Chaper 7 Interviewing Candidates

Question 1

The is considered by many to be the most important screening tool.

A)reference letter
B)telephone reference
C)work sampling technique
D)management assessment center
E)selection interview

Answer 1

E

Question 2

A(n)is a procedure designed to obtain information from a person through oral responses to oral inquiries.

A)background check
B)writing test
C)work sample simulation
D)interview
E)reference check

Answer 2

D

Question 3

What type of interview might include the statement, "Tell me about a time when you worked successfully in a team environment"?

A)directive
B)stress
C)puzzle
D)situational
E)behavioral

Answer 3

E

Question 4

interviews can provide insight into sources of dissatisfaction for employees.

A)Selection
B)Appraisal
C)Exit
D)Preview
E)Structured

Question 5

An advantage of unstructured interviews is that they provide .

A)an ability to pursue follow-up questions as they develop
B)enhanced ability to withstand legal challenge
C)reduced subjectivity
D)lower potential for bias
E)consistency across candidates

Question 6

Which of the following statements is representative of what might be asked in a behavioral interview?

A)"We are concerned with employee pilferage. As a manager here, how would you go about discouraging this behavior?"
B)"Suppose you were confronted with an angry customer who threatened to sue the company. What would you do?"
C)"Employees in this division are frequently under a great deal of stress. How do you think you would handle the stress of the position?"
D)"In this position, you would have the responsibility of hiring and firing subordinates. Imagine that you have to fire an employee who is consistently absent because he cares for an elderly parent. Tell me how you would handle this situation."
E)"Tell me about a time you showed leadership in a difficult situation."

Question 7

During a(n)interview, a supervisor and an employee discuss the employee's performance and future actions and goals.

A)selection
B)appraisal
C)exit
D)preview
E)structured

Question 8

A job-related interview is, by definition, as type of interview.

A)stress
B)unstructured
C)structured
D)situational
E)behavioral

Question 9

Which of the following statements might be made by an interviewer in a stress interview?

A)"Why are you leaving your current position?"
B)"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?"
C)"I see you've changed jobs four times in the last two years. I've always felt that frequent job changes reflect irresponsible and immature behavior."
D)"Which courses did you like best in business school?"
E)"Can you tell me about a time in the past when you used leadership skills to handle a difficult situation?"

Question 10

In a interview, the interviewer tries to deduce what the applicant's on -the-job performance will be based on his or her answers to questions about past experiences.

A)structured
B)puzzle
C)situational
D)stress
E)job-related

Question 11

Structured interviews are also referred to as interviews.

A)content-free
B)standardized
C)nondirective
D)unformatted
E)directive

Question 12

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)"Can you think of a time when you were especially proud of your management skills? Tell me about that."
C)"In this position, you are responsible for hiring and firing subordinates. Have you ever fired anyone before? Tell me how you handled the situation."
D)"How have you handled ethical dilemmas in the past?"
E)"Suppose you were confronted with an angry customer who threatened to sue the company. What would you do?"

Question 13

What type of interview might 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)situational
B)behavioral
C)stress
D)directive
E)puzzle

Question 14

How do situational interviews differ from behavioral interviews?

A)situational interviews are based on how an applicant might behave in a hypothetical situation
B)situational interviews utilize predetermined situational questions and answers
C)situational interviews are based on responses to past situations
D)behavioral interviews ask applicants to describe their emotions in different hypothetical situations
E)situational and behavioral interviews do not differ

Question 15

When an interview follows a performance appraisal and focus on discussing an employee's performance rating, it is called a(n)interview.

A)selection
B)appraisal
C)exit
D)preview
E)structured

Question 16

Another word for unstructured interviews is .

A)unformatted
B)directive
C)content-free
D)nondirective
E)standardized

Question 17

Which of the following is a disadvantage of using structured interviews?

A)lower potential for bias
B)consistency across candidates
C)lack of ability to pursue follow-up questions as they develop
D)enhanced ability to withstand legal challenge
E)reduced subjectivity

Question 18

In a stress interview, the interviewer .

A)gives a word problem to see how the candidates think under pressure
B)tries to assess the strength of the applicant's desire for success
C)gives hypothetical situations for the applicant to respond to
D)tries to deduce what the applicant's on-the-job performance will be based on his or her answers to questions about past experiences
E)tries to make the applicant uncomfortable in order to spot sensitivity

Question 19

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(n)interview.

