
Applied Placebo Effect?
I suspect they're trying to apply the placebo effect and if it really is evidence-based, as they claim, then it may well be working. Or at least it was until The Reg comes along and tells everyone it's nonsense.
It's nearly always wrong to say "it's just a placebo" since placebos demonstrably do work. (That's why it's called an "effect") In this case I think it's going something like this:
1) Ask applicants a long series of important sounding questions;
2) Ignore answers given;
3) Pay applicants a series of compliments which will boost their self-esteem and motivation by some small measure;
4) Applicants now have a slightly better chance of getting a job.
The results will be measurable - and are most probably in the claimed evidence. As such it is a Good Thing and doesn't really need being exposed to derision. (Or indeed potentially bubble-bursting explanations from myself.)
Sometimes we should just "Shush!", pretend to take it all very seriously, and let the magic of science (yes, even psychology!) do its thing.