By Kathy Holmes, CHRP

Whether it is a business owner, supervisor, manager or staff involved in the process, hiring anxiety is an issue for many. When supporting documentation and clear processes are not in place to support the hiring process, the challenge of hiring the right person is greater. In other words, when there is a process to follow and documentation in place, the act of hiring a new team member can be a less daunting task. By simply developing a hiring process and supporting documentation, the anxieties of the hiring process can be reduced.

Poor hiring decisions can cost an organization thousands of dollars in direct and indirect costs. Having a hiring process in place that weighs the actual value a candidate brings to the organization can save much time, effort and cost in the long run. A formal process and supporting documentation will make the hiring process run more smoothly, improve the match of the candidate to the job and organization, and provide supporting materials if a hiring decision is brought into question.

In addition, a documented process helps eliminate the stress involved when someone is new to the hiring process and can also build the confidence of person responsible for hiring and set him/her up for a successful hire. 

A simple process should include:

• Responsibilities of the staff. List the responsibilities of all the staff involved, especially those staff members sitting on a panel for interviews. Clarify the expectations of each role on the panel, as well as the information they will be required to understand and resources they are required to use.
• Timelines for the process: Part of the hiring process is setting out clear timelines: accepting applications, completing any pre-testing, short listing, interviewing and reviewing, reference checking and making job offers. Setting a timeline will help keep everyone on track and ensure you get the role filled in a timely manner
• Job description: Ideally the job description is more than a laundry list of duties and will provide the information required to determine the best line of questioning for the interview.
• Long-list/Short List Grid: The long list will include the `must haves’ and the short list will include the `valuable assets`. This will help clarify which candidates are better suited to the role, as well as which candidates may have the ability to grow with the organization too.
• Testing used for determining suitability: If using testing, ensure that the testing is relevant to the role and the expected outcomes. Depending on the time and costs involved you may choose to complete testing prior to interview selection or after. If your costs are higher for the interview process than they are for the testing process (and your testing has proven true), you may wish to conduct testing as a prerequisite to interview selection.
• Briefing of all panel members prior to commencing interviews: Brief all interview panel members on the interview process ahead of time. Review candidate applications, interview questions, rating scales and timelines. 
• Behavioural based interview questions: A behavioural approach (asking about the applicants’ actual past behaviours) boasts a better than 70 per cent chance of predicting a candidate’s ability to do the job. Design interview questions based on the job description, organizational culture, future plans and desired characteristics. Avoid asking generic questions such as ‘are you a team player?’ and instead use ‘Give an example of when you had to work as a part of a team to accomplish a project.’ Use the same line of questioning for each candidate to ensure consistency.
• Rating scale: Using a rating scale helps to eliminate bias and can increase accuracy in determining suitability. It also provides documentation if the hiring decision is ever questioned. Rating sheets should include: date, position, interviewer, candidate, factors being rated, competencies for each factor and levels of competency for each factor.
• Reference check release form: Gain permission from the candidate to conduct reference checks. Have this form on hand at the interview.
• Reference check questions and rating scale: Generally speaking, a minimum of three references gives a sound base for reference checks. Just like your interview questions, predetermine the questions to be used for your reference checks and use a grid to weigh responses. Reference checks are an important vehicle to validate the behaviour-based interview questions and can be a useful tool for supporting your hiring decision.

Putting all of this information into a package for your hiring panel members will help them be better prepared for the hiring process and help decrease anxieties about the hiring responsibilities. 

It is helpful to include sample documentation with your procedures such as job descriptions, short list grid, interview questions, descriptions of biases, human rights information, rating scales and a reference check release. Every time the hiring committee or panel is preparing for a new candidate, this is a good time to review and revise all documentation and ensure it stays current.

Kathy Holmes, CHRP, is an HR consultant with Gailforce Human Resources Solutions.

BC HRMA is the provincial source for human resources information and services for HR professionals and those involved in the business of people. The non-profit association, which has more than 5,300 members, is the BC grantor of the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation. The local Advisory Council is committed to providing leadership in HR excellence throughout the Okanagan and the Kootenay Regions.
Contact Tim Read at tread@bchrma.org or 250.763.3199.