Professional in Human Resources (PHR) Practice Exam

Nondirective interviews are designed to encourage open-ended responses from candidates, creating a conversational atmosphere where interviewees can share their thoughts, experiences, and feelings more freely. This technique often reflects a less structured approach, allowing candidates to steer the conversation and provide insights that might not emerge in more rigid interview formats. The interviewer typically plays a passive role, asking general questions and allowing the candidate's responses to shape the direction of the discussion. As a result, nondirective interviews help reveal the candidate's personality, motivations, and cultural fit within an organization.

In contrast, structured interviews follow a predetermined set of questions, limiting the candidates' ability to elaborate beyond the specific questions asked. Behavioral interviews focus on past experiences related to specific competencies, which, while still allowing for some elaboration, are more guided than nondirective interviews. Panel interviews involve multiple interviewers and can encapsulate various styles, but do not inherently emphasize open-ended responses, as the structure may still limit the depth of the candidate's answers.