A)selection
B)appraisal
C)exit
D)preview
E)structured

Question 20

Which type of interview could also be described as somewhat like a general conversation?

A)situational
B)directive
C)standardized
D)nondirective
E)all of the above

Question 21

Another term for panel interview is .

A)structured interview
B)serial interview
C)board interview
D)computerized interview
E)sequential interview

Question 22

A disadvantage of research on interviewer effects and biases is that .

A)the research is based on real jobs
B)the research uses students as raters
C)the research is based on hypothetical jobs
D)the research uses real employees
E)both B and C

Question 23

Dr. Ross is interviewing for a position as Assistant Professor of Human Resource Management. 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)one-on-one
B)mass
C)panel
D)sequential
E)serial

Question 24

The team holding the interviews for new auditors is behind in its recruiting quota. The team is most likely to rate the applicants in this situation.

A)positively
B)neutrally
C)unacceptable
D)negatively
E)There is not enough information to determine.

Question 25

When an interviewer makes a statement like "This job requires handling a lot of stress. You can do that, can't you?" he or she has used to provide a subtle cue as to the desired response.

A)telegraphing
B)socially desirable responding
C)cueing
D)leading
E)foreshadowing

Question 26

All of the following characteristics tend to result in more positive assessments of job candidates by interviewers except .

A)poise
B)physical attractiveness
C)extraverted behavior
D)male gender
E)all of the above tend to influence interviewers in a positive manner

Question 27

Which interview format listed below should result in the highest validity?

A)structured, job-related
B)unstructured, situational
C)structured, behavioral
D)unstructured, behavioral
E)structured, situational

Question 28

Which of the following statements might be made by an interviewer in a job-related interview?

A)"I see you've changed jobs four times in the last two years. I've always felt that frequent job changes reflect irresponsible and immature behavior."
B)"Can you tell me about a time in the past when you used leadership skills to handle a difficult situation?"
C)"Why are you leaving your current position?"
D)"Mike and Todd have $21 between them. Mike has $20 more than Todd has. How much has Mike and how much has Todd?"
E)"Suppose you were confronted with an angry customer who threatened to sue the company. What would you do?"

Question 29

Which of the following is an example of a puzzle question?

A)"I see you've changed jobs four times in the last two years. I've always felt that frequent job changes reflect irresponsible and immature behavior."
B)"Mike and Todd have $21 between them. Mike has $20 more than Todd has. How much has Mike and how much has Todd?"
C)"Why are you leaving your current position?"
D)"Which courses did you like best in business school?"
E)"Can you tell me about a time in the past when you used leadership skills to handle a difficult situation?"

Question 30

Kimberly 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 an example of a interview.

A)serial
B)mass
C)panel
D)sequential
E)board

Question 31

The EEOC uses , who apply for employment which they do not intend to accept, for the sole purpose of uncovering unlawful discriminatory hiring practices.

A)moles
B)mystery applicants
C)testers
D)spies
E)applicants

Question 32

Which of the following is an advantage of computer-aided interviews?

A)ability to measure response time to questions
B)reduction of time spent by managers on unacceptable candidates
C)less potential for influence of bias
D)reduction of influence of nonverbal behaviors
E)all of the above

Question 33

Typical computerized interviews present questions in a(n)format, one at a time.

A)short answer
B)multiple choice
C)fill in the blank
D)essay
E)all of the above

Question 34

Based on interviewer assessments of attractiveness and gender, which of the following would most likely receive the highest rating for an executive level position?

A)an attractive woman
B)an unattractive woman
C)an unattractive man
D)an attractive man
E)There are no such biases based on attractiveness and gender.

Question 35

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 person who would be his direct supervisor. Finally, he meets with the company president. Kevin is experiencing a interview.

A)structured
B)nondirective
C)panel
D)board
E)serial

Question 36

In a mass interview, a team of interviewers interviews the candidate in a fashion.

A)serial
B)sequential
C)simultaneous
D)symmetrical
E)systematic

Question 37

A mass interview differs from traditional panel interviews in that the team of interviewers interviews .

A)several candidates sequentially
B)each candidate by using sub-groups of the team
C)candidates in front of other employees
D)several candidates serially
E)several candidates simultaneously

Question 38

Jill is interviewing six candidates for a position as an entry -level management trainee. The first two candidates were judged unfavorable. The third candidate was just average, but Jill was so pleased to find an acceptable candidate after the first two interviews that she assigned a better rating to candidate 3. This is an example of a .

