Beyond First Impressions: How IOI Is Elevating Recruitment through Psychology-Informed Interviews

On June 13, 2025, Premier Value Provider (PVP) delivered a powerful, full-day training workshop exclusively for the recruitment team of Interasia Outsource Inc. (IOI). The session, titled “Beyond First Impressions: The Psychology Behind Effective Interviews,” was led by expert speaker Dr. Aless Arpon, RPsy, CSCOP—and it was anything but your typical recruitment seminar.

This wasn't just theory. IOI's recruiters rolled up their sleeves and dove deep into the real-world psychology behind interviews—exploring biases, mastering structured formats, and practicing the art and science of asking the right questions.

The Science of Smart Hiring

Recruitment is more than gut feel—it’s a psychological process filled with impression management, unconscious bias, and high-pressure decision-making. This workshop helped IOI participants zoom in on what truly matters in hiring: capability, behavior and work ethic, and values fit.

Through activities like interview mapping, bias awareness exercises, and mock interviews, the IOI team explored how to:

• Recognize psychological factors that affect interview performance (from both sides of the table),

• Identify and mitigate common hiring biases,

• Design structured interviews aligned with job competencies,

• Ask behavior-based questions using the STAR method,

• Apply rubrics for fair and consistent candidate scoring.

  
  

  

What IOI Participants Loved Most

✔️ “Real-life application and practicality”

✔️ “Relevance to my work”

✔️ “Activities that hit the core of recruitment”

✔️ “Exactly what I need to improve as a Recruitment Advisor”

From icebreakers to scenario-based simulations, each module was designed to build both skill and confidence in interviewers—from junior HR staff to senior recruitment advisors.

Inside the 8-Hour Workshop

Here’s a peek into what the IOI team experienced during the day:

• Most Memorable Interview Sharing: An emotional and reflective icebreaker

• Understanding Interview Psychology: How pressure, impression management, and mental overload affect interviewee performance

• Bias Busting: Case examples and group discussions on halo/horns effect, confirmation bias, and more

• Structured Interviewing 101: Using capability, behavior, and fit as the core framework

• Crafting Questions that Matter: Behavioral and situational question creation using STAR

• Rubric-Based Evaluation: Scoring simulations for fair, anchored assessments

• Mock Interview Rounds: Real-time skill application in triads with feedback

• Handling Red Flags and Probing: Developing deeper insight into candidate inconsistencies

• Adapting Across Levels: Adjusting style and content for entry-level to leadership roles

• Panel Interviews & Group Dynamics: Managing bias, dominant voices, and consensus-building

• Self-Audit & Personal Interview Style: Discovering and reflecting on one’s own interviewer tendencies

  
  

See It in Action

Curious how engaging interview training can be? Watch the highlight reel and witness how IOI’s team brought energy, curiosity, and commitment to sharpening their recruitment edge.

Want This for Your Team?

“Beyond First Impressions: The Psychology Behind Effective Interviews” is available as an in-house training—choose between a 4-hour essentials module or the full 8-hour immersive workshop. Whether you’re building a recruitment team from the ground up or leveling up seasoned HR professionals, this workshop provides actionable tools that lead to smarter, more insightful hiring decisions.

Led by Dr. Aless Arpon, RPsy, CSCOP — a licensed psychologist, educator, and clinical supervisor with deep experience in workplace mental health and organizational psychology. Dr. Aless is a board topnotcher, Magna Cum Laude graduate, and a faculty member at De La Salle University. She combines research-based techniques like CBT and ACT with real-world insights into recruitment and human behavior—making every session rich, practical, and transformational.

Ready to build a sharper, bias-aware recruitment team?

Tag your HR teammate or Recruitment Head who needs this training—and let's work together to help you hire smarter, fairer, and better.

Email ancheng@pvpi.ph or alcheng@pvpi.ph to book your in-house session or to learn more.

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