Consulting the application form prior to the interview: An essential step in the selection process

Abstract

Conducted a field experiment to determine whether consulting the application form prior to an employment interview delays the formation of early impressions and allows more information to be considered before an initial decision is made by the interviewer. 28 experienced recruiters interviewed a role-playing applicant for a hypothetical job opening. Half of these interviewers were provided with application forms prior to the interview, and half were not. Each interview was terminated at the initial decision point, and measures (a 20-item questionnaire and an accept–reject scale) were administered to determine both the quantity and quality of information the interviewers possessed at that point. Results suggest that preventing the interviewer from consulting the application form prior to the interview has no effect on initial decision times, nor does it reduce the interviewer's confidence in that decision. Furthermore, when the initial decision is made, it is based on less complete information about the applicant. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)