A)recency error
B)contrast error
C)context error
D)order effect
E)primacy effect

Question 39

What type of interview might include the statement, "It must be difficult to leave a company after such accusations of unethical behavior. Tell me about that"?

A)stress
B)directive
C)situational
D)behavioral
E)puzzle

Question 40

means that the order in which an interviewer sees applicants affects how the candidates are rated.

A)Recency error
B)Context error
C)Primacy effect
D)Contrast error
E)Order effect

Question 41

The third step in the procedure for developing a guide for structured situational interviews is to .

A)rate the job's main duties
B)create interview questions
C)write a job description
D)create benchmark answers
E)appoint the interview panel and conduct interviews

Question 42

Consider the question: "What work experience do you have in marketing and sales?" What type of question is this?

A)behavioral question
B)situational question
C)job knowledge question
D)structured question
E)background question

Question 43

The fourth step in the procedure for developing a guide for structured situational interviews is to .

A)rate the job's main duties
B)create interview questions
C)write a job description
D)create benchmark answers
E)appoint the interview panel and conduct interviews

Question 44

What interviewer behaviors can interfere with the interview process?

A)telegraphing
B)playing psychologist
C)letting the applicant dominate the interview
D)talking too much
E)all of the above

Question 45

Which question below is an example of a background question?

A)"Suppose you were giving a sales presentation and a difficult technical question arose that you could not answer. What would you do?"
B)"Based on your past work experience, what is the most significant action you have ever taken to help out a co-worker?"
C)"What steps would you follow to conduct a brainstorming session with a group of employees on safety?"
D)"What experience have you had with direct point-of-purchase sales?"
E)"What factors should one consider when developing a television advertising campaign?"

Question 46

How many interviewers are usually on an interview panel for structured situational interviews?
A)10 or more

A)3 or less
B)3-6
B)it varies
C)6-9

Question 47

Interviewers should be trained to .

A)base questions on job-related information
B)avoid potentially discriminatory questions
C)understand EEO laws as they relate to the interview process
D)avoid stereotyping minority candidates
E)all of the above

Question 48

The second step in the procedure for developing a guide for structured situational interviews is to .

A)rate the job's main duties
B)create interview questions
C)write a job description
D)create benchmark answers
E)appoint the interview panel and conduct interviews

Question 49

Consider the question: "Can you provide an example of a specific instance where you provided leadership in a difficult situation?" What type of question is this?

A)behavioral question
B)structured question
C)situational question
D)job knowledge question
E)background question

Question 50

Which question below is an example of a situational question?

A)"Based on your past work experience, what is the most significant action you have ever taken to help out a co-worker?"
B)"What experience have you had with direct point-of-purchase sales?"
C)"What factors should one consider when developing a television advertising campaign?"
D)"Suppose you were giving a sales presentation and a difficult technical question arose that you could not answer. What would you do?"
E)"What work experiences, training, or other qualifications do you have for working in a teamwork environment?"

Question 51

All of the following are ways that interviewers can control the interview except .

A)use a large number of questions
B)ensure that all interviewees get the same questions
C)use multiple interviewers or panel interviews
D)prohibit questions from candidates until the end of the interview
E)limit interviewers' follow-up questions

Question 52

Consider the question: "Suppose you saw a co-worker who was not following standard work procedures. The co-worker claimed that the new procedure was better. What would you do?" What type of question is this?

A)job knowledge question
B)past behavior question
C)situational question
D)background question
E)structured question

Question 53

When interviewers write a job description with a list of job duties, required knowledge, skills, abilities and other worker qualifications, they are .

A)rating the job's duties
B)analyzing the job
C)appointing the interview panel
D)creating benchmark answers
E)creating interview questions

Question 54

Which of the following is an example of a job knowledge question?

A)"What are the legal restrictions regarding the use of telemarketing for consumers who have a past relationship with a company?"
B)"Suppose you were confronted with an angry customer who threatened to sue the company. What would you do?"
C)"Why are you leaving your current position?"
D)"Can you tell me about a time in the past when you used leadership skills to handle a difficult situation?"
E)"Mike and Todd have $21 between them. Mike has $20 more than Todd has. How much has Mike and how much has Todd?"

Question 55

Consider the question: "What factors should be considered when developing a customer database? " What type of question is this?

A)structured question
B)situational question
C)past behavior question
D)background question
E)job knowledge question

Question 56

Which question below is an example of a job knowledge question?

