Improving Hiring Through Better Interviewing

How reliable is a job interview for predicting fit and future potential in a candidate? Over the years HR and Talent leaders have embraced and adopted a wide variety of different approaches to try and ascertain if job candidates can do the role they are being considered for - from a skills and experience angle - or if they have the potential to acquire the necessary skills. Even in the current AI-driven digital age job interviews are still the benchmark.?

Yet how reliable are they? There has been much research over the years both in support of traditional interviewing, and looking at alternative approaches, yet little consensus on what could replace the interview to ascertain future performance. I came across a recently published meta-analytic review on the validity of interview-based assessments in establishing how reliably future performance and potential can be predicted in a current edition of Psychology Today and wanted to share some of the insights.

They started with a thought experiment, imagining an experienced chef being asked to judge a cooking competition not by tasting the dishes they were judging, but instead interviewing the contestants on the recipes they used. Initially this would seem ridiculous, but their point was that this is how most interviews are approached - with the research showing that traditionally constructed job interviews do not reliably predict future performance in the role.

There are four main reasons why:

The Illusion of Accuracy

One of the fundamental issues with traditional interviews is the illusion of accuracy. Many hiring managers believe they can gauge a candidate’s potential based on a 60-minute conversation. However, interviews account for only about 9% of the variance in future job performance. This highlights that 91% of what determines job success is missed during interviews. An over-reliance on interviews might be leading to misjudgments and costly hiring mistakes.

Does the Perfect Interview Question Really Exist?

A common misconception is that asking the right questions can uncover the truth about a candidate's potential. While behavioural questions, situational judgment scenarios, and technical assessments are used to reveal insights, in reality they are falling short. Both structured and unstructured interviews show low levels of accuracy in predicting future performance. Interviews are equally ineffective in assessing task-specific skills and broader, more nuanced contextual behaviours. making them too blunt an instrument for diverse job requirements.

The Bias Problem

Interviews are susceptible to unconscious biases, which can significantly skew hiring decisions. Even with structured formats, factors like a candidate's appearance, speaking style, or perceived familiarity can influence judgments. The halo effect, where one positive attribute colours the entire impression of a candidate, can further complicate this.?

A strong response early in an interview can overshadow subsequent weak answers, while an awkward moment or silence can unfairly impact perceptions. This bias often leads to hiring individuals who are good at being interviewed but not necessarily good for the fundamentals of the job they are being considered for.

The "Fit" Fallacy

Modern interviews are very focussed on establishing ‘cultural fit’ with the team and organisation. It’s quite logical to try and hire someone who aligns with company values and team dynamics but that can lead to uniformity of thinking rather than diversity, resulting in teams that think, act and even look alike, negatively impacting creativity and innovation. It also risks prioritising ‘fit’ over establishing potential and performance.

Taking a Different Approach to Interviewing

So, if traditional job interviews are limited in their ability to predict future performance and potential, how can we improve hiring. The research suggests a different approach to interviewing:

1. Focus on job-related tasks

Incorporating a wide array of job simulations, work sample tests, and skills assessments mean that candidates can be evaluated on job-related tasks, which should provide a more accurate measure of their capabilities. Examples that businesses already use include asking sales candidates to make a mock sales call, and getting software engineers to undertake a coding challenge.

2. Focus on Past Performance

Examine a candidate’s concrete accomplishments and especially how they achieved them. Past performance is usually a strong indicator of future success, so to get a clearer insight into their potential try and understand how they have handled challenges in previous roles, led projects, or achieved their goals.?

3. Structured Interviews with Flexibility

While completely unstructured interviews are problematic, overly rigid ones - especially those tied to a ‘script’ - can also miss important nuances. Semi-structured interviews, that allow for flexibility in the questioning, can strike a balance, and maintain consistency across candidates, who tend not to feel comfortable with scripted interviews.

4. Leverage Technology

AI-driven assessments can help reduce human bias and provide data-driven insights into a candidate’s potential. Tools that analyse language patterns, facial expressions, and other non-verbal cues can offer additional layers of evaluation, making the process more objective.

5. Look for Cultural Contribution Over Fit

Don’t look for candidates who fit the culture - look for those who can contribute to and enhance it. This can encourage diversity of thought and help foster an environment where new ideas and perspectives can thrive. Evaluate how a candidate's unique experiences and skills can add value to the organisation as a whole.

The next game-changing employee might not be the one who interviews best, nor has the ‘perfect’ CV, but is likely to be the one whose true potential is waiting to be discovered. Diverse assessment approaches, flexible interviews, technology and a focus on culture can help HR and Talent leaders make more informed and effective hiring decisions.

From X to Z - Differing Perspectives on the World of Work

Earlier this week I joined the Purple Acorn team and had the first of, what will hopefully be many more, conversations with Gen Z and Future of Work influencer Danielle Farage as we shared thoughts on the World of Work from different perspectives. This week we talked about 'Open to Work' banners on social profiles, supporting learning in organisations and how getting hired has changed over the years.

Hope you enjoy the conversation:

Register for my pre HR Tech Webinar!!

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I'll be talking about boosting retention by creating better workplace experiences and hope you can join me!

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