Abstract
The purpose of the study was to examine antecedents of interview performance commonly measured via two divergent methods; selection tests and evaluator assessments. General mental ability (GMA), emotional intelligence (EI), and extraversion have been largely studied in isolation. This study evaluates the relative strength of these traits across methods and tests whether selection test and evaluator-assessed traits interact to further enhance the prediction of interview performance. 81 interviewees were asked to complete traditional selection tests of GMA, EI, extraversion, and a video-recorded structured behavioral and situational job interview. The traits, behavioral, and situational interview performance were then evaluated with three independent sets of raters. Regression analysis was used to investigate the extent that these traits predicted structured interview performance. Results indicate that each trait was a strong predictor of interview performance, but results differed based on the method of measurement and the type of structured interview assessed. Further, evaluator perceptions related to interview performance more strongly than did selection tests. Finally, evaluator assessments of each trait interacted with its respective selection test counterpart to further enhance the prediction of interview performance. This improves our understanding of how applicant traits impact hiring decisions. This is the first study to directly compare tested versus others’ ratings of interviewee GMA, EI, and extraversion as predictors of interview performance.
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We would like to thank Tim DeGroot and Lilli A. Bishop for helpful comments.
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Appendix
Behavioral Interview Questions
Tell me about a time when you were challenged to get somebody to do something they really did not want to do.
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Please describe a time when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with.
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At times we are put in situations where we find ourselves correcting someone’s behavior because it is inappropriate, offensive, or just plain wrong for other reasons. Tell me about a situation where you had to confront someone who was doing something wrong.
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Please explain something you have done in a work situation that shows how creative or innovative you can be.
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Please explain a recent decision that you had to make that was particularly challenging or complicated.
Situational Interview Questions
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Imagine you were working with a fellow worker whom you knew greatly disliked performing a particular job task. You were in a situation where you needed this task completed, and this employee was the only one available to assist you. What would you do to motivate the employee to perform this task?
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Imagine being in a situation with both a co-worker and a client in which the client is being unreasonable. Your co-worker appears frustrated and begins to make comments that may be construed as sarcastic and offensive. How do you handle this situation?
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3.
Imagine that, as part of a living unit activity, you are dealing with client who is difficult to deal with. In front of all the other clients, they refuse to follow your directives. How would you go about dealing with the client?
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4.
Suppose you are working on an important report and become increasingly uncertain whether or not you will complete the project by the stated deadline set for you by your supervisor. How would you deal with this situation?
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5.
Imagine that your boss is sick and you are asked to fill in for him or her for a few weeks. One particular task requiring attention is to plan for an upcoming outing to a local park including yourself, two additional staff, and 12 clients. What would you do to prepare for this outing?
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Kluemper, D.H., McLarty, B.D., Bishop, T.R. et al. Interviewee Selection Test and Evaluator Assessments of General Mental Ability, Emotional Intelligence and Extraversion: Relationships with Structured Behavioral and Situational Interview Performance. J Bus Psychol 30, 543–563 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-014-9381-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-014-9381-6