February 10, 2009

Ms. Tammy Sanders

1323 Delamar Avenue NW
Albuquerque, NM 87107

Dear Ms. Sanders:

Your interest in Heavenly Scents Candles shows that you appreciate exquisite fragrances.
Heavenly Scents Candles provide hours of enjoyment by freshening up your home or
office. Plus, Heavenly Scents Candles make wonderful wedding, birthday, or graduation
gifts. The following list is just a sample of the many fragrances available:

Standard Scents Exotic Scents

Cinnamon Pina Colada
Mulberry Mango
Vanilla Passion Fruit
Apple Spice Tropical Mist

We offer the above scented candles in four sizes, just right for any room. Take a look at
the affordable prices and sizes.

Size Description Price

8 ounce Round Jar $9.95
16 ounce Round Jar $17.95
26 ounce Octagon Jar; 2 Wicks $19.95
30 ounce Square Jar; 2 Wicks $23.95

Candles are carefully packaged to prevent damage during shipping. Please call us at
1-888-CANDLES or complete and mail the enclosed order form to place an order for
Heavenly cents Candles.

Sincerely yours,

Tana Grimes
Candle Specialist

Enclosure

1
 INTER-OFFICE MEMO

TO: Midwest Regional Employees

FROM: Harold McGary, Director of Human Resources
DATE: October 3, 2008
SUBJECT: In-Service Training Seminars
As you probably know, Spinster Enterprises is conducting regional in-service seminars on a
variety of topics. These seminars are designed to improve communication, customer service, and
other critical arenas.

The seminars are held in the Cowboy Hat Hotel across the street from the Dallas office.
Department managers have been instructed to allow employees in their department to attend any
of the seminars. All employees are required to attend one of the following seminars.

October 17 1:30-3:30 p.m. Communicating with Subordinates Suite 495

October 18 8:00-10:00 a.m. Making Customers Feel Important Suite 495
October 18 9:30-11:30 a.m. Handling Office Politics Texas Ballroom
October 18 3:30-5:30 p.m. Mentoring New Employees Texas Ballroom
October 19 9:30-11:30 a.m. Working with Managers Suite 495
Date Time Topic Room
Please call Paula Wilhelm at (800) 555-8170 to schedule the workshop you plan to attend.

Updated by Sean Giroux

All About Training
Training Proposal
Page 2
 All About Training
6262 Marketplace Boulevard; Nashua, NH 03063; (603) 555-6262

For more information contact: Debra Woltman

Personnel Manager
603-555-6262

Overview
All About Training is an established computer training company positioned to provide techno-

logical training to all levels of individuals. High quality training has become synonymous with

our name. All About Training has over 150 offices scattered throughout the United States and

Canada, staffed by more than 1,100 highly trained professional sales personnel.

Ideology
At All About Training we believe our product is knowledge. We also believe that knowledge is

power. We know that technology provides the tools that businesses need to compete in the

twenty-first century, and we know that we can deliver that knowledge, and along with it the

power to succeed.

3
Page
Proposal
To meet the training needs of a large and varied corporation such as yours, we have formulated a

new and unique plan for delivering education. We propose the following methods:

On-Site
 Small, hands-on classes held at your corporate locations
 One-on-one instruction for specific individuals
 All About Training trainers available in person to answer questions

Off-Site
 Retreats held with the specific intent to provide training
 Small, hands-on classes held at our state-of-the-art training facilities
 Toll-free telephone support

Time Frame
We believe that training should commence as soon as possible.

Budget
We have taken in consideration budgetary concerns and we believe that we can produce stellar

results within a moderate budget. We can supply some preliminary figures based on other, simi-

lar training missions we have conducted.

Proposed Budget
Miscellaneous $5,000
Lodging $15,000
Materials $89,000
Travel $150,000
Personnel $200,000
Total $459,000.00

Background Information
All About Training is currently responsible for corporate training at over 100 different clients

throughout North America. Many clients are found on the Fortune 500 list. Although some cli-
4
Page
ents choose to remain anonymous, a growing number are only two proud to endorse All About

Training as playing a key role in their continued growth and success.

