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Structured Interviews

Interviews are one of the most common practices in personnel selection.  They give organizations a chance to interact with a job candidate, gauging their personality and fit with the job and company, as well as the opportunity to discuss specific qualifications and aspects of the work. Structured Interviews are a systematic inquiry about past behavior that provides insight to how applicants will behave on the job.  Utilizing this type of interview process allows organizations to reliably compare responses across people.

  • Tailored Approach
  • Benefits
  • Components to AAI’s Interview Guides

AAI provides customized pre-employment interview guides based on the competencies most important to the job and your organization.  They are founded on behavior-based interviewing techniques, focusing the discussion on the critical competencies and providing questions and behavioral benchmarks for assessing candidates.  Key features include:

  • Focus on Competencies—key competencies that make your organization successful are addressed in the interview.
  • Behaviorally-Based—the focus is on behaviors exhibited in past situations, so as to predict future behaviors in similar situations.
  • Structured—Candidates are asked the same questions, assuring consistency, fairness and comparability for all.
  • Much greater accuracy in identifying the best candidates for your jobs.  Research has shown that structured interviews are among the most valid selection procedures.
  • Much easier for Hiring Managers to screen candidates because the process steps, interview questions, and behavioral targets are all in a “cookbook.”
  • Reduces the risk and legal exposure of inappropriate interviewer conduct or unfair interviewing practices.
  • Improves image with job applicants because of job focus and relevance of the interview.
  • Increases productivity and profitability through the process of identifying and hiring higher-quality talent.

AAI’s Structured Interview Guides walk the interviewer through the Competency-Based interview process and typically consists of:

  • Targeted Competency Model—organizations choose which competency model to start with.  AAI consultants will work with any organization to review and identify the optimal competency model for their needs.
  • Focused Interview Questions—identifying the precise questions from AAI’s behaviorally-based question database that fit with all relevant competencies.
  • Rating Forms—that facilitate the consistent recording of behaviors, rating of candidates and consolidation of independent ratings.  AAI will assure that organizations have the best format for their needs.
  • Manager’s Guidebook—hiring managers are presented a comprehensive hiring guidebook which provides background and walks the hiring manager through the process of what to say and what to do.
  • Interview Training—the organization may elect to have an AAI consultant conduct an on-site half-day or full-day Structured Interview Guides workshop.