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Initial Evaluations in the Interview: Relationships with Subsequent Interviewer Evaluations and Employment Offers
Abstract
The authors of this study examine how evaluations made during an early stage of the structured interview (rapport building) influence end of interview scores, subsequent follow-up employment interviews, and actual internship job offers. Candidates making better initial impressions received more internship offers (r = .22) and higher interviewer ratings (r = .42). As predicted, initial evaluations of candidate competence extend beyond liking and similarity to influence subsequent interview outcomes from the same interviewer (ΔR² = .05), from a separate interviewer (ΔR² = .05), and from another interviewer who skipped rapport building (ΔR² = .05). In contrast, assessments of candidate liking and similarity were not significantly related to other judgments when ratings were provided by different interviewers. The findings of this study thus indicate that initial impressions of candidates influence employment outcomes, and that they may be based on useful judgments of candidate competence that occur in the opening minutes of the structured interview.
... On the negative side, there were large idiosyncrasies in assessors' ratings, and their criterion-related validity did not reach statistical significance. Similar research was conducted on initial impressions in the rapport-building phase in employment interviews (e.g., Barrick et al., 2012Barrick et al., , 2010Swider et al., 2016). Although these prior studies did not deal with multiple, speeded assessments, they attest to the emerging research interest in ratings made based on limited information and suggest that the reliability and validity of such ratings deserve closer scrutiny. ...
... Second, to develop hypotheses about how assessors observe and evaluate participants in short and fast behavioral simulations, we draw on the "thin slices" of behavior paradigm in social and personality psychology (e.g., Ambady et al., 2000). Third, we go beyond previous studies on the role of early impressions in behavioral simulations (Ingold et al., 2018) and interviews (Barrick et al., 2010(Barrick et al., , 2012Swider et al., 2016) by presenting empirical evidence on the reliability and validity of ratings based on multiple, speeded simulations. Finally, to close the gap between practice and research on multiple, speeded simulations, we examine not only whether they work but also identify design considerations under which they work best. ...
... Our studies also speak to recent discussions as to whether initial impressions can be a reliable and valid source of variance in selection procedures (Barrick et al., 2010(Barrick et al., , 2012Ingold et al., 2018;Swider et al., 2016). Drawing from the stimulus and response domain sampling logic and thin slices research, this study adds insights to this emerging knowledge base by identifying at least three conditions to improve the validity of speeded simulations. ...
Recently, multiple, speeded assessments (e.g., "speeded" or "flash" role-plays) have made rapid inroads into the selection domain. So far, however, the conceptual underpinning and empirical evidence related to these short, fast-paced assessment approaches has been lacking. This raises questions whether these speeded assessments can serve as reliable and valid indicators of future performance. This article uses the notions of stimulus and response domain sampling to conceptualize multiple, speeded behavioral job simulations as a hybrid of established simulation-based selection methods. Next, we draw upon the thin slices of behavior paradigm to theorize about the quality of ratings made in multiple, speeded behavioral simulations. In two studies, various assessor pools assessed a sample of 96 MBA students in 18 3-min role-plays designed to capture situations in the junior management domain. At the individual speeded role-play level, reliability and validity were not ensured. Yet, aggregated across all assessors' ratings of all speeded role-plays, the overall score for predicting future performance was high (.54). Validities remained high when assessors evaluated only the first minute (vs. full 3 min) or received only a control training (vs. traditional assessor training). Aggregating ratings of performance in multiple, heterogeneous situations that elicit a variety of domain-relevant behavior emerged as key requirement to obtain adequate domain coverage, capture both ability and personality (extraversion and agreeableness), and achieve substantial validities. Overall, these results show the importance of the stimulus and response domain sampling logic and send a strong warning to using "single" speeded behavioral simulations in practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
... It is well-known that impression plays a vital role during the selection process because recruiters make their conclusions based on their impression of the candidate's personality and the person-organization fit (Barrick et al. 2010). However, interviewers tend to base their decisions on limited information from those impressions (Anderson 1960;Springbett 1958;Frieder et al. 2016), known as subjective human bias. ...
... In Germany, more than 100 companies used Precires algorithmic assistance in 2018 (Precire 2020). While these service providers offer support in handling and screening applications more efficiently, they are also claiming to provide psychological profiles of the candidates, such as personality traits (e.g., conscientiousness and emotional stability) which are associated with job performance (Barrick et al. 2010;Linnenbürger et al. 2018). ...
... Especially conscientiousness and neuroticism are considered valid predictors of job performance (Barrick and Mount 1991;Barrick et al. 2010;Hurtz and Donovan 2000;Behling 1998). Conscientiousness is, across all situations and activities, the strongest predictor of general job performance (Barrick et al. 2001). ...
This study aims to identify whether algorithmic decision making leads to unfair (i.e., unequal) treatment of certain protected groups in the recruitment context. Firms increasingly implement algorithmic decision making to save costs and increase efficiency. Moreover, algorithmic decision making is considered to be fairer than human decisions due to social prejudices. Recent publications, however, imply that the fairness of algorithmic decision making is not necessarily given. Therefore, to investigate this further, highly accurate algorithms were used to analyze a pre-existing data set of 10,000 video clips of individuals in self-presentation settings. The analysis shows that the under-representation concerning gender and ethnicity in the training data set leads to an unpredictable overestimation and/or underestimation of the likelihood of inviting representatives of these groups to a job interview. Furthermore, algorithm replicate the existing inequalities in the data set. Firms have to be careful when implementing algorithmic video analysis during recruitment as biases occur if the underlying training data set is unbalanced.
... The present study adds to the literature on interview bias in three several ways. First, whereas initial impressions in interview settings have been investigated (Barrick et al., 2010;Schmid Mast et al., 2011;Swider et al., 2016), few considered initial impressions of the stigmatized applicant. For instance, Swider et al. (2016) investigated whether initial impressions in the structured job interview predicted final interview scores. ...
... Addressing their call, we investigated interview outcomes at the end of two important interview stages, i.e., immediately after rapport-building and after the questioning (or interview) stage. In line with recent suggestions regarding the potentially evolving nature of bias (Barrick et al., 2010;Derous et al., 2016;Swider et al., 2016), we specifically considered whether anchoring-and-adjustment affects interview outcomes such that those of stigmatized applicants would remain relatively stable across both interview stages, whereas those of non-stigmatized applicants might deviate more from raters' initial applicant impressions. In doing so, we extend Swider et al. (2016) by conducting a controlled experiment (vs. ...
... In sum, the main contribution is to apply extant research on decision-making -and specifically theory on heuristics-in the context of job interview bias against the facially stigmatized applicant. In two experimental studies, we directly build on parallels between interview decision-making (Barrick et al., 2010) and the anchoring-and-adjustment heuristic (Tversky & Kahneman, 1974), thereby addressing gaps in the interview literature regarding type of stigma investigated (i.e., PWS), cognitive-motivational sources of interview bias (i.e., anchoring-andadjustment), and the evolving nature of interview bias (i.e., adhering to a more dynamic approach). Specifically, the first experimental study builds further on an earlier study by Madera and Hebl (2012) and uses eye-movement data to extract the mediation mechanisms behind anchoring-and-adjustment bias (i.e., Epley & Gilovich, 2006). ...
The job interview is still one of the most widely used personnel selection tools that might, however, be prone to bias especially when stigmatized applicants are being evaluated. In response to the growing concerns regarding labour market shortages and adverse impact in personnel selection, we conducted two experimental studies that investigated potentially biasing effects of initial impression formation, its origin and development over two interview stages (i.e., rapport building and interview). Building on theory of heuristics, we considered effects of facial stigma, which are rarely investigated as a source of bias despite their prevalence. Using eyetracking methodology, Study 1 shows that cognitive (i.e., attention to visual and verbal information) and motivational (i.e., Need For Cognitive Closure) processes in the rapport-building stage drive anchoring in later decision-making, which led to lower hiring intentions of facially stigmatized versus equally qualified non-stigmatized applicants. Study 2 further investigates the partially blind interview technique to isolate these processes and to extend findings in a face-to-face (structured) interview setting. In addition, Study 2 provides evidence that interview bias against facially stigmatized applicants results from a lack of adjustment in the interviewers’ decision-making process. We conclude with a discussion of implications for both research and practice.
... As noted earlier, both researchers and practitioners agree that applicants and interviewers often meet informally before engaging in a formal interview (e.g., Barrick, Swider, & Stewart, 2010;Ulrich & Trumbo, 1965). The first such meeting often occurs at a career fair or professional meeting in which the interviewer engages with potential applicants for short periods (typically 3-5 min). ...
... When considering the impact of interview scores on final ratings of employability, there is a strong consensus in the existing literature that the two constructs are strongly and positively correlated (e.g., Huffcutt & Culbertson, 2010;Lievens et al., 2005). A vast literature addresses the link between interview scores and hiring outcomes with consistent and strong findings that structured interview scores predict employment offers (e.g., Arvey & Campion, 1982;Barrick et al., 2010). In addition, many studies employing unstructured interviews often use interview outcomes as a proxy for decision outcomes given that the outcome is almost entirely subjective with little consistency between interviewers (e.g., Huffcutt & Arthur, 1994;Hunter & Hunter, 1984). ...
... First, it appears that initial interactions matter in an interview context. This finding helps to clarify earlier work that provided somewhat conflicting evidence regarding the impact of initial interactions on final impressions of employability (e.g., Barrick et al., 2010;Chapman & Zweig, 2005;Kinicki, Lockwood, Hom, & Griffeth, 1990). In addition, it answers a recent call from Levashina and colleagues (2014) suggesting that additional work is needed to explore the true effect of rapport building on the hiring process. ...
This study integrates past research addressing decision‐making, employee selection, and influence processes in an attempt to provide both a theoretical and empirical foundation for future research addressing initial impressions throughout the interview process. Using data from a simulated hiring situation comprised of 28 recruiters and 229 applicants, the results suggest that initial impressions formed at the beginning of the interview make a substantive impact on final impressions. However, impressions formed at the career fair do not appear to impact final impressions without considering the interactive effects of decision confidence. Hypotheses proposing that decision confidence would moderate linkages between initial impressions formed at the beginning of the interview and both interview scores and final impressions were not supported. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings for selection.
... On the negative side, there were large idiosyncrasies in assessors' ratings and their criterionrelated validity did not reach statistical significance. Similar research was conducted on initial impressions in the rapport-building phase in employment interviews (e.g., Barrick et al., 2012;Barrick, Swider, & Stewart, 2010;Swider, Barrick, & Harris, 2016). Although these prior studies did not deal with multiple, speeded assessments, they attest to the emerging research interest in ratings made based on limited information and suggest that the reliability and validity of such ratings deserve closer scrutiny. ...