Testimonials are available from the following corporations:

 Gadgets & Co., New York, NY

 Patents R Us, Chicago, IL
 Widgets and Doohickeys, Inc., San Francisco, CA

Financial Statement
All About Training is a publicly held corporation and is traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange

under the symbol MMIX. In 2008, All About Training reported sales of over $5 million, with

earnings of $1.3 million. Income is expected to increase by 10% in fiscal 2009.

Conclusion
This proposal is, of course, based on preliminary information. We would welcome the chance to

meet with you to discuss our services in person.

Last Updated on: February 10, 2009

5
Page
All About Training
Training Proposal
Page 2
 All About Training
6262 Marketplace Boulevard; Nashua, NH 03063; (603) 555-6262

For more information contact: Debra Woltman

Personnel Manager
603-555-6262

Overview
All About Training is an established computer training company positioned to provide techno-

logical training to all levels of individuals. High quality training has become synonymous with

our name. All About Training has over 150 offices scattered throughout the United States and

Canada, staffed by more than 1,100 highly trained professional sales personnel.

Ideology
At All About Training we believe our product is knowledge. We also believe that knowledge is

power. We know that technology provides the tools that businesses need to compete in the twen-

ty-first century, and we know that we can deliver that knowledge, and along with it the power to

succeed.

3
Page
Proposal
To meet the training needs of a large and varied corporation such as yours, we have formulated a

new and unique plan for delivering education. We propose the following methods:

On-Site
 Small, hands-on classes held at your corporate locations
 One-on-one instruction for specific individuals
 All About Training trainers available in person to answer questions

Off-Site
 Retreats held with the specific intent to provide training
 Small, hands-on classes held at our state-of-the-art training facilities
 Toll-free telephone support

Time Frame
We believe that training should commence as soon as possible.

Budget
We have taken in consideration budgetary concerns and we believe that we can produce stellar

results within a moderate budget. We can supply some preliminary figures based on other, simi-

lar training missions we have conducted.

Proposed Budget
Miscellaneous $5,000
Lodging $15,000
Materials $89,000
Travel $150,000
Personnel $200,000
Total $459,000.00

Background Information
All About Training is currently responsible for corporate training at over 100 different clients

throughout North America. Many clients are found on the Fortune 500 list. Although some cli-
4
Page
ents choose to remain anonymous, a growing number are only two proud to endorse All About

Training as playing a key role in their continued growth and success.

Testimonials are available from the following corporations:

 Gadgets & Co., New York, NY

 Patents R Us, Chicago, IL
 Widgets and Doohickeys, Inc., San Francisco, CA

Financial Statement
All About Training is a publicly held corporation and is traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange

under the symbol MMIX. In 2008, All About Training reported sales of over $5 million, with

earnings of $1.3 million. Income is expected to increase by 10% in fiscal 2009.

Conclusion
This proposal is, of course, based on preliminary information. We would welcome the chance to

meet with you to discuss our services in person.

Last Updated on: February 10, 2009

5
Page
Heart Attacks: What You Should Know

Heart Attacks:
What You Should Know
Sean Giroux

2
 Heart Attacks: What You Should Know
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, about 1.1 million Americans have a heart
attack each year. About 40 percent of heart attacks are fatal. Because heart attacks often happen about
one hour after symptoms first start, people typically can seek medical care.

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack is caused by coronary heart disease (CHD). CHD occurs when the coronary arteries
narrow, which decreases blood supply to the heart. A blood clot usually forms, which terminates blood
flow. When this occurs, a person is having a heart attack. If not treated immediately, permanent muscle
damage can occur, or the person can die.

What are the signs of a heart attack?

Some of the main signs of a heart attack include the following:

 Uncomfortable pressure, pain, squeezing sensation, or discomfort in the center of the chest,
typically lasting more than a few minutes.

 Pain or pressure in the chest, upper abdomen, neck, jaw, or arms.

 Lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, or nausea.

 Heartburn or indigestion.

 Increased or irregular heart rate.

 Shortness of breath.

How can you reduce the risk of a heart attack?

Some factors, such as age and history of heart disease in a family are uncontrollable; however, you can
take steps to reduce the risk of having a heart attack. Some of these steps include the following:

 Stop smoking cigarettes. Cigarette smoking dramatically increases the risk of heart attacks.

