[IPAC-List] Manager-level interviews involving peers or rank-and-file employees

[Paul Pluta]

I believe this would qualify as a 'fit' type of evaluation, rather than a competency-based assessment.  If it is part of an overall selection battery, I would certainly make it the last hurdle.  I would also develop some structure for the panels to provide their evaluations, such as ratings on specific indexes of person-organization fit.  The extant literature (e.g., Adkins, Russell, & Werbel, 1994; Amiot, Vallerand, & Blanchard, 2006; Chatman, 1991; Hult, 2005; Westerman, & Cyr, 2004) indicates that values congruence is one of the best indicators of person-organization fit.  So identifying your organization's shared values and identifying the extent to which the candidate shares those values may be helpful.  I believe there are potential pitfalls to leaving these interactions completely unstructured and making it an evaluation of how the people "feel" about the candidate.

Paul E. Pluta, ABD
Human Resources Analyst
Department of Human Resources
Talent Management Division
Phone: 213.738.2021
ppluta at hr.lacounty.gov 

-----Original Message-----
From: ipac-list-bounces at ipacweb.org [mailto:ipac-list-bounces at ipacweb.org] On Behalf Of keith.poole at phoenix.gov
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 3:10 PM
To: ipac-list at ipacweb.org
Subject: [IPAC-List] Manager-level interviews involving peers or rank-and-file employees

We (central HR) occasionally get asked by departments to bless "synergy" 
interview panels or discussions with candidates.  Usually this is for a management level position, and the department wants to invite all employees, or a cross-section of employees, to meet candidates and have either structured or unstructured Q&A with that potential manager. Another
variation:  a panel of the existing, equivalent-level managers in that department will interview and assess candidates, potentially picking their next coworker/peer. 

The trick seems to be, how do we incorporate their feedback and assessment 
into the overall selection decision, while avoiding hidden agendas.   In 
some cases the synergy panels do seem to reveal fatal flaws.  In other cases you get camps rooting for candidate A vs B vs C and everything just gets muddy.

Is there an industry term for this type of interview?  Any research or suggestions on how this can be a meaningful part of the selection process? 
 

Keith Poole
Human Resources Supervisor
City of Phoenix HR Department
135 N 2nd Ave
Phoenix, AZ  85003
Phone: (602) 262-7140
Fax: (602) 495-5498
Email:  keith.poole at phoenix.gov
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