... Second, to develop hypotheses about how assessors observe and evaluate participants in short and fast behavioral simulations we draw on the "thin slices" of behavior paradigm in social and personality psychology (e.g., Ambady, Bernieri, & Richeson, 2000). Third, we go beyond previous studies on the role of early impressions in behavioral simulations (Ingold et al., 2018) and interviews (Barrick et al., 2010(Barrick et al., , 2012Swider et al., 2016) by presenting empirical evidence on the reliability and validity of ratings based on multiple, speeded simulations. Finally, to close the gap between practice and research on multiple, speeded simulations we examine not only whether they work but also identify design considerations under which they work best. ...
... Our studies also speak to recent discussions as to whether initial impressions can be a reliable and valid source of variance in selection procedures (Barrick et al., 2010(Barrick et al., , 2012Ingold et al., 2018;Swider et al., 2016). Drawing from the stimulus and response domain sampling logic and thin slices research, this study adds insights to this emerging knowledge base by identifying at least three conditions to improve the validity of speeded simulations. ...
... Furthermore, interviews typically begin with a short, unstructured, jobirrelevant rapport-building session where the interviewer and the applicant engage in light conversation and discuss personal matters such as hobbies (Chapman & Zweig, 2005). In a student sample, Barrick et al. (2010) showed that early impressions made during this two-minute rapport-building session accounted for 8% incremental variance in interview scores beyond the effect of grade point average. More impressively, Barrick and colleagues (2012) showed that early impressions at this phase of the interview fully mediate the effects of applicant job qualifications, personality, verbal skill, and interview experience on (mock) structured interview evaluations. ...
... The subsequent rapport-building phase is therefore expected to moderate the effect of pre-interview qualifications information, as interviewers' impressions initially develop. Both applicant pre-interview qualifications information and IM have shown positive effects on interviewer judgments (e.g., Barrick et al., 2010;Phillips & Dipboye, 1989). ...
... As past research suggests that early impressions have persistent effects that last through the structured portion of the interview (Barrick et al., 2010(Barrick et al., , 2012, we hypothesize that early impressions positively influence judgments, attributions, and perceptions of the applicant. Overall final judgments of applicants are commonly captured with in terms of fit and suitability (Barrick et al., 2010(Barrick et al., , 2012Cable & Judge, 1997;Higgins & Judge, 2004). ...
Research suggests that early impressions influence employment interview outcomes. A highly controlled experiment examined the effects of pre-interview qualifications information and early applicant impression management behavior on interviewers’ early impressions and, in turn, applicant outcomes. Mock interviewers (N = 247) judged the same applicant with a poorer pre- interview qualification ranking to be a poorer performer, but also perceived the applicant to have faked (deceived) more, and considered the applicant less likeable, less competent, less dedicated, and more conceited. Early applicant impression management behavior did not consistently contribute to interviewers’ early impressions, or to perceptions and judgments. Overall, these findings suggest that early applicant information can affect interviewer cognitions and judgments through the formation of early impressions.
... either strong, moderate, or weak in academic qualifications). The participants reviewed the resume and completed the Perception of Warmth and Competence Scale (Bloodhart, 2009;Fiske, Cuddy, Glick, & Xu, 2002) and the Hiring Decision Scale (Barrick, Swider, & Stewart, 2010). Subsequently, they recommended a monthly salary for the job applicant given the starting salary range of $2,800 to $3,562 for a psychology graduate in Singapore (Ministry of Education, Singapore, 2015). ...
... This scale is a four-item instrument designed to assess perceived applicant suitability (e.g. "On the basis of his/her qualifications, I feel this applicant would be a good hire for this job"; Barrick et al., 2010). ...
... We manipulated race by assigning the following names to the resumes: David Allan Smith (White), Wong Junjie (Chinese), and Muhammad Ashraf Bin Abdullah (Malay). Finally, participants completed the Perception of Warmth and Competence Scale (Bloodhart, 2009) and the Hiring Decision Scale (Barrick et al., 2010), recommended a salary for the job applicant using the salary range of $2,800 to $3,562 (Ministry of Education, Singapore, 2015), and completed a demographics form. At the end of the experiment, participants were debriefed about the true purpose of the study and received course credit for their time. ...
The aim of the study was to examine racism and the Pinkerton syndrome in Singapore. Specifically, the study examined the effects of race on hiring decisions in a simulated hiring decision task. Participants were 171 (61% males) Singaporean Chinese undergraduates from a private university in Singapore. They were randomly assigned into one of nine groups and asked to review a resume of a job applicant. The study used a 3 (Academic qualifications: strong, moderate, or weak) × 3 (Race: White, Chinese, or Malay) between-subjects design with perceived warmth, competence, applicant suitability and recommended salary as the dependent variables. The results showed that while Chinese participants discriminated against Malay applicants (racism), they discriminated in favor of White applicants (the Pinkerton syndrome). The results provided a potential explanation to the economic disparities between Malays and the other races, and first experimental evidence for racism and the Pinkerton syndrome in Singapore.
... Drawing upon dual process theories, this article's premise is that insights into assessors' initial impressions (i.e., snap judgments made within the first minutes; Barrick, Swider, & Stewart, 2010) produce a more complete understanding of how assessors arrive at dimension ratings and contributes to at least two bodies of AC knowledge. First, studying assessors' initial impressions informs the research base on how assessors form dimension ratings. ...
... Liking has been typified as a fundamental interpersonal perception dimension (Hartley et al., 2016;Wojciszke, Abele, & Baryla, 2009). This is because perceptions of liking are instantly formed in interpersonal encounters (Ambady & Rosenthal, 1992) and impact evaluation (Barrick et al., 2010;Sutton, Baldwin, Wood, & Hoffman, 2013). Hence, perceived liking is likely to be part of the information that goes into assessors' initial impressions. ...
... Research on zero-acquaintance judgments confirms this more positive picture; these judgments predicted outcomes as diverse as job performance, teaching performance, music contest outcomes, career success, and firm financial performance (Ambady & Rosenthal, 1992;Rule & Ambady, 2008a;Tsay, 2014). Finally, interview research shows initial impressions predicted invites to another interview and internship offers (Barrick et al., 2010;Swider et al., 2016). ...
Insight into assessors’ initial impressions has the potential to advance knowledge on how assessors form dimension-based judgments and on possible biases in these ratings. Therefore, this study draws on dual process theory to build and test a model that integrates assessors’ dimension ratings (i.e., systematic, slow, deliberate processing mode) with their initial impressions (i.e., intuitive, fast, automatic processing mode). Data collection started with an AC where assessors provided ratings of assessees, and an online survey of assessees’ supervisors who rated their job performance. In addition, two other rater pools provided initial impressions of these assessees by evaluating extracted 2-min video clips of their AC performance. Initial impressions from both of these samples were positively related to assessors’ dimension ratings, which supports assumptions from dual process theory and might explain why assessors’ dimensional ratings are often undifferentiated. Initial impressions did not appear to open up the doors for biases and stereotypes based upon appearance and perceptions of liking. Instead, assessors picked up information that assessees transmitted about their personality (i.e., Conscientiousness and Emotional Stability). Implications for further research on initial impressions and AC dimension ratings are discussed.
... Research has examined how pre-interview impressions, based on test scores and application forms, may lead interviewers to try and confirm the initial impression (Dougherty, Turban, & Callender, 1994;Macan & Dipboye, 1990;Phillips & Dipboye, 1989). Initial impressions may be formed during the rapport-building phase of the interview (Barrick, Swider, & Stewart, 2010), even in the absence of pre-interview information. There may be some benefit from these initial impressions (Barrick et al., 2010(Barrick et al., , 2012Swider, Barrick, & Harris, 2016). ...
... Initial impressions may be formed during the rapport-building phase of the interview (Barrick, Swider, & Stewart, 2010), even in the absence of pre-interview information. There may be some benefit from these initial impressions (Barrick et al., 2010(Barrick et al., , 2012Swider, Barrick, & Harris, 2016). Barrick et al. (2010) had interviewers judge the competence of the candidate from the rapport-building phase. ...
... There may be some benefit from these initial impressions (Barrick et al., 2010(Barrick et al., , 2012Swider, Barrick, & Harris, 2016). Barrick et al. (2010) had interviewers judge the competence of the candidate from the rapport-building phase. The initial evaluation of competence predicted the overall interview score after controlling for applicant GPA, initial evaluation of liking, and initial evaluation of similarity and also predicted an external criterion, number of internship offers (Barrick et al., 2010). ...
First impressions are frequently seen as a biasing factor that may prevent an interviewer from forming a comprehensive assessment of the applicant. However, research has found that people can make surprisingly accurate impressions of others based on minimal information. Additional exposure to the applicant would be expected to lead to a more accurate impression, but a previous meta-analysis on the employment interview found evidence for a negative relationship between the length of the interview and validity. Using a much larger sample of studies, the current meta-analysis examined whether length of the interview was related to the validity of the interview. In addition, I examined the relation between interview length and reliability. Results revealed that the subset of studies reporting length of interviews yielded reliability and validity estimates consistent with more comprehensive meta-analyses. Consistent with previous research on consensus judgements of personality, length of the interview was found to be unrelated to reliability. However, contrary to the previous meta-analysis, validity was also unrelated to the length of the interview.
... In intercultural communication, awareness that the receiver may not possess the cultural and social values of the sender is primordial as communication relies heavily on the perception and the perspective of the individual who is receiving the message. Several factors, such as ethnocentrism and zeroacquaintance settings, may influence the perception of messages being exchanged (Barrick, Swider, & Stewart, 2010;Neuliep, Hintz, & McCroskey, 2005). These factors can lead to communication breakdown, misunderstanding, and even to inaccurate perception of deception. ...
... One example is Barrik, Shaffer, and DeGrassi's (2009) study, which showed that handshakes and smiles can directly influence impressions made by candidates. Barrick, Swider, and Stewart (2010) found similar results in their study, further supporting the argument that initial impressions not only affect candidates' ratings but may also predict final hiring decisions. ...
