Need for structured interviews

Need for structured interviews


This article focuses predominantly on interviews as selection methods and strives to display the selection interview as both an art and a science; an intertwined dynamic relationship that feeds and relies upon both intuition and scientific methods.

It is a common belief and a type of “tradition” that a job interview is the be-all-end-all of the recruitment process throughout Cypriot companies. It is assumed that during a job interview, the hiring manager has the experience necessary to select the ideal candidate for the job.

It is sad but true therefore that most such hiring officials come from backgrounds that do not provide training on such matters. It is time to accept that not all managers are skilled interviewers and that the reliance solely on intuition and tenure of an interviewer in a company is not a reliable predictor of the right candidate being offered the job.

Many things can happen during the interview that could potentially distract or bias the interviewer’s judgment against making the correct decision. It is not the purpose of this article to list the potential dangers of such hap hazardous interviewing, but merely to enlighten managers and executives about the need for a more structured approach to interviewing.

Structured interviews such as competency-based and situational interviews are used extensively abroad, and for good reason; they provide a structured and standardised approach to collecting “evidence” from a job candidate that is perceived by all parties as fair and consistent. Structured interviews also allow for more in-depth probing of a job candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Such interviews are designed from a thorough job analysis, which would examine and identify the core competencies required for successful performance in the role. They are scripted to ensure consistency across job candidates; everyone going for that specific job interview gets asked the same questions, in the same order, and in the same manner.

As already mentioned, there is a need in Cyprus for structured interviews. This stems from:

• the lack of consideration of possible discrimination issues
• the inordinate costs involved in selecting the wrong candidate for the job
• the need for job interviews to be perceived as fair by candidates
• the unfortunate possibility of letting the ideal candidate slip through the system, just because he / she was asked a totally different set of questions to the other candidates

So much time and energy is invested in selecting the ideal candidate for the job, not least to mention the huge financial costs involved in recruiting, selecting, and training, that it is therefore illogical to rely purely on a manager’s impression of the candidate when making such decisions. It is therefore nonsensical to ignore the benefits of a well-structured interviewing process.