A structured interview demonstration

Structured interviews involve asking interviewees the same questions and then scoring their responses on a rating scale. The benefits of structured interviews include better reliability, validity, and legal defensibility. In this classroom activity, students role-played both a structured and an unstructured interview. The class observed and rated the interviewees' responses to both types of interview questions and then contrasted the interview formats and ratings. The activity promoted student learning and generated positive student reactions. Psychology instructors can use the activity to help students understand issues surrounding employee selection, standardization, and scorer reliability.