Human Resource Management, 15e (Dessler)

Chapter 7 Interviewing Candidates

1) Which of the following is the most commonly used selection

tool? A) telephone reference
B) reference letter
C) interview
D) personality test

2) Which of the following refers to a procedure designed to predict future job performance
based on an applicant's oral responses to oral inquiries?
A) work sample simulation
B) selection interview
C) reference check D) arbitration

3) 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 ________ interview.
A) screening
B) selection
C) benchmark
D) background

4) According to the text, selection interviews are classified by all of the following
factors EXCEPT ________.
A) Administratio
B) structure
C) Content
D) length

5) What is the type of interview which lists the questions ahead of time?
A) structured interview
B) unstructured interview
C) situational interview
D) behavioral interview

6) Which of the following is another term for an unstructured

interview? A) directive
B) nondirective
C) unformatted
D) administrative

7) Which of the following is an advantage of using a nondirective format when interviewing

job candidates?
A) allows candidates to ask questions
B) uses a manager's time more effectively
C) pursues points of interest as they develop
D) scores and compares candidates with consistency

8) Which of the following is the primary disadvantage of using structured interviews during
the employee selection process?
A) higher potential for bias
B) limited validity and reliability
C) inconsistency across candidates
D) reduced opportunities for asking follow-up questions
9) How do situational interviews differ from behavioral interviews?
A) Situational interviews are based on an applicant's responses to actual past situations.
B) Situational interviews are based on how an applicant might behave in a hypothetical situation.
C) Situational interviews ask applicants job-related questions to assess their knowledge and
skills.
D) Behavioral interviews ask applicants to describe their emotions in different
hypothetical situations.

10) Which of the following statements is representative of what might be asked in a

behavioral interview?
A) "Consider a time when you were faced with an angry client. What did you do to turn
the situation around?"
B) "We are concerned with employee pilferage. As a manager here, how would you go
about discouraging this behavior?"
C) "Employees in this division are frequently under a great deal of pressure. How do you
think you would handle the stress of the position?"
D) "What would you do if a subordinate threatened to sue the company for discrimination?"
11) What type of interview would most likely include the statement, "Tell me about a time when
you worked successfully in a team environment"?
A) situational
B) behavioral
C) puzzle
D) stress

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

13) What type of interview would most likely 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) behavioral
B) stress
C) puzzle
D) situational

19) Dr. Ross is interviewing for a position as Assistant Professor of Biology. 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) serial
B) panel
C) one-on-one D) mass

21) An employer can most likely increase the reliability of a panel interview by ________.
A) using an unstructured interview format
B) interviewing multiple candidates simultaneously
C) providing interviewers with scoring sheets and sample answers
D) requiring candidates to participate in work sampling
techniques

45) According to studies, which of the following has the most influence on the outcome of a
job interview?
A) thank-you notes sent from the candidate to the interviewer
B) an interviewer's first impression of the candidate
C) favorable information about the candidate
D) a candidate's extroverted personality

47) Which of the following refers to an error of judgment on the part of the interviewer due to
interviewing one or more very good or very bad candidates just before the interview in
question? A) context error
B) contrast error
C) recency error
D)primacy error
53) Which of the following applicant characteristics is LEAST likely to be assessed
accurately during a selection interview?
A) extroversion B) agreeableness C) job knowledge D) conscientiousness

54) Which of the following would most likely increase candidate-order errors?
A) applicant gender
B) recruiting pressure
C) poor first impression
D) lack of job knowledge

78) What is the first step in conducting an effective interview?

A) knowing the job
B) developing relevant questions
C) establishing rapport with candidates
D) asking technical questions

79) In order to conduct an effective interview, interviewers should NOT ask job candidates about
their ________.
A) knowledge B) lifelong goals C) willingness D) motivation
80) Which of the following is the most likely outcome of using the same questions with all
candidates being interviewed?
A) responses improved B) weaknesses revealed C) reliability limited D) bias reduced

81) Which question below is an example of a situational 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 work experiences, training, or other qualifications do you have for working in a
teamwork environment?"
D) "What factors should one consider when developing a television advertising campaign?"

82) Which question below is an example of a behavioral question?

A) "Can you tell me about a time when you solved a really difficult problem?"
B) "What is your attitude about working with a sales team instead of independently?"
C) "What factors do you consider before underwriting an insurance policy for a new client?"
D) "What are your long-term goals and aspirations as a social worker?"

83) All of the following will most likely improve the structure of an interview EXCEPT
________.
A) using the same questions for all candidates
B) rating candidate answers against a scale
C) asking candidates to describe themselves
D) using a standardized interview form

84) 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) background question
B) behavioral question
C) situational question
D) job knowledge question

85) All of the following are guidelines for conducting an effective interview EXCEPT ________.
A) taking brief notes during the interview
B) scheduling a private room for the interview
C) showing courtesy and friendliness towards the candidate
D) asking the candidate questions that require yes or no
answers

86) Which of the following is recommended advice for conducting an effective interview?
A) Telegraph the desired answer to the candidate.
B) Allow the candidate to control the interview.
C) Ask the candidate for specific examples.
D) Ask the candidate about work-related injuries.