Past Experience versus Situational Employment: Interview Questions in a New Zealand Social Service Agency

Abstract

This study compared the validities of the past-experience and situational structured employment interview questions using a two-group, experimental design. Subjects were 130 social workers, purposely selected to represent a wide range of prior job experience levels and ethnic diversity within a New Zealand social service agency. Criterion-related validities for situational and past- experience question interviews predicting global performance ratings were both high (.60 and .40, respectively). No evidence was found for prior job experience moderating validity when past-experience questions were used, or for past- experience questions disadvantaging low experience interviewees. Finally, ethnic subgroup differences between European and Maori/Pacific Islander interview performance were negligible, suggesting that use of the structured interview, in either question format, would probably not have adversely impacted Maori or Pacific Islander applicants had it been used for personnel selection.

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