of Results:
After interview is over, the interviewer should evaluate the candidate’s suitability for the job. It is based on observation impression and information collected during the interview.
Interview in HRM – Competency Based Interview
Competency Based Interviewing is founded on the notion that the best predictor of a candidate’s future performance is his or her past performance. Therefore, competency based interview questions are built around specific incidents that have happened rather than hypothetical situations.
The questions ask candidates to describe things that they have actually done, as opposed to what they would do in a given situation. Therefore, this interview approach is most useful for higher level positions; however, modifications may be made to suit the needs of any position. You may also create an interview that includes different types of questions (i.e., situational, competency based, and job knowledge-based).
It is an interview in which each candidate is asked the same broad questions which are designed to obtain information about the match between the candidate’s competencies and those required for the job. These questions concentrate on the most important parts of a candidate’s past experience. This enables the interviewer to draw from each candidate his or her ability to demonstrate successful performance in the job.
The emphasis of a competency based interview is on the applicants’ life learning; interviews of the past have focused on accomplishments and future plans; competency based interviewing assesses the individual as a whole.
Competency based interviewing emphasizes excellent communication throughout the interview; with the focus on learning, applicants with substantial learning generally interview better than those applicants with good interviewing skills, but who possess little self-awareness. Competency based interviewing places the emphasis on the applicant’s individual ability to relate learning from experience to the position in question.
Interview styles range from highly intuitive processes to those that are strictly fact-based. While no technique is perfect, Competency Based Interviewing can alleviate some of the common problems associated with other interview methods.
The Competency Based Interview, will in general, will be conducted as follows:
1. Introductions
2. Brief discussion of job
3. Competency based interviewing
4. Validation of technical/functional skills where necessary
5. Interviewee’s opportunity to ask questions
6. Close out/next steps
For an interview to be most effective, it should:
1. Be based on a recently updated description of the position resulting from a job analysis;
2. Follow a pre-determined rating guide with which interview panel members are familiar; and
3. Include sufficient, factual documentation regarding the candidates’ responses.
This provides a more accurate basis for selection, as well as documentation of a logical objective and legally defensible selection procedure.
Common errors include:
1. Lack of a clear purpose;
2. Inadequate preparation;
3. Lack of structure;
4. Failure to utilize job analysis;
5. Personal bias; and
6. Premature decisions.
Competency Based Interviewing increases the likelihood of receiving honest and revealing responses to, job-related questions. The information obtained may be used to gauge candidates’ job-related competencies and assist employers in determining which candidate is most qualified for a position.
Answers to competency based interview questions should provide verifiable, concrete evidence as to how a candidate has dealt with issues in the past. This information often reveals a candidate’s level of experience and his or her potential to handle similar situations in your organization. The information may also be highly useful in conducting final reference checks, as one may verify that the candidate actually did what he or she has claimed.
Interview in HRM – Behavioural Event Interview: Meaning, Goal, Techniques and Sample
A common type of job interview in the modern workplace is the behavioural interview or behavioural event interview. In this sort of interview, the interviewers tend to ask questions about general situations, with the candidate asked to describe how they handled a specific problem.
A bad hiring decision now a days can be immensely expensive for an organization — cost of the hire, training costs, severance pay, loss of productivity, impact on morale, cost of re-hiring, etc. Structured selection techniques have a better track record of identifying the soundest candidate than the old-style ‘biographical’ interview.
Typical behavioural interview questions:
a. “Describe a time you had to work with someone you didn’t like”.
b. “Tell me about a time when you had to stick by a decision you had made, even though it made you very unpopular”.
c. “Give us an example of something particularly innovative that you have done that made a difference in the workplace”.
d. “What was the last time you were late with a project?”
The goal of the interview is to assess the candidate’s ability to respond to the sorts of situations that the job may present them with. The questions asked will therefore be based on the job description, the performance indicators, the skills/personal qualities required and the interviewer’s knowledge of operating in the role.
Questioning will either be hypothetical (‘how would you deal with situation X?’) or based on historical examples from your current or previous experience (‘when situation X arose, how did you deal with it?’). Either way, the interviewer is interested- (a) the thought process used and (b) the values of the candidate and the outcome of the situation.
Using the STAR Technique:
In a behavioural interview, the interviewer will ask questions about your past experiences. A useful way to prepare for this style of questioning is to use the STAR technique. The STAR technique is a way to frame the answers to each question in an organized manner that will give the interviewer the most information about your past experience.
Questions might involve like those of:
What was the Situation in which you were involved?
What was the Task you needed to accomplish?
What Action(s) did you take?
What Results did you achieve?
Sample Behavioural Interview Questions:
1. Tell me about a time when you were on a team, and one of the members wasn’t doing his or her share.
2. Tell me about a time when you felt a need to update your skills or knowledge in order to keep up with the changes .in technology. How did you approach that?
3. Describe a time when a customer got angry with you. How did you react? How did you resolve the situation?
4. Please give me an example of a time when you took the initiative to improve a specific work process.
5. Give me an example of a time when you surpassed a customer’s expectations.
6. Tell me about a time when a customer requested special treatment that was out of the scope of normal procedures. What was the situation and how did you handle it?
7. Describe a time when you had to use logic and good judgment to solve a problem.
8. Tell me about a time when you had to cope with a stressful situation.
9. Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision.
10. Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to solve a problem.
11. Describe a time when you put your needs aside to help a co-worker understand a task. How did you assist them? What was the result?
Interview in HRM – Top 10 Advantages: On the Spot Correction, Development of Relationship, Selection of Suitable Candidate and a Few Others
Following are some advantage of interview which are stated below:
1. On the spot correction – Any misunderstanding and mistake can be rectified easily in an interview as the interviewer and interviewee physically present before the interview board.
