BASIC TYPES OF INTERVIEWS

Interviews can be divided into many types but generally they are categorized based on below criteria
Structure Content Mode Purpose
How structured an What is being asked in the How the Interview is Why to Interview?
Interview is? Interview? Conducted?

 Structured  Situational  Sequential  Screening

(or Directive)  Behavioural  One to One  Selection
 Unstructured  Job-related (or Personal)  Appraisal
(or Non-directive)  Stress  Panel  Exit
 Puzzle  Mass or Group

Our focus would be on Selection as we are studying “Recruitment, Placement, and Talent Management”.

HOW STRUCTURED AN INTERVIEW IS?

Structured Interviews are the ones which follow a set sequence of questions. Here the employer lists questions ahead
of time, and may even weight possible alternative answers for appropriateness. Generally questions are job specific
and they not on individual candidates’ résumés. Same questions asked to every candidate and partly because of this,
these interviews tend to be more consistent, reliable, and valid.
An unstructured conversational-style interview is the one where the interviewer pursues points of interest as they
come up in response to questions. “Tell me about yourself,” “Why do you think you’d do a good job here?” and “What
would you say are your main strengths and weaknesses?” “What do you want to be doing in 5 years?” Generally,
questions about the candidate’s background in relation to their résumé might be used.

WHAT IS BEING ASKED IN THE INTERVIEW?

“What do you want to be doing In 5 Years?”. This question can be termed as the “most unfocused” & “unstructured”
question. Questions like these usually don’t provide much insight into how the person will do on the job. This is why
“content” becomes important.
Situational Interview: A series of job-related questions that focus on how the candidate would behave in a
given situation. Example questions can be, “How you would act in response to a subordinate coming to work
late 3 days in a row?”, “You disagree with your supervisor on her handling of a situation. What would you
do?”, “One of your employees is performing poorly, but you know he has some personal home issues he is
dealing with. How would you handle complaints from his colleagues about lack of performance?”.
Behavioural Interview: A series of job-related questions that focus on how the candidate reacted to actual
situations in the past. Example questions can be, “Tell me about a time you had to make a hard decision. How
did you handle this process?” “Give an example of how you handled an angry customer.” “Do you show
leadership in your current or past job? What would be an example of a situation in which you did this?” “What
accomplishments have given you the most pride and why?” “What plans have you made to achieve your
career goals?”
Situational : Future & Hypothetical : : Behavioural : Past actual Situations
The combo of Situational & Behavioural Interview is the Case Interview. Here the candidate is provided with a
detailed situation, problem or challenge and asked to analyze it and come up with a solution. A case interview
question can be based on a creative business situation your interviewer has experienced in real life, or one
manufactured to deduce your abilities.
Want to join the top Consulting Firms (McKinsey, BCG and Bain), prepare for Case Interview.
 Job-Related Interview: A series of job-related questions that focus on relevant past job-related behaviors. Aim
here is to draw conclusions about, a candidate’s ability to handle the job’s required aspects, say financial or
managerial or strategy or manufacturing. “Which courses did you like best in business school?” “How good
you are at using AutoCAD Drawing Software” “Have you studied Contracts” “What was your Final Year project
during Graduation”” Describe an ad campaign that you think worked well”
Stress Interview: An interview in which the applicant is made uncomfortable by a series of often rude
questions. This technique helps identify hypersensitive applicants and those with low or high stress tolerance.
“Do you think you're doing well in this interview?” “Why have you changed jobs so frequently?” “What is the
reason for the gap between year … & year ….?” “Why didi you work only for 2 months in ABC Company?” “I
don't understand your answer. Can you please explain it differently?”
The stress interview’s invasive and ethically dubious nature demands that the interviewer be both skilled in its
use and sure the job really requires handling stress. This is definitely not an approach for amateur
interrogators or for those without the skills to keep the interview under control.
Puzzle Interview: Recruiters see how candidates think under pressure. “There are 5 lanes on a race track.
One needs to find out the 3 fastest horses among total of 25. Find out the minimum number of races to be
conducted in order to determine the fastest three.” “There are 8 batteries, but only 4 of them work. You have
to use them for a flashlight which needs only 2 working batteries. To guarantee that the flashlight is turned on,
what is the minimum number of battery pairs you need to test?”

HOW THE INTERVIEW IS CONDUCTED?

