Decision Making in Selection Interviews

Motivation – To investigate how rapidly and accurately selection decisions are made in job interviews. Research approach – An experimental approach was used. Experienced HR professionals viewed videos of job interviews. The video was frozen at several points and a decision made. Research limitations/Implications – This research implies that HR professionals can accurately distinguish higher performing candidates after ten seconds and do not change this decision during the remaining interview. A wider range of interviews could be used in future to identify the cues used in the decision. Originality/Value – Whilst it is commonly reported that selection decisions are made rapidly, this research demonstrates that those decisions are not necessarily biased but can be accurate too. Also, the use of an experimental design is valuable as it removes the reliance on retrospective reports of decision processes. Take away message – Decisions made in selection interviews can be rapid and also accurate.