As we all know, finding the perfect candidate for a role can be challenging especially in today's candidate short market. So, improving the chances of getting it right first time through the use of standardised processes are in everyone's collective interest.
If we are getting it right every time...fantastic, however, if not, which the stats tend to suggest most organisations are definitely not, then part of the reflection of where this is going wrong will ultimately be on your internal hiring processes and those involved in it.
One of the most significant issues with the evaluation of candidates in the interview process is sadly the interviewer and the inherent unconscious bias.
As human beings, we are all biased, emotional, and ultimately inconsistent in our decision-making. We have all been influenced by a fellow football fan of the same team who is sitting opposite us in the interview room and starts discussing a match; the candidate who went to the same school or who lives in the same village and knows a close family friend; or the person who turned up 15 minutes late and didn't mention this misdemeanor to you. It is just human nature!
However, statistics show that if we aren't stripping out the bias and following a more structured Interview process the chance of making the right decision is only 1 in 5!
How do we overcome this and improve the chances of success in the Interview Process?
In addition to the use of behavioural testing and structured Interview questions, a very powerful tool can be the Interview Scorecard.
The interested parties in the recruitment process should:-
discuss 4 or 5 key criteria on which you wish to rate the interviewee. This will depend on the role but can include such categories as, technical skills, leadership skills, social skills, team skills, and presentation skills.
ask specific interview questions to all the interviewees designed around each of the 4 or 5 key criteria and give them a weighting where appropriate.
rate the interviewee on each category based on their response to the questions asked between 1 and 5.
compare your results with colleagues involved in the interview process to enable a decision to be made on the best candidates for the role or further interview.
at regular intervals (e.g. 6 monthly) for those candidates subsequently hired, score them again on the same categories, identify the gaps between the initial and current assessment, and discuss findings and action plans. It may indicate the unsuitability of a colleague for being involved in the interview process going forward or an overall issue with scoring against a particular category e.g. technical skills in the current process.
At each interview, interviewers become responsible for asking questions that focus on and assess the specific traits on the scorecards. As such it can help to provide hiring managers with a clear view of the interviewer's feedback — it’s easy to see what attributes a candidate has, does not have, or what remains a concern to be explored at subsequent interviews or to be further assessed /trained in the role.
Instead of relying on that so-called 'gut feel', the scorecard allows companies to make evidence-based decisions on whether or not a candidate is hired therefore creating a level playing field for all. It also gives hiring managers an easy way to collect feedback from everyone, not just the loudest voice in the room, and provides quantitative feedback which can be used to create a discussion.
Speak to your contact and we will happily facilitate and discuss how we can help.
We have placed and filled over 100,000 temp and permanent assignments over the last 30 years so have a range of techniques, ideas and platforms which could help you.
Why not call us on 0113 367 2880 have a conversation with one of our team.
Alternatively drop us an email here.