Information for Managers and Supervisors

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Screening Job Applications and Planning Interviews

Start with the job description

You've posted a vacant position, and Employment has forwarded a stack of applications that seem to meet or exceed the minimum qualifications for the job. Now it's time to begin narrowing the pool down to a handful of finalist candidates you wish to interview. How do you approach the project?

You should have already worked with HR to develop a comprehensive and up-to-date job description. Use that description as the basis for your thinking. You are looking for candidates who demonstrate clear evidence that they've performed comparable work and have the skills and background to do the job for which you're hiring.

A good job description defines what you consider to be the essential criteria for doing the job -- and for doing it well. You should use these criteria to objectively evaluate each candidate's qualifications.

Develop a criterion chart

Before you look at any applications, however, consider developing a chart. List the names of the candidates across the top. Then list down the side the following criteria, taken directly from the job description:

(a) The education requirements
(b) The years-of-experience requirements
(c) The five or ten most important job duties or responsibilities of the position
(d) The five or ten most critical technical skills or competencies required of the position
(e) The five or ten most critical interpersonal or interactive skills required of the position

Rank the candidates

In the resulting grid, you can rank each candidate on a scale of 0-10, based on the evidence that they present which indicates they have the required skill or have performed duties comparable to those you're looking for.

1. Making a grid has a number of useful advantages.
   
2. It creates an automatic first set of notes that you can refer back to during your interviewing process.
3. It allows you to concentrate on one applicant at a time, instead of trying to juggle and compare everyone at once in your head.
4. If an unsuccessful candidate files a discrimination complaint against you for failure to hire, it creates a handy document that can help establish the fact that you used legitimate, job-related criteria (rather than illegal ones such as race, gender, or age) in making your decisions.
   

Before you start filling in the chart, however, a couple of suggestions:

Take a first glance through every application without looking at names. This will give you some sense of the overall skills and qualifications available to you in the applicant pool, and help you estimate an "average" level among the candidates' skills and experience. The "average" that you see will become a "5" in your mind. Doing this will help you avoid giving the first candidate you see a 10 (or a 1), and then picking up the second application and wanting to give an even higher (or lower) score. After you've gotten a sense of the average, shuffle the applications, and review and score them individually in random order.

Second, give points only when there is direct evidence that a skill, knowledge, or experience exists. Don't stretch to make inferences of a skill that may or may not be there. It is the applicant's responsibility to tell you what they know how to do -- if they haven't told you, you needn't guess or assume. If there's no evidence one way or the other on a certain skill or experience, give no points or note an NE (no evidence) in the grid. Total your points across the bottom of the grid.

Watch for red flags & note your questions

As you review, have sheets of paper handy -- one for each applicant. Make notes as you go of questions that come to mind. Watch for 'red flags' like unexplained gaps in employment history or inconsistent information. Be cautious of missing or vague dates, and of minimal or questionable descriptions of responsibilities. If the position will require good written or verbal communication skills, for example, watch for carelessness such as typos, poor grammar, or lack of clarity. These are issues that you will want to pursue with the candidate if you decide to interview. Attach your notes to each set of application materials for later reference.

Prepare for the interviews

Once you've narrowed down your pool to 3-4 strong candidates, schedule interviews. But before you bring in your first applicant, some preliminary planning will help you ensure a successful interview process.

Write interview questions in advance

Job interviews are stressful situations -- not just for the candidate, but also for the interviewer. Interviewing is not something that most hiring supervisors do often enough to develop great comfort with.

Recognize that good interview questions seldom magically pop into your head during an interview -- you can't really listen to a candidate's answer to one question if you're trying to think up the next question at the same time. So it's always a good idea to develop in advance a written set of core questions that you will ask every candidate.

By asking all candidates the same basic set of questions, you accomplish several things:

(a) you give each candidate an equal opportunity to speak to the things you're interested in,
(b) you receive comparable information on all candidates, so you can compare 'apples to apples' when you're done, and
(c) you reduce your legal risk if your hiring decision is challenged by a candidate alleging differential treatment during an interview.

