Dear Computer, Teach Me Manners: Testing Virtual Employment Interview Training

Abstract

Expanding research on employment interview training, this study introduces virtual employment interview (VI) training with focus on nonverbal behavior. In VI training, participants took part in a simulated interview with a virtual character. Simultaneously, the computer analyzed participants’ nonverbal behavior and provided real‐time feedback for it. The control group received parallel interview training. Following training, participants took part in mock interviews, where interviewers rated participants’ nonverbal behavior, and interview performance. Analyses revealed (a) that participants of VI training showed better interview performance, (b) that this effect was mediated by nonverbal behavior, and (c) that VI training has a positive influence on interview anxiety. These results have important practical implications for applicants, career counseling centers, and organizations.

Introducing and Testing the Creepiness of Situation Scale (CRoSS)

“…For instance, a virtual trainer providing feedback for non-verbal behavior (cf., Langer et al, 2016) might be less creepy if it provides participants with information about its functionality, and if it appears to be manageable and clear that participants can influence outcomes and feedback through their own behavior. Such studies could help to further enhance our understanding of the creepiness construct.…”

“…For instance, there are virtual characters instructing people how to adapt their non-verbal behavior in social situations (Langer et al, 2016), computer avatars are used for therapy of psychological disorders (e.g., schizophrenia; Craig et al, 2018), and algorithms decide who you could date next (Toma, 2015). Situations involving novel technologies often lead to ambiguous situations - situations that are hard to judge and in which people do not really know how to behave (Shklovski et al, 2014; Tene and Polonetsky, 2015).…”

Examining digital interviews for personnel selection: Applicant reactions and interviewer ratings

“…Five of these items were taken from Buehl and Melchers (), and represented rating keys for the respective interview question. The remaining six items were taken from Langer, König, Gebhard, and André (), and reflected the general impression of the interviewee.…”

Highly automated job interviews: Acceptance under the influence of stakes

“…Through technology, recruitment, personnel selection, and training can be done more easily and at reduced cost (Stone, Lukaszewski, Stone‐Romero, & Johnson, ). Nowadays, organizations screen a considerable number of applicants through skype interviews or asynchronous digital interviews (Langer, König, & Krause, ), employees take part in e‐learning sessions (Sitzmann, ), and some even train interpersonal skills with a virtual coach (Langer, König, Gebhard, & André, ). However, this might merely be the beginning as there is more technology on the horizon to support HRM (Stone, Deadrick, Lukaszewski, & Johnson, ).…”

“…Indeed, automated interview approaches have the potential to revolutionize job interview practice (Langer et al, ; Naim, Tanveer, Gildea, & Hoque, ). These automated approaches use sensor devices (i.e., devices capturing human behavior, e.g.…”