This study investigated the role of gestures, smiles, and eye contact on scores assigned to English-as-an-additional-language (EAL) speakers during standardized face-to-face speaking tests. Four English-as-a-first-language examiners and four EAL test-takers participated in simulated IELTS Speaking Tests. Qualitatively, an inductive thematic analysis was conducted. Quantitatively, scores were holistically (overall scores assigned) and analytically (by criterion). Nonverbal cues were examined by the total number of cues produced by all test-takers, the frequency of production by test-taker, the frequency of production of subcategories of nonverbal cues by test-taker, and by production alongside speech or in isolation. Mimicry of nonverbal cues generated by test-takers was investigated. Test-takers’ lexical range was also analyzed vis-à-vis the scores assigned to the criterion lexical resource. Conclusions drawn from the triangulation of data sources indicate that nonverbal cues may have played a role in the assessment of the criteria fluency and coherence and pronunciation. This study adds to the current body of literature on second language assessment, which has suggested that variables other than language proficiency may play a role in scores assigned to test-takers during face-to-face speaking tests.
... The focus group study also revealed that candidates should be mindful of a job interview's logistical aspects. Organising an interview's logistics (i.e., planning to arrive on time at the job interview site) may positively affect the impression candidates' give before the interview and subsequent interviewers' evaluation (Barrick et al., 2010). We introduced Logistical SE (LO SE)-one's perceived capability master the interview's logistic aspects-as the fifth dimension of the ISE multidimensional construct, distinct from IP SE, as the experts claimed that they reflect two different behavioural spheres. ...
... However, the MIJSE total scale and subscales display moderate to strong correlations with the emotional stability trait. This result may depend on the fact that the sample in Study 5 involved mainly recent graduates, whose lack of experience, and a consequent lower sense of control over the job interview situation, may trigger pervasive physiological and psychological reactions (Bonaccio et al., 2014). Therefore, emotional stability may assume high relevance in influencing new entrants' judgments about their interviewing capabilities since the dominant role that emotions play in this stage of career development. ...
Psychological reactions towards personnel selection are acquiring growing importance, as they significantly impact applicants' performance in the selection process. This study introduces the Multi-dimensional Job Interview Self-efficacy (MJISE) construct and its operationalisation into a sound MJISE measurement. We propose that MJISE consists of five factors related to interviewees' Self-efficacy: self-promoting, managing demanding interaction with the interviewers, dealing with interview-related anxiety, preparing for the contents and the logistics of the job interview. After developing the items for the MJISE measure, we examined its validity. We tested content validity with an independent panel of job interview experts. Subsequently, two studies dealing with Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses revealed that the multi-dimensionality of MIJSE is represented by a bifactor structure (one general factor and five specific factors, orthogonal to the general factor). We evaluated the external (convergent, discriminant, and predictive) validity for establishing the MJISE factors' plausibility over and beyond other interview-related variables, such as personality traits, obtaining mixed results. The discussion describes the implication of using the MJISE scale in practical job search programs and outlines recommendations for research to improve the scale's robustness further.
... Employer perceptions (positive or negative) of candidates during the interview process have a definite impact on the candidate's ratings and eventually the employer's decision on which candidate to offer a position (Barrick & Swider, 2010) Interview skills do not come naturally to all students. They must and should be developed. ...
... • Educators should create opportunities for students to understand the importance and role of nonverbal behaviors before (Barrick & Swider, 2010) , during, and after the interview. ...
Economists have used trade theory to explain the conditions under which two nations trade. This paper briefly describes the progression of various trade theories from country-based theories to firm-based theories, and uses one such theory, Porter’s determinants of the competitive advantage of nations, to analyze the U.S. natural gas industry. The industry has strong attributes in factor conditions, domestic demand conditions, related industry structure, and firm strategy, structure and rivalry. Recommendations are made from free market perspective on how government policies can further strengthen the competitive position of the U.S. natural gas industry.
Keywords: trade theory, competitive advantage, natural gas, free market, international business
... We integrate a heuristic information processing perspective (e.g., Gilovich et al., 2002) to examine how entrepreneurs' use of visual cues interact with signals. Visual cues are sensory data which are processed through receivers' visual perceptions (Posner et al., 1976) and can shape judgments (e.g., evaluations of someone based on how they dress) (Barrick et al., 2010). Through this integration, we provide a theoretically driven framework to explain how visual cues associated with presentation quality influence funders' impressions of the entrepreneur, the venture, and the offering. ...
... While there is considerable consensus that this combination occurs (c.f., Arvey, 1979), there is a much lower level of consensus regarding the theoretical causal modeling of cognitive information processing (Evans, 2008). Indeed, theories of first-impression biases (e.g., Barrick et al., 2010), thin-slicing in judgment formation (Ambady and Rosenthal, 1992), halo (horn) effects (Nisbett and Wilson, 1977), and schema-triggered affect (Fiske, 1982) assert that visual cues generate a lens which biases the interpretation of subsequent information. However, other theories such as anchoring (Tversky and Kahneman, 1974), belief updating (Hogarth and Einhorn, 1992), and primacy effects (Lind et al., 2001) argue that visual cues act as an informational anchor in judgment formation whereby subsequent information confirms or adjusts initial judgments. ...
... A desire to maximize productivity and profits would presumably render "competence" a primary dimension of importance, and prior writing in organizational psychology suggests as much. Indeed, some studies have shown stronger effects of perceived competence (versus perceived warmth) in hiring judgments (Cuddy, Fiske, & Glick, 2004;Krings, Sczesny, & Kluge, 2011) and interview outcomes (Amaral, Powell, & Ho, 2019;Barrick, Swider, & Stewart, 2010;Graves & Powell, 1988;Howard & Ferris, 1996), particularly in the absence of motivations to discount otherwise qualified candidates (Phelan, Moss-Racusin, & Rudman, 2008). ...
The Moral Primacy Model proposes that throughout the multiple stages of developing impressions of others, information about the target's morality is more influential than information about their competence or socia-bility. Would morality continue to exert outsized influence on impressions in the context of a decision for which people view competence as the most important attribute? In three experiments, we used an impression updating paradigm to test how much information about a target's morality versus competence changed perceivers' impressions of a job candidate. Despite several pilot studies in which people said they would prioritize competence over morality when deciding to hire a potential employee, results of the main studies reveal that impressions changed more when people received new information about a target's immorality than about his incompetence. This moral primacy effect held both for global impressions and willingness to hire the target, but direct effects on evaluations of the target as an employee did not consistently emerge. When the new information about the target was positive, we did not reliably observe a moral primacy effect. These findings provide important insight on the generalizability of moral primacy in impression updating.
... 18,19 Candidates who are perceived more favorably during the initial moments of a job interview receive higher post-interview ratings. [20][21][22][23] However, experimental research suggests that autistic people are judged less favorably than non-autistic candidates, with this bias emerging early in an interaction or observation (i.e., within 10 seconds). 24,25 Disclosure and knowledge Disclosing one's diagnosis may have a positive influence on how people are perceived. ...
Background:
Autistic individuals face low rates of engagement in the labor force. There is evidence that job interviews pose a significant barrier to autistic people entering the workforce. In this experimental study, we investigated the impact of diagnostic disclosure on decisions concerning candidate suitability during job interviews.
Methods:
Participants (n = 357; 59% female) from the general population rated 10 second "thin slices" of simulated job interviews of one male autistic and one male non-autistic candidate. In a between-subjects design, autism diagnostic disclosure was manipulated (None, Brief, and Detailed), so that neither ("None" condition) or both ("Brief" and "Detailed" conditions) candidates were labeled as autistic before the simulated interview (with additional information provided about autism in the "Detailed" condition).
Results:
Results for 255 non-autistic raters (57.6% female) were analyzed. Participants gave more favorable ratings of first impressions, employability, and endorsement for candidates labeled as autistic, irrespective of the actual diagnostic status (i.e., autistic and non-autistic) of the individual. Participants rated non-autistic candidates more favorably on all employment measures (first impressions, employability, and endorsement), and "hired" non-autistic candidates more frequently, compared with autistic candidates. Providing additional information about autism did not result in improved ratings. However, the discrepancy between autistic and non-autistic people chosen for "hire" was reduced when more information was provided.
Conclusions:
Although we found some support for the benefits of diagnostic disclosure during a simulated interview, these benefits were not restricted to autistic candidates and may be a positive bias associated with the diagnostic label. Contrary to our predictions, providing information about autism in addition to the diagnostic label did not have an overall impact on results. More research is required to determine whether benefits outweigh any risks of disclosure for autistic job candidates, and whether training interviewers about autism might improve employment outcomes for autistic job seekers.
Lay summary:
Why was this study done?: Job interviews seem to be a barrier to employment for autistic people. This is problematic, as job interviews are typically a part of the job application process.What was the purpose of this study?: We wanted to explore how non-autistic people perceive male autistic job candidates, and how this compares with male non-autistic candidates. We also wanted investigate whether disclosing that the candidate was autistic changed the raters' judgments of candidates, and if these judgments improved if more information about autism and employment was provided.What did the researchers do?: We showed 357 non-autistic participants short video snippets (∼10 seconds) of two "job candidates" (people who had completed a simulated job interview). Each participant was shown one video of an autistic job candidate, and one video of a non-autistic job candidate. Participants rated the candidates on two scales (employability and first impressions). After watching both videos, they chose which of the two candidates they would "hire" and gave an endorsement rating for each.Participants were in one of three conditions. Participants in the first condition ("None") were not given information about autism before watching the two videos. Participants in the second condition ("Brief") were told that both of the candidates were autistic. Participants in the third condition ("Detailed") were told that both candidates were autistic and were also provided with information about autism and the workplace. We told raters in the Brief and Detailed conditions that both the autistic and non-autistic candidate were autistic to explore if the diagnostic label influenced raters' perceptions of candidates separately to the actual diagnostic status of candidates.What were the results of the study?: Overall, the participants rated non-autistic candidates more favorably compared with autistic candidates. Participants gave more favorable job interview ratings for candidates when they were labeled as autistic, showing the autism label made a difference to how raters perceived candidates. Participants given information about autism and employment did not rate the candidates any higher than those in other two conditions, but they did "hire" more autistic candidates than the other participants.What do these findings add to what was already known?: The findings of this study provide some support that diagnostic disclosure may improve perceptions of autistic candidates (by non-autistic people) at job interview. Providing information about autism and the workplace in addition to disclosure may also provide some benefit, but more data are needed.What are potential weaknesses in the study?: Our findings may not reflect real-world settings. Further studies are also needed that include people of other genders. Given the small number of stimuli videos, and the many differences between autistic people, the less favorable ratings of autistic people should be interpreted with caution.How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?: The results of this study provide some evidence that there may be some benefit of disclosing an autism diagnosis during a job interview to non-autistic people. However, diagnostic disclosure is a complex and personal choice.