Write questions that are criterion-based

The questions you write should be derived directly from the criteria you articulated in the job description. The questions should evoke from the candidate revealing information about the technical skills they have, about how they handle interactions with others they come into contact with, and about the work they've done before -- and how it compares with your needs. You should develop at least 10 or more good questions that will help you evaluate how the person would do in the job you have.

If you're interviewing for an administrative assistant for your academic department, for example, you can ask criterion-based questions like these:

"This position requires that you keep track of ordering departmental supplies and equipment, and make sure we stay within budget. Describe for me a time when you've had to do something similar in other jobs."

"This position is one that supports the work of eight busy faculty members, all of whom want their project done yesterday -- and ahead of everyone else's. Have you ever had a job where you've had to handle many busy professionals with competing priorities? If so, what were your strategies for juggling the work and maintaining successful working relationships?"

Write questions that are behavior-based

In addition to designing questions that reflect the essential functions of the job, design the questions in a way that will elicit genuine, thoughtful, and detailed responses rather than "canned" answers. Avoid questions that get you only yes-or-no answers. Behavior-based questions require the individual to tell you stories about how they have handled specific situations in the past -- situations that are comparable to those they will face in your position.

For example, for a position requiring strong customer-service skills, you might require candidates to "describe a specific incident when you were confronted by an irate customer, and tell me specifically how you handled the situation."

Avoid hypothetical questions -- don't ask "how would you handle XXX?" but rather "how have you handled XXX?" You don't want them to give you speculative answers about how they might handle a situation in a perfect case -- rather, you want to know how they've really handled such situations. Remember, the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. And the best way to get at past behavior is to phrase your questions along these lines:

• "This job will require XXX. Talk to me about a time when you've done XXX, and describe for me how you did it successfully."
• "How did you handle a situation like XXX in your last job? Give me some specific examples."
• "Describe the experience you've had doing XXX."
• "What types of tasks do you handle well on your own, and what things do you find more comfortable with structured supervision?"
• "In this job you will interact with XXX types of people in XXX types of situations. Compare that to what you've done before."
• "What would your current boss describe as your real strengths, and what would he or she likely describe as areas where you would benefit from constructive coaching or mentoring?"
• "Here's something about your work history that I wondered about as I went through your application materials. Can you help me understand it?"
  

Write questions that are job-related and non-discriminatory

Avoid any questions that are not directly related to the essential functions of the position or that may be construed as discriminatory. In general, it is inappropriate to ask questions about an individual's race, color, religion, sex, or national or ethnic origin (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964), their age (Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967), or disability status (Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990), as well as their marital status, sexual orientation, or parenting responsibilities.

(Note: if a candidate volunteers such personal information about one of these topics during an interview, it is best to stop the candidate and inform them that such information is not relevant to the position and will not be considered in your decision. Document your comments in your interview notes. Courts have held that it is the employer's responsibility to control the interview, and if you allow such information to be discussed, the reasons you did so may be considered discriminatory.)

Decide on phone or in-person interviews

Once you have developed your core interview questions, consider if you want to conduct telephone interviews before inviting people to campus. Preliminary phone interviews can be especially helpful in situations where (a) you have many applicants who look qualified on paper, and you want to narrow down the pool to a few top candidates, or (b) you have candidates who otherwise would have to come in from out of town.

Schedule enough time to conduct interviews of substance

Such a process can save time and money for both the University and the candidate. One note: handle all applicants consistently -- if you decide to interview some candidates by phone, then you should conduct only phone interviews, so that all interviewed candidates are treated equitably.

Telephone interviews should be scheduled in advance, just like in-person interviews, so the candidates have time to prepare. Of course, if face-to-face interactive skills are essential for the job, phone interviews may not be the best option, even as a preliminary screening process. Even if you do conduct preliminary phone interviews, you will almost certainly want to invite your finalists to visit in person.

For most positions, it's virtually impossible to conduct a thoughtful and comprehensive interview, with behavior-based questions and answers, in less than one to one-and-a-half hours. Most professional positions, especially those that require several years of experience, or those that involve search committees or interviews with multiple reviewers, will take considerably more time.

