Throughout my life I’ve had the opportunity to interview with organizations many times. During these interviews I have had a wide range of interview types. Smaller organizations that I’ve interviewed with are more prone to having unstructured interviews, with no formal scoring system. Larger organizations that I have interviewed with have been more on the structured side, with a formal scoring system. Also, with larger companies and organizations, I have usually been interviewed by a panel of people. I currently work for a large water utility in the S.F. Bay area. We provide water to approximately 2.4 million people in the Santa Clara Valley. The positions are unique in that they require a water treatment license issued by the State of California.
I have been tested on physical abilities, cognitive abilities, and situational judgement tests. These tests were in addition to a structured interview and were designed to test your ability to do the position. Most of the positions that I have interviewed for are designed with specific skill sets and abilities in mind. These jobs require certain state licensing levels (there are five levels) and testing criteria that immediately narrows the job pool to those who possess the license(s).
The interviews are set up to identify your range of knowledge required to do the job, including regulatory compliance and emergency situations. Many times, there will be safety questions, such as confined space entry, fall protection, and hazardous material handling (I work around a lot of hazardous chemicals).
As for reliability, validity, and selection utility, I think my organization does a great job. The fact that the positions that I have interviewed for are very specific, with definable work attributes and KSAO’s makes selection methods very accurate. My HR department works hand in hand with the supervisors and managers to construct uniform testing and interviewing. There is always a feedback system after a hiring process that gives all involved a chance to comment on procedures and/or request improvements.