... Our study extends existing theory on biases in social judgment and decision making by answering challenges to distinguish sources of bias in the evaluation process from valid predictors (e.g., Swider et al., 2016). Initial impressionswhich encompass attractiveness and other salient physical characteristics, as well as verbal and nonverbal communication in the opening moments of an encounter-are a critical predictor of organizational outcomes such as hiring (Barrick et al., 2010), investment decisions (e.g., Parhankangas et al., 2015), and evaluation of sales effectiveness (e.g., Ambady et al., 2006). Although researchers often treat the content of these impressions as a contaminant that introduces confirmation bias and threatens decision-making validity (e.g., Levashina et al., 2014), some studies have shown that individuals are actually fairly accurate when they make judgments based on thin slices of data (e.g., Ambady et al., 2000;Kraus & Keltner, 2009). ...
It turns out that being good‐looking really does pay off: decades of research have shown that attractive individuals are more likely to get ahead in their careers. Although prior research has suggested that bias on the part of evaluators is the source of attractive individuals’ favorable career outcomes, there is also evidence that these individuals may be socialized to behave and perceive themselves differently from others in ways that contribute to their success. Building on socialization research and studies on nonverbal power cues, we examined nonverbal communication in individuals with varying degrees of physical attractiveness. In two experimental studies with data from 300 video interview pitches, we found that attractive individuals had a greater sense of power than their less attractive counterparts and thus exhibited a more effective nonverbal presence, which led to higher managerial ratings of their hirability. However, we also identified a potential means for leveling this gap. Adopting a powerful posture was found to be especially beneficial for individuals rated low in attractiveness, enabling them to achieve the same level of effective nonverbal presence as their highly attractive counterparts naturally displayed. Our research sheds new light on the source of attractive individuals’ success and suggests a possible remedy for individuals who lack an appearance advantage.
... The content was then assembled and edited using Adobe Premiere Pro's masking functions (red frame; depending on the nonverbal behavior). In the final videos, only the visual and auditive footage of the interviewer differed between the positive and negative nonverbal behavior conditions the rater with the virtual scene and build rapport in the interview setting (e.g., Barrick et al. 2010;Swider et al. 2016). The interviewer (female; professional theater actress) welcomed the participant and explained the interview procedure. ...
This study examined whether an interviewer’s nonverbal behavior influences observers’ competence ratings in a recruitment interview using 360-degree videos experienced with immersive virtual reality (VR-cardboard) and 2D screen displays. Participants ( n = 110) observed a recruitment interview and assessed three competences of the applicant (behavior in a team, customer care, and sales skill). We used a 2 × 2 design with the nonverbal behavior (positive vs. negative) of the interviewer and display type (VR-cardboard vs. 2D screen display) as between-subjects factors. After observing interview sequences and providing competence ratings, participants also rated different aspects of immersion using the augmented reality immersion questionnaire (ARI; Georgiou and Kyza in Int J Hum Comput Stud 98: 24–37, 2017) and their overall satisfaction with the experience. For two of the three competences (customer care and behavior in a team), we found that observers gave higher competence ratings when the interviewer’s nonverbal behavior was positive compared to when it was negative. This social influence effect was similar for 360-degree videos experienced with immersive VR and 2D screen displays. VR resulted in higher immersion than 2D screen displays regarding the dimensions of flow and presence . Our results suggest that the ARI questionnaire can be used to reliably assess 360-degree videos experienced with immersive VR and 2D screen displays.
... Maar niet alle stoorzender zijn even schadelijk. Voor functies waar sociaal wenselijk gedrag belangrijk is (en dus deel uitmaakt van het criteriumdomein), zal de validiteit niet afnemen door impressiemanagement van sollicitanten (Barrick, Swider, & Stewart, 2010;McFarland, Ryan, & Kriska, 2003). Impressiemanagement is wél nefast voor de voorspellende waarde van interviews wanneer kandidaten competenties veinzen en dus oneerlijk impressiemanagement vertonen. ...
Het selecteren van goede werknemers is van groot belang voor het garanderen van goed functionerende organisaties. Allereerst bekijken we de huidige wetenschappelijk stand van zaken met betrekking tot het selecteren van werknemers. We bespreken de verschillende fases van een selectieprocedure, perspectieven om naar selectie te kijken en het selectiemodel. We eindigen het eerste deel met een kritische bespreking van de voornaamste selectie-instrumenten op basis van de best beschikbare wetenschappelijke evidentie en een samenvattende testwijzer. Vervolgens illustreren we een aantal recente uitdagingen voor werving en selectie aan de hand van casussen; we eindigen met een kritische noot over de zogenoemde scientist-practitioner gap (de kloof tussen wetenschap en praktijk) en wat we hieraan kunnen doen.
... Erkekler görüşmeci durumunda oldukları zaman genellikle karşılarındaki adayın da erkek olmasını isterler. İşe alım sürecinin belki de en kritik aşaması olan görüşme aşamasında değerlendirilmeyi bekleyen birçok aday ve bunun yarattığı yoğun belirsizlik ortamı mevcuttur (Barrick ve Swider, 2010). Bu nedenle sıkışan, kimi seçeceğine karar veremeyen erkek görüşmeci kendine çıkış yolu olarak toplumsal ön yargılara sığınmayı seçer. ...
... One pathway that would facilitate narcissistic individuals' climb to the top is the support of their short-term peer groups, in which they are consistently chosen as leaders (Brunell et al., 2008;. A second pathway enabling narcissistic individuals' strivings for status and power would be through job selection processes, where they could capitalize on their assertive demeanor, charm, and overconfidence to convey positive first impressions (Back et al., 2010;Paulhus, 1998), thus, potentially biasing raters' evaluations (Barrick et al., 2010) in their favor and enhancing their chances of being hired. Indeed, individuals high on narcissism perform well in selection contexts that rely on subjective ratings, such as interviews (Campbell et al., 2011;Paulhus et al., 2013) and leaderless group discussions (Brunell et al., 2008). ...
Introduction
Narcissistic individuals often rise to positions of influence, but how so? Upward mobility in formal hierarchies is frequently contingent upon supervisory evaluations. We examined the relation between employee narcissism and supervisor promotability ratings, testing predictions from the display of power perspective (narcissism will positively predict promotability due to higher perceived power) and impression management perspective (narcissism will positively predict promotability due to self‐promotion).
Method
In two multi‐source studies involving employees and their supervisors from diverse organizations (S1: Nemployees=166; Nsupervisors=93; S2: Nemployees=128; Nsupervisors=85), we measured employee narcissism (S1, S2), employee sense of power, employee impression management tactics towards the supervisor (S2), and employee promotability as rated by supervisors (S1‐S2). Further, in an experiment (S3: N=181), we tested the causal effect of employee sense of power on promotability.
Results
Results favored the display of power perspective. Although narcissism predicted both higher self‐promotion toward the supervisor and greater sense of power, it was the latter that explained the positive relation between employee narcissism and promotability ratings.
Conclusion
Employees high on narcissism act as if they have more power in organizations and thus demonstrate behavior that would be expected in higher‐level positions. The findings help to explain narcissistic individuals’ rise through the ranks.
... Among these five personality traits, especially conscientiousness and neuroticism, are considered as valid predictors of job performance (Barrick & Mount, 1991;Barrick et al., 2001Barrick et al., , 2010Behling, 1998;Hurtz & Donovan, 2000;Sartori, Costantini, Ceschi, & Scalco, 2017). Conscientiousness is across all situations and activities the strongest predictor of general job performance (Barrick et al., 2001;Dudley, Orvis, Lebiecki, & Cortina, 2006). ...
Firms increasingly implement algorithmic decision-making to save costs and increase efficiency. Concerning the latter, algorithmic decision-making is considered to be fairer than human decisions due to social prejudices. However, the question arises as to the actual fairness of algorithmic decision making. The goal of this study is to identify whether the use of algorithmic decision-making leads to unfair (i.e., unequal) treatment of certain groups. To this end, we analyse a data set consisting of 10,000 video clips and two winning algorithms with high accuracy. Our analysis shows that the underrepresentation concerning gender and ethnicity in the training data set leads to an unpredictable overestimation and/or underestimation of the likelihood to invite representatives of these groups to a job interview. Furthermore, the algorithm replicates the existing inequalities in the data set. As we offer evidence for possible negative consequences, this study provides essential practical as well as theoretical implications.
... One pathway that would facilitate narcissistic individuals' climb to the top is the support of their short-term peer groups, in which they are consistently chosen as leaders (Brunell et al., 2008;. A second pathway enabling narcissistic individuals' strivings for status and power would be through job selection processes, where they could capitalize on their assertive demeanor, charm, and overconfidence to convey positive first impressions (Back et al., 2010;Paulhus, 1998), thus, potentially biasing raters' evaluations (Barrick et al., 2010) in their favor and enhancing their chances of being hired. Indeed, individuals high on narcissism perform well in selection contexts that rely on subjective ratings, such as interviews (Campbell et al., 2011;Paulhus et al., 2013) and leaderless group discussions (Brunell et al., 2008). ...
... Another prediction of the dual-process model is that interviewers use their initial impressions of candidates as anchors when making post-interview decisions (i.e., Type I process; Derous et al., 2016a). In other words, the more positive the initial impressions are, the more positive the final decisions will be (Barrick, Swider, & Stewart, 2010;Dougherty et al., 1994;Stewart et al., 2008). At the same time, interviewers can also incorporate new information gathered from the applicant during the interview and use it to update their initial assessments through Type II processes (Derous et al., 2016a). ...
Cigarette and electronic-cigarette users (i.e., vapers) are increasingly stigmatized in both society and the workplace. We examine effects of this stigmatization in the selection process by testing whether interviewers’ negative initial impressions of smokers and vapers extend throughout the interview. We used a dual-process framework of interviewer bias against stigmatized applicants, comprised of Type I-automatic and Type II-systematic processes, and conducted two experiments where U.S. and Canadian participants enacted the role of an interviewer in video-based job interview simulations. Consistent with Type I processes, results show that cigarette smokers, and to lesser extent vapers, were initially rated as less qualified than non-smokers. These initial impressions were not subjected to justification/rationalization during the interview via harder questions asked. However, they served as anchors, also consistent with Type I processes, and impacted final assessments alongside Type II adjustments based on applicants’ response quality. Additionally, using attentional eye tracking data, we found that raters with worse attitudes toward smoking, but not vaping, glanced at stigma cues more frequently, which went on to influence first impressions. These findings provide valuable tests of key components of the dual-process model of interviewer bias, and raise concerns around the devaluation of smokers and vapers in hiring decisions.
