Reflecting on the interviews I have participated in and conducted, I recognize several factors that impacted their effectiveness, particularly reliability, validity, and utility. Reliability in an interview pertains to consistency; however, many of the interviews I encountered were unstructured and largely reliant on the interviewer, leading to varied questions for each candidate. This inconsistency undermined the validity of the assessments. A more effective approach would have involved structured interviews, where all candidates are asked the same questions. This method ensures that each candidate has an equal opportunity to respond, making the evaluations more comparable.
Interview validity guarantees that the questions are relevant and that they measure job-related skills. Sometimes, the interview questions were about very general or unrelated subjects, and did not reveal much about what I can do for the job. A valid interview is one that is related to the job, which can be done (as was suggested in the lectures) by conducting a thorough job analysis. Incorporating a situation or behavior type questions are seen as an approach to measuring a specific competency which can improve the content validity of the interview.
Utility: The time and cost utility of the interview process is paramount. The interviews, however, often felt lengthy and disorganized as well – some of the interviewers did not appear to be well-prepped for the calls. The process could cost less and run smoother by preparing relevant questions beforehand and reducing biases. In this way, it could increase practicality and avoid going through unnecessary steps by for example knowing what is needed from the job post and arrange interviews accordingly.
If I could advise past interviewers, I would recommend a more structured approach, focusing on job-relevant questions, consistent scoring methods, and active note-taking. These improvements would enhance the reliability, validity, and utility of interviews, making them more effective and fair for both candidates and employers.
Reference:
Week 5 lectures