Interviewing Candidates Flashcards
Which of the following is the most commonly used selection tool? A) telephone reference B) reference letter C) interview D) personality test
C) interview
Which of the following refers to a procedure designed to predict future job performance based
on an applicant’s oral responses to oral inquiries?
A) work sample simulation
B) selection interview
C) reference check
D) arbitration
B) selection interview
When an interview is used to predict future job performance on the basis of an applicant's oral responses to oral inquiries, it is called a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ interview. A) screening B) selection C) benchmark D) background
B) selection
According to the text, selection interviews are classified by all of the following factors EXCEPT \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) administration B) structure C) content D) length
D) length
What is the type of interview which lists the questions ahead of time? A) structured interview B) unstructured interview C) situational interview D) behavioral interview
A) structured interview
Which of the following is another term for an unstructured interview? A) directive B) nondirective C) unformatted D) administrative
B) nondirective
Which of the following is an advantage of using a nondirective format when interviewing job candidates?
A) allows candidates to ask questions
B) uses a manager’s time more effectively
C) pursues points of interest as they develop
D) scores and compares candidates with consistency
C) pursues points of interest as they develop
Which of the following is the primary disadvantage of using structured interviews during the employee selection process?
A) higher potential for bias
B) limited validity and reliability
C) inconsistency across candidates
D) reduced opportunities for asking follow-up questions
D) reduced opportunities for asking follow-up questions
How do situational interviews differ from behavioral interviews?
A) Situational interviews are based on an applicant’s responses to actual past situations.
B) Situational interviews are based on how an applicant might behave in a hypothetical situation.
C) Situational interviews ask applicants job-related questions to assess their knowledge and skills.
D) Behavioral interviews ask applicants to describe their emotions in different hypothetical situations.
B) Situational interviews are based on how an applicant might behave in a hypothetical situation.
Which of the following statements is representative of what might be asked in a behavioral interview?
A) “Consider a time when you were faced with an angry client. What did you do to turn the situation around?”
B) “We are concerned with employee pilferage. As a manager here, how would you go about discouraging this behavior?”
C) “Employees in this division are frequently under a great deal of pressure. How do you think
you would handle the stress of the position?”
D) “What would you do if a subordinate threatened to sue the company for discrimination?”
A) “Consider a time when you were faced with an angry client. What did you do to turn the situation around?”
What type of interview would most likely include the statement, "Tell me about a time when you worked successfully in a team environment"? A) situational B) behavioral C) puzzle D) stress
B) behavioral
Which of the following statements is representative of what might be asked in a situational interview?
A) “Tell me about a time you showed leadership in a difficult situation.”
B) “Suppose you were confronted with an angry customer who threatened to sue the company. What would you do?”
C) “Can you think of a time when you were especially proud of your management skills? Tell me about that.”
D) “In this position, you are responsible for hiring and firing subordinates. Have you ever fired anyone before? Describe how you handled the situation.”
B) “Suppose you were confronted with an angry customer who threatened to sue the company. What would you do?”
What type of interview would most likely include the following statement? "Imagine that you have just been assigned the task of winning the business of our competition's biggest client. How would you proceed?" A) behavioral B) stress C) puzzle D) situational
D) situational
In a stress interview, the interviewer ________.
A) provides an applicant with a task to complete in a set amount of time
B) tries to make the applicant uncomfortable in order to spot sensitivity
C) gives a word problem to see how the candidate thinks under pressure
D) describes a hypothetical situation to assess how the applicant responds
B) tries to make the applicant uncomfortable in order to spot sensitivity
Which of the following questions would most likely be asked during a stress interview?
A) “I see that you switched colleges four times before finally earning your degree. I think that reflects an inability to make good decisions and remain focused. What do you think?”
B) “Can you tell me about a time in the past when you used leadership skills to handle a difficult situation?”
C) “Mike and Todd have $21 between them. Mike has $20 more than Todd has. How much does Mike have and how much does Todd have?”
D) “Why are you leaving your current position and changing careers?”