... Thus, the longer interviews reported by white females in our study may have helped to counteract unconscious biases held by their PIs, whereas the shorter interviews reported by minority females may not have provided this opportunity (Fig. 1A). Non-work-related content may also seem unprofessional and potentially biased, but discussing personal, non-work matters is useful for establishing rapport with candidates, helping them to relax, and assessing their inter-personal skills and personalities (Huffcutt et al. 2001;Barrick et al. 2010). Additionally, an interview's structure is important for minimizing interviewers' biases (Levashina et al. 2014). ...
Synopsis
Post-doctoral training is a critical career stage for researchers in the life sciences, yet interviewing for a post-doctoral position is largely an unregulated process. Without regulation, interviews are susceptible to unconscious biases that may lead to discrimination against certain demographic groups (e.g., women and minorities). Using data from an online survey of post-docs, we show that interview procedures for post-doctoral positions in the life sciences are correlated with several factors (e.g., candidate demographics) in ways that may bias the outcome of interviews. We discuss key components of interviews and suggest that conducting standardized, well-planned interviews that are less susceptible to unconscious biases may help increase the retention of women and under-represented minorities in the life sciences.
... These effects could be both station-specific and general. First impressions based on the way people move, talk, and gesture (e.g., Ambady and Rosenthal 1992), have been connected to subsequent ratings in employment interviews as well as assessment centers (Barrick et al. 2010;Ingold et al. 2018) and might contribute to undifferentiated performance judgments across social skills within stations. Appearance-related characteristics (e.g., candidates' attractiveness or professional appearance) can also influence interview ratings (Hosoda et al. 2003;Barrick et al. 2009) and might lead to shared halo effects across stations. ...
Background: One popular procedure in the medical student selection process are multiple mini-interviews (MMIs), which are designed to assess social skills (e.g., empathy) by means of brief interview and role-play stations. However, it remains unclear whether MMIs reliably measure desired social skills or rather general performance differences that do not depend on specific social skills. Here, we provide a detailed investigation into the construct validity of MMIs, including the identification and quantification of performance facets (social skill-specific performance, station-specific performance, general performance) and their relations with other selection measures.
Methods: We used data from three MMI samples (N = 376 applicants, 144 raters) that included six interview and role-play stations and multiple assessed social skills.
Results: Bayesian generalizability analyses show that, the largest amount of reliable MMI variance was accounted for by station-specific and general performance differences between applicants. Furthermore, there were low or no correlations with other selection measures.
Discussion: Our findings suggest that MMI ratings are less social skill-specific than originally conceptualized and are due more to general performance differences (across and within-stations). Future research should focus on the development of skill-specific MMI stations and on behavioral analyses on the extents to which performance differences are based on desirable skills versus undesired aspects.
... These effects could be both station-specific and general. First impressions based on the way people move, talk, and gesture (e.g., Ambady and Rosenthal 1992), have been connected to subsequent ratings in employment interviews as well as assessment centers (Barrick et al. 2010;Ingold et al. 2018) and might contribute to undifferentiated performance judgments across social skills within stations. Appearance-related characteristics (e.g., candidates' attractiveness or professional appearance) can also influence interview ratings (Hosoda et al. 2003;Barrick et al. 2009) and might lead to shared halo effects across stations. ...
One popular procedure in the medical student selection process are multiple mini-interviews (MMIs), which are designed to assess social skills (e.g., empathy) by means of brief interview and role-play stations. However, it remains unclear whether MMIs reliably measure desired social skills or rather general performance differences that do not depend on specific social skills. Here, we provide a detailed investigation into the construct validity of MMIs, including the identification and quantification of performance facets (social skill-specific performance, station-specific performance, general performance) and their relations with other selection measures. We used data from three MMI samples (N = 376 applicants, 144 raters) that included six interview and role-play stations and multiple assessed social skills. Bayesian generalizability analyses show that, the largest amount of reliable MMI variance was accounted for by station-specific and general performance differences between applicants. Furthermore, there were low or no correlations with other selection measures. Our findings suggest that MMI ratings are less social skill-specific than originally conceptualized and are due more to general performance differences (across and within-stations). Future research should focus on the development of skill-specific MMI stations and on behavioral analyses on the extents to which performance differences are based on desirable skills versus undesired aspects.
... Often, interviewers rely on the small talk that occurs before and between questions to get a "feel" for the candidate. Chapman and Zweig (2005) suggest that such small talk leads to rapport building while Barrick, Swider, and Stewart (2010) found that "interviewer ratings of candidate competence during rapport building accounted for incremental variance in outcomes beyond the variance attributed to perceived similarity or initial likeability of the candidate" (p. 1169). ...
BACKGROUND:There is substantial evidence that a lack of social skills and social competence is the primary barrier to gaining and maintaining employment for individuals with IDD. Data on employment outcomes along with scholarly literature on social skills education provide evidence that current programming is unsuccessful for individuals with IDD transitioning into the workplace. OBJECTIVE:This literature review provides a broad overview of innovative media and technology offering educators novel practices and strategies to improve interview performance and employment preparation for individuals with intellectual and developmental disorder (IDD). RESULTS:The literature shows that multiple currently available technologies, including virtual reality and mixed reality, can improve the social skills required for successful interpersonal interactions and interviewing in individuals with IDD. CONCLUSIONS:Transition educators should be encouraged to consider how innovative technologies can be used to support the development of social skills for students with IDD in employment preparation.
... This research showed that such brief behavioral observations enable observers to make accurate judgments that reveal valid information about a diverse set of outcomes, such as self-and other-ratings of personality, social relations and clinical outcomes, and performance in various fields (Ambady, Bernieri, & Richeson, 2000;Ambady & Rosenthal, 1992). In personnel selection, initial impressions have also been found to predict performance and employment decisions (Barrick et al., 2012;Barrick, Swider, & Stewart, 2010;Ingold, Dönni, & Lievens, in press). ...
This paper presents Multiple Speed Assessments as an umbrella term to encompass a variety of approaches that include multiple (e.g., 20), short (e.g., 3 min), and often integrated interpersonal simulations to elicit overt behavior in a standardized way across participants. Multiple Speed Assessments can be used to get insight into the behavioral repertoire of a target person in situations sampled from a predefined target domain and their intraindividual variability across these situations. This paper outlines the characteristics and theoretical basis of Multiple Speed Assessments. We also discuss various already existing examples of Multiple Speed Assessments (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations, Multiple Mini-Interviews, and constructed response multimedia tests) and provide an overview of design variations. Finally, we present current research evidence and future research directions related to Multiple Speed Assessments. Although we present Multiple Speed Assessments in the context of personnel selection, it can also be used for assessment in the educational, personality, or clinical psychology field.
... For example, past research indicates that treatment of applicants tends to vary within an interview (cf. Barrick et al. 2010;Wilhelmy et al. 2016), but the effects of this variation remain unknown. ...
Personnel selection research has recognized the importance of providing applicants with both standardized (i.e., "consistent") and individualized (i.e., "personable") treatment during interviews. However, research has yet to examine the mechanisms underlying the effects of perceived consistency and personableness in the interview on applicants’ attraction to organizations. Drawing from signaling theory, we investigate how interview consistency and personableness impact organizational attractiveness. To this end, we developed a conceptual model that proposes that applicants interpret perceived interview consistency and personableness as signals about what the organization is like in terms of symbolic organizational attributes (organizational competence and benevolence, Lievens & Highhouse, 2003), which in turn influence perceptions of organizational attractiveness. A longitudinal three-wave field study with 129 applicants showed that applicants’ perceptions of both consistency and personableness positively impacted organizational attractiveness. Additionally, these effects were mediated by organizational competence perceptions, but not by organizational benevolence perceptions. Furthermore, consistency and personableness perceptions differed in their relative influence on organizational competence, benevolence, and attractiveness, with personableness perceptions being a more influential predictor. This study contributes to a nuanced theoretical understanding of how applicants interpret interviews as signals about how organizations treat their members.
... Research in social psychology has examined the influence of rapport building on an employer's evaluation of an applicant. Findings suggest that initial impressions conveyed in an informal context, including nonverbal interactions, can signal evidence of job-related competencies (Ambady & Rosenthal, 1993;Barrick, Swider, & Stewart, 2010). One recent study found that candidates who were able to project a positive self-image during the rapport-building portion of an interview received higher overall ratings than candidates who failed to do so (Swider, Barrick, & Harris, 2016). ...
This study examines the extent to which male and female principal candidates use language to signal their perceived values specific to open positions in the field. We analyzed Wisconsin school-leader application data by gender, seeking to understand whether or not men and women present themselves differently through language in the initial application phase. Using an electronic linguistic analysis tool (Docuscope), we identified patterns in the writing samples from 2,061 applicants and applied critical discourse analysis to determine the role gender plays in candidates’ portrayals of themselves. This mixed-methods approach revealed that language use differs significantly between male and female applicants. Notably, linguistic variables common in female candidates’ writing tend to focus on elaborating ideas and using compare/contrast techniques to describe beliefs. Male applicants’ language is often more formal and relies heavily on passive voice. Our findings raise questions as to whether candidates may be selected because of an unconscious preference for language patterns commonly used by females or males.
... Hence, managers will be more likely to hire job applicants that are considered socially and task attractive. Indeed, numerous studies have found a link between applicant attraction and hiring decisions [36,7,3,9]. Thus, H3: Evaluations of a] social and b] task attraction have positive relationships with hiring ratings. ...
... This particular job was chosen because the role of a travel agent has been repeatedly demonstrated to be age-neutral, that is, to be perceived as equally suitable for both young and old candidates (Finkelstein et al., 1995;Krings et al., 2011). Also, the travel agent role is a service job involving extensive interpersonal interactions, and therefore the use of self-promotion is natural and may even be an important indicator of competence for the job (Barrick et al., 2010). After providing them with a brief job description, participants reviewed the applicant's résumé. ...
The increasingly aging population in most industrialized societies, coupled with the rather age-diverse current workforce makes discrimination against older employees a prevalent issue, especially in employment contexts. This renders research on ways for reducing this type of discrimination a particularly pressing concern. Drawing on theories of social identity and impression management, our research examines the role of impression management, aimed at refuting common older worker stereotypes, in diminishing bias against older job applicants during the job interview. The study consisted in an experimental hiring simulation conducted on a sample of 515 undergraduate students. Results show that older applicants who used impression management to contradict common older worker stereotypes were perceived as more hirable than those who did not. However, despite this positive effect, discrimination persisted: older applicants were consistently rated as less hirable than their younger counterparts when displaying the same IM behavior. Taken together, this research demonstrates that older job seekers can indeed ameliorate biased interview outcomes by engaging in impression management targeting common age stereotypes; however, it also shows that this strategy is insufficient for overcoming age discrimination entirely. The current study has important implications for theory, by expanding research on the use of impression management in mitigating age discrimination, as well as for practice, by offering older employees a hands-on strategy to reduce bias and stereotyping against them.
