Understanding applicant behavior in employment interviews: A theoretical model of interviewee performance Allen I. Huffcutt a, ⁎, Chad H. Van Iddekinge b,1 , Philip L. Roth c,2 a Department of Psychology, Bradley University, 1501 W. Bradley Avenue, Peoria, IL 61625, United States b Department of Management, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1110, United States c Department of Management, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, United States article info abstract The purpose of this article is to present a theoretical model of interviewee performance in selection interviews. Our model positions the construct of interviewee performance as a central mediating variable between candidate attributes and interviewer ratings. The model includes six sets of factors that may influence interviewee performance, interviewer ratings, or both (e.g., interviewer–interviewee dynamics). This model promotes a fundamental shift in the way we think about employment interviews, from a focus on interviewer ratings to a focus on interviewee performance. Factors like culture and interview specific self-efficacy, while receiving little attention in current literature, take on greater significance when viewed through the lens of interviewee performance. A number of avenues for future research are developed and presented, which we hope will encourage future research in this area. © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Job applicant interviews Interviewee performance Theoretical model The employment interview continues to be a centerpiece of employee selection. Next to resumes and application blanks, the interview may be the most commonly used technique for assessing job candidates (Macan, 2009; Tross & Maurer, 2008). Research suggests that interviews can provide a high level of criterion-related validity when carefully designed (McDaniel, Whetzel, Schmidt, & Maurer, 1994; Wiesner & Conshaw, 1988), and that they tend to do so without extensive impact on protected groups (Huffcutt & Roth, 1998). Moreover, candidates generally view interviews with positive reactions (Hausknecht, Day, & Thomas, 2004). However, despite decades of research, we know surprisingly little about the factors that influence how interviewees perform in employment interviews, and in turn how that performance is translated into and/or associated with ratings made by the interviewer. One of the primary reasons for this lack of understanding is that research has tended to focus on properties of interviewer ratings, such as their reliability (Conway, Jako, & Goodman, 1995), criterion-related validity (McDaniel et al., 1994), subgroup differences (Huffcutt & Roth, 1998; see also Campion & Arvey, 1989), and bivariate associations with measures of constructs such as mental ability (e.g., Berry, Sackett, & Landers, 2007; Huffcutt, Roth, & McDaniel, 1996; Salgado & Moscoso, 2002). A focus on interviewer ratings, while revealing many important and useful insights, tends to overlook the potentially complex cause-and-effect chains that precede these ratings. In particular, there are myriad individual differences that may influence the capability of interviewees to present their qualifications, a number of which have received only marginal attention in the literature (e.g., interview specific self-efficacy; Tross & Maurer, 2008) or have been overlooked entirely (e.g., cultural background; Banki & Latham, 2010). Further, there are situational and interactive factors that can influence how interviewees perform, such as interview medium (Chapman, Uggerslev, & Webster, 2003) and interviewer personality (see Graves, 1993; Rynes, 1989). Human Resource Management Review 21 (2011) 353–367 ⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: + 1 309 677 2589; fax: + 1 309 677 3763. E-mail addresses: huffcutt@bradley.edu (A.I. Huffcutt), cvanidde@fsu.edu (C.H. Van Iddekinge), rothp@clemson.edu (P.L. Roth). 1 Tel.: +1 850 644 7867. 2 Tel.: +1 864 656 1039. 1053-4822/$ – see front matter © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.hrmr.2011.05.003 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Human Resource Management Review journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/humres