The Science and Practice of a Structured Employment Interview Coaching Program

Abstract

We describe a scientist–practitioner collaboration around a structured employment interview coaching program. This description includes information on how the program was developed and applied, the program content, connections with past literature, and a description of context. We also provide rich anecdotal information and surveys on reactions by users as well as input from the community and various other constituencies. We also describe scientific research on this intervention that has examined its various effects. The specific project goals were to (a) provide assistance to promotion candidates in preparing for a structured panel interview and to survey employee reactions to the program, (b) determine whether the intervention had an effect on interview performance and what preparation and response strategies in a structured interview seemed to be associated with performance, and (c) provide these benefits without negatively influencing validity and reliability of interview procedures, and if possible, enhance these psychometric characteristics. The information provided here can assist those who want to apply this type of intervention successfully in other selection settings.

Best Practices in Preparing Students for Mock Interviews

“…These interviews align with an interview preparation activity that Young et al (2004) described and also bear a relationship with Maurer and Solamon's (2006) results in which preparing by observing others performing mock interviews was associated with higher performance.…”

“…In studying the extent to which interview preparation techniques impact interview performance, for example, Maurer, Solamon, Andrews, and Troxtel (2001) determined that a preparation behavior that correlated with high-scoring interviews was "organization," in which participants described activities such as "Used the pencil and paper provided to write notes before giving my answers," and "Organized my answers in a chronological, logical, and easy-to-follow manner." Demonstrating thoughtfulness and organized thinking was positively associated with interview performance, the authors asserted (see, similarly, Maurer & Solamon, 2006).…”

“…While research is needed to investigate the correlation between the activities and mock-interview performance, following the preparatory exercises, we observed increased confidence in students as they approached the mock interview. Given that the literature (Maurer & Solamon, 2006) points out that most interview preparation interventions comprise multiple techniques (lecture, discussion, role-playing, practice, feedback, modeling), a variety of preparatory activities was offered. In our experience, the number and variety of techniques we introduced are unusual in the college classroom.…”

How does coaching interviewees affect the validity of a structured interview?

“…While the present report presents a detailed account of a study of differences in validity associated with a coaching program, elsewhere (Maurer & Solamon, 2006) a scientist-practitioner collaboration around the present coaching program is described. This includes information about how the intervention was developed and applied along with some information on the content of the session (a coaching session content guide for use by trainers and trainees is included).…”

Through the Looking Glass: Employment Interviews from the Lens of Job Candidates

“…In line with the research on impression management, the focus of skills training is to make candidates aware of their self-presentation tactics. This is typically accomplished through practice, tutoring, and coaching (Maurer & Solamon, 2006). Research on the effectiveness of these techniques is promising, with several studies demonstrating positive relations between interview skill training and interview performance (Latham & Budworth, 2006;Maurer, Solamon, Andrews, & Troxtel, 2001;Maurer, Solamon, & Troxtel, 1998;Tross & Maurer, 1999; see also Latham, Bardes & Locke, and Price & Vinokur, both from this volume).…”