Look at who's talking - employee selection and interviews - includes related article - HRA Agenda: Recruitment Hiring Practices

Author's note: This research was funded by a grant from the SHRM Foundation. The interpretations, conclusions and recommendations, however, are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent those of the Foundation.

Selecting employees is a finely tuned process. After hours of classroom training and numerous practice sessions, interviewers are turned loose to recruit for the company, armed with a list of questions to ask, the order in which to ask them and the appropriate responses to look for from the applicant.

Even with all of this attention being paid to the employment interview process, something is still missing: diversity. Interviewers are trained to look for the one "best" answer that has been developed by examining the responses of past applicants who turned out to be successful employees. However, there is a good chance that the model applicant represents the once traditional employee--white, male or both. While this is not inherently bad, it is a shortcoming of the interview procedure.

To overcome such limitations, businesses must take a new look at the old system. Questions such as "Will a female applicant have the experiences in life needed to provide the type of answer I am looking for?" And "Will a minority applicant have the mindset that is needed to offer an acceptable answer to my interview questions?" must be asked and honestly answered. If the answer is no, then changes should be made in the interview process.

Before any changes can be suggested or made, HR professionals must examine how the word choices, interaction patterns and life goals of women and minorities differ from those of whites and men.

Word-choice differences

Americans are known to be very individualistic. The Japanese culture is known for developing people who want to fit into a group and not stick out. For them, being recognized for individual accomplishments can be demoralizing and embarrassing.

With respect to gender, girls are taught not to fight and to try to build harmony among their friends. They are also expected to and often enjoy nurturing and supporting those around them.

Applicants from nonwhite cultures frequently use the pronoun "we" instead of "I." Female applicants will often do the same. However, white male applicants more frequently use "I" when describing an event in which they took part.

These distinctions might not seem important, but if the interview response requires applicants to specifically explain their role in an activity, minority and female applicants may not be able to do this as easily as white male applicants. Also, if the interviewer is looking for statements that begin with "I," illustrating that the individual has initiative or can lead, then once again, female and nonwhite applicants may be at a disadvantage.

Interaction patterns

Because the employment interview is a common occurrence, it is assumed that all participants know their roles and will perform well during the interaction. Most people assume that it is common knowledge that the interviewer breaks the ice and sets the parameters of the discussion. The interviewer is also responsible for selecting the topics discussed and the length of the interview. The applicants provide answers to the questions asked. If time allows, then and only then is the applicant allowed to ask questions of the interviewer.

However, not all applicants may be able to follow the rules with equal success. For example, the level of respect shown to authority figures varies by culture. In the U.S. culture, some deference is shown; however, it would not be uncommon for an interviewer and applicant to be on nearly equal footing during the interview. Asian applicants, by contrast, have been taught to respect authority and to not question those in authority. Obviously, interviewers may attribute more positive traits to the U.S. applicants, such as being self-starters or having better interpersonal skills, than would be attributed to applicants from other cultures.

More Layoffs This Year
Out of 836 company representatives interviewed, 25 percent of
respondents expect their companies to reduce the workforce in
1993.
                % Companies     % Companies
                that            that            Average %
                Planned         Conducted       of Workers
                Layoffs         Layoffs         Eliminated
Year Ended
June 1993       25              NA              NA
June 1992       22              46.1            9.3
June 1991       15              55.5            9.6
June 1990       17              35.7            10.9
June 1989       14              39.1            10.1
NA=Not Available
Source: American Management Association

Future goals

Many white men and women are willing to relocate to accept the best job offer. The same may not be true in other cultures. For example, the Hispanic and American Indian cultures place a strong emphasis on family and community--it is not unusual for these applicants to mention during an interview that their goal in life is to remain close to home so that they can help support their family and their community. Their reasons are simple; they would not be where they are today without the support they received from family, friends and community.

To an interviewer, this type of life goal may sound inflexible and immature. The interviewer is looking for answers that show a willingness to move wherever and whenever the firm needs them to and a strong commitment to the organization. In reality, such answers do show what the company should be looking for: loyalty and a strong sense of pride in their heritage.

Basic steps

The examples described above are a simple illustration of the inherent problems in the interview procedure used by most companies. To avoid discrimination in selection procedures, consider the following steps:

* Ask yourself: What is the demographic composition of the workforce? If all employees look the same, especially the demographic composition of new hires, it may be a reflection of the interview process.

* Examine the list of questions asked in the interview. Do the questions require an answer that shows individuality? Do the life goals of the individual require them to be mobile? If so, there may be room for improvement.

* Talk to the organization's recruiters. They are the ones who have faced the applicants, and they are in the best position to inform you of difficulties that minority and female applicants may have in the interview process.

* Talk to minorities and women in your workplace. Ask them if they felt that the interview process was difficult for them or if any questions asked bothered them.

* Review the comments recruiters made about their interviews with those of white and male applicants. Are there any striking differences?

The ever-changing demographics of the workplace is a challenge for all managers, not just those in human resources. However, it is HR's responsibility to provide a selection process that is fair and unbiased to applicants of all races and genders. The format used to develop the interview process must be flexible enough to allow all good candidates to succeed.

Helpful Hints for Soul Searching

In the ever changing global economy, the success of any business depends on the quality of its people. Typically during an hour interview, human resource professionals are expected to find out as much as possible about prospective employees without violating their individual rights. Interviews are like leads in newspaper articles. It's up to you to find out who, what, when, where and why.

A resume can answer most of the standard questions about educational background and work experience, but how do you find out about the soul of an individual? Is he or she a caring person, a team player, a role model? Does the candidate possess leadership qualities?

By having in mind a clear picture of the attributes you are seeking in a candidate, you will have more success in your "soul searching." The answers to the following questions can help you focus your search.

1. Support. Is being treated with understanding, kindness and consideration important? Does the candidate need to be encouraged?

2. Conformity. Is the candidate more comfortable conforming to the environment rather than being a little different? Is doing what is socially correct, accepted and proper important?

3. Recognition. How much recognition does the individual need? Does he or she need to be looked up to in order to feel important?

4. Benevolence. Does the individual truly care about others? Is helping those less fortunate important?

5. Independence. Must the individual do things his or her way, or is there some flexibility?

6. Leadership. Does the individual love power, abuse power, share power? Does he or she manage or lead?

7. Practical-mindedness. Is "getting his or her money's worth" important to the individual? Is he or she careful with money and possessions? Does the individual do things that will pay off?

8. Achievement. Does the individual like to work on difficult or challenging problems; to do something significant? Has he or she set the highest standards of accomplishment?

9. Variety. Is it important to do things that are new and different and to have a variety of experiences?

10. Decisiveness. Is it important to have strong, firm convictions or to come to a decision quickly, then stick to it?

11. Orderliness. Does the individual have well-organized work habits? Are things done according to a schedule and are matters kept in their proper place?

12. Goal orientation. Does the individual have a specific goal and know where he or she is going?

So as you embark on your next search assignment, please bring to mind that a key ingredient for any executive is they gotta have "soul"--Sincerity, Openness, Understanding, Loyalty.

The key to effective executive selection is to look for brains, a heart and clearly a soul.

John A. Passante is senior vice president for Moog Automotive Inc. in St. Louis, Mo.

K. Michele Kacmar, Ph.D., is assistant professor in the Department of Management at Florida State University, Tallahassee.

COPYRIGHT 1993 Society for Human Resource Management
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group