Abstract
This article describes a game show-style classroom exercise that is appropriate for any management-related courses that wish to enrich students’ understanding of a key phase of the hiring process. The activity introduces the importance of job descriptions and job specifications through a semiscripted unstructured interview patterned after a classic television game show. In The CandiDating Game, one student interviews three candidates in front of the class. Through varying the job specifications that each student receives without informing the students or interviewer, the instructor can use this activity to engage the class in a rigorous discussion on the importance of job specifications and the general structure of interviews.
The hiring process has been shown to be an important determinant of organizational success (Barrick & Zimmerman, 2009; Vlachos, 2009). Better understanding of Schneider’s (1987) attraction–selection–attrition (ASA) model can increase an organization’s ability to effectively hire and retain employees. By gaining a better understanding of effective job listings, organizations can enhance their interviewing, hiring, and performance evaluation processes in organizations.
Theoretical Foundation
The ASA model (Schneider, 1987) states that there are three phases of hiring and retention: attraction, selection, and attrition. To find the right employees, organizations must attract the “right” people. Attracting the right people involves preparing and posting accurate job listings, job descriptions, and job specifications. Job listings refer to both internal and/or external postings of available positions in an organization (Ghazzawi & Accoumeh, 2014). Job descriptions are a listing of tasks and duties a potential hire is expected to perform (Pavur, 2010). Job specifications refer to the summary of qualifications needed for success in a job (Ellington et al., 2015). If the job listing is misaligned with the job needs, organizations are likely to interview candidates who are a poor fit (Gully et al., 2013).
After candidates are attracted to a job, interviewers must select the best candidates. The structure can dictate the effectiveness of an interview. Unstructured interviews allow interviewers to ask what is believed to be most important and dig deeper into areas of interest in the selection process (Dipboye, 1994). Unstructured interviews also allow interviewers to gain a more in-depth understanding of applicants but are more susceptible to interviewer bias and suboptimal hiring decisions (Kausel et al., 2016). Structured interviews involve a predetermined set of questions and help avoid some of the bias present in interviewing and hiring situations (Dipboye, 1994). Structured interviews have a tendency to be more interpersonally sterile but mitigate some of the bias present in unstructured interviews (Bragger et al., 2002). Job descriptions and specifications help interviewers identify focal areas for either type of interview and facilitate the selection of the candidate who best fits the job listing (Cable & Judge, 1996).
Attrition refers to employees voluntarily leaving an organization. There are a wide range of reasons why individuals choose to leave an organization (Holtom et al., 2008). One key method of preventing unwanted employee attrition is use of effective feedback and evaluations (Joo & Park, 2010; Walsh et al., 1985). Job descriptions can help align managerial feedback and evaluations with employee job expectations (Schneider et al., 2000). When managerial and employee expectations are aligned, employees are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs and less likely to turnover (Goodman & Svyantek, 1999).
In this activity, students engage in a semiscripted interview simulation that is patterned after the vintage game show The Dating Game (Barris, 1965). This activity highlights the importance of job specifications and descriptions in attracting, selecting, and retaining the best job candidates. This engaging class-wide activity also facilitates a discussion of the value of the two types of interview structures, interviewer bias, and the ASA model.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the activity, students will be able to
differentiate job descriptions and job specifications
explain the importance and organizational implications of both job descriptions and job specifications
identify the benefits and drawbacks of the different interview structures
explain why effective hiring practices are important
Overview
An interviewer and three candidates sit in front of the classroom. The interviewer asks scripted questions to the candidates one at a time, and the candidates give unscripted answers that are informed by one of three different job listings. Each of the students in the audience also has a copy of one of the three job listings. Students should not be told that while these job listings have the same job descriptions, the job specifications vary. The interviewer and remaining class members decide and then discuss which candidate should be hired. The instructor then debriefs the exercise.
The exercise is appropriate for any course that wishes to explore hiring and retention in organizations. This exercise has been run 10 times in both graduate and undergraduate courses over the past 5 years and is appropriate for any size classroom of 10 or more people (there is no maximum). For particularly large classrooms, ensure that audio equipment is available so that the entire class can hear the participants. Allot 25 minutes (5 minutes for preparation, 8 minutes for the exercise, and 12 minutes for debriefing) for the entire exercise. Use of additional exercise variations may extend the length of the debriefing.
