When will interviewers be willing to use high-structured job interviews? The role of personality

Abstract

This study investigates the effects that three types of interviewer personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) can have on interviewer intention to use a high-structured interview (HSI). This study also investigates both the degree to which interviewers felt that their accountability to the interview regarding the process and the final employment decision influenced their intention to use HSI, and see if the accountability moderated the relationship between interviewer personality traits and interviewer HSI-use intension. Results from 327 interviewers show that the interviewers with high conscientiousness, agreeableness, and felt accountability were more inclined to use HSI. Moreover, highly conscientious interviewers who felt high outcome accountability would exhibit a relatively pronounced willingness to conduct HSI.