Structured interviews are a key component of full-life cycle recruiting, as they help you assess candidates' skills, fit, and potential in a consistent and fair way. In this article, you will learn what are the best practices for conducting structured interviews, from planning to evaluation, and how they can benefit your hiring process and outcomes.
Before you start interviewing candidates, you need to have a clear idea of what you are looking for and how you will measure it. To do this, you should review the job description, identify the core competencies and behaviors required for the role, and define the rating scale and scoring system you will use to evaluate candidates. You should also align with the hiring team and stakeholders on the interview goals and criteria, and ensure everyone is trained on how to conduct structured interviews.
Align them closely with the specific needs and requirements of the role. This involves conducting a thorough analysis of the job description, understanding the key responsibilities, required skills, and desired competencies. Additionally, considering the organization's culture and values is essential to ensure candidates are not only qualified but also fit well within the company. By clearly defining interview goals and criteria from this perspective, recruiters can effectively assess candidates' suitability for the role and make informed hiring decisions that benefit both the organization and the individual.
The next step is to prepare the interview questions and format, based on the interview goals and criteria. You should design questions that are relevant, specific, and behavioral, meaning that they ask candidates to describe how they handled a past situation or how they would approach a hypothetical scenario. You should also avoid questions that are vague, ambiguous, or biased, and that could lead to irrelevant or inaccurate answers. You should also decide on the interview format, such as phone, video, or in-person, and the duration, sequence, and style of the interview.
Le recrutement exige de faire preuve de beaucoup d'adaptabilité. Le recruteur peut avoir certes une trame d'entretien sous les yeux qui guide ses échanges, mais devrait rester attentif aux réponses que lui donne son candidat. Les entretiens sont une mine d'or d'informations qui permettent de savoir ce qui se fait sur le marché, permet d'anticiper la suite du process, permet de faire la comparaison avec les autres candidats.
We should prioritize relevance, consistency, and effectiveness. This involves tailoring questions to assess candidates' qualifications, experiences, and fit for the role, aligning with the defined job requirements and criteria. The format should be standardized to ensure consistency across all interviews, enabling fair evaluations and comparisons among candidates. Additionally, considering behavioral interviewing techniques and using open-ended questions can provide insights into candidates' past behaviors and future performance. By adopting this perspective, recruiters can create an interview framework that maximizes the ability to accurately assess candidates and make informed hiring decisions.
When you conduct the interview, you should follow the same structure and questions for each candidate, and avoid deviating from the script or introducing new topics. This will help you reduce variability and ensure comparability among candidates. You should also be professional and respectful, and create a positive and comfortable atmosphere for the candidate. You should listen actively, probe for details, and take notes of the candidate's responses and behaviors.
Creating a positive and respectful experience for candidates while ensuring fairness and accuracy in evaluations. Interviewers should adhere to a structured approach, following predetermined questions & evaluation criteria to maintain consistency across all interviews. Professionalism entails active listening, asking probing questions when necessary, and providing clear and transparent communication throughout the interview process. Also, interviewers should demonstrate empathy and respect towards candidates, regardless of the outcome, to uphold the organization's reputation and employer brand. By adopting this perspective, recruiters can foster a conducive environment that enables objective assessments & enhances the candidate experience.
After the interview, you should evaluate the candidate's performance based on the rating scale and scoring system you defined earlier. You should focus on the evidence and facts, and avoid relying on your impressions, feelings, or biases. You should also provide feedback and ratings as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours, to avoid forgetting or mixing up details. You should also document your evaluation and share it with the hiring team and stakeholders.
The final step is to compare and calibrate the candidates' scores, and make a hiring decision based on the data and evidence. You should review the scores and feedback from all the interviewers, and look for patterns, strengths, and weaknesses among candidates. You should also discuss and resolve any discrepancies or disagreements, and ensure everyone is on the same page. You should also consider other factors, such as the candidate's fit with the team and culture, and their motivation and interest in the role.
Structured interviews can help you improve your full-life cycle recruiting process by providing you with a systematic and fair way to assess candidates' skills, fit, and potential. By following these best practices, you can conduct structured interviews that are effective, efficient, and engaging, and that will help you hire the best talent for your organization.
And two more things: - Keep communication in-between stages timely and transparent. Why wait for a candidate to reach out for feedback on a concluded stage before giving one? - Keep the overall hiring process within a reasonable time frame. Yes, reasonable may differ per role and organisation, but between you and I, we know that 1 whole month is too long a time to keep a candidate on a recruitment process. As a Talent Acquisition professional, it's important to encourage hiring managers to expressly spell out their must-haves, good-to-haves, and toppings, to enable them easily filter through the lot, and make up their minds as soon as they find a candidate who ticks the critical boxes.
Be careful of what not to ask. There are certain questions that you will want to steer clear of in interviews for D&I purposes. Even if you think you are being friendly, certain personal questions are not appropriate. You can find lots of examples of this online.