2. Development of relationship – Relation between the interviewer and the interviewee can be developed through an interview. It increases mutual understanding and co-operation between the parties.
3. Selection of suitable candidate – Suitable candidates can be selected through interview because the interview can know a lot about the candidate by this process.
4. Collection of primary information – Interview can help to collect the fresh, new and primary information as needed.
5. Sufficient information – Sufficient information can be collected through the interview process. Because the interviewer can ask any question to the interviewee.
6. Time saving – Interview can help to save time to select the best suitable candidate. Within a very short time communication can be accomplished with the interview.
7. Economical – It is less costly than other process of communication. It is very simple, prompt and low cost method of communication.
8. Knowledge increases – Any interview increases the knowledge of both the interviewer and the interviewee. They can interchange their views and ideas.
9. In depth analysis – Through planed interviews detailed information can be collected which enables proper analysis of a problem. Abstract factors like attitudes, feelings, opinion etc. Can be successfully evaluated or analysed through interviews.
10. Solving labour problems – Labour unrest and other disputes are very common in the industries. Sometimes human resource managers use the interview as a means of revelling actual causes behind the labour deputes.
11. Flexible – One of the major advantages of interview is that it is flexible and based on a particular situation, it can be framed differently.
Interview in HRM – 11 Major Limitations: Personal Bias, Halo Effect, Constant Error, Projection Error, Leniency, Incomplete Process, Lack of Attention and a Few Others
There are some limitations of the interview process. It is not free from defects. Interview is a widely used method of employee selection.
But it suffers from several pitfalls, some of which are given below:
1. Personal bias – interview like other people have personal biases. Their likes & dislikes about hairstyle, dress, fluency of speech, etc., affect their judgment.
2. Halo effect – under this type of error, a single prominent characteristics of the candidate affects the judgment of interviewer on all other traits. For example, an interviewer may conclude that a poorly groomed candidate is stupid or alternatively, he may overrate the candidate’s qualifications just because of his pleasing personality.
3. Constant error – such error arises because the interview of previous candidate unduly influence the interviewer in favor or against the candidate. For example, a qualified candidate may be underrated just because the previous candidate was very brilliant.
4. Projection error – this error arises when an interviewer expects his own knowledge, skills and values in a candidate. Therefore, he is likely to select candidates who resemble him in terms of manners, background, voice, etc.
5. Leniency – it implies the tendency to assign high scores. It’s normally associated with lack of confidence and interest in rating. The opposite of leniency is toughness, i.e., the tendency to constantly give low scores.
6. Incomplete process – Suitable candidate cannot be selected by interview only. The written test is more important than the interview.
7. Lack of attention – Much attention is required for a good interview. But sometimes it is observed that both the interviewer and the interviewee are less attentive. That is why real information cannot be collected.
8. Disappointment – Interviewee may be disappointed while she or he faces the interviewer’s questions which are not related to the field. That is why suitable candidate may be neglected.
9. Time consuming – Time constrain is one of the major limitations of the interview process. Preparation for the interview, taking interviews and interpretation of the responses required much time, which makes the interview method time consuming.
10. Costly – Generally interview method is expensive and requires substantial expenses.
11. Inefficiency of the interviewer – Interview is a systematic process of data collection. The success of an interview depends on the efficiency of the interviewer. This inefficiency of an interviewer can lead to misleading results.
The interview is probably the most widely used selection tool. It is most complex selection technique because it includes measuring the entire relevant characteristics, integrating and classifying all other information about the applicant. In all organizations, interviewing is used for a variety of purposes, including selection, appraisal, discipline action and problem solving.
Interview in HRM – How to Make an Employment Interview Effective?
In order to make an employment interview effective and fruitful, it is essential to give due attention to the following:
i. Interviewer’s Awareness of the Job:
For making an employment interview effective and fruitful, it is necessary that the interviewer is aware of the job and its requirements. As such, adequate attention should be paid to the selection of such interviewers who have adequate knowledge of the job for which the interview is being conducted.
ii. Structuring the Interview:
Careful structuring of the interview with a particular focus on job knowledge and situational and behavioural aspects minimises the scope of irrelevant questions and answers. While structuring, interview, emphasis should be laid on asking similar or identical questions to various candidates, and on developing well-defined rating scales for the use of the interviewers.
iii. Establishing Congenial Environment:
Establishing a congenial environment to conduct the interview where candidates can feel comfortable is also desirable for making the interview more purposeful. The interview, therefore, should be held preferably in an unexposed room free from interruptions such as those created by telephone calls, entering of persons in the room and serving of snacks and tea at intervals.
iv. Creating Rapport:
Before asking questions, it is desirable to establish rapport by greeting the candidate, putting him at ease, asking a few general questions such as those related to his travel, weather and place of stay.
v. Asking Mainly Relevant Questions:
As far as possible, interviewers should concentrate on asking mainly such questions which are related to job knowledge, and situational and behavioural aspects pertaining to job requirements.
vi. Taking Down Notes:
In order to ensure objectivity in assessment, it is desirable that interviewers take down brief notes or remarks about the information given by the candidate and its worth. In the absence of such notes, relevant points about the candidate might remain concealed while making a final decision.
vii. Careful Closing of Interview:
The interview should not be closed abruptly or in a haphazard manner. Before the interview is closed, it is advisable to offer some time to the candidate to make query, if any.
viii. Making Review:
After the candidate leaves, the interview notes should be reviewed and the final score determined. Finalisation of the rating requires a brief discussion among interviewers.