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A job interview should be just one part of the selection process, which begins with a completed application form and work resume, and ends with references from previous employers or personal references from responsible people. The interview itself is important when selecting someone for a job, because it may be the first time the candidate and the prospective employer meet face to face, but it should not be the only basis for selecting someone for a job.

The personality of a new employee will be important to a employer seeking someone who is a good team member or leader, someone who is co-operative and can give and take orders well. Not all of those aspects of a personality may emerge from a single interview. Some people can act falsely, appearing to be more easy going and less aggressive in the interview situation than they would on a day-to-day basis.

If the job in question involves making a good personal impression, or if it is a job requiring good communication skills, the interview performance itself will have more importance than when someone is being interviewed for manual or skilled work.

A person's ability to carry out the work may need to be assessed in a test situation. However good a prospective employee's references, qualifications and experience, what matters most in deciding whether they are the best person for the job is often the standard of work they can actually produce or perform. This could involve some sort of audition, or carrying out a given task under supervision. In this way all job applicants can be fairly assessed, their standard of work can be compared and the person with the best ability can be employed.

An interview performance is not always the most reliable basis for selection because the person being interviewed may be affected by feeling nervous and the person, or people, conducting the interview may not be in the best of moods. Some people can perform well in interviews, whereas those who suffer from nerves probably perform badly.

Even if the interview did not go too well, there could be a good reason to select someone with an excellent work record, the highest qualifications and a proven ability to do the work well. That person would be a real asset to the company, so they should be selected for the job.

The interview situation allows both the prospective employer and the candidates for the job to assess each other and to avoid any possible future conflict of personality. Most people make judgements about other people within seconds of first meeting, and the first impression made at a job interview is, of course, very important in assessing a potential employee, but it is not the only measure of a workers ability.

Learn more about this author, Ruth Belena.
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