Sequential Interview: Several persons interview the applicant, in sequence, one-on-one, and then make their
hiring decision. In an unstructured sequential interview, each interviewer generally just asks questions as they
come to mind. In a structured sequential interview, each interviewer rates the candidates on a standard
evaluation form, using standardized questions. The hiring manager then reviews these ratings before deciding
whom to hire.
Panel Interview: An interview in which a group of interviewers questions the applicant. This is also termed as
Board Interview. All individual scores / ratings of panel member are combined for each candidate’s answers
into a final panel score.
Mass or Group Interview: A panel interviews several candidates simultaneously. The panel might pose a
problem, and then watches to see which candidate takes the lead in formulating an answer.
“Speed Dating” Interview: All interested / prospective candidates first mingled with employees, and then have
one-on-one contacts with employees for a few minutes each. Based on this, the recruiting team choses
candidates for follow-up interviews

WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE OF INTERVIEW?

Screening Interview: This is generally the first interview of any Sequential Interview. The purpose of a screening
interview is to ensure that prospective candidates meet the basic qualifications for a given position
Selection Interview is a selection procedure designed to predict future job performance based on applicants’ oral
responses to oral inquiries.
Appraisal Interview is an honest conversation between a manager and a subordinate, where the parties analyze a
previous time period and set goals for the next
Exit Interview is held with an employee about to leave an organization; Attempts are made by the Interviewer to retain
the leaving employee. Unfortunately interviewer fails as “Jaane wale ko koi nahin rok paya”.
INTERVIEW PLATFORMS
• Face to Face or In person (In office or over a Lunch or Dinner – Meal Interview)
• Phone &/or Video
• Computerized
• Internet Assisted
Today the growing popularity of mobile-based interviews is disrupting how job interviewing is done. They enable the
interviewee to “do” the interview at his or her leisure from wherever the person wants, and even allow prescreen
interviews to occur directly between hiring managers and job applicants, rather than HR.

PRINCIPLES OF INTERVIEWING
The primary objective of interview is to determine the suitability of applicant for the job. Successful interviews follow
established principles in matching a person and her/his qualifications to the job requirements. Below are the 12
Principles of Interviewing as proposed by Bingham and Moore
Principle # 1. Expert, Skilled, Experienced and Trained Interviewers:
The interviewers must possess the ability and skills required for interviewing the candidates. They should be
expert, skilled, experienced and trained for interview. They should be well-versed in Behavioral Science, which
helps them to Judge the different personality traits of the candidates. They have to get them prepared for
interviewing by making a list of questions based upon the job specifications.
Principle # 2. Provide Privacy and Ample Time:
Full privacy should be provided for conducting the employment interview. There should be no disturbances,
obstacles, phone calls, noise, visitors. Specific and healthy atmosphere should be deliberately created for
interview purpose. Ample time should also be given for interview to the candidate during the interview.
Principle # 3. Proper Reception of the Interviewees:
All the interviewees should be warmly welcomed and be treated nicely. A warm reception of the interviewees
helps to create a favourable impression in the mind of the candidate appearing for the interview.
Principle # 4. Comfort and Ease:
These help the interviewee feel at-ease and willing to give you the facts about him. The interviewers must be
straight forward and frank rather than clever.
Principle # 5. Skillful and Tactful Questions:
The interviewers should ask the questions in a simple language, understandable to the applicant. Never argue or
interrupt or change the subject abruptly. They should not ask leading (which gives clues or hints to the answer) or
tricky questions, because one of the objectives of interview is to seek more and accurate information about the
candidate. The interviewers must respect the interest of the candidate. Direct and personal questions should be
asked tactfully. The interviewer should try to get the relevant information and also answer candidate’s questions
also.
Principle # 6. Do not “Oversell” the Job Opportunities:
This means indirect disclosure that the organization is in need of the services of the candidate Even if the
candidate is the right person for the job, the organization should not beg to him. On the other hand the interviewer
should use his skill to impress the candidate in such a way that he himself accepts the job. The feeling that the
candidate is obliging the organization by accepting the job should never be created in the mind of candidate.
Principle # 7. Be Courteous Towards the Candidate:
The interviewers should adopt a courteous approach towards the candidate and let him feel at home, so that
she/he can say everything about her/ himself with an open and free mind.
 Principle # 8. Encourage the Candidate to Talk:
Give full opportunity to the candidate to talk more and there should not be much talking by the interviewers. The
interviewer must avoid the temptation of too much talking and should give ample opportunity and encouragement
to the candidate to talk more and in details about himself. The best interview is usually one in which the
interviewers talk the least.
Principle # 9. Attentive and Patient Listening:
The interviewer must listen attentively and patiently to the interviewee during the interview. He should not divert
his mind elsewhere during the interview, though the candidate may or may not be to their satisfaction. The
interviewer should not impose upon the candidate, his own opinion, viewpoints and beliefs. The information from
the applicant can be elicited only when the interviewer give him a patient, prolonged and skillful hearing.
Principle # 10. Objectivity in Decision Making:
The interviewer should understand the interviewee’s point of view and has to keep himself away from the bias,
prejudice, personal judgment and whims. He must rely on the principle of objectivity rather than subjectivity.
There should be a scientific process and methodology of testing and interviewing the candidates.
Principle # 11. Closing the Interview:
The interview should be concluded at the point of time when the interviewer becomes sure collecting adequate
information about the candidate and that he has judged the personality traits as required. At this point the
interviewer should stop the interview extending his thanks to the candidate for the interest he exhibited towards
the organization.
Principle # 12. Rational Selection:
After the interview is over, the chairman and members of the interview committee have to arrive at a specific
decision with regard to the final selection of the candidates for the jobs to be filled-in. The interview board should
be very rational in this. Their decision should base on the performance of the candidates and the information the
board has collected during the course of interview.
Such decision should be conveyed to the concerned candidates in a clear-cut and simple language along with the
terms of employment by timely sending them the appointment letters. Every interview should be result oriented.
The interview programme should be scientifically implemented for this which ultimately helps in the final selection
of the most suitable, competent and right employees for the jobs in the organization.

