A review of the research literature on college recruitment shows the impact of a
candidate's interviewing skill on hiring decisions is equivocal. Whereas some investiga
tions suggest an interviewee's verbal and nonverbal communication behavior plays the
most important role, other research indicates it is the written information which in
fluences selection decisions most. This investigation tested a contingency explanation
for these discordant results, that is, the influence of an applicant's interviewing skills
on recruiters' recommendations depends upon the relevancy of effective oral com
munication to the position in question. Two hundred and forty recruiters were placed
into one of 12 experimental groups in which the significance of effective oral com
munication skills to the position, candidate verbal and nonverbal communication
skills, and application qualifications were varied. Results from a 3 x 2 x 2 analysis of
variance were mixed. Although effective oral communicators were more likely to be
recommended for further consideration, the relative importance of oral communication
and written credentials was dependent on the extent to which each was critical to the
positions in question.
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