Making the right impression: a field study of applicant impression management during job interviews

Article Abstract:

Two issues were explored: (a) which impression management (IM) tactics applicants use during actual interviews and (b) whether there is a relationship between applicants' IM tactics and their interview outcomes. The study also examined convergence across different methods and raters when measuring IM. Postinterview survey measures were obtained from applicants and interviewers regarding applicant IM behavior during a specific interview; in addition, a subset (n=24) of interviews was audiotaped and analyzed for the presence of IM. Analyses revealed low to moderate convergence across methods and raters, suggesting that IM tactics may be multidimensional constructs. Across methods and raters, there was consistent evidence of greater applicant self-promotion than ingratiation. Similarly, IM tactics significantly predicted interviewers' evaluations and whether applicants later obtained site visits. Implications for future research are discussed. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Impression formation (Psychology)

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Relative effect of applicant work experience and academic qualification on selection interview decisions: a study of between-sample generalizability

Article Abstract:

This study examined the relative effect of two job-relevant factors, work experience and academic qualifications, on selection-interview decision making. The results for managers and students were compared in a 2 X 3 X 2 (Work Experience X Academic Qualifications X Sample) factorial design. Twelve videotapes of simulated interviews were used, with two hypothetical job candidates representing each of six treatment conditions. Based on omega squared statistics, results show that for managers, the effect of work experience was consistently greater than that of academic qualification. For students, the effect of academic qualifications was relatively larger than that of work experience. Decision type moderated between-sample effect differences. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of predictor utilization in interview decision making. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Evaluation, Academic achievement, Employee selection, Vocational education

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