A)"What work experiences, training, or other qualifications do you have for working in a teamwork environment?"
B)"What factors should one consider when developing a television advertising campaign?"
C)"Suppose you were giving a sales presentation and a difficult technical question arose that you could not answer. What would you do?"
D)"Based on your past work experience, what is the most significant action you have ever taken to help out a co-worker?"
E)"What experience have you had with direct point-of-purchase sales?"

Question 57

Which of the following types of questions is not typically part of a structured situational interview?

A)situational questions
B)ability questions
C)job knowledge questions
D)willingness questions
E)all question types used in structured situational interviews

Question 58

When interviewers put too much weight on the last few minutes of the interview, the has occurred.

A)recency effect
B)order effect
C)context error
D)primacy effect
E)contrast error

Question 59

What is the first step in developing a guide for structured situational interviews?

A)rate the job's main duties
B)create interview questions
C)write a job description
D)create benchmark answers
E)appoint the interview panel and conduct interviews

Question 60

Which question below is an example of a past behavior question?

A)"What factors should one consider when developing a television advertising campaign?"
B)"What work experiences, training, or other qualifications do you have for working in a teamwork environment?"
C)"What experience have you had with direct point-of-purchase sales?"
D)"Suppose you were giving a sales presentation and a difficult technical question arose that you could not answer. What would you do?"
E)"Based on your past work experience, what is the most significant action you have ever taken to help out a co-worker?"

Question 61

Managers without a well-developed structured situational interview guide should still follow several steps to ensure a good interview process. The first step is to .

A)ask questions about significant areas in a candidate's life
B)devise a plan for the interview
C)prepare for the interview
D)probe specific factors during the interview
E)match the candidate to the job

Question 62

All structured interviews specify acceptable answers for each question.

Question 63

Exit interviews follow a performance appraisal and focus on a discussion of the employee's rating and possible remedial actions.

Question 64

Which of the following is not one of the four specific factors a manager should probe for in an interview?

A)motivation factor
B)personality factor
C)extracurricular activities factor
D)knowledge and experience factor
E)intellectual factor

Question 65

Interview questions designed to probe such areas as a person's aspirations and energy level seek information regarding a candidate's factor.

A)experience
B)knowledge
C)personality
D)intellectual
E)motivation

Question 66

The final step a manager should consider when conducting interviews without a thoroughly-developed structured situational guide is to .

A)prepare for the interview
B)probe specific factors during the interview
C)devise a plan for the interview
D)ask questions about significant areas in a candidate's life
E)match the candidate to the job

Question 67

Situational questions like "How would you organize a sales effort?" seek information regarding a candidate's factor.

A)intellectual
B)motivation
C)knowledge
D)personality
E)leadership

Question 68

Nonstructured interviews are preferred to directive interviews because they are more reliable and valid.

Question 69

In a stress interview, the interviewer seeks to make the applicant uncomfortable with rude questions.

Question 70

Computer-aided interviews are primarily used for essay questions.

Question 71

Behavioral interviews ask interviewees to describe how they would react to a hypothetical situation at some point in the future.

Question 72

The second step a manager should consider when conducting interviews without a thoroughly-developed structured situational interview guide is to .

A)identify specific factors to probe for during the interview
B)match the candidate to the job
C)devise a plan for the interview
D)ask questions about significant areas in a candidate's life
E)prepare for the interview

Question 73

Nondirective interviews follow no set format so the interviewer can ask follow-up questions and pursue points of interest as they develop.

Question 74

Which of the following is an important consideration when asking questions in the interview?

A)refrain from asking questions that can be answered yes or no
B)refrain from telegraphing the desired answer
C)listen actively to the candidate's responses
D)refrain from talking too much during the interview
E)all of the above

Question 75

Most interviews are one-on-one.

Question 76

The interview is the most widely used personnel selection procedure.

Question 77

Interview questions that probe for self-defeating behaviors and explore a person's past interpersonal relationships seek information regarding a candidate's factor.

A)motivation
B)knowledge
C)personality
D)intellectual
E)experience

Question 78

Rejected candidates who receive an explanation detailing why the employer rejected them tended to do all of the following except .

A)feel the process was fair
B)apply for jobs again with the firm
C)legally dispute the decision
D)speak more highly of the employer
E)rejected candidates tend to all of the above

Question 79

Nondirective interviews can be described as a general conversation.)

Question 80

Interview questions designed to assess such things as complexity of tasks the person has performed seek to probe the candidate's factor.

A)personality
B)experience
C)motivation
D)intellectual
E)knowledge