 Lower your blood pressure. High blood pressure forces your heart to work harder, which
increases the risk of a heart attack. The optimal blood pressure is 120/80. To prevent or
control high blood pressure, do the following:

o Lose extra weight.

o Become physically active.
o Follow a healthy eating plan, including reducing sodium intake.
o Limit alcohol intake.

1
Heart Attacks: What You Should Know

 Reduce high blood cholesterol. High blood cholesterol causes your arteries to become
narrower, thus slowing down or blocking the flow of blood to your heart. To reduce high
blood cholesterol, do the following:

o Eat healthy foods.

o Get plenty of physical activity.
o Lose extra weight.

 Work toward a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese increases the probability of a heart
attack.

 Lead a physically active life. Physical activity helps lower your blood pressure and helps
control high blood cholesterol. Increasing your physical fitness increases overall health,
which can minimize the risk of a heart attack.

 Manage diabetes. Diabetes damages blood vessels, which leads to heart diseases. Diabetics
must adhere strictly to doctor’s orders to control the diabetes. Some guidelines for diabetics
include the following:

o Eat at regular times each day.

o Take prescriptions as directed and at consistent times each day.
o Check your blood sugar level every day.

Sources

MedicineNet, Inc. (n.d.) Heart attack (Myocardial Infarction). Retrieved May 3, 2003, from
http://www.medicinenet.com/Heart_Attack/article.htm.

National Heart, Lungs, and Blood Institute. (n.d.), Heart attacks. Retrieved May 3, 2003, from
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/actintime/aha/aha.htm.

National Heart, Lungs, and Blood Institute. (n.d.), Reducing heart attack risk. Retrieved May 3, 2003,
from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/actintime/rhar/rhar.htm.

TriGenesis Communications Inc. (n.d.). Heart attack symptoms and warning signs. Retrieved May 3,
2003, from http://www.heartinfo.org.

2
June 2008 Edition
Conference is Scheduled!
The Technology Training Conference is scheduled for October 13–17
at the Riverfront Resort Center. We’re working with all areas to
provide opportunities for every employee to participate in this
conference. Supervisors will coordinate schedules to rotate employee
work schedules and conference events. Check with your supervisor
during the first week in October for your schedule.

New Customer Service Branch

At long last—we opened our new customer service branch in Myrtle Beach. This branch office
will serve the middle portion of the East Coast. Joey Jameson, our long-time customer service
assistant manager in Akron, is the new director of the Myrtle Beach location. We welcome all
our new associates in Myrtle Beach!

Just a Reminder . . .
 The new card key system for the main office in Salt Lake City will be
Get Your New
activated on July 1. Stop by Jenna Gellar’s office to pick up your new
Key Cards!
card. If you don’t have your new card by the 1st, you won’t be able to
get into the building!

 The Mobile Blood Bank is coming this month! It’s that time againtime to roll up your
sleeves and donate blood. Take your vitamins and eat well for the next two weeks so you can
participate. We want to meet or beat last year’s record of 573 pints donated.

Dental Benefits
After long negotiations with our health care provider, we were able to reinstate
dental benefits as part of the regular plan. Effective July 1, employees will not have
to pay a monthly premium for dental benefits for themselves. TMG will
pay premiums for all full-time employees. Employees who wish to
continue paying premiums for dental benefits for family members will
continue paying monthly premiums for only their dependents. As a
compromise to paying employees’ dental premiums, the deductibles for
office calls and services will increase by 10 percent. However, in the long
run, employees will be paying less for dental benefits.
 Sean Giroux
February 10, 2009
PC Purchasing Tips

 Don't forget the software. Any machine you buy will come with some version of
Microsoft Windows, but you must purchase the application software you intend to
run. Many first-time buyers are surprised that they have to pay extra for software,
so be sure to allow for this in your budget. Ideally, Microsoft Office will be
bundled with your machine, but if not, look to purchase it through your university
bookstore as it offers a substantial educational discount.

 Don't skimp on memory. The more memory a system has the better its overall
performance. 512MB of RAM is the minimum you should consider in today's
environment, but 1GB is better. You should also be sure that your system is able
to accommodate additional memory easily and cheaply.

 Buy more disk space than you think you need. We purchased our first hard disk as
an upgrade to the original PC in 1984. It was a "whopping" 10MB, and our
biggest concern was that we would never fill it all. The storage requirements of
application programs have increased significantly. Microsoft Office requires
several hundred megabytes for a complete installation. A 20GB drive is the
minimum you should consider in today's environment.