AVOIDING ERRORS THAT CAN UNDERMINE AN INTERVIEW’S USEFULNESS

Steps for proper interview
STEP 01: Use Structure Interviews as they give more validity.
Mean Validity: Structured Situational > Job-related or Behavioural > Psychological Interview
STEP 02: Know What to Ask.
Interviews are better at revealing some things than others, so know what to focus on. One implication seems to be,
focus more on situational and job knowledge questions that help you assess how the candidate will actually
respond to typical situations on that job.
STEP 03: Avoid the Common Interviewing Errors.
Whether the interview is in person or online, effective employment interviewers understand and avoid the common
interview errors
COMMON INTERVIEW ERRORS
First Impressions (Snap Judgments): Probably the most widespread error is that interviewers tend to jump to
conclusions—make snap judgments—about candidates during the first few minutes of the interview (or even
before the interview starts, based on test scores or résumé data)

Not Clarifying What the Job Requires: Interviewers who don’t have an accurate picture of what the job entails and
what sort of candidate is best for it usually make their decisions based on incorrect impressions or stereotypes of
what a good applicant is. Then they erroneously match interviewees with their incorrect stereotypes. You should
clarify what sorts of traits you’re looking for and why, before starting the interview

Candidate-Order (Contrast) Error and Pressure to Hire: An error of judgment on the part of the interviewer due to
interviewing one or more very good or very bad candidates just before the interview in question.
Means that the order in which you see applicants affects how you rate them. In one study, managers had to
evaluate a sample candidate who was “just average” after first evaluating several “unfavorable” candidates. They
scored the average candidate more favorably than they might otherwise because, in contrast to the unfavorable
candidates, the average one looked better than he actually was. Pressure to hire accentuates this problem.
Researchers told one group of managers to assume they were behind in their recruiting quota. They told a
second group they were ahead. Those “behind” managers rated the same recruits more highly.

Nonverbal Behavior and Impression Management: The applicant’s nonverbal behavior (smiling, avoiding your
gaze, and so on) can affect his or her rating. Nonverbal behaviors are probably so important because
interviewers infer your personality from how you behave in the interview.
Impression Management: Clever candidates capitalize on that fact. Some display similarities in beliefs with the
Interviewer although it may not be true (Ingratiation) or some try to create the impression of competence
through promotion (Self-promotion).

Effect of Personal Characteristics (Attractiveness, Gender, Race): Unfortunately, physical attributes also distort
assessments. People usually ascribe more favorable traits and more successful life outcomes to attractive
people. In one study, the white members of a racially balanced interview panel rated white candidates higher,
while the black interviewers rated black candidates higher.

