Relational control in the employment interview

Abstract

This exploratory study compared communication behaviors and patterns in successful and unsuccessful initial recruiting interviews. Subjects were 28 university seniors interviewing for jobs with seven corporate recruiters who held interviews on campus. The interviews were videotaped and subsequently analyzed for applicant and interviewer behavior. Applicant behavior was significantly different when successful interviews were compared with unsuccessful ones. Unsuccessful interviews were approximately two-thirds as long as successful interviews. Successful applicants dominated the conversations more. When interviewers attempted to structure the conversation, unsuccessful applicants tried to structure the conversation in return. Successful applicants tended to be submissive when the interviewer dominated and to dominate when the interviewer was submissive. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)