What Does Interview Management Mean?

In my recent white paper, What Selection Tools Are You Using?, I talk about common selection techniques and best practices.  Perhaps the most common selection technique is the employment interview.  In addition to being the most common, it is also likely to be the most poorly performed.  This is not because we do not know how to conduct valid and effective interviews.  The employment interview has been researched for decades (a summary can be found in the white paper, What Do We Really Know About the Employment Interview?) The problem is that most organizations do not take the time to manage the interview process.

What does interview management mean?  It is a multi-faceted approach that includes many different components, all of which are important.  These components include:

• Creation of interview guides – Unstructured interviews have absolutely no validity … you might as well flip a coin.  Interview questions should be pre-planned with clear links to the requirements of the position.  Behavioral and situational questions have been shown to be valid approaches.
• Candidate/Interviewer assignments – Candidates need to be assigned to interviewers well in advance to allow adequate time for scheduling and preparation.  There should be a documented plan of attack that includes the coverage responsibilities of each interviewer and the anticipated time needed to collect the information.
• Interviewer preparation – Interviewers should familiarize themselves with important documents such as competency requirements, interview guides and resumes.  If they have not conducted an interview in a while, they may well want to go through some quick refresher training.
• Conducting the interview – The interview itself also must be carefully managed to ensure quality data is gathered.  Establishing rapport, pacing the interview, asking appropriate follow-up questions, and avoiding rating errors are key elements of a well-managed interview process.
• Collecting and integrating the ratings – The ratings of the different interviewers need to be collected and combined in some manner to obtain a summary picture of the candidate’s profile.  A best practice approach is to have each member of the interviewer team share their ratings, as well as their rationale, and have the team reach a consensus decision for each competency area.
• Comparing candidates – The summary competency profiles for each candidate need to be closely examined to make a determination of the best fit with the job requirements.  An effective approach is to use a stacked rank report that lists all candidates from best to worst with their individual competency ratings color coded for easy review.
• Recording actions/decisions – Each candidate should have an individual performance report that captures their performance in all stages of the interview process along with any notes justifying actions taken or not taken.  This facilitates easy review of past decisions if challenged.

Interview management is not an easy task, which is why so few organizations do it well.  A key component of effective interview management is enabling technology.  Another key component is an extensive data base of competency models and supporting interview questions with full customization capabilities.  OMNIview is pleased to support all aspects of interview management and provide both of these key components in its unique fitQuest™ selection managment software.

If you would like more information, please contact OMNIview at 1-877-426-6222.