Nondirective Interviews

Because they have no set format, structure, or questions, nondirective interviews generally are inappropriate for gathering information to make a selection decision. They can, however, prove to be quite useful for career counseling purposes—particularly when it has been made clear to the candidate that further consideration for the position is not an option.

Strengths Nondirective interviews offer a powerful opportunity for a manager to provide focused career counseling to a job candidate who may approach the job's qualifications, but fall short in one or more competency categories. When such a situation presents itself, a competent and caring manager can—with the right job candidate—provide a meaningful interview experience and strengthen the organization's reputation.

Weaknesses Fortunately, most managers intuitively sense that having no format or questions available to conduct a job interview is a sure path to disaster. Those who do find themselves in such a situation invariably will sketch a few questions and quickly turn a nondirective interview into a semistructured interview. Once again, however, a more experienced manager is better able to make this transition than a new manager is.