 Let your fingers do the walking. A single issue of a computer magazine contains
advertisements from many vendors, making it possible to comparison-shop from
multiple mail-order vendors from the convenience of home. You can also shop
online and visit a vendor's Web site to obtain the latest information. You can
generally get to a vendor by using a Web address of the form,
www.company.com.

 Look for 30-day price protection. An unconditional 30-day money-back guarantee

is an industry standard. Insist on this guarantee and be sure to get it in writing. A
reputable vendor will also refund the amount of any price reduction that occurs
during the first 30 days, but it is incumbent on you to contact the vendor and
request a refund. Don't forget to do so.

 Use a credit card. You can double the warranty of any system (up to one
additional year) by using a major credit card provided it offers a "buyer's
protection" policy. (Check with your credit card company to see whether it has
this feature, and if not, you may want to consider getting a different credit card.)
The extended warranty is free and it goes into effect automatically when you
charge your computer. The use of a credit card also gives you additional leverage
if you are dissatisfied with an item.
 Don't forget the extras. A modem and/or a network card is an absolute must, but it
is not necessarily included in the basic price. The standard PC comes with a
simple speaker that is capable of little more than a beep, but true sound requires
the installation of a sound card and the availability of speakers. A microphone is
required if you want to record your own sound. Any vendor will gladly sell you
these components. Just remember to ask.

 Don't be frustrated when prices drop. The system you buy today will invariably
cost less tomorrow, and further, tomorrow's machine will run circles around
today's most powerful system. The IBM/XT, for example, sold for approximately
$5,000 and was configured with an 8088 microprocessor, a 10MB hard disk,
128KB of RAM, and monochrome monitor, but it was the best system you could
buy in 1983. The point of this example is that you enjoy the machine you buy
today without concern for future technology. Indeed, if you wait until prices come
down, you will never buy anything, because there will always be something better
for less.
ISO 9000

1
Contents
ISO 9000 ........................................................................................................................................................ 1
I. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................. 3
II. QUALITY POLICY.......................................................................................................................... 3
III. QUALITY SYSTEM .................................................................................................................... 3
IV. DOCUMENT AND DATA CONTROL....................................................................................... 4
V. INSPECTION AND TESTING ........................................................................................................ 4
VI. CONTROL OF QUALITY RECORDS........................................................................................ 5
VII. TRAINING ................................................................................................................................... 5

2
I. INTRODUCTION
ISO 9000 is a series of international standards for quality management and assurance.

Thousands of manufacturing and service organizations has adopted it around the world.

All standards developed by ISO are voluntary and there is no enforcement of their

implementation.

II. QUALITY POLICY

The manager with executive responsibility will define the standards and document the

policy for quality. The quality policy shall be relevant to the supplier's organizational

goals and the expectations and needs of its customers.

Responsibility and authority

The responsibility and authority of personnel who manage and perform work affecting

quality shall be defined and documented.

III. QUALITY SYSTEM

Quality-system procedures
The supplier will prepare and document procedures consistent with the requirements of

the ANS. New procedures may need to be developed and should reflect step-by-step

instruction. These procedures should then be documented in a manner that allows all

employees responsible for the procedure, access to the procedure.

3
Quality planning
The supplier shall define and document how the requirements for quality will be met.

Quality planning shall be consistent with all other requirements and shall be documented

in a format to suit the supplier's method of operation. The supplier shall give

consideration to meeting the specified requirements for products, projects, or contracts.

IV. DOCUMENT AND DATA CONTROL

Document and data approval and issue
The documents and data shall be reviewed and approved for adequacy by authorized

personnel prior to issue. A master list or equivalent document-control procedure

standards identifying the current revision status of documents shall be established and be

readily available to preclude the use of invalid and/or obsolete documents.

Document and data changes

Changes to documents and data shall be reviewed and approved by the same

functions/organizations that performed the original review and approval, unless

specifically designated otherwise. The designated functions/organizations shall have

access to pertinent background information upon which to base their review and

approval.

V. INSPECTION AND TESTING

The supplier shall establish and maintain documented procedures for inspection and

testing activities in order to verify that the specified requirements for the product are met.

