Author: Malcolm Harrison

As a senior Construction Management major at Oregon State University, I have participated in job interviews at the OSU career fair for the past three years and have received job offers each year. Because of that experience, I have been able to see firsthand what makes interviews effective and what can make them less reliable or useful. Many of the ideas discussed in lecture about reliability, validity, and utility directly reflect what I have observed in real interviews with construction firms.

The most effective interviews I have had were structured and focused on job-related competencies. When interviewers asked similar questions to every candidate, it made the process feel more fair and consistent. This increased reliability because interviewers could compare candidates based on the same criteria rather than personality or first impressions. In contrast, interviews that were very informal or conversational often felt less reliable, since different candidates were asked completely different questions.

Validity was strongest when interview questions related directly to construction scenarios. Behavioral questions such as describing how I handled schedule conflicts, safety concerns, or teamwork issues on past projects allowed me to demonstrate skills that are directly relevant to the job. These questions aligned with course material emphasizing that past behavior is one of the best predictors of future job performance. Interviews that relied on vague questions about “leadership” or “fit” without clear definitions felt less effective and less predictive of actual job success.

Utility is also an important factor, especially in construction where hiring the wrong person can be costly. While structured interviews require more preparation, they ultimately provide better information for hiring decisions and reduce turnover and training costs. Based on my experience, I would advise employers to use structured interviews, standardized rating systems, and questions tied directly to construction responsibilities. Doing so improves fairness, reduces bias, and leads to better hiring outcomes for both the company and the candidate.

Job descriptions play an important role in helping employees understand their responsibilities and how their work contributes to the organization. However, one of the main challenges with developing and maintaining job descriptions is that jobs often change over time. When job descriptions are not updated to reflect these changes, employees may not fully understand what is expected of them or how to perform their tasks to their highest potential.

Another challenge with job descriptions is the time and effort required to create and maintain them, especially for small HR teams. Because of this, job descriptions are sometimes too broad or outdated. When this happens, employees may experience repetitive work, limited interaction with coworkers or leadership, and a lack of purpose in their roles. These issues can quickly lead to lower job satisfaction and higher turnover, which makes it expensive for companies to hire and train new employees.

Not having clear job descriptions also creates challenges for feedback and performance evaluation. When expectations are unclear, it becomes difficult for leaders to provide meaningful feedback or for employees to understand how they can improve. This can cause frustration and make employees feel unsupported or undervalued in their positions.

One way to address these challenges is by regularly reviewing job descriptions and aligning them with how the work is actually being performed. Involving employees in this process can help ensure fairness and clarity while also increasing engagement. Job descriptions should also allow room for growth through strategies such as job rotation, enlargement, and enrichment, which help reduce repetition and increase interaction. Overall, clear and well-maintained job descriptions support employee satisfaction, improve performance, and help reduce turnover over time.

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