Diversity Counts (Applicant Disability and the Employment Interview): In general, candidates evidencing various
attributes and disabilities (such as child-care demands, HIV-positive status, or being wheelchair-bound) have less
chance of obtaining a positive decision, even when they perform well in a structured interview. What the disabled
people prefer is a discussion that lets the employer address his or her concerns and reach a knowledgeable
conclusion.

Interviewer Behavior: The list of ways in which interviewers themselves wreck interviews is boundless. Some
examples are:
Some interviewers talk so much that applicants can’t answer questions
Some interviewers inadvertently telegraph the expected answers
Some interviewers play interrogator, gleefully pouncing on inconsistencies
Some interviewers play amateur psychologist, probing for hidden meanings in applicant’s answers
HOW TO DESIGN AND CONDUCT AN EFFECTIVE INTERVIEW
Designing a Structured Situational Interview
Step 01: Analyze the job. Write a job description with a list of job duties; required knowledge, skills, and abilities;
and other worker qualifications.
Step 02: Rate the job’s main duties. Rate each job duty, say from 1 to 5, based on how important it is to doing the
job.
Step 03: Create interview questions. Create situational, behavioral, and job knowledge interview questions for each
of the job’s duties, with more questions for the important duties. The people who create the questions usually write
them as critical incidents. For example, to probe for conscientiousness, the interviewer might ask this situational
question: Your spouse and two teenage children are sick in bed with colds. There are no relatives or friends
available to look in on them. Your shift starts in 3 hours. What would you do?
Step 04: Create benchmark answers. Next, for each question, develop ideal (benchmark) answers for good (a 5
rating), marginal (a 3 rating), and poor (a 1 rating) answers.
Step 05: Appoint the interview panel and conduct interviews. Employers generally conduct structured situational
interviews using a panel, rather than one-on-one. The panel usually consists of three to six members, preferably
the same ones who wrote the questions and answers. It may also include the job’s supervisor and/or incumbent,
and a human resources representative. The same panel interviews all candidates for the job.

IMPROVING PERFORMANCE: HR TOOLS FOR LINE MANAGERS AND SMALL BUSINESSES

HOW TO CONDUCT AN EFFECTIVE INTERVIEW
You may not have the time or inclination to create a structured situational interview. However, there is still much you
can do to make your interviews systematic and productive.
Step 1: First, know the job. Don’t start the interview unless you understand the job’s duties and what human skills
you’re looking for. Study the job description
Step 2: Structure the interview. Any structuring is better than none. If pressed for time, you can still do several
things to ask more consistent and job-relevant questions, without developing a full-blown structured interview.
• Base questions on actual job duties. This will minimize irrelevant questions.
• Use job knowledge, situational, or behavioral questions. Questions that simply ask for opinions and attitudes,
goals and aspirations, and self-descriptions and self-evaluations allow candidates to present themselves in an
overly favorable manner or avoid revealing weaknesses.
• Use the same questions with all candidates. This improves reliability. It also reduces bias by giving all
candidates the same opportunity.
• For each question, if possible, have several ideal answers and a score for each. Then rate each candidate’s
answers against this scale.
• List your questions before the interview.
Step 3: Get organized. Hold the interview in a private place to minimize interruptions (including text messages).
Prior to the interview, review the candidate’s application and résumé. Note any areas that are vague or that may
indicate strengths or weaknesses.
Step 4: Establish rapport. The main reason for the interview is to find out about the applicant. Start by putting the
person at ease. Greet the candidate and start the interview by asking a noncontroversial question, perhaps about
the weather that day.
Step 5: Ask questions. Try to follow the situational, behavioral, and job knowledge questions you wrote out ahead
of time.
 Step 6: Take brief, unobtrusive notes during the interview. Doing so may help avoid making a snap decision early
in the interview, and may also help jog your memory once the interview is complete. Jot down just the key points of
what the interviewee says.
Step 7: Close the interview. Leave time to answer any questions the candidate may have and, if appropriate, to
advocate your firm to the candidate. Try to end the interview on a positive note. Tell the applicant whether there is
any interest and, if so, what the next step will be. Make rejections diplomatically—“Although your background is
impressive, there are other candidates whose experience is closer to our requirements.” Remember, as one
recruiter says, “An interview experience should leave a lasting, positive impression of the company, whether the
candidate receives and accepts an offer or not.” If the applicant is still under consideration but you can’t reach a
decision now, say so.
Step 8: Review the interview. Once the candidate leaves, review your interview notes, score the interview answers
(if you used a guide), and make a decision.

