A rapidly growing company relies on its hiring manager's 'gut feeling' to select new employees. The manager conducts free-flowing, conversational interviews, asking different questions to each candidate based on how the conversation evolves. Recently, the company has noticed that many of their new hires are not performing as well as expected. Based on this information, evaluate the company's interview process. What is the most likely reason for their recent hiring struggles, and what specific change would most improve their ability to predict a candidate's future job performance?

Hiring Process Critique

Research, including a significant meta-analysis, has demonstrated that structured interviews are more effective predictors of a candidate's future job performance compared to unstructured interviews.

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Job interviews are primarily categorized into two formats: unstructured and structured. The key distinctions between them lie in the consistency of questioning, the level of advance preparation, and the method used for evaluating candidate responses.

Types of Interviews in Employee Selection

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Effectiveness of Structured Interviews

An unstructured interview is a type of qualitative interview that consists of a small number of general prompts or questions. This open-ended format gives participants the freedom to talk about what is important to them and guide the direction of the conversation. In psychological research, unstructured interviews are especially well-suited for sensitive topics because they allow the participants, rather than the researchers, to control the pace and depth of the disclosure.

Unstructured Interview

A structured interview is a qualitative data collection method in which the researcher adheres to a strict script. The interviewer asks a consistent, predetermined set of questions and does not deviate from them. While this approach ensures consistency across all participants, it does not allow the researcher to explore unanticipated topics or ask spontaneous follow-up questions.

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