| Job interviews are typically the last stage in the hiring | | | | for the job, although the candidate will also be |
| process, used to evaluate the best candidates. | | | | assessing the corporate culture and demands of the |
| Interviews are usually preceded by the evaluation of | | | | job on offer. |
| supplied résumés, selecting a small number of | | | | Lower paid and lower skilled positions tend to have |
| candidates who seem to be the most desirable | | | | much simpler job interviews than more prestigious |
| (shortlisting). | | | | positions; a lawyer's job interview will be much more |
| A company seeking to fill a single position will typically | | | | demanding than that of a retail cashier. |
| interview a handful of candidates - perhaps as many | | | | Most job interviews are formal; the larger the firm, the |
| as ten if the level of application has been high. While | | | | more formal and structured the interview will tend to |
| job interviews are considered to be one of the most | | | | be. Candidates generally dress slightly better than they |
| useful tools for evaluating potential employees, they | | | | will be expected to wear to work, with a suit being |
| also demand significant resources from the employer | | | | appropriate for a white-collar job interview, but jeans |
| and have been demonstrated to be notoriously | | | | being appropriate for an interview as a plumber. |
| unreliable in identifying the optimal person for the job. | | | | Additionally, some professions have specific types of |
| Multiple rounds of job interviews may be used where | | | | job interviews; for performing artists, this is an audition |
| there are many candidates or the job is particularly | | | | where the emphasis is placed on the performance |
| challenging or desirable; earlier rounds may involve | | | | ability of the candidate. |
| fewer staff from the employers and will typically be | | | | Psychometric testing may also be used in job |
| much shorter and less in-depth. A common intitial | | | | interviews. |
| interview form is the phone interview, a job interview | | | | In many countries including most of North America, |
| conducted over the telephone. This is especially | | | | Western Europe and Australasia, employment equity |
| common when the candidates do not live near the | | | | laws forbid discrimination based on a number of |
| employer and has the advantage of keeping costs | | | | classes, such as race, gender, age, and marital status. |
| low for both sides. | | | | Asking questions about these protected areas in a job |
| Once all candidates have had job interviews, the | | | | interview is generally considered discriminatory, and |
| employer typically selects the most desirable candidate | | | | constitutes an illegal hiring practice. Asking questions |
| and begins the negotiation of a job offer. | | | | that touch on these areas, such as "Are you willing to |
| A typical job interview has a single candidate meeting | | | | travel/relocate?" (possibly affected by marital status) |
| with between one and three persons representing the | | | | or "When did you graduate from school?" (indicative of |
| employer; the potential supervisor of the employee is | | | | age) is still usually possible. |
| usually involved in the interview process. A larger | | | | There is extant data which puts in question the value |
| interview panel will often have a specialized human | | | | of Job Interviews as a tool for selecting employees. |
| resources worker. The meeting can be as short as 15 | | | | Where the aim of a job interview is ostensibily to |
| minutes; job interviews usually last less than two hours. | | | | choose a candidate who will perform well in the job |
| The bulk of the job interview will be the interviewers | | | | role, other methods of selection provide greater |
| asking the candidate questions about their history, | | | | predictive power and often lower costs. Furthermore, |
| personality, work style and other relevant factors to | | | | given the unstructured approach of most interviews |
| the job. The candidate will usually be given a chance to | | | | they often have almost no useful predictive power of |
| ask any questions at the end of the interview. The | | | | employee success. |
| primary purpose is to assess the candidate's suitability | | | | |