CODESP Interviewing Techniques and Methods 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which interview format is most likely to yield legally defensible hiring decisions under EEOC guidelines?
- Unstructured conversational interview
- Structured behavioral interview with standardized scoring (Correct answer)
- Panel interview with open-ended questions
- Telephone screening with informal notes
Correct answer: Structured behavioral interview with standardized scoring
Structured behavioral interviews with standardized scoring criteria are most defensible because they apply consistent, job-related criteria to all candidates.
Question 2: In a STAR-based behavioral interview, what does the 'R' stand for?
- Rationale
- Result (Correct answer)
- Role
- Recommendation
Correct answer: Result
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result — the four components candidates should address in behavioral responses.
Question 3: An interviewer consistently rates candidates higher after seeing an impressive resume before the interview. This exemplifies which bias?
- Contrast effect
- Halo effect (Correct answer)
- Primacy effect
- Recency effect
Correct answer: Halo effect
The halo effect occurs when a positive impression in one area (resume) unduly influences ratings in other areas (interview performance).
Question 4: What is the primary advantage of using multiple interviewers in a panel format?
- It reduces the total interview time
- It lowers the cost per candidate
- It reduces individual interviewer bias and increases reliability (Correct answer)
- It allows candidates to be assessed on more personality traits
Correct answer: It reduces individual interviewer bias and increases reliability
Panel interviews reduce individual bias and increase inter-rater reliability by averaging perspectives across multiple trained evaluators.
Question 5: Which question type directly assesses a candidate's past behavior as a predictor of future performance?
- Hypothetical situational question
- Behavioral question (Correct answer)
- Knowledge-based question
- Credential verification question
Correct answer: Behavioral question
Behavioral questions ask candidates to describe specific past experiences, based on the premise that past behavior predicts future behavior.
Question 6: When developing scoring anchors for a structured interview, what should each anchor level describe?
- The candidate's educational background
- Observable behavioral indicators that distinguish performance levels (Correct answer)
- The interviewer's subjective impression of the candidate
- The candidate's salary expectations
Correct answer: Observable behavioral indicators that distinguish performance levels
Scoring anchors should describe specific, observable behaviors that clearly distinguish between poor, adequate, and excellent responses.
Question 7: Which practice best reduces the recency effect in interview scoring?
- Scoring each candidate immediately after the interview ends (Correct answer)
- Waiting 24 hours before scoring to allow reflection
- Scoring all candidates together at the end of the day
- Relying on memory without notes for a more holistic view
Correct answer: Scoring each candidate immediately after the interview ends
Scoring candidates immediately after each interview limits the recency effect by preventing later interviews from overshadowing earlier ones.
CODESP Interviewing Techniques and Methods 2
Which interview format is most likely to yield legally defensible hiring decisions under EEOC guidelines?