The required inspection and testing, and the records to be established, shall be detailed in

the quality plan or documented procedures.

4
VI. CONTROL OF QUALITY RECORDS

The supplier shall establish and maintain documented procedures for identification and

filing of quality records. Quality records shall be maintained to demonstrate

conformance to specified requirements and the effective operation of the quality system.

Pertinent quality records from the subcontractor shall be an element of these data.

All quality records shall be legible and shall be stored and retained in such a way that

they are readily retrievable in facilities that provide a suitable environment to prevent

damage or deterioration and to prevent loss. Retention times of quality records shall be

established and recorded. Where agreed contractually, the customer or the customer’s

representative shall make quality records available for evaluation for an agreed period.

VII. TRAINING
The supplier shall establish and maintain documented procedures for identifying training

needs and provide for the training of all personnel performing activities affecting quality.

Personnel performing specific assigned tasks shall be qualified on the basis of appropriate

education, training, and/or experience, as required.

5
INDEX

authority, 3 RECORDS, 5
DATA CONTROL, 4 supplier, 3
procedures, 3 TESTING, 4
quality, 3 TRAINING, 5

6
 MEMO

To: Ray Rosbrugh, Director of Human Resources

From: Tracey Spears, Training Coordinator
Date: May 15, 2008
RE: October certification exam

As per your request, the employees listed below have earned continuing education
credits and are eligible for the Certification exam scheduled for October 26, 2008.

Kody Allen Chaitali Mehta

Simon Anderson John Michael
Alana Bell Salvatore Mingroni
York Choo Rebecca Mitchell
Karen Crudup Swetal Patal
Conni Farrar Winnifred Roark
Dakota Hays John Rogers
Melissa Klemick Piau Shing
Randall Larsen Stewart Starkey
Sidney Lewis Marc Stiles
Amy Kay Lynn Ryan Stubbs
Tharaka Managuega Julian Su
Sue Marcum Robert Tillis
Scott Martin Gary Trowell
Shannon McFurtrey Ana Villanueva

Jamal Washington

Special Notes:
Highlighted names have indicated a work conflict
Strikeouts have opted out of the exam
Information Technology Training Conference
Status Report for Division Managers

The Committee
A training conference committee was formed last November to work on coordinating and
planning all details of the upcoming training conference to be held in October. The committee
members are Veronica Lucasse (Chairperson), Blaine Rapier, Romaine Lancaster, and Charlene
O’Neal.

The technology training conference committee provides details of future plans for technology
training for all employees. Training information is derived by soliciting suggestions from current
employees and supervisors throughout the division. The committee meets every first and third
Thursday of every month. The Chairperson designates the time and place.

Training Sessions
Training sessions are designed to improve employees’ knowledge and skills in specific areas.
These areas help improve employees’ productivity, Internet experience, and interaction with
clients.

This first training conference provides training sessions on the following topics: Word, Web-
Page Development, Presentation Graphics, and Multimedia.

 The Word workshop trains employees about maximizing skills to improve

employees’ productivity.
 The Web Page Development workshop trains people to plan, design, and build
dynamic Web sites using Web-development software and writing html code.
 The Multimedia training provides information on how to develop interactive
presentations.
 The Presentation Graphics session provides information on using presentation
graphics software to improve client presentations.

Training Goal
The goal of the training conference is to provide technology training in a variety of technical
areas to ensure that our employees are kept abreast of the latest technology advancements and
are able to function in the information age. This conference will be offered to all employees. In
response to our employees’ request, we have developed our first annual technology update
training session.

IT Training Conference Status Report 1 2/10/2009

April 21, 2008

Ms. Cecilia Gibson

459 South Ridge View Drive
Chicago, IL 60603

Dear Cecilia:

On behalf of the members of the Association for Administrative

Professionals, I would like to welcome you to the organization. We have
many unique activities planned to focus on training and business issues,
and I am confident that you will enjoy them. Here are some of the
activities we have planned:

 Having administrative professionals be guest speakers at meetings.

 Participating in the regional and national conferences.
 Shadowing as administrative professional for a day.
 Finding internships for members of the organization.

The next meeting will feature a presentation by Alexis Odom, the

President of the Harrison County Chapter. Her presentation on
“Professional Portfolios” will be of great value in career advancement.
Please call Kristi Nelson at (317) 555-2340 as soon as possible to RSVP.