In rejecting a candidate, one perennial question is, should you provide an explanation or not? In one study,
rejected candidates who received an explanation felt that the rejection process was fairer. Unfortunately, doing so
may not be practical. Most employers say little, to avoid pushback and legal problems. Talk About it (Discussion) :
Write a one-paragraph (single-spaced) memo to the people who do your company’s recruiting on the topic, “The
five most important things an interviewer can do to have a useful selection interview.”

Competency Profiles and Employee Interviews

Many companies use competency models or profiles for recruiting, selecting, training, appraising, and compensating
employees. Employers can use such a profile for formulating job-related situational, behavioral, and knowledge
interview questions. Questions for a Chemical Engineer
Competency Example of Competency Sample Interview Question
Skill Able to use computer drafting software Tell me about a time you used CAD Pro, computerized design software.
Knowledge How extreme heat affects hydrochloric Suppose you have an application where HCl is heated to 400°F at 2 atm of
acid (HCl) pressure; what happens to the HCl?
Trait Willing to travel abroad at least 4 months Suppose you had a family meeting to attend next week & we informed you that
per year visiting facilities you had to leave for a job abroad immediately. How would you handle that?
Experience Designed pollution filter for acid-cleaning Tell me about a time when you designed a pollution filter for an acid-cleaning
facility facility. How did it work? What particular problems did you encounter?

Building Engagement: A Total Selection Program

Many employers create a total selection program aimed at selecting candidates whose totality of attributes best fits the
employer’s total requirements. The program Toyota Motor uses to select employees for an auto assembly team job
illustrates this. Toyota’s hiring process aims to identify such assembler candidates. The process takes about 20 hours
and six phases over several days:
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3: Step 5
An in-depth A computer- A work Step 4:
A background Step 6
online based simulation A face-to-face check, drug
application assessment assessment Job offer
interview screen, and
(20 - 30 min) (2 - 5 hours) (6 - 8 hours) medical check

Next is the Job Offer………………………………….

