Decision Makers
During the interview process, different questions come to play at varying steps in the interviewing process by other decision makers during the hiring process. So first, let's look at the different decision-makers, their roles, and what to expect. When making hiring decisions, employers use several effective tools and techniques to screen and evaluate potential candidates. I will provide the following:
A toolkit that addresses what happens in the pre-screening process.
Candidate assessment through interviews.
In-depth evaluation for final candidates.
Human Resources
Tools for screening and evaluating candidates
Employers use the following process to select the best talent possible for an available vacancy:
They identify the minimum requirements of the job.
Employers pre-screen to eliminate candidates who do not meet the position's basic requirements.
They use preliminary assessment to screen out those who do not have the desired level of competencies and skills for the job.
They perform in-depth assessments through interviews and job simulations to select candidates with the highest potential to succeed on the job.
They verify candidates' stated employment records and qualifications.
Next, we will discuss each stage elaborately in screening and evaluating candidates.
How the Hiring Team Identifies the Minimum Requirements
Employers aim to carry out an effective screening and evaluation process, so they first establish minimum criteria for each job. In addition, employers review every position, from entry-level positions to the C-suite, to determine the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for success. Historically, many employers have required university degrees for positions that could be filled with workers who have other types of credentials and experience. Also, employers aim to expand the pool of talent they are recruiting and create a diverse workforce. Once they have identified the minimum requirement of the job, they begin the screening process. Now let's discuss the screening process and what you should expect.
Pre-screening candidates
Typically, the pre-screening process starts with reviewing your employment application and resume, followed by a telephone interview. But not all employers use the telephone. Some may instead use your social media profile as a tool in the screening process.
Employment application and resume review
The employment application and resume review aim to screen applicants who fall short of the basic requirements for a position—for example, minimum experience or education, willingness to relocate, salary requirements, etc. Although technology has changed this step for those using the applicant tracking system (ATS), some HR practitioners still screen each application manually.
Application tracking and resume management
Technology helps busy hiring managers reduce the time it takes to screen candidates for a job. One such technology is ATS solutions. It provides dashboard-like reporting tools which support ranking and sorting candidates at the pre-screening stage. In addition, many organizations use an online application process, and this process includes internally validated behavioral assessment tools. As a result, employers aim to adopt a robust and efficient hiring system that saves time, offers reliable results, improves hiring quality, and saves costs by reducing paper.
Nevertheless, some employers still try to avoid heavy reliance on technology when screening candidates because some automated tools can reject candidates who may be qualified, especially when those candidates do not use the exact words or phrases the program is instructed to filter for.
Telephone interviews
The initial telephone conversation can give your prospective employer the necessary information about your communication skills, listening ability, attitude, and professionalism. While the call is on, employers will confirm if you have the right education, experience, and knowledge to do the job. In addition, they focus on your motivation for applying for a particular job to find out if you have realistic expectations.
Typically, a pre-screening telephone interview will last for 20 to 30 minutes. It includes questions designed to eliminate candidates who do not meet the requirements for consideration. Examples of some of the questions you should expect during the telephone conversation include the following:
Why are you searching for a new position?
What are the top three duties in your current or most recent job?
What are your strongest skills, and what are your key challenges?
Is the salary range for this position within your acceptable range?
Within a somewhat short period for a minimal investment, your prospective employer may decide to schedule a face-to-face meeting or determine that they have no further interest in you.
Use of social media
It is now commonplace to use social media to screen candidates. CareerBuilder's organization carried out a survey and found that 70% of employers reported using social media during their screening process. Of this number, 54% discovered content that made them not hire candidates. Some of the reasons they cited for not hiring include the following:
A candidate had made discriminatory comments related to race, gender, or religion.
Candidates lied about their qualifications.
The candidate was linked to criminal behavior.
The candidate shared confidential information from previous employers.
Human Resources can view your social media pictures and information about your education, political beliefs, work experience, professional group membership, volunteer activities, and hobbies and interests. But this depends on the privacy settings of the social media site and what you share on your profile.
Even though there are advantages to using social media websites for screening candidates, there are caveats and possible pitfalls. The main reason that many employers don't use social media is that there may be concerns about the accuracy of the information a candidate provides on their social networking site. In addition, it may be considered an invasion of the candidate's privacy. Finally, it may create an unintentional issue of job discrimination.
Steps Employers Take to Minimize Risk
It would be best if you didn't bother to provide information about your social media to prospective employers as they take the following precautions to minimize risks.
Passwords are not requested. In many states in the United States, employers aren't allowed by law to ask applicants or even their employees for their social media passwords. In all 50 states, asking the applicant for their passwords creates a risk of violating the federal Stored Communications Act. Consequently, employers do not ask for passwords. Instead, they only look at the contents you already made public.
Only HR checks the candidate's social media. Companies usually have a policy that only HR managers can look into your social media profiles because the HR professional is most likely to know what should and shouldn't be considered.
