Critical Reasoning

Below is the question prompt and answer choices for this question, with the credited answer inside the spoiler tags.

Hiring Manager: Here at Lightwave Industries, we have a rigorous process for analyzing job applicants so that we find the perfect match for a given position. While the process involves resume analysis, interviews, and a thorough vetting of all references, the interviews are most important: without them, we might occasionally hire people with personalities that are poorly suited to both the company and the specific position.

The hiring manager's conclusions about the importance of interviews depends on which of the following assumptions?

(A) The only purpose of a job interview is to assess the personality of an applicant.

(B) An applicant is not able to hide personality traits that may be detrimental to the given position or company.

(C) All interviewers at Lightwave Industries are capable of determining whether a candidate's personality is a good fit for the company and position.

(D) Most companies agree that a good personality fit is the most important factor in the job application process.

(E) Lightwave Industries is not a business for which having a good personality match is a particularly important hiring trait.

OA: B

800_or_bust wrote:Below is the question prompt and answer choices for this question, with the credited answer inside the spoiler tags.

Hiring Manager: Here at Lightwave Industries, we have a rigorous process for analyzing job applicants so that we find the perfect match for a given position. While the process involves resume analysis, interviews, and a thorough vetting of all references, the interviews are most important: without them, we might occasionally hire people with personalities that are poorly suited to both the company and the specific position.

The hiring manager's conclusions about the importance of interviews depends on which of the following assumptions?

(A) The only purpose of a job interview is to assess the personality of an applicant.

(B) An applicant is not able to hide personality traits that may be detrimental to the given position or company.

(C) All interviewers at Lightwave Industries are capable of determining whether a candidate's personality is a good fit for the company and position.

(D) Most companies agree that a good personality fit is the most important factor in the job application process.

(E) Lightwave Industries is not a business for which having a good personality match is a particularly important hiring trait.

OA: B

First of all, according to the app, only 36% of all users correctly answered this one. Looking at the breakdown, it appears a large plurality selected C, likely a majority. Choices [spoiler](A), (D), and (E)[/spoiler] are obviously wrong and few people selected any of them. Unfortunately, it only gives the exact percentage who chose the correct answer; however, there are bar charts showing the relative amount who selected each choice.

My question/concern is this... I quickly narrowed it down to [spoiler](B) and (C)[/spoiler], but selected [spoiler](C)[/spoiler]. The app states this is incorrect because: [spoiler]"Answer choice (C) also does not matter: If some of the interviewers are incapable of properly assessing a personality match, it is not a problem. Maybe only one interviewer cannot, and he/she is used for interviews in which assessing person [sic]."[/spoiler] It appears the rest of the solution was cut off, but it appears the intent was to state the interviewers who are poor at gauging personality could perform interviews where that is not necessary.

However, a similar logic could be used to attack [spoiler](B)[/spoiler]. Note [spoiler](B)[/spoiler] doesn't directly parallel the logic used in the original argument. It states "[a]n applicant is not able to hide personality traits that may be detrimental to the given position or company." Well, by similar logic used to attack [spoiler](C)[/spoiler], one could say this isn't a REQUIRED assumption of the original argument. Perhaps applicants are able to hide some personality traits that are detrimental to the given position or the company BUT it doesn't necessarily follow that their overall personality might not be a good fit for the company or position. That is, for instance, a candidate may have a couple personality traits that are detrimental to the position or company and still overall be a good fit because the remaining personality traits are strongly aligned with the position and company. Therefore, a candidate may be able to hide certain detrimental personality traits, but the company may still be able to determine that their overall personality is a good fit.

I still feel like [spoiler](C) [/spoiler]is the superior answer as it more closely parallels the argument structure. If some interviewers cannot accurately assess whether a candidate's personality is a good fit for the company or position, it logically follows that Lightwave Industries may occasionally hire candidates whose personalities are not good fits for the company or position.

What am I missing?

800_or_bust wrote:Below is the question prompt and answer choices for this question, with the credited answer inside the spoiler tags.

Hiring Manager: Here at Lightwave Industries, we have a rigorous process for analyzing job applicants so that we find the perfect match for a given position. While the process involves resume analysis, interviews, and a thorough vetting of all references, the interviews are most important: without them, we might occasionally hire people with personalities that are poorly suited to both the company and the specific position.

The hiring manager's conclusions about the importance of interviews depends on which of the following assumptions?

(A) The only purpose of a job interview is to assess the personality of an applicant.

(B) An applicant is not able to hide personality traits that may be detrimental to the given position or company.

(C) All interviewers at Lightwave Industries are capable of determining whether a candidate's personality is a good fit for the company and position.

(D) Most companies agree that a good personality fit is the most important factor in the job application process.

(E) Lightwave Industries is not a business for which having a good personality match is a particularly important hiring trait.

This CR concludes that interviews are most important because they prevent the hiring of people with personalities that are poorly suited to both the company and the position.

Apply the NEGATION test.
When the correct answer choice is negated, the conclusion will be invalidated.

B, negated:
An applicant is able to hide personality traits that may be detrimental to the given position or company.
Here, the ability of an applicant to hide unsuitable personality traits invalidates the conclusion that interviews prevent the hiring of people with personalities that are poorly suited to both the company and the position.
Since the negation of B invalidates the conclusion, B is the correct assumption: WHAT MUST BE TRUE for the conclusion to be valid.

The correct answer is B.

C, negated:
Not all interviewers at Lightwave Industries are capable of determining whether a candidate's personality is a good fit for the company and position.
Here, it's possible that only one interviewer is unable to correctly assess a candidate's personality, leaving intact the conclusion that interviews prevent the hiring of people with personalities that are poorly suited to both the company and the position.
Since C does not invalidate the conclusion, eliminate C.