... Unstructured interviews, one of the most widely used hiring tools in selection, present a tremendous opportunity for subtle bias due to their interpersonal nature. For instance, Barrick, Swider, and Stewart (2010) discovered that the informal "rapport building" (e.g., non-job-related chitchat) that took place between a candidate and an interviewer before a structured interview began predicted subsequent job offers. Indeed, interviewers may be more open and friendly with individuals who are more similar to them, leading to better rapport building with those candidates and putting dissimilar others at a disadvantage. ...
Due to rising pressure to appear egalitarian, subtle discrimination pervades today's workplace. Although its ambiguous nature may make it seem innocuous on the surface, an abundance of empirical evidence suggests subtle discrimination undermines employee and organizational functioning, perhaps even more so than its overt counterpart. In the following article, we argue for a multidimensional and continuous, rather than categorical, framework for discrimination. In doing so, we propose that there exist several related but distinct continuums on which instances of discrimination vary, including subtlety, formality, and intentionality. Next, we argue for organizational scholarship to migrate toward a more developmental, dynamic perspective of subtle discrimination in order to build a more comprehensive understanding of its antecedents, underlying mechanisms, and outcomes. We further contend that everyone plays a part in the process of subtle discrimination at work and, as a result, bears some responsibility in addressing and remediating it. We conclude with a brief overview of research on subtle discrimination in the workplace from each of four stakeholder perspectives-targets, perpetrators, bystanders, and allies-and review promising strategies that can be implemented by each of these stakeholders to remediate subtle discrimination in the workplace.
... This points to the importance of rater training and structured interviews to reduce evaluator reliance on stereotypes when assessing job candidates (Barrick, Swider, & Stewart, 2010;Schmidt & Hunter, 2015). Finally, individual prejudices that translate into workplace discrimination create dysfunction in the form of worsened employee attitudes and increased turnover intentions (King, Hebl, George, & Matusik, 2010) as well as increased litigation costs (Goldman, Gutek, Stein, & Lewis, 2006). ...
Racism, sexism, and ageism persist in modern day organizations and may translate into workplace discrimination, which can undermine organizational effectiveness. We provide the first meta-analysis comparing the relationships between these three types of prejudice (racism, sexism, and ageism) and three types of workplace discrimination (selection, performance evaluation, and opposition to diversity-supportive policies). Across outcomes, racism was associated with workplace discrimination, whereas sexism was not. Ageism was associated with discriminatory selection and opposition to organizational policies supporting older workers; however, ageism was not related to discriminatory performance evaluation. Consistent with prior research and theory, Implicit Association Test measures were related to subtle discrimination (opposition to diversity-supportive policies) but not deliberate discrimination (selection and performance evaluation). Finally, prejudice was more strongly associated with discrimination against real as compared with hypothetical targets. Implications for organizational researchers and practitioners are discussed. Copyright
... Unstructured interviews, one of the most widely used hiring tools in selection, present a tremendous opportunity for subtle bias due to their interpersonal nature. For instance, Barrick, Swider, and Stewart (2010) discovered that the informal "rapport building" (e.g., non-job-related chitchat) that took place between a candidate and an interviewer before a structured interview began predicted subsequent job offers. Indeed, interviewers may be more open and friendly with individuals who are more similar to them, leading to better rapport building with those candidates and putting dissimilar others at a disadvantage. ...
Due to rising pressure to appear egalitarian, subtle discrimination pervades today's workplace. Although its ambiguous nature may make it seem innocuous on the surface, an abundance of empirical evidence suggests subtle discrimination undermines employee and organizational functioning, perhaps even more so than its overt counterpart. In the following article, we argue for a multidimensional and continuous, rather than categorical, framework for discrimination. In doing so, we propose that there exist several related but distinct continuums on which instances of discrimination vary, including subtlety , formality , and intentionality . Next, we argue for organizational scholarship to migrate toward a more developmental, dynamic perspective of subtle discrimination in order to build a more comprehensive understanding of its antecedents, underlying mechanisms, and outcomes. We further contend that everyone plays a part in the process of subtle discrimination at work and, as a result, bears some responsibility in addressing and remediating it. We conclude with a brief overview of research on subtle discrimination in the workplace from each of four stakeholder perspectives—targets, perpetrators, bystanders, and allies—and review promising strategies that can be implemented by each of these stakeholders to remediate subtle discrimination in the workplace.
... Participants were instructed to read a vacancy for a frontoffice employee at a fictitious, service-oriented organization (i.e., temporary work agency). The use of IM is considered as natural and even useful for this kind of positions (McFarland et al., 2003;Barrick et al., 2010). Participants were also instructed to carefully read the resume of a 26 years' old Arab/Moroccan male applicant who was qualified for the job opening (i.e., with relevant educational background and job experiences). ...
Cross-cultural impression management (IM) has not been considered much, which is remarkable given the fast rate at which the labor market is becoming multicultural. This study investigated whether ethnic minorities and majorities differed in their preference for IM-tactics and how this affected ethnic minorities’ interview outcomes. A preliminary study (focus groups/survey) showed that ethnic minorities (i.e., Arab/Moroccans) preferred ‘entitlements’ whereas majorities (i.e., Flemish/Belgians) preferred ‘opinion conformity’ as IM-tactics. An experimental follow-up study among 163 ethnic majority raters showed no main effect of IM-tactics on interview ratings. Ethnic minorities’ use of IM-tactics only affected interview ratings if rater characteristics were considered. Specifically, interview ratings were higher when ethnic minorities used opinion conformity (i.e., majority-preferred IM-tactic) and lower when minorities used entitlements (i.e., minority-preferred IM-tactic) if recruiters were high in social dominance orientation, and when they felt more experienced/proficient with interviewing. IM-tactics are a human capital factor that might help applicants to increase their job chances on the labor market. It is concluded that ethnic minority applicants’ preferences for certain IM-tactics might lead to bias even in structured interview settings, but that this depends on ethnic majority recruiters’ interview experience and ingroup/outgroup attitudes. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
... However, interviewers should do their best to defer any evaluation during Stage 2 until the end. During mock interviews with student job candidates, evaluations after three minutes correlated with end-of-interview ratings (Barrick et al., 2010). However, when the students interviewed with the Big Four accounting firms for summer internships two weeks later, the end-of-interview evaluations in the practice interviews predicted internship offers four times better than did the initial evaluations. ...
Abstract
Purpose
–
The purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual model of the standard employment
interview that practitioners may use to improve their interview skills and the accuracy of their
selection decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
–
The dynamics of each discrete stage of the interview model are
supported by empirical findings from the research literature on employment interviewing.
Findings
–
An interview transitions through four naturally occurring stages: the initial impression
formed in the first few seconds when the candidate and interviewer first lay eyes on one another;
a rapport building stage of several minutes to help each party settle in; the body of the interview in
which job skills and culture-fit are assessed; and the close, when the interviewer asks if the candidate
has any questions about the job or company.
Research limitations/implications
–
Implications for research include providing solutions to the
problem of difficult-to-control personal biases (especially during Stages 1 and 2), as well as conducting
holistic studies that include the factors that influence decision making across all four stages to
determine their relative weights.
Practical implications
–
The four stage model can be used to design interview training programs.
By dividing the interview into discrete stages, practitioners can become aware of the pitfalls within
each stage and use evidence-based findings to correct mistakes.
Social implications
–
Companies and job candidates benefit alike when selection is based on job
skills and person-organization fit rather than on how well job candidates can interview.
Originality/value
–
This is the first paper to propose that employment interviews move through four
discrete stages and to support the assertion with findings from secondary empirical research.
Was muss beim Recruiting beachtet werden, um Bewerber:innen nicht unbewusst auszuschließen? Mehr noch: Wie kann der Recruitingprozess so gestaltet werden, dass er durchlässiger für vielfältige Bewerbungsprofile wird? Anhand der „4P“ Prozesse, Policies, Praktiken und Persönliche Haltung gibt dieses Kapitel einen umfassenden Überblick für den Recruiting-Alltag in Organisationen. Bei den Prozessen geht es um den gesamten Ablauf – von der Festlegung und Einhaltung verbindlicher Zielvorgaben bis hin zur inklusiven Stellenanzeige. Bei den Policies werden die bestehenden Regelungen des Recruitings kritisch hinterfragt – sei es die Einbindung externer Personalberatungen oder die eigene Durchführung von Interviews mittels standardisierter Verfahren. Anwendbare Umsetzungsmöglichkeiten (z. B. Screening von Bewerbungen) werden unter Praktiken vorgestellt. Schließlich steht und fällt der Auswahlprozess mit den Menschen, die daran beteiligt sind. Ob es gelingt, mehr Vielfalt für die Organisation zu gewinnen, hängt maßgeblich mit dem eigenen Reflexionsvermögen zusammen – die Persönliche Haltung gegenüber unbewussten Wahrnehmungsverzerrungen und Beurteilungsfehlern wird daher u. a. am Beispiel einer Recruitingschulung geschärft. Hinweise für das Change Management in diesem Abschnitt des Employee Lifecycles runden das Kapitel ab.
In this research note, we explore when salespeople should begin conversations with new customers with small talk. During initial meetings with customers, salespeople can choose to begin with small talk about topics not related to the task to break the ice or they can move straight to business and provide task-relevant information. Both approaches have garnered some support from different literature streams, and it remains unclear which approach is best. In two experiments with 399 and 365 respondents respectively, we compare customers’ responses to small talk versus task talk initiated by salespeople during an initial meeting. We consider whether the customer’s previous level of experience with the offering category moderates the effects and explore an explanatory mechanism for why this occurs. Findings indicate that customers’ responses to small talk versus task talk vary depending on their level of experience. When the salesperson starts with small talk, novice customers’ intentions to do business with the salesperson increase because small talk makes them feel more comfortable. We conclude that salespeople should consider a customers’ level of experience and adapt their communication tactics accordingly.
