Moderating Effects of Rater Personality on the Relation Between Candidate Self‐Monitoring and Selection Interview Ratings

Abstract

The present study examined the moderating effect of rater personality -extroversion and sensitivity to others -on the relations between selection interview ratings and measures of candidate self-monitoring (SM) and social anxiety (SA). In a real-life military selection procedure setting in which 445 candidates and 93 raters participated, rater extroversion moderated the relation between candidate SM and selection interview ratings so that this relation was negative for raters low on extroversion and positive for raters high on extroversion. Rater extroversion was also found to moderate the negative relation between candidate SA and selection interview ratings. No support was found for the moderating effect of rater sensitivity to others. An explanation of the moderating effect of rater extroversion based on the assumption that extroversion is negatively related to critical interpersonal sensitivity was suggested.

Self‐monitoring personality trait at work: An integrative narrative review and future research directions

“…Nevertheless, there are also studies questioning the greater ability of self‐monitors to achieve selection success. A study in the recruitment context showed that candidate self‐monitoring was positively related to selection interview ratings only when the rater's extraversion was high, but the relationship was negative when the rater's extraversion was low (Lazar, Kravetz, & Zinger, ). In other words, the relationship between self‐monitoring and selection success may at least partly depend on the raters' personality.…”

The Influence of Candidate Social Effectiveness on Assessment Center Performance Ratings: A field study

“…Except from multidimensionality of performance there could be another explanation – SM influences performance during selection process only under certain conditions and this relationship is moderated by other variables. Lazar, Kravetz, and Zinger () point out to this fact, they found out that relation between SM and performance is shown only in the case, when the assessor was a person with high level of extraversion. We assume that SM (as motivation and an ability to adjust to situation demands) would positively influence performance only when a candidate can correctly identify what is assessed in the situation at hand.…”