Video-based structured interviews to assess managerial candidates

Purpose Managerial roles require knowledge, skills and abilities that are difficult to assess during the hiring process. Consequently, hiring an unqualified candidate for a managerial position can result in a disastrous outcome for the organization. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to propose a hiring technique that allows a more accurate assessment of a managerial candidate’s overall skills to aid better hiring decisions. Design/methodology/approach The proposed technique, video-based structured interviews, shows the interviewee a video clip of a work-related scenario and follow-up with standardized questions to assess their ability to both understand the situation and make good decisions. Findings Compared with verbal situational questions, using video-based scenarios is a more robust and realistic technique as it requires the interviewee to use multiple senses (seeing and hearing) to observe and then respond to a given situation in a way that is closer to how they would encounter it at work. Practical implications The video-based scenarios can be used as a hybrid technique blending elements of both patterned-behavior-description and situational interview. In addition, this technique can be used to measure a potential manager’s compatibility related to key organizational values such as safety first or quality first. Originality/value The proposed video-based structured interview technique enhances the preemployment assessment process to identify and select managerial employees that has the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to be successful in their roles. This interview technique, combined with other relevant assessment tools, provides a clearer picture of the candidate’s capabilities.