Reflecting on interviews I have participated in, two experiences stand out to me: interviewing at American Dream Pizza and interviewing from executive leadership role as New Member Educator in Alpha Phi. Both interviews were quite different, and they helped me understand what makes an interview effective or ineffective.
My interview at American Dream Pizza felt comfortable because I had been going there since I was three years old. My brother and dad had both worked there during college, so it almost felt like a family tradition. Since I was familiar with the environment, I was not very nervous. I dressed professionally, but the interview itself was very casual and did not include many structured questions. While that made the experience relaxed, it also made me uneasy because I wanted a clearer understanding of the role and expectations. It caused me to ask more questions so I wouldn’t miss any of the important job details. From an HR perspective, this type of informal interview may reduce reliability because different candidates may not ask the same questions. Having a structured interview helps improve fairness and consistency by using prepared questions.
On the other hand, interviewing for the New Member Educator role was much more formal and high pressure. I interviewed in front of nine slated peers, the chapter president, and the chapter advisor. That setting required preparation, confidence, and the ability to communicate clearly under pressure. Because there were multiple people asking me questions, they likely had different perspectives on my responses, which can strengthen decision making if evaluators focus on job related criteria.This kind of process may improve validity because leadership, communication, and composure were directly relevant to the role.
If I could give advice to employers, I would recommend balancing professionalism with comfort. Candidates should feel welcomed, but interviews should still be structured enough to measure the skills needed for success. Consistency, preparation, and clear expectations create stronger hiring decisions for everyone involved.
References
Buckingham, M., & Coffman, C. (2016). First, break all the rules: What the world’s greatest managers do differently. Gallup Press.
Bohnet, I. (2018, April). How to take the bias out of interviews. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2018/04/how-to-take-the-bias-out-of-interviews
Chamorro-Premuzic, T., & Steinmetz, C. (2013). The perfect hire. Scientific American Mind, 24(3), 42-47.
Week 5 Lecture 2: Introduction to Selection. Course materials.
Week 5 Lecture 4: Increasing Interview Effectiveness. Course materials.