In today’s competitive job market, hiring the right candidate is more crucial than ever. Traditional interview methods, while still widely used, often fall short of identifying the best talent due to inherent biases and inefficiencies. Fortunately, advancements in psychometric assessments and data-driven techniques are reshaping the hiring landscape. This blog explores effective, science-backed interview techniques and the benefits of incorporating psychometric assessments, focusing on assessing personality traits and values alignment.

Understanding Psychometric Assessments

Psychometric assessments measure candidates’ personality traits and behavioural attributes. These assessments provide objective data that can predict job performance and organisational compatibility. By integrating these results into the interview process, employers can make more informed decisions, reduce bias, and enhance the overall quality of their hires.

The Science Behind Effective Interview Techniques

Our recommended interviewing techniques are grounded in data, behavioural science research, and proven results; this is the core of what we do at MyPeople. To eliminate bias and ensure a data-driven hiring process, we focus on two main aspects:

1. The fairness of the process
2. The predictive accuracy of the process

Whether conducted face-to-face or via video, traditional interview methods are often rife with unconscious bias and lack predictive power. Poor interview techniques fail to gather the right information needed for the best hiring decisions.

Common Traditional Interview Techniques and Their Limitations

Many traditional interview techniques are still widely practiced but have proven to be poor predictors of job performance. These include:

• Asking for Related Work Experience and Focusing on Past Career Achievements: While past experience is often valued, it doesn’t always predict future success. A candidate’s previous job duties might not align with the new role’s requirements.
• Requiring a Certain Level of Education When It’s Not a Direct Qualification: For many roles, specific educational requirements aren’t necessary. For example, while doctors need medical degrees, most positions don’t require concrete education as a primary qualification.
• Having Go-With-the-Flow Interviews with Unique Lines of Questioning: Unstructured, free-form interviews can lead to inconsistent evaluations and are less reliable in assessing candidate capabilities.
• Discussing Hobbies, Interests, or Unrelated Soft Skills: While these discussions may help in getting to know a candidate better, they often do not provide valid indicators of job performance.
• Asking Impossible Brain-Teasers or Trick Questions: These questions might test problem-solving skills in abstract ways but are not reliable indicators of job performance.

Data consistently shows that these methods can’t accurately forecast a candidate’s ability to perform in the role. For example, research published in The Validity and Utility of Selection Methods in Personnel Psychology highlights that unstructured interviews and background information like education and experience don’t effectively predict job performance.

Structured Interviews

Research consistently shows that structured interviews are significantly more reliable than unstructured ones. In a structured interview, all candidates are asked the same set of questions, which are linked to job requirements. This approach minimizes biases and allows for a more objective comparison of candidates.

Benefits:

Consistency: Every candidate is evaluated against the same criteria.

Reliability: Structured interviews have a higher predictive validity for job performance. According to a meta-analysis by Schmidt and Hunter, structured interviews have a predictive validity of 0.51 compared to 0.38 for unstructured interviews.

Behavioural Questions

Behavioural questions, such as “Tell me about a time when you had to overcome a significant challenge,” are grounded in the premise that past behaviour is the best predictor of future performance. These questions elicit detailed responses that reveal how candidates have handled real-world situations.

Benefits:

Insightful Responses: Candidates provide concrete examples of their skills and behaviours.

Predictive Power: Helps in assessing how a candidate might handle similar situations in the future. Studies have shown that behavioural interviews can increase the accuracy of hiring decisions by 55%.

Assessing Mission and Values Alignment

Assessing how well a candidate’s values align with the organisation’s mission is essential for ensuring long-term engagement and job satisfaction. Understanding whether a candidate’s core values match the company’s values can prevent misalignment and ensure a smoother integration into the workplace culture. Psychometric assessments and targeted interview questions can help determine if a candidate’s values align with the organisation’s goals and purpose.

Benefits:

Increased Engagement: Employees who resonate with the company’s mission are more likely to be engaged and motivated. A study by Gallup found that employees who find their work meaningful are 43% more productive.

