Compare and contrast the following four interview approaches: (1) nondirective interview, (2) structured interview, (3) situational interview, and (4) behavioral description interview.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

In a nondirective interview, the interviewer allows the applicant the maximum amount of freedom in determining the course of the discussion. The interviewer asks broad, general questions, but permits the applicant to talk freely with little interruption. The greater freedom afforded to the applicant in the nondirective interview is particularly valuable in bringing to the interviewer's attention any information, attitudes, or feelings that may be concealed by a more structured approach. However, the unstructured nature of this approach limits the consistency of information provided and makes it difficult to cross-check agreement with other interviewers. Thus, the reliability and validity of the nondirective approach are suspected.?The structured interview has a number of standard questions asked of each job applicant. Questions are job-related based upon job analysis. Since applicants are asked identical questions, the structured interview provides a more consistent basis for evaluating job candidates. This interview strives to maximize the validity of selection decisions.?With the situational interview, the applicant is given a hypothetical incident and asked to respond how he or she would handle it. Responses are evaluated relative to preestablished benchmark standards.?Behavioral description interviews focus on actual work incidents in the interviewee's past and what the applicant did in response. This interviewing approach assumes that past performance is the best predictor of future performance.