Studies of the structured behavioral interview

Abstract

Recruiters from 8 telecommunications companies interviewed applicants or incumbents in 4 studies of the psychometric properties of structured behavioral interviews for management and marketing positions. Results yielded an interrater reliability estimate of .64 ( n = 37), a mean criterion-related validity estimate of .22 ( n ∼ 500), evidence of convergent and discriminant validity, and small race and sex differences. In a 5th study, 3 doctoral students rated audiotapes and written summaries of 146 interviews conducted by recruiters. Results show that valid judgments are possible from information about interviewees' past behavior even without access to nonverbal cues in the interview itself and that judgmental accuracy is related to amount of relevant behavioral information, which, in turn, is related to interviewers' questioning skills. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)