Involve relevant others

In addition to the immediate supervisor, consider involving others in the interview process. These might include peer co-workers, primary constituents or 'users' of the position's services, or subordinates who will report to the position. (Of course, you would need to make sure they, too, know the basics for legal and effective interviewing. They should ask all candidates the same core questions, and they should keep their notes.)

One advantage of doing so is the wealth of perspective that multiple opinions can provide. Another advantage is that people who were able to provide feedback on the selection may have more vested interest in helping the new employee to succeed as a member of the team.

Give each finalist a copy of the job description

You want the candidates to really understand the job for which they are applying -- so that both you and they can assess whether their skills and experience are a good match for your needs. It will be to your advantage as well as theirs if you send them a copy of the job description in advance of the interview, or at least ask them to come in a half-hour before the scheduled interview time to review the job description. That way, they can consider their interview responses within the context of the job, and they can ask informed questions to clarify their own understanding.

Can I conduct skill tests?

When evaluating an individual's ability to perform technical or physical skills, you may wonder if it's wise to have the individual to take a "test" of some sort. Unfortunately, tests can be legally problematic unless they have been determined to be both reliable and internally valid. If you want to administer a test to applicants, please consult with Employment before proceeding.

That doesn't unilaterally prohibit you from asking applicants to demonstrate how they would perform certain tasks. A demonstration is different than a test in that it doesn't have a passing or failing score or cutoff; it just provides you with a piece of information you can use in considering the applicants. However, you should exercise caution even in asking candidates to demonstrate skills. First, if you ask one applicant, you must ask all of them. Second, you must only ask individuals to demonstrate skills that represent essential functions of the job. And third, a request for a demonstration must be accompanied by an offer to allow candidates to demonstrate the skill "with or without reasonable accommodation" -- which may be required by a individual with a disability, and which, once requested, you may be obliged to provide.

So we recommend caution, and prior consultation with Human Resources, before you go down the path of skill demonstration.

Communicate a time frame for the interview

It's important to give the applicant a reasonable expectation of how long you will need to conduct the interview. They have lives, too, and will need to plan and schedule a realistic amount of time. Once you say, "plan on two hours (or two days)" then stick to it.

Scheduling candidates

Generally a phone call is sufficient to arrange an interview with a candidate who lives in the Atlanta area. When you call, be prepared to provide the following information:

• directions to the campus and to your building
• information on where they should park if driving
• the date, time, and expected duration of the interview
• the interview format (whether it will be one-to-one, with a group, etc.)
• any materials they should bring to complete or supplement their application (e.g., portfolio of work samples, letters of recommendation, transcripts)
• an interview itinerary (when the candidate will be involved in several interview meetings)
  

Special considerations for out-of-town candidates

When you bring a candidate in from out of town, it is best to confirm all arrangements in writing. Besides the information above, there are some additional considerations.

Travel costs for interviewees (as well as moving expenses for the successful candidate) must be borne by your departmental or divisional budget -- so plan accordingly.

The candidate should arrange his or her own transportation to Atlanta. You will need to communicate whether (and if so, how) the University will reimburse the candidate for travel. If you are reimbursing for airfare, inform the candidate that the University will cover the lowest available coach-class airfare only. Travel by personal car can be reimbursed at a standardized rate per mile, with a total not to exceed the alternative cost of flying.

You will also need to agree with the candidate about who will (a) make any hotel reservations and pay the tab, (b) arrange for transportation from the airport to the hotel or first meeting and back, and (c) pay for meals. You should provide an itinerary or agenda for the day's interviews, and make advance arrangements to get the candidate from one meeting to the next. Finally, schedule a tour of the campus.

For information on how to conduct useful and legal job interviews, please see HR's publication, Interviewing Job Candidates.

If you have questions, call HR

Remember that Employment is available to consult with you any time you have questions or concerns. Our goal is exactly the same as yours: to make sure you hire the very best person for the job. Please feel free to call us at x 3331.