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If it's for a technical position where you don't ineract with the public, definitely. I can't tell you how many accounting jobs I have lost out on because I didn't sell myself well during the interview. I admit that I would make a terrible salesman as I'm not good at all at self-promoting and BSing. If they had just given me a skills test, I'm sure I would have passed with flying colors and I would have performed fine on the job.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I have done both. In a previous position I only interviewed the 25-30 people who did the best on a written test. Currently, my interviews include a work sample project. While most of the time our questions can bring out the truth when someone is lying or exaggerating, the work sample definitely makes it clear. You still have to meet and interview them if there are any people skills required so just a written test or work sample is not enough, and they need to be done under controlled conditions. I have someone from HR monitor them while they do the sample and I leave the room, they finish and leave and then I come back and review their work.
I have done both. In a previous position I only interviewed the 25-30 people who did the best on a written test. Currently, my interviews include a work sample project. While most of the time our questions can bring out the truth when someone is lying or exaggerating, the work sample definitely makes it clear. You still have to meet and interview them if there are any people skills required so just a written test or work sample is not enough, and they need to be done under controlled conditions. I have someone from HR monitor them while they do the sample and I leave the room, they finish and leave and then I come back and review their work.
But are interviews an accurate way of determining people skills? I think the job interview is a rather unusual scenario that is unlikely to replicated closely in the applicant's day-to-day job duties. I'm skeptical of an interview's ability to predict how well an applicant would get along with co-workers, for example. People do not necessarily act in interviews they way they act during the workday: some get nervous and perform poorly in an interview, while others may hide negative aspects of their personality. Also, "selling yourself" is critical to the interview, but how critical is it to day-to-day work?
The study I cited stated that interview performance did not predict the job performance of med school graduates. Assuming that people skills affect a medical doctor's job performance, that result would cast doubt on the assumption that interviews accurately assess people skills.
I interviewed a young woman who was awesome on the interview. When she was hired she was a complete disaster. She ended up getting fired. Now she is a manager...go figure.
I think a mixture of both is best. Sure, you are hiring an IT person for their IT skills, but unless they work alone on a bubble, you need to try and assess their personality and their fit. Do they have a history of being late? Are they good communicators with their team members? Can they handle stress and short deadlines? Are they focused, innovative, or at least willing to try? I don't think we'd hire someone with the right skills if they were rude, obnoxious or always late.
I think my 16yo cousin could ace most basic IT tests, but that still doesn't mean he's ready for certain corporate environments. By the way, I work in HR and during my interview, my manager asked me to write a letter in MS Word to see if I could address it correctly, and how to create a graph in Excel. I am not an expert, but I'm pretty darn good at MS Office in general. I ended up knowing more about these programs than anyone in the company... go figure, eh?
i don't know that interviews are a good way to determine what a person is really like, for reasons other people have outlined above.
but a person's personality is important in the workplace. even if you do perfect work, if you're unbearable to be around or to collaborate with, you won't be a good employee in a lot of workplaces. hiring people purely based on their skills just doesn't work - with very few exceptions you need to find people with work and communication styles that mesh with the other people in the workplace.
i don't really know what the way around this is, though. personality tests are far from perfect, any kind of interview or work simulation or test is going to be complicated by nerves and/or the person trying to act perfect. references and gut feelings from meeting and having a conversation with a person seem like the best ways to me to gauge someone's personality and style of interaction with coworkers, but they are pretty imperfect as well.
Interviews alone are not going to be effective. But from a bosses perspective, I would not want to hire someone I had not met because a good professional and personal chemistry is the key to a good working relationship and team work. I believe that the finalist should interview with the departmental team too because team compatibility is important. The team should buy into the hiring decision they will work together better if they are involved in the hiring decision.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I have literally interviewed hundreds of people, and probably 90% of them show signs of being nervous, that's normal, and we understand that. Some of them may be able to get through and turn out to be poor employees, but most of the time there are clues to their personality that come out in the interview. For me it's important to see a real positive attitude toward working at our company, as opposed to just wanting a job. You can get an idea of the person's frustration level and even anger management with carefully crafted questions. Most of those eliminated by the interview are those that claim to have experience in something but then in a follow-up question cannot answer what should be a simple question of they really did it. Surprisingly, I have even had people when asked if they were the best person for the job, answer that they probably were not. I suppose I should appreciate the honesty, but if they are not the best person for the job why would I hire them?
Surprisingly, I have even had people when asked if they were the best person for the job, answer that they probably were not. I suppose I should appreciate the honesty, but if they are not the best person for the job why would I hire them?
why would you ask someone if they're the best person for the job? if they're going to be honest, they don't know who the other candidates are so they have no idea if they're "the best". or do you mean the best person in the whole world? again, how would someone know that? do you want them to just lie and say yes, they are the absolute best person in the world for this particular job? or do you want someone with such a big ego that they'd honestly believe that? i can say with assurance that i would do a great job at any position i apply for, but if you asked me if i was the best person it would give me pause. i don't like to lie in interviews but questions like this sort of demand it.
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