How Has Interviewing Changed Over the Years?

Technology and discrimination law have re-shaped the modern-day interview.

Advances in technology and discrimination laws over the years have had major influence on the way organizations conduct interviews. While technological innovations such as email and webcams have given rise to the "virtual interview," search engines and social media have made pre-interview research easy for both interviewers and job candidates. Advances in human rights such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 have also significantly changed the way interviews are conducted by legally prohibiting discriminatory questions.

Remote Interviewing

Video conferences have become a popular alternative for remote job candidates.

Thanks to innovations such as Skype, virtually any two people in the world with a webcam and an Internet connection can hold a two-way video conference, which has become a popular solution to interviewing remote job candidates. Interviewers also have the ability to ask pre-screening questions and conduct proficiency tests remotely thanks to email.

Background Research

Both interviewers and candidates can conduct background research before the interview.

A simple Internet search can give employers access to information about a job candidate far beyond what they put on their resume, particularly in the form of blogs and social media accounts. Similarly, job candidates can research a company to gather information that can help them become better prepared for the interview and assess their potential with the organization.

Protection against Discrimination

U.S. law prohibits interview questions that don't fall within the category of BFOQ.

By law, employers are only allowed to ask questions during an interview that fall within the category of "bona fide occupational qualification" (BFOQ), which means that the questions must be specific to the requirements of the position. Before these regulations, job candidates were vulnerable to losing out on job opportunities simply for revealing their age, race, religion or family plans.

Time Invested

Competitive job markets make interviews more involved.

As the job market has become increasingly competitive, interviews have become much more onerous for job candidates. In addition to the traditional in-person interview, it's not uncommon for candidates to be asked to submit to skill level tests, personality evaluations, background checks, additional interviews with different personnel and even unpaid services.

References

• Entrepreneur.com: Surviving the Interview Minefield
• Inc.com: Would you Do This to Get a Job?
• Businessweek.com: Interview Questions Every Business Should Avoid