Preparation
Before class, print a copy of the script for each of the three candidates and one for the interviewer (see Appendices A to D for all materials). Additionally, print one job description for the interviewer (Appendix E), and print an equal number of each of the three job listings (see Appendices F to H). Appendices A to H are also available as supplemental materials.
Distribute printouts so that there is one for each student in the class (including candidates). For example, if there are 30 students in the class, print 10 copies each of Appendices F to H.
Before class begins, set up four chairs in front of the classroom. Write “Candidate 1,” “Candidate 2,” or “Candidate 3,” on the whiteboard behind one each of the three chairs.
Instructions
Start by selecting four students. This can be at random, or you can intentionally select students who may be more comfortable speaking in front of the class. Send them outside the classroom for further instructions.
While they are exiting the classroom, have the remaining students pass around the Job Listing worksheets (Appendices F to H).
Instruct the class to read the job listing while you talk to the four students sent outside the class.
When outside the classroom, select one student to be the interviewer. Hand that student the interviewer script (Appendix A). Explain that they will be asking the candidates those questions as written. Also, give the interviewer the job description without the job specifications (Appendix E), and tell the interviewer that he or she will determine which candidate would be the best hire.
Send the interviewer back into the class with instructions to sit in the leftmost chair at the front of the class and review the script and job description.
Hand each of the three candidates their scripts. Specifically, hand Candidate 1 Appendix F, Candidate 2 Appendix G, and Candidate 3 Appendix H.
Read the instructions at the top of the candidate pages aloud, and allow the candidates to ask any questions.
Leave the candidates to prepare outside the classroom, and return to discuss the activity with the remaining students while they do so.
Ask the class if any have heard of The Dating Game (an older television game show where one bachelor or bachelorette asks questions to potential suitors and then ultimately picks one). Write “The Dating Game” on the board. Tell the class that they are going to play “The CandiDating Game,” and add Candi before Dating on the white board so that it says “The CandiDating Game.”
Explain that the interviewer (who should be sitting in front of the class at this point) will ask each candidate a series of questions. The class is expected to listen to each answer, determine the best candidate, and circle it on their paper. Instruct them to listen closely because you will be asking why they chose a particular candidate.
Check to see if there are any questions, and then invite the candidates outside the classroom to enter and sit in the remaining three chairs at the front of the class in their respective seats.
Do your best to allow the students to engage in the semiscripted activity autonomously, but intervene if candidate responses exceed 30 seconds.
When all scripted questions are asked and answered, tell the students to circle their optimal candidate on their handout.
Ask the class to show, by raising hands, which candidate is the best. Because the specifications are different, about a third of the class should raise their hand for each candidate.
Explore why the third of the class that agreed with the interviewer chose that candidate. Then, explore why the other two thirds did not agree and why.
After these discussions, ask the interviewer which candidate they would choose and why. Because they lack the job specifications, it could be any of the three.
Debrief
Debriefing this exercise is best performed by reviewing the importance and applicability of each component of the ASA model.
Reveal to students the differences in job specifications (Appendices G to H). Up to this point, most students will not have been aware of any variation and are surprised by the revelation. Make sure that students understand the difference between job descriptions and job specifications.
Attraction
Identify the students that received the Candidate 2 job specification.
Q1. What is a likely job that would fit well for your job specification? Normal responses generally relate to advertising and/or marketing given the creative and design-oriented nature of the specification.
Q2. How well would Candidate 3 fit in an advertising and marketing role? Common responses focus on the candidate’s analytical and technical background as a poor job fit.
Use this juxtaposition to demonstrate the importance of the job specification in attracting the right potential employees. Failure to create a concrete job specification can result in the wrong candidates applying and/or the right candidate thinking it might not be a good fit.
