Comparison Of Structured And Unstructured Employment Interviews In Personnel Selection

Compare and contrast structured versus unstructured employment interviews in terms of their validity and reliability. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of both types in selection? Explain why structured interviews can be more valid and reliable in terms of their predictive validity?
In your answer, please consider how structured and unstructured interviews may differ in terms of their reliability and validity in predicting employees’
performance. Your answer should draw from the extensive literature on personnel selection, the reading materials for this module as well, of course,
from the lecture notes and from additional readings and references to key articles and publications given in the relevant lectures or through library
consultation.
After reading the materials of this course you should be able demonstrate knowledge and understanding about these two selection procedures as well
as critically discuss the major concerns associated with their reliability and predictability of employee’s performance in current changing environments.
When attempting to answer this question, it may be advisable to break it down and assess what is actually required in each part.

Types of Interviews

The report helps in analysis of the structured and unstructured kind of employment interviews in terms of the comparison between the structured and unstructured kinds of interviews in terms of reliability and validity. Furthermore, the different kinds of advantages and disadvantages of both kinds of interviews on the process of selection has to be analysed in an effective manner.

The proper analysis of the reliability and validity of the structured interviews has to be done in terms of predictive validity. The critical discussion on the different major concerns associated with predictability and reliability of the performance of the employees in current changing environment.

Furthermore, the main aim and purpose of the report is to identify the importance of the structure interviews in analysing the performance of the employees in the organization while interview and this will become effective while maintaining the process to be more effective.

There are different kinds of interviews which are different from one another in terms of the reliability and validity and this helps in the analysis of the different kinds of approaches effectively. The structured kinds of interview in the organization helps in managing the different kinds of performance of employees in such a manner in which this has been seen that the employees are more comfortable with the structured interview in which this has been seen that the interviewee manages the different kinds of activities in an effective manner in an efficient manner. The discussion of the same is given as follows:

• Structured Interviews
• Unstructured Interviews

Alonso, Moscoso and Salgado (2017) has commented that the structured interviews help and uses the preset kinds of questions which are being asked to the different candidates. The structured interview and selection is rational in that which uses the scientific approach and this contains accuracy in the different steps which are being followed. According to Armstrong and Taylor (2014), this has been seen that structured approach to the selection of the employees in the organization helps and emphasizes the different needs which helps in using the different techniques such as the job descriptions and briefs which will help in understanding the different requirements which are essential in nature to be adopted while interviewing the candidates effectively.

Furthermore, Gall, Gall and Borg (2014) has hypothesized that the quantitative approach of the structured interviews aims at measuring the different facts, knowledge, behavior and attitudes of the different candidates. Furthermore, the main purpose of the quantitative approach helps in finding accurate kind of information without much influences from the researcher. There is strict control over the interview process as there is no such flexibility in the process. Field (2017) has opined that the research in the structured interview is descriptive in nature and the type of questions in the respective interview is close ended in nature and the factors which are being evaluated in the interview is explicit in nature.

• On the other hand, this has been seen that the unstructured kinds of interviews refer to the interview in which the different questions are asked to the respondents and these are not set before hand as well.Edwards, Sieminski and Zeldin (2014) has commented that there is repeated kind of face to face encounters between the researcher and informants which is directed towards the entire understanding informants effectively. Furthermore, Elnaga and Imran (2013) has opined that the unstructured interviews are the qualitative interviewing process and non-directive interviewing process.

Garavan et al. (2016) has hypothesised that the data collected in the unstructured interviews is exploratory in nature and the type of questions which are being asked to the respondents are open ended in nature. The factors which are being evaluated in the respective interview is implicit in nature and this kind of interview is essential in nature for probing the different personal kinds of details of the candidates and judge whether the candidate is right for the respective kind of situation effectively as well.

Discussion on Structured Employment Interviews

From the above table of differences between the structured and unstructured kinds of interviews, this can be analysed that the reliability of the structure interviews is effective in nature in comparison to the unstructured interviews. Garavan et al. (2016) has opined that the structured interviews process is essential as this helps in drastically improving the chance of making right hire for the company effectively. Furthermore, the structured interviews help in focusing on planning for the future and this helps in providing legal defensible approach to hiring of the candidates as well.

However, on the other hand, Garavan et al. (2016) has commented that the unstructured kind of interview is time consuming and there is very little factual kind of information provided to the candidates which is not at all effective in nature. There is biasness in the attitude of the different researchers and there is little control on the different information which is being provided to the respondents in an effective manner.

There are different kinds of advantages and disadvantages of the structured kind of interview in which this has been seen that:

• It helps in reaching large sample
• A proper and accurate representative sample s possible in nature and the results is used to make different statements (Gilmore 2013)
• This can help in conducting face to face interviews wherein the electronic recording is not available
• It can help in ensuring that the questions are being fully understood by the informants and respondents

There are different kinds of disadvantages of the structured interviews which are as follows:

• The different interviewers can potentially affect the answers through using the tone of voice a body language
• The respondents are being forced to choose between the different alternatives answers which is given by the interviewer to the respondents (Dhar 2015)
• This is time consuming in nature in terms of the collection of the data and interviewer is required to be stick to the particular set of questions and there are times when this can be seen that the reliable data is not easily obtainable in nature (Elnaga and Imran 2013)

On the other hand, there are different advantages and disadvantages of the unstructured interviews which are explained as follows:

• The informality helps the interviewer in gaining rapport and open up with the candidates and this is kind of informal interview
• There can be proper understanding between the interviewer and interviewee and there can be checking of the different meanings which are unsure in nature and this helps in understanding of the different meanings in an easy manner (McIntosh and Morse 2015)
• There is huge flexibility in the questions and answer session as this has been seen and analysed that there are no such questions which are fixed and there are open ended questions which can help in managing the different kinds of questions while interview time

• There is lack of reliability of the data in the unstructured kind of interview in which this has been seen that it is not being standardized and this is impossible to replicate
• There are ethical issues in the unstructured kind of data in which this has been seen that there is lack of confidentiality in the data and the structure of the interview and this can be ineffective form (Levashina et al. 2014)
• There are different kinds of practical problems in unstructured kind of interviews wherein this has been seen that these interviews take long time to conduct and this is ineffective in nature.