EXTRA SHOTS 01: FOR INTERVIEWEES: GETTING
AN EXTRA EDGE There are six things to do to get an extra
edge in the interview:
1. Preparation is essential.
Before the interview, learn all you can about the
employer, the job, and the people doing the recruiting.
On the Web, using social media, or looking through
business periodicals, find out what is happening in the
employer’s field. Try to unearth the employer’s
problems. Be ready to explain why you think you would
be able to solve such problems, citing some of your
specific accomplishments to make your case.
2. Uncover the interviewer’s real needs.
Spend as little time as possible briefly answering your
interviewer’s first questions and as much time as
possible getting him or her to describe his or her needs.
Determine what the person is expecting to accomplish,
and the type of person he or she feels is needed. Use
open-ended questions such as, “Could you tell me more
about that?”
3. Relate yourself to the interviewer’s needs.
Once you know the type of person your interviewer is
looking for and the sorts of problems he or she wants
solved, you are in a good position to describe your own
accomplishments in terms of the interviewer’s needs.
Start by saying something like, “One of the problem
areas you’ve said is important to you is similar to a
problem I once faced.” Then state the problem, describe
your solution, and reveal the results.
4. Think before answering
Answering a question should be a three-step process:
Pause—Think— Speak. Pause to make sure you
understand what the interviewer is driving at, think about
how to structure your answer, and then speak. In your
answer, try to emphasize how hiring you will help the
interviewer solve his or her problem.
5. Appearance & enthusiasm are important.
Appropriate clothing, good grooming, a firm handshake,
and energy are important. Maintain eye contact. In
addition, speak with enthusiasm, nod agreement, and
remember to take a moment to frame your answer
(pause, think, speak) so that you sound articulate and
fluent. Remember that many interviewers seek
“chemistry” in terms of similarity of experiences when
they’re interviewing.
6. Make a good first impression
Remember that in most cases interviewers make up
their minds about the applicant early in the interview. A
good first impression may turn to bad during the
interview, but it’s unlikely. Bad first impressions are
almost impossible to overcome. Experts suggest paying
attention to the following key interviewing
considerations:
• Appropriate clothing
• Good grooming
• A firm handshake
• The appearance of controlled energy
• Pertinent humor and readiness to smile
• A genuine interest in the employer’s operation and
alert attention when the interviewer speaks
• Pride in past performance
• An understanding of the employer’s needs and a
desire to serve them
Tackling the “Standard” Questions
Be vigilant in answering familiar, standard questions such as
“tell me about yourself.” For example, know that asking “tell
me about yourself” helps recruiters size up your poise and
communication skills. A good answer to “What are your
greatest strengths?” should focus on the strengths related to
the job you’re interviewing for. Good answers to “What are
your weaknesses?” include what you’re doing to improve
yourself. Interviewees who can’t answer “What can you tell
me about our company and industry?” may lack
conscientiousness. Answering “What you like most and least
about your most recent job?” should touch on liking the same
values, activities, and culture that the job at hand involves.
And someone who says “no” when asked “Do you have any
questions?” may have thought too little about the job.
Should You Be Forthright?
Imagine a job candidate who by experience and education is
highly qualified for a job, but who lacks some important
trait(s): for example, he or she doesn’t dress stylishly for an
interview with an upscale department store. How forthright
should you be if asked why you didn’t dress up more? Based
on a recent study, otherwise top-notch candidates should be
forthright. This study found that a strong drive to “self-verify”—
to “present oneself accurately so that others understand you
as you understand yourself”—may help differentiate you from
the other top candidates. The researchers measured self-
verification with items such as “I like to be myself rather than
trying to act like someone I’m not.” So, if you like being
authentic and presenting yourself accurately to others, do so,
as long as for the job at hand you’re an otherwise top-notch
candidate. (Doing this backfired for inferior candidates.)
EXTRA SHOTS 02: BIASES
HR professionals and managers should be aware of their own body language in an interview. Some habits, such as nodding, can
make the candidate think they are on the right track when answering a question. Also, be aware of a halo effect or reverse halo
effect. This occurs when an interviewer becomes biased because of one positive or negative trait a candidate possesses. Interview
bias can occur in almost any interview situation. Interview bias is when an interviewer makes assumptions about the candidate that
may not be accurate. These assumptions can be detrimental to an interview process. Contrast bias is a type of bias that occurs
when comparing one candidate to others. It can result in one person looking particularly strong in an area, when in fact they look
strong compared to the other candidates. A gut feeling bias is when an interviewer relies on an intuitive feeling about a candidate.
Generalization bias can occur when an interviewer assumes that how someone behaves in an interview is how they always
behave. For example, if a candidate is very nervous and stutters while talking, an assumption may be made that he or she always
stutters. Another important bias called cultural noise bias occurs when a candidate thinks he or she knows what the interviewer
wants to hear and answers the questions based on that assumption. Nonverbal behavior bias occurs when an interviewer likes an
answer and smiles and nods, sending the wrong signal to the candidate. A similar to me bias (which could be considered
discriminatory) results when an interviewer has a preference for a candidate because he or she views that person as having similar
attributes as themselves. Finally, recency bias occurs when the interviewer remembers candidates interviewed most recently more
so than the other candidates.

EXTRA SHOTS 03: HOW GOOGLE HIRES? THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH

Google takes a scientific, evidence-based approach to its selection (and other HR) practices

In its hiring process, Google starts with strong candidates. For example, its internal recruiting group proactively identifies
candidates, rather than using job boards to attract unscreened résumés.

The main elements in Google’s selection process include work samples, testing, and interviewing. Virtually all of Google’s technical
hires take work sample tests, such as actually writing algorithms. Work samples are combined with testing of cognitive ability
(similar to IQ tests), and of conscientiousness. Early in its evolution, Google was known for putting candidates through a dozen or
more interviews. However, Google’s own analysis showed that after the first four interviews, the amount of useful information it got
was not large. Therefore, It now generally makes hiring decisions after the fourth interview.

The interview emphasizes situational and behavioral questions. For specific questions, Google provides (as noted) its interviewers
with access to its QDroid system; this s each interviewer specific questions to ask the candidate for the specific job. Google
interviewers were once known for trick questions, but the emphasis today is on using validated questions (from the QDroid system).
The questions aim to assess the candidate’s cognitive ability, leadership (particularly willingness to lead projects), “Googleyness”
(values such as fun-loving and conscientious), and role-related knowledge (such as in computer science).

Who actually does the interviewing? Here Google believes in the “wisdom of crowds”: the interviewing “crowd” includes not just the
prospective boss but prospective subordinates and representatives of other unrelated departments. Google then averages all the
interviewers’ interview ratings on a candidate to get a score.

Finally, the hiring committee reviews the file, as does a Google senior manager, and then the CEO before an offer is made.