We develop and test a holistic model of how team members’ swift judgments about a prospective team member impact their selection decisions and how accurate those judgments are in predicting the prospective member’s performance. Applying the social psychology literature on person perception to the organizational literature on team member selection, we argue that team members’ perceptions of the prospective member’s competence primarily shape their predictions about the prospective member’s task-related performance in the team, whereas perceptions of warmth primarily shape predictions about the prospective member’s interpersonal contextual performance in the team. We further propose that, although team members rely on both performance predictions when choosing a prospective member, predicted task-related performance receives more weight than predicted interpersonal contextual performance, and that the importance of predicted interpersonal contextual performance is elevated when team task interdependence is high. Importantly, we theorize that the predictions about task-related performance show good accuracy, whereas the predictions about interpersonal contextual performance do not, which makes the reliance on the latter erroneous. Across two studies utilizing prospective members’ actual task-related and interpersonal contextual performance (objective and peer-rated), as well as team members’ predictions about such performances, we found support for our predictions. Our research resolves several outstanding puzzles in the literature on person perception, integrates it into organizational research, and offers novel and actionable insights for selecting prospective team members.
Background
Mock or practice interviews have become a typical tool for transition programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Method
We examined what interview skills were most associated with subsequent employment for individuals intellectual and developmental disabilities via practice interviews. The likelihood of employment was measured as a function of whether the interviewer responded that they would hire the individual.
Results
Results indicate that the following job interview skills were considered most important were: sits still and straight; understandable speech; good posture; appropriate voice; and appropriate handshake.
Conclusions
As these potential employers had hired individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, we suggest that their feedback would be particularly relevant.
In two experimental studies, we investigate how being sick with a common cold in a selection context influences the appraisals that evaluators form and how, in turn, people appraisal dimensions influence evaluators’ hiring recommendations and leadership evaluations. Grounded in people appraisal theory (Cuddy et al., 2008; Fiske et al., 2007), we assess the universal evaluative dimensions of warmth and competence to explain detriments in hiring recommendations and leadership evaluations for applicants with a common cold. Further, we investigate whether a theoretically‐grounded individual difference variable, namely the degree to which evaluators take others’ perspective, influences the appraisals and subsequent judgments of sick applicants. Results across the two experimental studies, using students and professionals with selection experience, suggest that showing signs of being sick (i.e., presenteeism) had a negative impact on competence appraisals but not warmth appraisals. In addition, attending a job interview while sick had a significantly stronger negative effect on competence appraisals when the rater had a low as opposed to a high level of perspective‐taking. These effects in turn predicted hiring recommendations and leadership evaluations. We discuss the implications of our findings for theory and practice.
In this chapter, we report on an experimental study which examined how different impression management (IM) tactics used by applicants in job interviews influence interviewer evaluations of the two universal dimensions of social judgment (likeability, competence) and how these fundamental personal evaluations in turn affect perceived hireability. Experimental scenarios presented 3 fictitious male applicants who used modesty, ingratiation, or self-promotion in a job interview. In addition, the amount of background information about the applicants and raters’ accountability for their potential hiring decisions were experimentally manipulated. A total of 82 experienced job interviewers rated how likeable and competent each applicant appeared to them, and how likely they would be to offer him a job. As expected, modesty induced the most favorable interviewer evaluations: The applicant using modesty was perceived as more likeable than the applicants using ingratiation or self-promotion and, as a consequence, as more hireable. Applicants’ perceived competence proved to be of secondary importance. The benefits of modesty increased further when positive background information about applicants was available and when raters’ accountability was low. The results shed light on both the crucial role of interviewers’ interpersonal affect and the considerable potential of the tactic of modesty for job applicants.
Organizations are increasingly adopting automated video interviews (AVIs) to screen job applicants despite a paucity of research on their reliability, validity, and generalizability. In this study, we address this gap by developing AVIs that use verbal, paraverbal, and nonverbal behaviors extracted from video interviews to assess Big Five personality traits. We developed and validated machine learning models within (using nested cross-validation) and across three separate samples of mock video interviews (total N = 1,073). Also, we examined their test–retest reliability in a fourth sample (N = 99). In general, we found that the AVI personality assessments exhibited stronger evidence of validity when they were trained on interviewer-reports rather than self-reports. When cross-validated in the other samples, AVI personality assessments trained on interviewer-reports had mixed evidence of reliability, exhibited consistent convergent and discriminant relations, used predictors that appear to be conceptually relevant to the focal traits, and predicted academic outcomes. On the other hand, there was little evidence of reliability or validity for the AVIs trained on self-reports. We discuss the implications for future work on AVIs and personality theory, and provide practical recommendations for the vendors marketing such approaches and organizations considering adopting them.
Organizations are increasingly adopting automated video interviews (AVIs) to screen job applicants despite a paucity of research on their reliability, validity, and generalizability. In this study, we address this gap by developing AVIs that use verbal, paraverbal, and nonverbal behaviors extracted from video interviews to assess Big Five personality traits. We developed and validated machine learning models within (using nested cross-validation) and across three separate samples of mock video interviews (total N = 1,073). Also, we examined their test–retest reliability in a fourth sample (N = 99). In general, we found that the AVI personality assessments exhibited stronger evidence of validity when they were trained on interviewer-reports rather than self-reports. When cross-validated in the other samples, AVI personality assessments trained on interviewer-reports had mixed evidence of reliability, exhibited consistent convergent and discriminant relations, used predictors that appear to be conceptually relevant to the focal traits, and predicted academic outcomes. On the other hand, there was little evidence of reliability or validity for the AVIs trained on self-reports. We discuss the implications for future work on AVIs and personality theory, and provide practical recommendations for the vendors marketing such approaches and organizations considering adopting them.
Management is not an abstraction; rather, it is an active process conducted within a specific organizational environment. To be successful and effective, managers must appreciate the organizational environment within which they operate and align their efforts with its underlying system of assumptions, beliefs, and values—that is, with its culture. This chapter provides an introduction to the cultural forces at work within work-related environments: national cultures, organizational cultures, and organizational climates. It offers a broad and pragmatic insight into organizational culture and culture typologies. It also invites managers to explore the culture of their work and organizational environments, to determine the cultural elements and forces at work, and to select a managerial approach that is appropriate and culturally attuned.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how individual interviewers’ dispositional cognitive motivations may influence interview interactions and outcomes. More specifically, this study explores the influence of the need for cognition, need for cognitive closure, and accountability on the relationship between first impressions and selection decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 41 graduate students were assigned the role of interviewers and were tasked to interview 331 undergraduate students at a large Midwestern university. The selection interview was designed to recruit qualified undergraduate students to the MBA program of the university.
Findings
First impressions significantly influenced selection decisions, but did not influence interviewers’ behaviors. Moreover, multilevel analyses reveal that interviewers’ need for cognition and accountability moderate the relationship between first impression and selection decisions, albeit in different direction. Need for cognition strengthens, whereas accountability weakens the relationship between first impression and selection decision.
Research limitations/implications
A potential interviewer bias is apparent, where interviewers high on need for cognition tend to weight first impressions more in the decision process. However, this bias was not directly observable, since interviewers’ behaviors during the interview were not affected by first impressions.
Originality/value
The present study goes beyond previous research on first impressions in the employment interview, finding that dispositional differences account for the tendency to weigh first impressions in the selection decision.
Attempted to replicate and extend the results of Passini and Norman (1966), who found surprising evidence of convergent validity (i.e., significant correlations with the targets' self-ratings) in strangers' judgments of 5 broad personality factors. In the current study, 250 previously unacquainted Ss were run in small, same-sex groups of various sizes. Ss rated both themselves and their fellow group members on the same set of 20 bipolar trait scales used by Passini and Norman. Consistent with previous research, significant self–peer agreement correlations were obtained for Extraversion and Conscientiousness. Ratings of Agreeableness also showed significant convergent validity when a sufficient number of peers rated the target. More generally, self–peer agreement correlations tended to rise as the number of peer raters increased. Possible explanations for the validity of strangers' trait ratings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Provides a reanalysis of the employment interview for entry-level jobs that overcomes several limitations of J. E. Hunter and R. F. Hunter's (see record
1984-30168-001) article. Using a relatively sophisticated multidimensional framework for classifying level of structure, the authors obtained results from a meta-analysis of 114 entry-level interview validity coefficients suggesting that (1) structure is a major moderator of interview validity; (2) interviews, particularly when structured, can reach levels of validity that are comparable to those of mental ability tests; and (3) although validity does increase through much of the range of structure, there is a point at which additional structure yields essentially no incremental validity. Thus, results suggested a ceiling effect for structure. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
In a study exploring the cross-situational consistency of behavior, 140 undergraduate Ss were video-taped in each of 3 laboratory settings, and personality descriptions of these Ss were obtained from friends and acquaintances. Analyses focused on the degree to which Ss maintained consistent patterns of behavior across laboratory settings and between these settings and daily life. The following conclusions were reached: (a) Behavior can exhibit impressive consistency at the level of psychological meaning, (b) psychological properties of situations can be detected from their behavioral effects, (c) cross-situational consistency and discriminativeness are independent, and (d) some behaviors are more consistent than others.
A model of person-organization fit and organizational hiring decisions is developed and tested, using data from 38 interviewers making hiring decisions about 93 applicants. Results suggest that interviewers can assess applicant-organization values congruence with significant levels of accuracy and that interviewers compare their perceptions of applicants' values with their organizations' values to assess person-organization fit. Results also suggested that interviewers' subjective person-organization fit assessments have large effects on their hiring recommendations relative to competing applicant characteristics, and that interviewers' hiring recommendations directly affect organizations' hiring decisions (e.g., job offers).
The authors evaluated the extent to which a personality-based structured interview was susceptible to response inflation. Interview questions were developed to measure facets of agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability. Interviewers administered mock interviews to participants instructed to respond honestly or like a job applicant. Interviewees completed scales of the same 3 facets from the NEO Personality Inventory, under the same honest and applicant-like instructions. Interviewers also evaluated interviewee personality with the NEO. Multitrait-multimethod analysis and confirmatory factor analysis provided some evidence for the construct-related validity of the personality interviews. As for response inflation, analyses revealed that the scores from the applicant-like condition were significantly more elevated (relative to honest condition scores) for self-report personality ratings than for interviewer personality ratings. In addition, instructions to respond like an applicant appeared to have a detrimental effect on the structure of the self-report and interview ratings, but not interviewer NEO ratings.
First impressions of people's personalities are often formed by using the visual appearance of their faces. Defining how quickly these impressions can be formed has critical implications for understanding social interactions and for determining the visual properties used to shape them. To study impression formation independent of emotional cues, threat judgments were made on faces with a neutral expression. Consequently, participants' judgments pertained to the personality rather than to a certain temporary emotional state (e.g., anger). The results demonstrate that consistent first impressions can be formed very quickly, based on whatever information is available within the first 39 ms. First impressions were less consistent under these conditions when the judgments were about intelligence, suggesting that survival-related traits are judged more quickly. The authors propose that low spatial frequencies mediate this swift formation of threat judgments and provide evidence that supports this hypothesis.