Date: June 7, 2008

Time: 3:30 p.m.
Where: Community College
Business Building
Room 255

I am looking forward to seeing you at our next meeting.

Sincerely,

Sean Giroux
Understanding the Personal Interview:
A Study for Managers Involved
in the Hiring Process

Updated by:
*

Understanding the Personal Interview

Introduction
It is ironic the large emphasis that is placed on the “personal interview” when arriving at
selection decisions within organizations, despite its low reliability and low accuracy in predicting
future job performance. These interviews are usually relatively unstructured. Recent literature
reviews suggest that interviewer’s judgmental errors, along with numerous errors and biases
associated with the processing of applicant information, contribute to the low validity of personal
interviews. Since the workforce is the primary asset in most organizations, one might assume
that the most effective selection strategy would be chosen to maximize productivity.

Personal interviewing continues to be the most widely used method for selecting employees and
is often used in conjunction with other techniques such as reference checking, weighted
application blanks, skill tests, and psychological testing. There are obviously good reasons for
the popularity of the employment interview despite the controversy regarding its validity.

This paper analyzes the validity of the interview-the measure of the degree to which the test
predicts job success. Good selection doesn’t depend only on quality information, but on the
quality of the interpretation. In the interview, the interviewer looks at the background of the
applicant, analyzes the applicant’s responses during the interview and makes judgments about
the behavior of the applicant. The following factors affect validity:
Pre-interview Impressions
Psychological Selective Perceptions
 Stereotypes
Halo-effect
Trait Configurations
Thus, often the validity of the interview rests on the interviewer. The interviewer needs to
recognize that everyone perceives things in different ways. Furthermore, interview perceptions
are based on the interviewer’s life experiences, goals, needs and values, and thus can affect the
judgment of the applicant.

Figure 1: Perception in the Interview

First, we discuss some of the psychological pitfalls of personal interviewing. Second, we look at
a company that is experiencing personnel problems. Third, we look at how the problems can be
resolved.

Pre-interview Impression Effects

Pre-interview Impressions
Before the interviewer greets the applicant and begins the discussion, judgments are likely to
have already been formed. Impressions of the applicant’s qualifications and characteristics by
looking solely at the application and resume could bias the conduct of the interviewer and the
eventual results. First impressions of a person from just paper credentials can exert a
disproportionate influence on our continued perception of them. A process model by Diboye,
1982, proposes three interview phases:
The Pre-interview Phase;
The Interview Phase-the face-to-face interview with the applicant;
The Post-Interview Phase-where impressions are formed of the applicant’s qualifications and the
decision is made to hire or not to hire.

Pre-interview Phase Interview Phase Post-interview Phase

Figure 2: Diboye’s Interview phases

A study at the University Placement Center of 120 interviews by Macan and Diboye in 1990,
revealed a strong positive correlation between pre-interview impressions and post-interview
impressions.

Hakel, in 1982, concluded after his interview research that “It is abundantly clear that whatever
information occurs first has disproportionate influence on the final outcome of interviews.”
This could be explained by the fact that people with high test scores, good grades, etc., on their
credentials actually make better impressions in the interview, although studies have been done
(Sparks & Manese, 1970), to show little support for this contention.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

An interviewer forms a pre-interview opinion of the applicant and categorizes the applicant as
“ideal, highly qualified” or “typical” or “unqualified,” and the interviewer’s subsequent
conception of the applicant then influences the subsequent gathering and processing of
information. This “cognitive categorization,” means interviewers form expectancies of how
applicants present themselves in an interview. Macan and Diboye confirmed this theory in a
study they did and found that candidates with high qualifications were expected to give better
answers and display traits of an ideal candidate. Their findings also revealed that interviewers
have more favorable attitudes to these higher qualified applicants and show more signs of
approval in their verbal and nonverbal behavior than the less qualified applicants. This, in turn,
influences the applicant’s motivation to make a favorable self-presentation or stop the applicant
from trying to make a good impression if he or she becomes discouraged. Also, the interviewer
can lead to a behavioral confirmation by restricting the interviewee’s responses or by only asking
about negative aspects of their credentials.

