Correlational tests of predictions from a process model of the interview (original) (raw)
Related papers
The past decade has seen continued interest in the employment interview, with several changes in research emphasis. The present review is a comprehensive examination of interview research conducted since Harris last reviewed this literature. We begin with a review of the traditional areas of interview research: reliability, validity, structured interviews, interviewer differences, equal employment opportunity issues, impression management, and decision-making processes. Next, we review and discuss more recent developments in interview research such as the use of the interview as a means of assessing person±organization (P±O) fit and applicant reactions to the employment interview. Throughout the review, suggested topics for future research are discussed. There is perhaps no more widely used selection procedure than the employment interview. Despite decades of research questioning the validity of the interview and the reliability of interviewers, most organizations still include some type of interview in their selection process. Recent research has investigated a number of different aspects of the interview in an attempt to elucidate the reasons behind their continued use. In addition, several recent studies have presented new psychometric evidence that provides support for the continued use of the employment interview. Our review of this recent research will bring together a wide variety of studies which, when considered together, may provide a better picture of the employment interview and provide us with avenues for future research.
Confirming First Impressions in the Employment Interview: A Field Study of Interviewer Behavior
This research examined behavioral styles used by interviewers to confirm their first impressions of job applicants. Three interviewers in a corporate setting formed first impressions based on application blank and test score information. They then conducted audiotaped interviews. Coders independently coded 79 interviews and found that first impressions were related to confirmatory behavior. Interviewers followed up positive first impressions, for example, by showing positive regard toward applicants, "selling" the company and giving job information, and gathering less information. Ap-plicants' communication style and rapport with interviewers also differed. Significant differences in confirmatory behaviors also occurred among the three interviewers. A number of interviewer behaviors , especially positive regard, were related to applicant behavior in interviews. Although previous studies of expectancy confirmation have produced mixed results, our results suggest that interviewers in natural settings do use confirmatory strategies, underscoring the importance of additional research on "self-fulfilling prophecies."