Look later in the process. Employers look at your social media profile later in the employment process, after you have been interviewed, and when your membership in protected groups is most likely known already.
Be consistent. Employers are consistent: they do not just look at only one person's social media profile.
Employers use it as one of many tools. This is the case because some applicants do not use social media. Also, it raises concerns about potential adverse impacts on economically disadvantaged people, and there might be a correlation with some racial and ethnic groups.
Employers consider the source. Usually, they focus on candidates' posts or tweets, not what other people say about them. Also, employers will allow you to respond to any inappropriate social media content they find because there are also imposter social media accounts.
They are aware that other laws may also apply. For example, employers who use a third party to screen an employer's social media will probably be subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (and other similar state laws). Also, some state laws prohibit adverse action based on conduct that happens off-duty, except under narrow circumstances.
Preliminary Assessment of Eligible Candidates
Your preliminary assessment to determine your eligibility can be conducted through in-person interviews, structured panel interviews, video interviews, or a combination of the three.
In-person interviews
The primary goals of an employment interview are to assess your knowledge, skill, and abilities; to learn how you have applied and tested your work skills, and to determine where your aptitudes lie, which helps them define the path of your future development and growth.
Ideally, each of the questions (10 to 12 questions) employers ask during a typical one-hour interview should be enough to provide the most insight into your ability to perform while doing the job.
To understand how much effort employees put into this process, each interviewer scrutinizes the interview questions before using them. The aim is to help improve the strength and effectiveness of the questions before using them and to ensure that the interviewer and the candidate get the most out of the conversation. Therefore, interviewers answer the following questions to help them examine how useful interview questions are.
What is the most likely response to this question?
Does that answer provide factual data to help me make a hiring decision?
When or if a test falls flat, employers will rework the question. If both tests fail, the interviewer will toss out the question and start all over. The main reason why employers encourage candidates to share answers with depth and breadth about their skills, knowledge, and experience is that it gives the hiring manager more useful information than using canned interview questions to determine whether the candidate can provide the "best" or "right" answers. In addition, Employers know that hiring success depends heavily on the ability to assess accurately what candidates can bring to the organization. In addition, it proves how an organization can interact with its newest employees to develop their underused skills and guarantee some levels of professional satisfaction, which will keep employees happy and engaged to continue as productive members of the organization.
Structured panel interviews
Companies are now more rigorous and sophisticated in their process of selection. Consequently, many organizations use a panel interview, especially for positions most considered critical for their overall mission and vision. Typically, individuals on the interview panel plan and prepare their questions based on interest or subject areas. After that, they divide them so each can interview a candidate. The structured panel interview gives every individual with enough interaction with a candidate an opportunity to meet and interact with you simultaneously. This is aimed at helping the group make the best possible selection. Panel interviews are usually more formal than team interviews. However, team interviews use the same multi-interviewer approach.
Virtual interviews
Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual interviews were already popular among high-tech companies. Still, the pandemic introduced virtual interviewing to almost all employers. Virtual interviewing will continue to grow as companies extend their employee searches nationally and internationally.
Employers will use technology for interviewing candidates virtually to allow long-distance candidates to be more viable. The idea is that virtual interviewing saves time and reduces costs efficiently.
In-depth assessment
Although this may depend on the type of position you are seeking and the roles you will be playing within the organization, an in-depth assessment may be given to ensure that you have the necessary skills and competencies to do the job well.
Pre-employment testing
Employers test prospective employees to help them (the employers) predict how well an individual will perform on the job. Organizations know that hiring the wrong people for a job is more expensive. Also, selection errors can affect employee morale negatively. In addition, it can reduce employee productivity and the company's profitability and waste valuable training and development dollars.
Based on the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures of 1978 that the Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued, any employment requirement an employer uses is considered a "test." Consequently, litigation is potential if you challenge an employer's selection decision if you consider it discriminatory or violate state or federal regulations. That is why HR professionals do their best to ensure that the selection process, along with whatever procedure related to other employment decisions, is reliably equitable, reliable, legally valid, and cost-effective.
Verification of candidate data
Recruiters may wish to verify your prior employment, criminal background information, education, and other pertinent data to ensure you are honest about your experience and credentials. Sometimes, the employer may conduct these checks within the company or contract with a vendor. However, any related legal requirements while performing and using these checks will ultimately be the recruiter's responsibility.
Criminal background checks
Although some organizations will require criminal background checks (depending on the position), many employers are open to "second-chance" employment opportunities for individuals with criminal histories. An example is the SHRM Foundation Getting Talent Back to Work initiative, which is leading the way to reduce barriers and build bridges to employment for those with criminal records.