Long-Term Retention: Candidates aligned with the organisation’s mission are more likely to stay with the company long-term. Research by Deloitte shows that employees who believe their work aligns with their values are 60% more likely to stay with their employer.

Enhanced Organisational Culture: Hiring individuals whose values align with the business can reinforce and strengthen the organisational culture. A report by the Corporate Leadership Council found that a good values fit can improve team performance by 29%.

Better Job Performance: Employees who fit well with the company’s values are likely to perform better and contribute positively to the team. Research from the Harvard Business Review indicates that employees who share the company’s core values show a 22% increase in job performance.

Integrating Psychometric Assessments into the Interview Process

1. Pre-Interview Screening

Incorporating psychometric assessments into the early stages of the hiring process can help identify candidates who possess the desired traits and values. This ensures that only the most suitable candidates proceed to the interview stage.

Benefits:

Efficiency: Streamlines the selection process by narrowing down the candidate pool. Data shows that organisations using psychometric assessments in their hiring process see a 24% improvement in hiring efficiency.

Data-Driven Decisions: Provides a solid foundation for evaluating candidates beyond CV’s and capability assessments.

2. Tailoring Interview Questions

Using psychometric assessment results, interviewers can tailor their questions to probe deeper into areas of strength or concern. For example, if a candidate’s assessment indicates strong alignment with the company’s mission and values, interview questions can further explore these aspects.

Benefits:

Focused Interviews: Allows interviewers to delve into specific competencies and values relevant to the role.

Balanced Evaluation: Provides a more comprehensive view of the candidate’s fit with the organisation’s mission and values.

3. Post-Interview Analysis

After the interviews, psychometric assessment data can be used alongside interview performance to make final hiring decisions. This holistic approach ensures that decisions are based on a combination of objective data and subjective insights.

Benefits:

Holistic View: Combines multiple data points for a well-rounded evaluation.

Reduced Bias: Mitigates the impact of individual interviewer biases on the final decision.

In Conclusion

Follow these unbiased tips on interview skills and techniques so you reliably pick out the right person for the job—and have the data to prove it. Adopting science-backed interview techniques and integrating psychometric assessment results can significantly enhance the hiring process. Structured interviews combined with behavioural questions offer reliable methods to evaluate candidates objectively. Psychometric assessments provide valuable data that can guide interview questions and support data-driven decision-making. Additionally, assessing mission and values alignment ensures that new hires will not only excel in their roles but also resonate with the organisation’s goals and culture.

In a competitive job market, the ability to make informed, objective, and fair hiring decisions is invaluable. Embracing these advanced techniques and tools is not just a trend but a strategic advantage that can transform your organisation’s talent acquisition efforts. By focusing on both individual competencies and values alignment, employers can build stronger, more cohesive teams that drive organisational success.

For a deeper understanding of how to assess and align hires with your organisation’s mission and values, explore our website. Our expertise in psychometric assessments and values alignment can provide you with the insights needed to create a harmonious and productive workplace.

References:

• Schmidt, F.L., & Hunter, J.E. (1998). The validity and utility of selection methods in personnel psychology: Practical and theoretical implications of 85 years of research findings. Psychological Bulletin, 124(2), 262-274.
• Schmidt, F.L., & Hunter, J.E. (2004). General mental ability in the world of work: Occupational attainment and job performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86(1), 162-173.
• Huffcutt, A.I., & Arthur, W. Jr. (1994). Hunter and Hunter (1984) revisited: Interview validity for entry-level jobs. Journal of Applied Psychology, 79(2), 184-190.
• Campion, M.A., Palmer, D.K., & Campion, J.E. (1997). A review of structure in the selection interview. Personnel Psychology, 50(3), 655-702.
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). (2016). Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement: Revitalizing a Changing Workforce.
• Corporate Leadership Council. (2006). Improving Employee Performance in the Economic Downturn. Research Insights.
• Harvard Business Review. (2014). How Company Culture Shapes Employee Motivation.
• CIPD. (2015). A head for hiring: The behavioural science of recruitment and selection.
• ResearchGate. (2006). The Validity and Utility of Selection Methods in Personnel Psychology. Retrieved from