MGMT2100 Chap.4 Job Interviews from Both Sides of the Table
Job Interviews from Both Sides of the Table
Interviews are studied from two positions. From the candidate's side, the chapter covers why interviews exist, the checks employers run beforehand, preparation, interview formats, the families of questions from conversational to stress, how to answer with concrete examples, data and results, video interviews and the tutorial's five red flags.
From the employer's side, it follows the lecture's preparation, execution and review process, the interview guide that standardises questions, the four biases the slides name, and a weighted scoring matrix that makes the panel's reasons visible. An original worked matrix shows weighting reversing the ranking of two candidates.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Why organisations interview
- 02
Interview formats and question families
- 03
Answering with stories, data and results
- 04
Video interviews and five red flags
- 05
Preparation, execution and review
- 06
Confirmation bias, affective heuristic, anchoring, intuition
- 07
Weighted scoring matrices
Worked example · free
Weight a panel's ratings and compare two candidates
- 2Plain totals: A = 5 + 3 + 4 + 2 = 14 and B = 3 + 4 + 4 + 5 = 16, so B leads before weighting.
- 2Weighted totals: A = 4×5 + 3×3 + 2×4 + 1×2 = 39 and B = 4×3 + 3×4 + 2×4 + 1×5 = 37, out of a maximum of 50.
- 1A now leads because A is strongest on the requirement carrying four of the ten weight points, while B's advantage sits in the requirement weighted 1.
- 1Agreeing the weights before interviews protects the decision from anchoring and confirmation bias.
Key terms
- Interview guide
- A plan of objectives, structure and questions prepared before interviews so they can be compared and summarised.
- Affective heuristic
- Letting quick, superficial impressions such as attractiveness or background steer an interview decision.
- Anchoring
- Setting an arbitrary expectation of a candidate that then colours the whole evaluation.
- Behavioural question
- An interview question asking for a real past example, such as a time you solved a problem under pressure.
- Projective question
- A question asking candidates to see themselves through another view, such as how a friend would describe them.
Job Interviews from Both Sides of the Table FAQ
How should I answer a behavioural interview question?
Employers want concrete examples. Tell a short story in STAR order, use numbers such as volume or percentages, emphasise the result of your effort, and finish by linking the skill to how you would help this employer in the job. Avoid self-descriptions with no example behind them.
Which interviewer biases does the course name?
Four appear on the slides: confirmation bias, the affective heuristic, anchoring, and reliance on intuition, which may respond to factors unrelated to the job. The lecture's remedy is structure decided in advance, an interview guide and a scoring matrix, rather than a promise to be objective.
What are the interview red flags in the Week 4 tutorial?
Off-topic answers, obvious or canned answers, unrealistic answers that ignore your limitations, a lack of core soft skills such as blaming others, and giving no answer at all. When stuck, ask for clarification or more detail instead of staying silent.
What should an interviewer do after the interview?
The review step records what was found, what was decided and what actions follow. Notes taken against the interview guide let the panel compare candidates on the same requirements and explain how each candidate's answers and behaviour provided evidence of fit, rather than relying on memory or a general impression.
Exam move
Prepare four stories from your own experience that show teamwork, initiative, handling pressure and a mistake you learned from, and rehearse each in STAR order with at least one number. Practise the ten common graduate questions from the tutorial aloud. For the employer's side, memorise the three-step process and the four biases, and practise calculating a weighted score from a small matrix until it takes under two minutes.
In an exam case about recruitment, the strongest answers diagnose which bias is operating, point to the evidence in the case, and recommend a structural fix such as a guide or agreed weights rather than general advice to be fair.
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