Behavioral hiring glossary

A selection method that observes candidates across several exercises, such as simulations and group tasks, rated by trained assessors.

Sackett et al. (2022) estimate an average validity of .29.

A tool that measures how a person prefers to work, such as how they approach problems, collaborate and organize their work.

In hiring, its results are compared against a behavioral profile of the role rather than read on their own.

A structured approach to selection that defines the work behaviors a role needs and evaluates candidates against them.

A complete process includes a role profile, a behavioral assessment, structured interviews and onboarding built around the gaps found.

An interview that asks candidates for specific examples of how they behaved in past situations.

Most predictive when it is also structured: the same questions for every candidate, rated against agreed anchors.

In meta-analysis, the range within which most true validity values for a method are expected to fall across different settings.

For structured interviews the 80% credibility interval runs roughly from .18 to .66.

The degree to which a candidate's ways of working match those an organization values.

Without a defined behavioral profile, culture fit often becomes a proxy for similarity to the interviewer.

In the GoodJob process, a behavioral profile of the organization as a whole, describing the behaviors its culture depends on.

Used alongside RoleDNA, especially during rapid growth, scaling or acquisitions.

A condition or type of work that drains a person's energy and engagement.

Capturing a role's demotivators helps predict early turnover.

The systematic study of what a job involves and what it takes to perform it well.

The foundation of any structured selection process.

A hire who leaves early or does not perform as expected in the role.

Behaviors a person shows readily and with little effort.

In behavioral hiring, natural talents that match the role profile point to where a new hire will contribute fastest.

A structured plan for a new hire's first months, built around the strengths and gaps identified during hiring.

GoodJob's behavioral self-assessment, which measures work-context behaviors rather than personality type.

It covers what motivates and demotivates someone, how they approach problems and collaboration, how they think, their habits, and how they prefer to interact and organize work. It was developed in response to 1985 Harvard University research into the service value chain.

A tool that describes broad traits or preferences, such as MBTI, DISC or Kolbe.

Useful for development and team conversations; not designed to predict performance in a specific role.

The correlation between a selection method's results and later job performance, from 0 to 1.

Above .30 is generally useful; above .40 is strong.

A statistical issue that arises because only hired candidates have performance data, which can understate or, when over-corrected, overstate validity.

Sackett et al. (2022) showed earlier corrections had inflated many estimates.

Written descriptions of what a strong, acceptable and weak answer looks like for an interview question.

In the GoodJob process, the behavioral profile of a specific role: the behaviors that separate strong performance in that role.

Candidates' PATH results are compared against it.

An interview in which every candidate gets the same job-related questions and every answer is rated against predefined criteria.

Highest average validity (.42) of any method in Sackett et al. (2022).

A conversational interview where questions and evaluation vary by interviewer.

Average validity of .19 in Sackett et al. (2022).

A task that asks candidates to do a representative part of the job.

Average validity of .33 in Sackett et al. (2022).