Interviewing Steps

Taking the following steps when preparing for interviews will help to ensure a smooth and accurate interviewing and hiring process.

1. Identify critical knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) the candidate must possess in order to be successful in the position.
2. Select key interviewers.
3. Solicit interview questions from all interviewers based on the description of the key requirements of the position.
4. Establish consistent interview questions that are based on KSAs, past experience and education, and key behavioral qualities that identify traits of a successful candidate.
5. Discard all illegal, discriminatory, and inappropriate questions.
6. Establish a preliminary interview schedule, book a private interview area, and provide the interviewers with the interview questions.
7. Coach interviewers on appropriate responses and behaviors during and after the interview.
8. From your pool of candidates, select those you wish to interview based on a preliminary phone screen.
9. Schedule the selected candidates for in-person interviews. Provide the details of where the interview will take place and the anticipated duration.
10. Provide Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant interview accommodations, if needed, for candidates upon request.
11. Upon arrival, provide the candidate with a brief overview of the interview process.
12. Take notes, ask questions, and listen attentively to the candidate.
13. End the interview with an approximation of how long the decision making process may take, and avoid making promises for future interviews, offers, or a written reply.
14. Compile candidate interview assessment forms from all interviewers.
15. If pre-employment assessments will be conducted, be sure they are legally compliant with the success factors in the job.
16. Schedule employees for second interviews or pre-employment assessments, if appropriate.
17. Communicate with any applicants that were not selected during the first round of interviews.
18. Determine your finalist(s) based on the criteria above.

Job Offer Steps

Once interviews are complete, take the following steps toward hiring your selected candidates:

1. After conducting the interviews and selection steps, review the employment application(s) to identify references, desired salary, and available hire dates of your finalist(s).
2. Once the final selection is made, finalize the details of the job offer, including salary or wage rate, FLSA status (exempt or nonexempt), and job title, and make verbal job offer to successful candidate.
3. Follow up verbal offer with a written job offer containing the above, and include the following:
   • At-will statement.
   • Possible start date (contingent upon successful background, drug, and other applicable screenings).
   • Work location and supervisor.
   • Schedule, if applicable.
4. Upon written acceptance of the offer, provide background and drug screen authorization paperwork (if applicable).
5. Conduct legally-compliant reference checks, background and credit check, drug screen and medical exams.
6. If any screens come back with unacceptable results, review the results against the job qualifications and KSAs, and determine with legal counsel if adverse action is legal and appropriate. If so, move forward with the appropriate action and start the process with the next finalist.
7. If all screens are acceptable, contact the candidate to confirm the new hire start date and orientation time and location.
8. Contact all remaining finalist candidates to notify them the position has been filled.