Most interviewers consider the interview to be a simple, one-step process that leads directly to the hire/don't hire decision. This misperception is largely the reason why a Michigan State University study found: "The interview, when used alone, is on average only about 8 percent more effective than flipping a coin."

In order to make better hiring decisions, the interview needs to be processed in two distinct steps. The first is to gather information. The second is to evaluate the information.

Most of the time, however, interviewers combine these two processes into one. As they gather information and observe the candidate, they evaluate and make decisions based on first impressions, partial information, what they hear, and what they feel. In essence, many hiring decisions are made on the basis of gut instinct suppositions, inferences, and biases.

No wonder flipping a coin is nearly as effective.

By breaking down the interview process into two separate, but related, steps, you will make better decisions and improve your hiring success rate.

The first step is to gather information only. Do not weigh, evaluate or judge what you hear, see and feel. Just observe and document. Once this is done, the second step is to evaluate all of the information gathered to date — including the application or resume and any test results as a whole so you can make an unbiased, fact-based decision.

For instance, an applicant dresses far too casually for the work environment. Before hellos and handshakes are even exchanged, based on that alone, the interviewer will decide the person is not a good fit and wrap up the interview as quickly as possible. The same kind of snap decisions and evaluations are made when a candidate is late or the interviewer doesn't like a particular answer.

These kinds of evaluations can work in the applicant's favor too — when the applicant and interviewer discover they went to the same school or have a mutual friend or interest. But they are no better predictors of success on the job. Whatever the circumstance, once that evaluation has been made, it's human nature to then filter in only information that will confirm that snap decision.

What if the airline lost the casually dressed person's bag? What if the person who was late left home in time to arrive 30 minutes early, but a tractor-trailer rig flipped on the freeway and caused a one-hour delay? What if the applicant who went to the same school lied on the application and didn't really graduate?

This is why it's so important for the interviewer to conduct the interview with the mindset that the task at hand is to collect information only. Then, rather than jumping to conclusions, the interviewer can ask more questions about any areas of concern and will then have more facts to base the later evaluation upon.