From the above advantages and disadvantages of both structured and unstructured data, this can be analysed and identified that there are different kinds of advantages of the structured interviews which can be conducted in order to make the system more effective in nature and this will help the organization in selecting the right candidates effectively as well. However, on the other hand, the unstructured data is not effective as there is less reliability of the data and this can affect the overall process of interview in a negative manner.

Deal and Kennedy (2008) has commented that the structured interview is reliable in nature in comparison to the unstructured interview as there are different kinds of effectiveness in the structured data of interview which is lacking in the unstructured interview data. Carberry, (2012) has commented that structured kind of interview helps in providing same amount of the appropriate information as four unstructured kind of interviews. This helps in making the process more effective and appropriate in nature.

Furthermore, Carberry, (2012) has opined that the structured kind of interview helps and assist in providing the accurate kind of data in comparison to the unstructured kind of interview. Additionally, Banfield, Kay and Royles (2018) has hypothesised that the structured kind of interview will help in increasing the overall consistency as all the employees are treated in a same manner and this makes the decisions for hiring more fast and accurate in nature as well. The confidence is higher in nature in comparison to the different unstructured kind of data.

Armstrong and Taylor (2014) has commented that the structured interview helps in receiving and gaining the accurate data which is lacking in unstructured interview. The effectiveness is less in nature in comparison to the different structured interview and thus this reduces the consistency in the data of the unstructured data wherein there are different kinds of open ended questions prepared for the candidates and which are not so effective in nature.

Discussion on Unstructured Employment Interviews

Similarly, Alonso, Moscoso and Salgado (2017) has commented that the fairness is important and effective in nature as this helps in treating the different candidates in an objective and equal manner as the different questions are based on the specific job requirements and this helps in improving the experience of the candidates as well. The author has commented and hypothesised that the structured kinds of interviews helps in predicting performance better than the unstructured in nature. Armstrong and Taylor (2014)has opined that the job-related documentation in the structured interviews is detailed in nature and this helps in satisfying the different requirements and queries of the candidates as well in the organization.

Alonso, Moscoso and Salgado (2017) has commented that in descriptive research, the structured kind of interview is utilized in order to collect the information because this is relatively economical in nature and the inferences can be drawn in an easy manner. Furthermore, in the structured kind of interview, the characteristics which are being evaluated are explicit in nature and this helps and assist in collecting the data in a quantitative manner as well.

According to Armstrong and Taylor (2014), this has been analysed that the interview questions are being constructed in such a manner which is based entirely on knowledge, skills and abilities which are being found through the entire formal job analyses and these are the different kinds of requirements in the job as well. It has been seen that the business environment is changing in the present scenario and this is affecting the entire perception of the employees regarding the questions which are being asked in the interview panel as well.

On the other hand, Brewster, Chung and Sparrow (2016) has commented that there are variety of the questions in the structured kind of interview which are being permitted and these are the questions which is regarding and relating to the job knowledge and the job which is required to be performed by the employees in the organization. Additionally, Bryman, (2017) has opined that there are different variations in the structured interviews which makes it difficult for pinpointing the exact kind of source of higher validities and reliabilities. Nevertheless, there are three different types of categories of features which helps in serving as possible kind of explanations.

Brewster, Chung and Sparrow (2016) has hypothesised that the structured interviews data is the actual manner in which these formats help in dealing with ancillary data which includes test scores, biographical data, reference checks and this helps in incorporating different kinds of procedures in the judgment phase which helps in enhancing the overall reliability of the judgment in an effective manner. Bryman, (2017) has opined that structured interviews help the interviewer to understand the questions which is required to be asked to the candidates as this helps the candidates to be confident regarding the questions which will be asked to them regarding their job domain.

Brewster, Chung and Sparrow (2016) has commented and analysed that the structured kind of interviews are being used by the positivists and this helps in validating the different kinds of results in an effective manner when the candidates are large in number and these assists in managing the questions and answer session in an effective manner as well. This has been analysed that the selection techniques in the structured interview in creating procedural techniques which are making it easier in nature to gain more competitive advantage in comparison to the other unstructured interviews.

Contrasting Between Structured and Unstructured Interviews

In the present scenario, this has been analysed and identified that there are different changes in the business environment, this is essential in nature to identify the different kinds of performance of the employees can be determined with the structured interviews. Bryman, (2017) has opined that the performance of the employees during the interview process help in gaining the knowledge relating to the data which is related to the job and this will be essential in nature in managing the performances effectively as well.

Conclusion: 

Therefore, this can be concluded that when the interview is structured in nature same kind of questions are being put forward to the different candidates which are related to the job. However, on the contrary, this has been seen and analysed that when the interview is unstructured in nature and the questions differ from the interviewee to the interviewer for the same kind of job and this may or may not be related to the job as well.

Furthermore, this has been seen and analysed that in the structured kind of interview, there is a proper and accurate kind of pre-developed system which helps in checking the results. It has been seen that the structured kind of interview is more effective in understanding and analysing the different kinds of concerns in analysing the reliability of the data relating to employees for the performance which is required to be understood in the changing environment effectively. The reliability of the data is more effective and efficient in nature in predicting the employees’ performance.

References:

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