Interviews: Working with interview criteria

Now that you've established your criteria, you need to set standards. These are literally Pass or Fail values.

For each part of your interview, the primary value set is the actual content of answers, but there are some very good and reliable methods of evaluation of applicants, where you can be sure of proper assessment.

Very important:

The recommended appointee must rate as a Pass on all criteria, if at all possible.

The comparison with other interviewees is NOT a criteria for appointment.

You must see proof the person you recommend or hire matches your standards. If none of the candidates measures up to your requirements, you're better off going back to the drawing board than hiring someone you know isn't good enough.

(This is a case where you'd be justified in using the term 'Previous applicants need not apply' in your next job ad.)

To establish your Pass or Fail criteria for each element:

• Use the essential skills as the basic reference. Any lack of essential skills to the level required is an automatic Fail.
• Use the basic requirement for communication skills as a criteria for each answer. Applicants should be showing good communication abilities in all their answers, not just the communications questions.
• Estimate the content of the interviewee's responses as value to the work. This means a Pass or Fail based on the information. If the interviewee shows value adding skills to the questions, it's a Pass, assuming the answer is correct.
• Assess competencies objectively. Does the applicant show obvious ability to perform tasks to the level of the position requirements? Pass or Fail, on that basis?
• Evaluate non verbal communications skills, including body language, throughout the interview. Pass or Fail is really a measure of presentation and performance.
• Assess confidence levels and social skills. This is an indication of comfort levels, which is very relevant in many highly stressed jobs, or where motivation is a key issue and relationships can be complex.

Integrating your evaluations

What you're looking for is high value productivity.

The ideal candidate will obviously have a good Pass in all evaluations. That's your primary indicator of a productive, high value, applicant.

All skills should mesh into your criteria.

By using communications skills as a basic indicator, you can evaluate each applicant on merits. For example:

• A person who communicates their other skills well is obviously a good choice.
• An applicant who demonstrates their competencies effectively is a good communicator with valuable skills.
• A person who shows a good comfort level with the questions, good body language, and good social skills is obviously suited for the workplace relationships criteria.

A reliable set of facts, as well as a better documented form of assessment, can be created by integrating your information.

Assessment checklist or 'grid':

In addition to interview notes, you can create a useful, adaptable checklist to work with each candidate:

1. Create an evaluation sheet for each candidate. The most complex form of a checklist is called an 'assessment grid'.
2. Set out your questions.
3. Next to each question, create headings according to your needs, as follows:
• Communications
• Body language
• Comprehension
• Skills
• Answer content
• Documented proof as required
4. Either create a set of headings for each skill related to each question, or leave space for a comment or query. (The comments can be 'Good', 'Poor', 'Excellent', etc.)

This acts as detailed reference regarding the applicant's performance. It's a fairer, better documented, form of assessment, allowing all details to be recorded.