Effective screening of new job applicants is vital to the continued success of any business. Regardless of whether your business has a formal human resources department, you are investing in the welfare of your business by implementing a formal applicant-screening process.
Interviewing is a two-way street. You want to recruit the best match for your business, as well as ensure that the position is best suited for the applicant. If you recruit an overqualified applicant, the odds are high that the person will move on to another position at the first chance possible. Likewise, if you recruit an underqualified applicant with the anticipation that he or she will “grow into” the role, you may stifle the efficiency of other employees who must interact with the new hire.
Certain industries have used a specific interview format for decades. When developing a protocol for your human resources department, try to ascertain which screening format your competitors in the industry employ.
Proper interviewing and screening has many advantages. An interview format that allows the applicant to ask his or her own questions may help to reveal additional information useful for making a selection decision. A thorough screening process also helps to determine if the applicant has the needed communication or social skills.
In most industries, the set interview process can be modified as necessary to gather important information about an applicant. Following are effective interviewing formats to consider: