Applicant Interview Procedure | HRG104

Applicant Interview Procedure

The Applicant Interview Procedure outlines a series of fair and objective methods for conducting interviews in order to find the best possible candidate. The applicant interview procedure also helps meet or exceed guidelines for equal opportunity employment and non-discrimination.

The Applicant Interview Procedure applies to all hiring interviews conducted by all managers. (10 pages, 2840 words)

The main objective of the interview step in the hiring process is to make high-potential hires in order to increase the chance that the training, wages paid, and hiring costs will eventually produce a return on the company’s investment.

The interview is a two-way street. It provides the Hiring Manager the opportunity to examine the candidate’s qualifications in order to determine their suitability for the position. But it also provides the candidate the opportunity to find out the requirements for the position, to learn about the company, its people and the work environment, and to present their skills and experience in the best possible light.

Applicant Interview Responsibilities:

The Human Resources Manager should be responsible for coordinating the interviews and assisting the Hiring Manager in conducting interviews.

The Hiring Manager should be responsible for conducting the interview process for all positions being filled within their reporting control. They should be fair and consistent in the questions asked and the manner in which all candidates are treated. The questions asked in the interview should address the candidates qualifications focusing on three criteria listed in this policy.

Applicant Interview Procedure Activities

• Interviewing Objectives
• Resume Examination
• Telephone Interviews
• E-mail Interviews
• In-Person Interviews

Applicant Interview Procedure References

• Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986
• Title VII
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act
• Americans with Disabilities Act

Applicant Interview Procedure Forms

• Employment Interview Questions Form
• Interview Form

INTERVIEWING APPLICANTS

Once you’ve identified qualified candidates, you should invite them in for an interview. The interview is an opportunity to:

• Meet the applicant;
• Exchange information;
• Ask additional, or more in-depth, qualifying questions;
• Allow the individual to ask their own qualifying questions (about the company, the job opening, etc.)

The interview is for assessing the applicant — and vice versa — and discussing both parties’ needs in detail.

The interviewer must be careful not to ask questions that are considered confidential, discriminatory, illegal, or not job-related. Certain questions (about citizenship status, age, national origin, children, transportation, height, weight, disabilities, marital status, religion, military service, or housing) are off-limits, according to various privacy and rights laws. A sample (i.e., not an all-inclusive) list of questions one may “ask”/“not ask” an interviewee is included in the Bizmanualz Human Resources Policies and Procedures Manual. In any case, open-ended questions are the best, in that they allow the applicant to provide answers voluntarily.

An interviewer needs good interpersonal skills and should always keep thorough recorded (written) notes of the interview. A thorough interview record not only helps the applicant screening process — it can help defend the company if someone who’s not hired decides to take action against the firm on the basis of discrimination.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other local and state laws prohibit the interviewer from asking questions that could be used to discriminate against an applicant on the basis of race, gender, or other issues. Make sure applicants know if there are additional applicants to interview and that a hiring decision will be made by an approximate date.