A) “I see that you switched colleges four times before finally earning your degree. I think that reflects an inability to make good decisions and remain focused. What do you think?”
What type of interview would most likely include the following: "It must be difficult to leave a company after such strong accusations of unethical behavior. Tell me about that"? A) situational B) behavioral C) stress D) puzzle
C) stress
Which of the following terms refers to a group of interviewers working together to question and rate one applicant? A) serial interview B) board interview C) sequential interview D) mass interview
B) board interview
Kevin is interviewing for a position as a public relations specialist in a communications firm.
He first meets with the HR manager. Afterwards, he meets with the department manager. Finally, he meets with the company president. Kevin is most likely experiencing a ________ interview.
A) board
B) panel
C) serial
D) mass
C) serial
In a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ interview, a panel questions several candidates simultaneously. A) formal B) topical C) panel D) mass
D) mass
Dr. Ross is interviewing for a position as Assistant Professor of Biology. His interview is conducted by a team of other faculty members in the department who interview him
simultaneously and then combine their ratings into one score. This is an example of a ________
interview.
A) serial
B) panel
C) one-on-one
D) mass
B) panel
An employer can most likely increase the reliability of a panel interview by ________.
A) using an unstructured interview format
B) interviewing multiple candidates simultaneously
C) providing interviewers with scoring sheets and sample answers
D) requiring candidates to participate in work sampling techniques
C) providing interviewers with scoring sheets and sample answers
Ellen is interviewing along with several other talented candidates for a position as a journalist at a newspaper. A team of interviewers will meet with all the candidates at once. The team will pose problems to the candidates and see which candidate takes the lead in formulating
an answer. This is most likely an example of a ________ interview.
A) serial
B) board
C) mass
D) panel
C) mass
All of the following are common characteristics of computerized selection interviews EXCEPT ________.
A) questions presented rapidly
B) response times measured for any delays
C) questions focused on experience and skills
D) essay questions based on hypothetical situations
D) essay questions based on hypothetical situations
Which of the following interview formats will most likely result in the highest validity? A) structured, situational B) unstructured, situational C) structured, behavioral D) unstructured, behavioral
A) structured, situational
The primary purpose of conducting a stress interview is to determine ________.
A) why an applicant wants to work for the firm
B) how an applicant solves complex problems
C) why an applicant lied on the resume
D) how an applicant handles criticism
D) how an applicant handles criticism
Which of the following statements is most likely true?
A) Interpersonal skills are difficult to judge from phone interviews.
B) Phone interviews can generate spontaneous answers from candidates.
C) Candidates prefer phone interviews more than face-to-face interviews.
D) Interviewers usually judge candidates the same in phone and face-to-face interviews.
B) Phone interviews can generate spontaneous answers from candidates.
Which of the following is a common characteristic of computerized interviews? A) multiple-choice questions B) puzzle questions C) follow-up questions D) open-ended questions
A) multiple-choice questions
The primary purpose for conducting a case interview is to ________.
A) provide a candidate with a realistic job preview
B) form a realistic assessment of a candidate’s skills
C) ensure that a candidate’s needs are expressed
D) determine how a candidate handles criticism
B) form a realistic assessment of a candidate’s skills
The interview is the most widely used personnel selection procedure.
TRUE
Nondirective interviews follow no set format so the interviewer can ask follow-up questions and pursue points of interest as they develop.
TRUE
Nonstructured interviews are preferred to directive interviews because they are more reliable and valid
FALSE
Nondirective interviews can be described as little more than a general conversation.
TRUE
All structured interviews specify acceptable answers for each question.
FALSE
Behavioral interviews ask interviewees to describe how they would react to a hypothetical situation at some point in the future.
FALSE
In a stress interview, the interviewer seeks to make the applicant uncomfortable with rude questions.
TRUE
The majority of selection interviews are one-on-one and sequential.
TRUE
Studies suggest that interviewers tend to evaluate applicants less favorably in telephone
interviews than in face-to-face interviews.
FALSE
