Important Features of a Structured Interview
A few months ago, I wrote a blog about the importance of structured interviews in the hiring process and detailed the differences between structured and unstructured interviews. Now, that blog did not go into much depth regarding the various features of a structured interview, so here I’d like to detail aspects of the structured interview process that can help organizations further refine their selection practices.
Structured interviews are one of the most useful tools that an organization can utilize. When properly designed, these interviews are just as useful as cognitive ability tests, job knowledge tests, and work samples — if not more so. Designing a structured interview can seem like a daunting task, but there are ways to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. One thing to consider is that there are four levels of interview structure.
The first level has no formal constraints on the questions asked, while the second level has limited constraints on questions and some degree of structure in evaluating responses. The third level has pre-specified questions and specific job dimensions are referenced to evaluate responses. The fourth level uses only pre-specified questions, and each response is rated on a customized scale. When designing a structured interview, using the third or fourth level of structure is imperative. Utilizing prespecified questions and the same evaluation parameters for each question positions organizations to evaluate applicants with increased equality, thus enhancing the utility of the interview.
In addition to the levels of structure, there are other ways to build the interview to enhance efficacy. These include structural decisions that influence interview content and the evaluation process. Interview content decisions include basing questions on job analysis, asking the same questions of all candidates, and not allowing questions from candidates until after the interview. Evaluation process decisions include taking detailed notes, using multiple interviewers, and providing extensive interviewer training. Incorporating these processes into the structured interview ensures that applicants are rated fairly and that the best hiring decisions can be made.
The structured interview process is vitally important to any successful talent selection program, and the decisions concerning this process are important. By (a) applying the appropriate level of interview structure and (b) aligning decisions based on interview content and evaluation, organizations can augment their structured interview process. Given the predictive validity of the structured interview process, such decisions can make a drastic difference in the overall success of a selection program.
Huffcutt, A. I., & Culbertson, S. S. (2011). Interviews. In S. Zedeck (Ed.), APA handbook of industrial and organizational psychology, Vol. 2. Selecting and developing members for the organization (pp. 185–203). American Psychological Association.
