This phase describes the interview process.

Follow these four steps to customize the selection process:

Step 1: Review candidate pool resumes

Be sure to review the entire candidate application including cover letter, resume and the answers to application questions. Decide who you would like to learn more about.

What to look for?

• Refer back to Recruitment Phase 1, when you determined the key skills, experience and qualifications (degree) required for the position. Do the candidates meet the minimum qualifications?
• Look for a career path or logical career progression in the candidate's resume. Does this role align?
• Look for tenure in positions or gaps in job history. Make a note to ask questions.
• Is the resume well-formatted? Is it easy to read, well organized, good flow? Are there errors or lack of attention to detail?

Step 2: Phone Screen

A phone screen is a chance to do a quick, initial screen to ensure that both you and the candidate are on the same page about the position, required qualifications, and salary expectations. This can streamline the recruitment process and save you a lot of time later on.

What should you discuss in the phone screen?

• Share a summary of the position and what are the key skills, experience, knowledge, and core competencies that you are looking for in a candidate. This will help the candidate prepare relevant examples to share.
• Ask the candidate to provide a quick overview of their experience and to share why they are interested in specifically this position and working at CCA.
• If certain skills are critical for the position, you can quickly vet that the candidate has these skills.
• Share what the recruitment process is and your expected timeline.
• We strongly recommend that you discuss salary for the position at this point in the process. You may ask what their salary expectations are for the position to ensure alignment with budgeted amount. Please remember that we legally are not permitted to ask about a candidates' salary history or current salary. Clarifying salary expectations up front is key to ensuring no surprises later on when an offer is made. In addition, all postings are now required to share the expected pay range for the position.
• Reference our sample phone screen script & questions

Step 3: Interviewing

To complete the interview, it is best to prepare with an Interview Guide (see Template Interview Guide).

The Interview Guide is both a plan of action and your most valuable interviewing tool. The interview guide can be customized to address individual department needs. However, most guides contain some, if not all, of the following components:

• Interview Preparation - step-by-step instructions for preparing for the interview, including considering who will be apart of the selection process. In efforts of avoiding bias, have a team that can also provide input through a panel interview. Feel free to link them to the Interview Panelist page for instructions.
• Interview Opening - involves introductions and sharing what the interview will consist of for the candidate including duration.
• Key Background Review - is where additional information about the position is provided. This allows the candidate to speak to the key points with specific examples.
• Interview Questions - identify the questions for the interview that allows you to learn how a candidate would/have handled situations through behavioral based questions. For best responses, try framing the questions that will limit a "yes" or "no" response but rather in the form of STAR (Situation/Task/Action/Results). See details below.
• Interview Close - ensure that you have all the information you need and give the candidate a chance to ask questions about the position and organization.
• Post-Interview Data Evaluation - outlines how you can evaluate the information you’ve collected and rate the candidate in your assigned targets.
• Coverage Grid - reminds interviewers who’s responsible for covering which targets. This planned coverage ensures that information is gathered for each target. In addition, overlap of coverage is reserved for only the most important targets, minimizing redundant coverage of less critical targets.

The Rating Grid provides a place to note your ratings and relevant comments after you’ve evaluated candidate data.

The Guide includes questions for the four types of information needed to accurately predict their success in the role:

1. Knowledge Targets: Technical and/or professional information needed to perform job activities successfully. What people know.
2. Experience Targets: Educational and work achievements needed to perform job activities successfully. What people have done.
3. Competency Targets: A cluster of behaviors performed on the job. What people can do.
4. Personal Attribute/Motivational Targets: Disposition that relates to satisfaction, success, or failure in a job. Who people are.

Note: If there will be a second panel interview with various stakeholders, consider using a guide as the Optional 2nd Panel Interview Guide.

Why use behavioral based questions in interviewing?

The candidate’s resume gives you a good idea of their hard skills and education. But what about soft skills such as: the ability to handle day-to-day challenges, grow, and learn from mistakes? Learning about a candidate’s successful project is great, but what you really want to ask is “How did you decide what to do next?”, “How did you handle your frustration?”, and “If there is a way you grew and learned from this problem, what would it be?”

These types of questions help you understand the candidates thinking style, motivations, tendencies, and preferences. See Sample Behavioral Interview Questions.

Step 4: Optional Assignment or Task Completion

For positions that require a skill in order to do the job, you may create an optional performance task. The task may be given to candidates prior to inviting them to the panel interview or may be given to them during the panel interview. See your HR rep for ideas. It is very important that the task that you will test them on, relates back to the job.