Two issues were explored: (a) which impression management (IM) tactics applicants use during actual interviews and (b) whether there is a relationship between applicants' IM tactics and their interview outcomes. The study also examined convergence across different methods and raters when measuring IM. Postinterview survey measures were obtained from applicants and interviewers regarding applicant IM behavior during a specific interview; in addition, a subset (n = 24) of interviews was audiotaped and analyzed for the presence of IM. Analyses revealed low to moderate convergence across methods and raters, suggesting that IM tactics may be multidimensional constructs. Across methods and raters, there was consistent evidence of greater applicant self-promotion than ingratiation. Similarly, IM tactics significantly predicted interviewers' evaluations and whether applicants later obtained site visits. Implications for future research are discussed.
It is a firmly entrenched part of management lore that interviewers make decisions in the selection interview after only a few minutes. A reanalysis of the original research (Springbett, 1954; 1958) and cur-rent research findings suggest the need for a more cautious interpre-tation of the phenomenon of a "snap decision" in the interview.
Early studies of intuitive judgment and decision making conducted with the late Amos Tversky are reviewed in the context of two related concepts: an analysis of accessibil-ity, the ease with which thoughts come to mind; a distinc-tion between effortless intuition and deliberate reasoning. Intuitive thoughts, like percepts, are highly accessible. De-terminants and consequences of accessibility help explain the central results of prospect theory, framing effects, the heuristic process of attribute substitution, and the charac-teristic biases that result from the substitution of nonexten-sional for extensional attributes. Variations in the accessi-bility of rules explain the occasional corrections of intuitive judgments. The study of biases is compatible with a view of intuitive thinking and decision making as generally skilled and successful.
Is a job applicant more likely to be hired if the personnel interviewer does the most talking? "A sample of 115 employment interviews conducted by six Army personnel officers was examined. The applicant was accepted by the interviewer in 70 cases and rejected in 45 cases. From a recording of each interview measures were taken of the time the applicant spoke, the time the interviewer spoke, and the total time. The time vacant of speech was determined by subtracting the speaking times from the total time of the interview… . The interviewer influences both the amount the applicant talks and the amount of the time free of speech that accumulates during the interview. The amount the interviewer talks appears to be directly related to his decision to accept an applicant." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The use of such measures as
k for evaluating the predictive efficiency of correlation coefficients has led to considerable pessimism with regard to the practical utility of the validity coefficients which are ordinarily obtained for industrial and educational tests. However, the predictive efficiency of a validity coefficient will be a function of the proportion of individuals considered satisfactory on the basis of some criterion measure and the proportion of the tested group which is selected. Therefore the forecasting value may be considerably higher than is indicated by
k. Based on Pearson's "Tables for finding the volumes of the normal bivariate surface," 11 tables are presented from which relationships may be found among the size of the validity coefficient, the proportion of individuals considered satisfactory, the proportion of tested individuals to be selected, and the proportion of those selected who will be satisfactory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
A review by Campion, Palmer, and Campion (1997) identified 15 elements of interview structure and made predictions regarding how applicants and interviewers might react to these elements. In this 2-sample field survey of 812 interviewees and 592 interviewers from over 502 organizations, interview structure was best described by 4 dimensions: (a) Questioning Consistency, (b) Evaluation Standardization, (c) Question Sophistication, and (d) Rapport Building. Interviewers with formal training and those with a selection rather than recruiting focus employed higher levels of interview structure. In addition, reactions to increased structure were mixed. Both higher structure (Question Sophistication) and lower structure (Rapport Building) were positively related to interviewer reactions. Less than 34% of interviewers had any formal interview training. However, interviewers were confident that they could identify the best candidates regardless of the amount of interview structure employed. Applicants reacted negatively to the increased perceived difficulty of structured interviews, but perceptions of procedural justice were not affected by interview structure.
The employment interview context is broad and multifaceted, and it includes a number of social, situational, and affective influences which generate from the interviewee, interviewer, nature of the job in question, and interactions among these factors. The employment interview is proposed to be influenced by nonverbal and self-promotion behaviors of the applicant, interviewer training, and the requirements of the job. These variables then influence the intermediate variables of applicant similarity to the interviewer, perceived competence of the applicant, and interviewer affect toward the applicant. The intermediate variables then influence the perceived job suitability of the applicant. The present study tested and found support for modeling the employment interview context and how it affects interviewer decisions. The contributions and limitations of the present study are discussed, in addition to directions for future research.
A meta-analysis was conducted on the accuracy of predictions of various objective outcomes in the areas of clinical and social psychology from short observations of expressive behavior (under 5 min). The overall effect size for the accuracy of predictions for 38 different results was .39. Studies using longer periods of behavioral observation did not yield greater predictive accuracy; predictions based on observations under 0.5 min in length did not differ significantly from predictions based on 4- and 5-min observations. The type of behavioral channel (such as the face, speech, the body, tone of voice) on which the ratings were based was not related to the accuracy of predictions. Accuracy did not vary significantly between behaviors manipulated in a laboratory and more naturally occurring behavior. Last, effect sizes did not differ significantly for predictions in the areas of clinical psychology, social psychology, and the accuracy of detecting deception. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Virtually every previous review has concluded that structuring the selection interview improves its psychometric properties. This paper reviews the research literature in order to describe and evaluate the many ways interviews can be structured. Fifteen components of structure are identified that may enhance either the content of the interview or the evaluation process in the interview. Each component is explained in terms of its various operationalizations in the literature. Then, each component is critiqued in terms of its impact on numerous forms of reliability, validity, and user reactions. Finally, recommendations for research and practice are presented. It is concluded that interviews can be easily enhanced by using some of the many possible components of structure, and the improvement of this popular selection procedure should be a high priority for future research and practice.
The last major narrative review of the employment interview was published over 10 years ago. Since then, 278 studies have examined numerous aspects of the interview. This review summarizes and critically examines this recent research. A framework is developed that partitions research into social, cognitive, individual difference, measurement, and outcome factors. This organizing framework allows an examination of trends over time and facilitates identification of gaps in the empirical literature. Within each of these major factors, each research topic is identified, defined, and reviewed. For each topic, the results of the previous 3 narrative reviews are briefly summarized, recent research is reviewed and critiqued, and directions for future research are identified.
This narrative review covers both selection- and recruitment/com-munication-oriented employment interview research published since 1989. Brief comparisons of older reviews' findings to recent findings are presented. Key topics reviewed include validity and reliability evidence, decision making in the interview, applicant characteristics, applicant reactions, and interview communication processes. Key findings of the present review include: interview validity, under certain conditions, may rival that of mental ability tests; more structure in selection interviews is better; previewing applicant information (e.g., resumes) by the interviewer can harm selection interview effectiveness; and certain recruiter behaviors can influence applicants' willingness to work for the firm.
Affect is considered by most contemporary theories to be postcognitive,
that is, to occur only after considerable cognitive operations have
been accomplished. Yet a number of experimental results on preferences,
attitudes, impression formation, and decision making, as well as
some clinical phenomena, suggest that affective judgments may be
fairly independent of, and precede in time, the sorts of perceptual
and cognitive operations commonly assumed to be the basis of these
affective judgments. Affective reactions to stimuli are often the
very first reactions of the organism, and for lower organisms they
are the dominant reactions. Affective reactions can occur without
extensive perceptual and cognitive encoding, are made with greater
confidence than cognitive judgments, and can be made sooner. Experimental
evidence is presented demonstrating that reliable affective discriminations
(likedislike ratings) can be made in the total absence of recognition
memory (oldnew judgments). Various differences between judgments
based on affect and those based on perceptual and cognitive processes
are examined. It is concluded that affect and cognition are under
the control of separate and partially independent systems that can
influence each other in a variety of ways, and that both constitute
independent sources of effects in information processing. (139 ref)
(PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved)
The image candidates portray in the interview, via appearance, impression management, and verbal and nonverbal behavior, has been hypothesized to influence interviewer ratings. Through the lenses of social influence and interdependence theories, this meta-analysis investigated (a) the magnitude of the relationship between these 3 self-presentation tactics and interviewer ratings, (b) whether these tactics also are correlated with later job performance, and (c) whether important theoretical moderators (e.g., the level of interview structure, the rating source, the use of field or experimental designs) affect these relationships. Results reveal that what you see in the interview may not be what you get on the job and that the unstructured interview is particularly impacted by these self-presentation tactics. Additionally and surprisingly, moderator analyses of these relationships found that the type of research design (experimental vs. field) does not moderate these findings.
The authors examined how an applicant's handshake influences hiring recommendations formed during the employment interview. A sample of 98 undergraduate students provided personality measures and participated in mock interviews during which the students received ratings of employment suitability. Five trained raters independently evaluated the quality of the handshake for each participant. Quality of handshake was related to interviewer hiring recommendations. Path analysis supported the handshake as mediating the effect of applicant extraversion on interviewer hiring recommendations, even after controlling for differences in candidate physical appearance and dress. Although women received lower ratings for the handshake, they did not on average receive lower assessments of employment suitability. Exploratory analysis suggested that the relationship between a firm handshake and interview ratings may be stronger for women than for men.
To determine how the interview functions as a selective device, industrial employment interviews and Army officer training selection interviews were conducted. In the former, the order of application-form rating and appearance rating were varied. In the latter, persons were selected and case histories created to give different degrees of suitability. Information on the application form contributes more to the final decision than appearance. When both are rated favorably, chances of acceptance are better if the application form is rated first. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The present study examined the effect of applicant influence-tactic use on recruiter perceptions of fit. Two tactics, ingratiation and self-promotion, were expected to have positive effects on recruiter perceptions of fit and on recruiter hiring recommendations. In addition, the authors expected recruiter fit perceptions to mediate the relationship between applicant influence tactics and recruiter hiring recommendations. Results suggested that ingratiation had a positive effect on perceived fit and recruiter hiring recommendations (and indirectly, on receipt of a job offer). In addition, perceived fit mediated the relationship between ingratiation and hiring recommendations. The effects of self-promotion on fit and hiring recommendations were generally weak and nonsignificant. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Structure interviews to hire the best people Handbook of principles of organizational behavior
- C K Stevens
Stevens, C. K. (2000). Structure interviews to hire the best people. In E. A.
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Human resource selection
- R D Gatewood
- H S Feild
- M R Barrick
Gatewood, R. D., Feild, H. S., & Barrick, M. R. (in press). Human resource
selection (7th ed.). Mason, OH. Thompson South-Western.