The Bias of Information Processing

Disproportionate weight can be given to the pre-interview impressions for other reasons. The
interviewer could either fail to recall information that is inconsistent with his or her expectations,
or just recall information primarily that is consistent with expectations. A psychological
experiment by Macon & Diboye in 1987 found that interviewers that were allowed to take notes
recalled information more accurately than those who did not take notes.

These pre-interview impressions obviously prevent interviewers from generating and retaining
new information, and once they have created an impression of the candidate, they are unlikely to
go out of their way to try and disprove it.

Perception in the Interview

The Unfavorable Information Effect
There is evidence that the interviewer forms an accept/reject opinion very early on in the
interview, often in the first five minutes. This could have a very adverse effect on the outcome of
the interview, especially if the initial opinion is unfavorable. The results of Springbett’s research
in 1958 revealed that unfavorable information had a much greater impact on selection decisions
than favorable information. He found that a single early unfavorable rating resulted in a reject
decision in 84 percent of his cases. He found that 8.8 items of favorable information were
required to change an initially unfavorable impression and only 3.8 items of unfavorable
information were required to alter an initially favorable impression. Since then, many other
studies have been done to confirm this.

A number of reasons for this have been proposed. First, decision-makers almost certainly receive
negative feedback about an unqualified, unsuitable candidate that has been hired, but rarely
receive positive feedback about a good hiring decision. Second, the error of rejecting a good
candidate goes unpunished.

Kanouse and Hanson offer another possible reason–people are more motivated to avoid potential
costs than look for potential rewards. In other words, a bad hiring decision is much more costly
than the cost of not hiring a good applicant.

Interviewer Decision Styles

Decision styles greatly affect perception, accuracy of observation and interjudge reliability. It
affects the gathering, storing, combining and evaluating of information and thus can influence
the outcome of an interview. The interviewer’s decision style could change considerably in the
presence or absence of stress. If something personal were at stake, non-rational feelings could
distort evaluations. Thus, it might be a good idea if the interviewer simply had to describe the
applicant and the information was then passed on to someone else to make the hiring decision.
The interviewer’s perceptions would then be much more accurate and informative. An additional
attribute that aids in information processing is having an interviewer with an augmented
cognitive structure who can organize and hold information for a long time, and extract relevant
information from speech. This aids in the interviewer’s ability to sift through abstractions in
search of clear understanding.

Nonverbal Communications
It has already been mentioned that the interviewer often comes to a reject/accept decision in the
first five minutes. In addition to this, studies reveal that nearly 100 percent of impressions
formed in the first four minutes come from the applicant’s nonverbal behavior. Over half of a
complete impression is based on just facial expressions revealing emotions such as anger or
disgust and 38 percent of impression comes from vocal tones. Physical space, body movement,
appearances, etc., are all other nonverbal clues. Since the nonverbal element is so critical, it’s
important that interviewers understand the significance of nonverbal indicators and how to
interpret these silent messages to make successful hiring decisions.

Physical Characteristics
An interviewer’s inferences about a candidate’s traits are derived not only by watching their
behavior but also by observing their physical characteristics. The “halo effect” occurs when an
obvious characteristic about a person influences our impressions about the person’s other
characteristics. Halo effects have more impact when the characteristic is one we have a strong
positive or negative feeling about. For example, the interviewer may decide the applicant is
dressed inappropriately; the interviewer links this with what he believes the mode of dress means
or says about the applicant. This negatively affects the interviewer’s further observations. There
is evidence that physical attractiveness has an effect on interviewers’ judgment when they assess
resumes of applications for managerial positions. Attractive people are presumed to have other
positive qualities such as personalities, honesty, intelligence, poise and confidence. This is
consistent with the “implicit personality theory” about the relationships between one trait and
another. For example, a neat person is often thought of as efficient and also punctual. This means
a little information can be taken a long way and also be very misleading.

Stereotypes
Interviewers are also affected by stereotypes. These are concepts that people form and those they
feel they can rely on with certainty regarding the unalterable nature and character of certain types
of people. Other people and friends share the same stereotypes that reinforce the interviewer’s
perception and make stereotypes real. Stereotyping in an interview means that the applicant is
put into a category in the interviewer’s mind. The interviewer then makes assumptions about the
applicant’s character based on the traits associated with that particular category.