Question

You are on a committee tasked with hiring new employees. Given what you know about the self-serving bias, you are concerned that applicants may exaggerate their qualifications in their application or during their interview. What can you do to prevent applicants' self-serving biases from influencing the interview process?

a) Use a panel interview with multiple interviewers
b) Rely solely on the applicant's self-assessment
c) Conduct interviews in a casual setting to reduce stress
d) Ask leading questions that prompt exaggerated responses

Answer 1

To prevent applicants' self-serving biases from influencing the interview process, it is recommended to use a panel interview with multiple interviewers. Additionally, asking behavior-based interview questions and conducting interviews in a professional setting can help ensure a fair and objective evaluation of applicants.

Step-by-step explanation:

The self-serving bias refers to the tendency for individuals to attribute their successes to internal factors while blaming external factors for their failures. In the context of hiring new employees, this bias can lead applicants to exaggerate their qualifications. To prevent applicants' self-serving biases from influencing the interview process, it is recommended to use a panel interview with multiple interviewers. This helps to provide different perspectives and reduces the influence of individual biases. Additionally, it is important to ask behavior-based interview questions that require applicants to provide specific examples of their qualifications, rather than relying solely on their self-assessment. This can help to uncover any inconsistencies or exaggerations in their responses. Conducting interviews in a professional setting and avoiding leading questions can also help to ensure a fair and objective evaluation of applicants.