Chen, C. C., and Tsai, W. C. 2005. The Impact of Preinterview Impression on Interviewer Evaluation: The Moderating Role of Interview Structure. NTU Management Review, 16 (1): 155-170
Chien-Cheng Chen, Assistant Professor, Department of Business Management, National Taipei University of Technology
Wei-Chi Tsai, Associate Professor, Department of Business Administration, National Chengchi University
Abstract
Before an employment interview, the interviewer typically preview applicants' paper credentials and form a first impression of the applicant's fit to the perceived requirements of the job (Phillips & Dipboye, 1989). Past research has found that interviewers' preinterview impressions of job applicants affect their subsequent evaluations. This study extends previous research by examining the moderating role of interview structure in real employment interviews for actual job openings. Results from 43 interviewers and 151 applicants of 25 firms supported our hypothesis and showed that the more structured the interview, the weaker the relationship between preinterview impressions and interviewer evaluation, indicating that organizations using highly structured interviews may reduce potential sources of error caused by preinterview impressions and as a result enhance the quality of interviewer decisions.
Keywords
Preinterview impression Interview structure Employment interview