Interviewing Tools: Conduct & Complete Interviews

Conduct Interviews

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Note Taking

Interviewers must listen closely and take clear and accurate notes of observable behaviors and verbal responses during each interview to reduce the burden on the interviewer to remember details about multiple candidates.  Additionally, these notes should:

  • Use short-hand or key phrases to summarize the content and delivery of respondents’ answers. You do not have to capture everything that is said. It is encouraged to write down key words, phrases or anything that will help you recall what was said.
  • Balance your note taking while maintaining eye contact and engaging in conversation.
  • Avoid judgment in your notes.
  • Help interviewers focus on pertinent information during the interview.
  • Be of sufficient quality and quantity to document and support the interviewer’s competency rating.
  • Serve as documentation to support the employment decision.
  • Ensure your notes support and justify the employment decision.

What do I write down, what do I not write down?

Do not write any information down from a protected class category (sex, race, color, national origin, religion) or political views. Use short-hand/key phrases to summarize content; avoid judgment in notes. If using a rating scale- avoid writing your score down while candidate is present and ensure notes justify ratings.

What if candidate response includes personal information about their kids or health reasoning- what do I write down?

“Candidate volunteered {has children at home}, {is pregnant} or {personal health reason}” or do not write this information down. *We must make our hiring decision on if the candidate meets the job requirements, not if the candidate has children or a health issue.

Scoring

*Check with your Human Resources to see if your agency recommends or requires a scoring rubric.*

In order for the interview to promote an equal evaluation of job candidates, candidates must have the same opportunity to provide information and be consistently and accurately assessed on their interview performance.

A scoring rubric is a tool that scores candidates consistently and fairly.

If using a scoring rubric, all interview question responses must be evaluated on the same rating scale and determined standards for acceptable answers. To develop a rating scale, decide on one proficiency range for all competencies:

  • Label at least 3 levels (e.g., unsatisfactory, satisfactory, superior)

Use Established Job Skills to Develop a Rating Scale

  • Determine behavioral examples for each proficiency level
  • Collaborate with the subject matter experts who developed the behavioral questions
  • Subject matter experts discuss example responses and reach consensus on the most representative responses for each proficiency level
  • Use the behavioral response examples as a general guide to match the candidate’s response with a proficiency level

Develop a Rating Scale for Situational Questions

  • Determine how someone at each proficiency level might behave in each hypothetical scenario
  • Collaborate with the subject matter experts who developed the situational questions
  • Subject matter experts individually determine how employees at each proficiency level might respond to the scenarios and reach consensus on the most representative responses
  • Use the hypothetical response examples as a general guide to match the candidate’s response with a proficiency level

Make Individual Ratings

  • Interviewers should individually rate the candidate’s responses for each question or skill by:
    • Reviewing the skill and associated question
    • Reviewing the example responses (if provided) for each proficiency level
    • Reviewing notes for each question
    • Choosing the most appropriate rating
    • Signing and dating a rating form
  • After all interviewers have made the individual ratings for every interview question, you should do the following:
    • Interviewers transfer ratings onto a consensus form
    • Interviewers examine whether consensus exists, based on the previously established criteria
    • If consensus does not exist, interviewers should at a minimum provide you with their first, second and third choices (if applicable)
  • Consensus Discussion
    • Interviewers provide a rationale for their findings using their notes
    • The panel discusses the information until reaching the required level of consensus
    • Interviewers should initial any changes to the ratings
    • Interviewers should sign and date all forms
    • If required by your agency, you should collect all rating forms and sensitive materials and keep in a secure place
    • If required by your agency, you should provide all materials to the hiring authority, whether it be HR or another group.

Do I have to use a rating scale to determine my best candidate?

Up to you or your agency. Rankings are meaningless without knowing an acceptable or reasonable answer for each question you plan to ask.

I have finished interviews but I am stuck between 2-3 top candidates, what can help me choose my top candidate?

Ask your top 2-3 candidates to meet you one-on-one for a second interview; give a tour of the work area and more detailed job duties to see if they are still interested; send a writing or critical thinking/skills test to the candidates which can assess their skills more precisely.

Can I conduct second interviews?

Yes. If you want to, do so within two weeks. Second interviews can be formal, informal, roundtable discussion, or an office/lab tour. They should be 30 minutes or less (an exception to that can be made for a long tour).

Resources

ADA Information

The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment. To be protected by the ADA, one must have a disability or have a relationship or association with an individual with a disability. An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.

Although there is not an exhaustive list of disabilities under the ADA, the regulations identify medical conditions that would easily be considered a disability within the meaning of the law. These medical conditions are:

  • Deafness
  • Blindness
  • Diabetes
  • Cancer
  • Epilepsy
  • Intellectual disabilities
  • Partial or completely missing limbs
  • Mobility impairments requiring the use of a wheel chair
  • Autism
  • Cerebral palsy
  • HIV infection
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • Major depressive disorder
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • Schizophrenia
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