Selection
Next, highlight the importance of carefully considering which job specifications are truly necessary to avoid selecting over- or underqualified individuals. Explain the importance of only including tasks and duties in the job description that are directly relevant to the potential job to avoid hiring the wrong person for the job, or, worse, hiring someone for one job and essentially having them do something for which they were not hired.
Explain the difference between structured and unstructured interviews.
Q3. Was this exercise representative of a structured or an unstructured interview? This exercise is an unstructured interview, but this line of inquiry can lead to two potential areas of confusion. First, because it is scripted, some students might believe that it is actually a structured interview. Explain that this was a simulation of an unstructured interview and that in a structured interview all candidates would be asked the same questions in the same order. Second, some students ask about doing a hybrid form of interviewing. Whereas this semistructured interviewing style does exist, allowing interviewers to go “off script” in a structured interview can reintroduce the bias the structured interview style aims to avoid.
Q4. How might this process be turned into a structured interview? Responses should focus on the importance of asking the same scripted questions to all candidates.
Attrition
Finally, discuss the issue of attrition and the incumbent costs of employee turnover. Turnover has many causes, but one effective method of reducing attrition is providing consistent evaluations and performance feedback.
Q5. Which of the two (job description or job specification) should you use to regularly evaluate performance and why? Responses often focus on the way job descriptions can be an effective way to align managerial feedback and evaluations with employee job expectations. Job descriptions (not job specifications) should be used because those are the tasks and duties that the candidate was hired to perform.
There are several potential variations to this exercise including distributing the materials a different way, leading a discussion about creating questions for a structured interview, and exploring interviewer bias (see Appendix I).
Conclusion
This exercise highlights the importance of concise and specific job listings in hiring the optimal candidate. Job listings can affect all stages of the ASA model. This exercise demonstrates the potential confusion in attempting to hire without clear job descriptions and job specifications. By being clear, employers can attract the appropriate candidates, interviewers can focus on the most relevant information for selecting the best candidates, and managers can retain quality employees by more effectively evaluating their employees.
Supplemental Material
Appendix_A – Supplemental material for CandiDating Game: An Exercise in Interviewing and Hiring
Supplemental material, Appendix_A for CandiDating Game: An Exercise in Interviewing and Hiring by David C. Howe in Management Teaching Review
Supplemental Material
Appendix_B – Supplemental material for CandiDating Game: An Exercise in Interviewing and Hiring
Supplemental material, Appendix_B for CandiDating Game: An Exercise in Interviewing and Hiring by David C. Howe in Management Teaching Review
Supplemental Material
Appendix_C – Supplemental material for CandiDating Game: An Exercise in Interviewing and Hiring
Supplemental material, Appendix_C for CandiDating Game: An Exercise in Interviewing and Hiring by David C. Howe in Management Teaching Review
Supplemental Material
Appendix_D – Supplemental material for CandiDating Game: An Exercise in Interviewing and Hiring
Supplemental material, Appendix_D for CandiDating Game: An Exercise in Interviewing and Hiring by David C. Howe in Management Teaching Review
Supplemental Material
Appendix_E – Supplemental material for CandiDating Game: An Exercise in Interviewing and Hiring
Supplemental material, Appendix_E for CandiDating Game: An Exercise in Interviewing and Hiring by David C. Howe in Management Teaching Review
Supplemental Material
Appendix_F – Supplemental material for CandiDating Game: An Exercise in Interviewing and Hiring
Supplemental material, Appendix_F for CandiDating Game: An Exercise in Interviewing and Hiring by David C. Howe in Management Teaching Review
Supplemental Material
Appendix_G – Supplemental material for CandiDating Game: An Exercise in Interviewing and Hiring
Supplemental material, Appendix_G for CandiDating Game: An Exercise in Interviewing and Hiring by David C. Howe in Management Teaching Review
Supplemental Material
Appendix_H – Supplemental material for CandiDating Game: An Exercise in Interviewing and Hiring
Supplemental material, Appendix_H for CandiDating Game: An Exercise in Interviewing and Hiring by David C. Howe in Management Teaching Review
Footnotes
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Appendix D
Appendix E
Appendix F
Appendix G
Appendix H
Appendix I
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
References
Supplementary Material
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