Interviewing Strategy to Reduce Employee Turnover at CWH

Introduction to the Workplace

The organization for which this interviewing strategy is proposed is CWH Corporation, a global management consulting firm that handles environmental wastewater management and construction services. The critical problem the human resource division has faced for the last several years is a high rate of turnover, attributed in part to hiring the wrong employees. From exit interviews, management has determined that this high turnover is due in part to job dissatisfaction stemming from improper job fit. What can the company do better? Hire the right employees from the start. This will require a modification in the current interview strategy.

There are many different types of interviews that can be conducted within an organization. The interview strategy proposed for CWH is an intensive and open-ended employment interview. The employment interview process should be an intensive communication transaction "designed to obtain or share predetermined information" (Smeltzer, Leonard & Hynes, 2002, p. 227) — in this case, information about a candidate's skills, qualifications, and abilities. In an employment interview, the interviewer attempts to gather knowledge about the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate, while the candidate attempts to present only their most favorable qualities (Smeltzer, 2002, p. 227).

Core Interviewing Strategy

At this level of interviewing, it is possible that both parties — the applicant and the employer — are attempting to conceal certain relevant information, such as the lowest acceptable salary (applicant) or the highest available salary (employer) (Smeltzer, 2002, p. 228). First and foremost, the organization must eliminate the need to conceal such information. This can be accomplished by requiring that applicants provide both their lowest salary expectation and their desired salary expectation on the application form. Thus, before an interview even begins, the manager will have a clear idea of what the applicant's true expectations are.

One potential source of bias in applicant interviews is the manner in which questions are structured. Employers can inadvertently ask leading questions that prompt the applicant to answer in a particular way (Smeltzer, 2002, p. 228). To limit this, a manager should review any personal biases before meeting with the applicant and make a conscious effort to eliminate them. It is possible that the high turnover experienced at CWH is due in part to too much leading within the interview context. To address this, managers should consult with a human resource manager prior to interviewing any applicants, so that the HR manager can evaluate the interview questions for potential leading bias. This will reduce the likelihood that managers accidentally steer applicants toward specific answers.

Reducing Bias and Inferences

Another way to reduce the potential for leading questions is to have two individuals interview an applicant. They can ask the same questions in different ways, and if the applicant's responses remain consistent, the answers are more likely to be genuine rather than led. This paired approach also introduces a valuable check on interviewer subjectivity.

Another possible bias in an applicant interview is the use of inferences (Smeltzer, 2002, p. 230). A manager might automatically draw conclusions about a candidate based on limited information, which can unfairly harm the applicant's chances of further consideration. To mitigate this, having at least two individuals present at every interview is strongly recommended. Both interviewers can record their observations and first impressions independently, and then compare notes immediately after the interview. This process limits the influence of any single interviewer's assumptions and ensures that hiring decisions are based on a more balanced assessment. Research on cognitive bias consistently demonstrates that awareness and structured accountability are among the most effective tools for reducing subjective distortion in evaluation contexts.

To assess whether or not an applicant is being truthful, the interviewer should pay attention to the nonverbal signals given off by the interviewee. Research suggests that it is possible to distinguish fact from fiction by examining an individual's nonverbal cues, including whether they touch their face, glance in a particular direction, or shift positions repeatedly during the interview. CWH should therefore train all managers to identify these nonverbal cues so they can better evaluate whether applicants may be providing inaccurate information. This will help eliminate the risk of hiring an individual under false pretenses and further reduce turnover rates.

Conclusion

The desired results of more directed questioning will be the hiring of more long-term employees who are less likely to leave the company because of a desire to pursue other interests or a lack of good fit to begin with.