In addition, courts in the country have been challenging employers' use of criminal background checks. Also, the EEOC states that "an absolute bar to employment based on the mere fact that an individual has a conviction record is unlawful under Title VII." Despite this, the agency has also observed that Title VII doesn't entirely bar the use of criminal records in employment decisions. Instead, the EEOC has provided a framework that they use to assess criminal records when making an employment decision.
An employer's consideration of a candidate's criminal records may pass muster under Title VII if they make an individualized assessment considering the following:
The gravity and nature of the crime committed.
The time that has elapsed since the conviction or completion of the sentence
The nature of the job held or sought
Some state laws do not allow private employers to ask job applicants about their criminal records on their first written applications. Instead, they require employers to wait until later in the hiring process. To ensure that organizations comply, they must check the laws in the states they have employees working in.
Verification of education credentials
You will be required to verify your educational qualifications because employers understand that not all employers are honest with the information they provide on their resumes and employment applications. Some applicants may lie about their education. Research shows increased inconsistencies and discrepancies between education records and the information applicants have provided. Additionally, news stories of fraud, from the CEO of a popular electronic retailer to a cable network television personality, show a huge risk in declaring false records and credentials. Usually, recruiters and employers try to verify credentials directly by using the educational institution. They sometimes use a background screening service. Several colleges and universities have a degree-verification program. Sometimes, they refer employers to the National Student Clearinghouse, which may charge a nominal fee for the verification. Another option is that they may ask you to have your school send them a certified college transcript directly to the company. Finally, other verifications may include your credit history, work performance, and employment references.
Peer-level staff
This is also where your skills will be assessed and evaluated to determine your professional fit with the team. But let's get to know more about the Peer-level staff. Many companies today are working hard to improve the quality of hire. Therefore, peer review helps to add much value to the recruitment and selection process. This as well helps employers get a comprehensive view of their candidates.
What is a Peer Interview?
As the name implies, a peer interview is between candidates and their future colleagues (peers). So, instead of meeting only a recruiter and the person or manager hiring you as an applicant, you may also get to speak with one or more current employees. Again, the aim is to ascertain how you, as a candidate, will fit into the role, the team, and the organization.
Peer interviews are more popular in small companies and organizations that are team-based, especially those who prioritize good culture fit as their hiring criterion. However, this doesn't mean that large organizations do not benefit from adding peer interviews to their hiring process. For example, companies such as Google, Facebook, Gitlab, and many others like them all use this method of interviewing.
Why are peer-level interviews important?
When employers do this correctly, peer interviewing can make it easier to see if the job is good for you and your company. And here are some of the reasons why.
Knowledge transfer
As a candidate, you will be able to learn more about the organization from people already working there. In addition, employees are much more likely to tell it like it is by giving a more honest idea of what it is like working in that company.
Authenticity
As an applicant, you will be more comfortable with peers, and it will be easier to let your guard down. Therefore, the organization will better understand your behavior as a candidate and how it fits with the work environment.
Team management
On the company's part, engaging their employees in the recruitment process is a great way to improve morale and productivity. In addition, an organization involves team members in selecting their future coworkers. It allows them to ask questions to give them a greater sense of belonging in the company.
Building relationships
Since an employee would already be invested in your success as a candidate after meeting you, they would more likely actively engage you at work. Therefore, as a new hire, you can start your first day having already met your new colleagues.
Reporting manager-executive
The reporting Executive Manager is the final decision-maker. First, he checks to see if you are fit for the company and if you would be a good long-term employee or consultant. The reporting manager may also be a recruitment manager who designs and oversees the company's hiring.
They work closely with the organization's recruiters to manage sourcing, interviewing, and employment processes. Usually, they have an HR academic background and experience and evaluate candidates because this is a requirement for them to be successful in their role. Additionally, they are knowledgeable about labor legislation, are team leaders, and make effective decisions quickly.
Ultimately, the reporting manager will manage the organization's recruitment to ensure they hire qualified employees who meet the company's current and future needs.
Responsibilities include
Updating and designing current and new recruitment procedures (e.g., job application and onboarding).
Supervising the recruiting team and reporting on how they perform.
Tracking recruiting metrics such as time-to-hire and cost-per-hire.
Implementing new sourcing methods. For example, social recruiting and Boolean searches.
They review recruitment software and suggest the best option that will suit the company's needs.
Researching and selecting job advertising options
Advising hiring managers on the techniques for interviewing candidates
Recommending how a company can improve its employer brand.
They coordinate with department managers to forecast future hiring needs.
Staying up-to-date on labor legislation and informing recruiters and managers if there are changes in regulations.
Participating in job fairs and career events.
Building the company's professional network through relationships with HR professionals, colleges, and other partners.
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JavaScript Full Stack Developer: Capture the Job Offer and Advance Your Career (Audible) (Kindle)
AI Software Engineer: ChatGPT, Bard & Beyond (Audible) (Kindle)
Regards, Genesys Digital (Amazon Author Page) https://tinyurl.com/hh7bf4m9
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