Powell, Deborah M.; Bonaccio, Silvia; Bourdage, Joshua S.,

Employment interviews are one of the most common selection procedures (Basch et al., 2021). Despite their frequent use, there remain gaps in the literature on ways to improve the interview to create more positive applicant reactions (Levashina et al., 2014). Applicant reactions are generally described as either situationally-based (e.g., fairness) or dispositionally-based (e.g., anxiety; McCarthy et al., 2013), each with their own theoretical underpinnings. Although these applicant reactions are usually studied separately (e.g., Basch et al., 2021; Feiler & Powell, 2016), applicants experience both types of reactions in an interview. The purpose of this submission is to explore the relation between interview fairness perceptions and interview anxiety, and to theorize on the causality of the relationship.

We conducted a literature review and found six studies that measured perceptions of interview fairness and interview anxiety; the mean-weighted correlation between fairness and interview anxiety was r = -.31 (see Table 1). This negative correlation suggests that either: a) fairer interviews are less anxiety-provoking or b) more anxious interviewees perceive interviews as less fair. We also collected data from 235 recent interviewees on anxiety about a specific interview (state), their anxiety about interviews generally (trait) and interview fairness. The correlations between state interview anxiety (r = -.22) versus trait interview anxiety and fairness (r = -.20) were similar, adding more ambiguity to whether generally anxious candidates experience interviews as less fair, or whether unfair interviews are more anxiety-provoking.

In this session, we will explore possible explanations for the relation between interview anxiety and interview fairness perceptions. For example, McCarthy et al. (2021) hypothesized that feeling anxious will lead to lower ratings of interview fairness via an ego protection mechanism. Research on interventions to improve applicant reactions (e.g., Deacon et al., 2023) found that some interventions improve fairness perceptions but do not decrease anxiety—suggesting that improving fairness perceptions does not necessarily lead to lower interview anxiety. Additional research (Bonaccio, in progress) suggests that anxiety disorders and other disabilities characterized by anxiety (such as social anxiety) could lead to meaningfully different interview experiences. That is, an anxious candidate may be more likely to experience the situation as unfair, especially if accommodations are not provided.

By investigating the link between interview anxiety and interview fairness perceptions, we contribute to a more nuanced understanding of applicants’ experience during the interview, which can inform the potential usefulness of interventions designed to improve the overall candidate experience.

1. Learn why applicant reactions are important to consider when designing employment interviews.

2. Learn about new research on how candidates’ experience of interview anxiety may influence (or be affected by) perceptions of fairness of the interview

3. Discuss and contribute to future research on interview anxiety and interview fairness